High Impact Times: A Guest Post From MetalNED, Walter Camp Players of the Week
A Guest Post From MetalNED, Walter Camp Players of the Week.
The Ups and Downs Of Killingly High Schools Football Season
A Feature Article by MetalNED
The Killingly football team was two games into the 2023 season, and stood with a record of 0-2. It was a very un-Killingly start as it hadn’t lost back-to-back games since 2014. Heck, Killingly had lost just five regular season games over the previous seven seasons.
Killingly’s season came to an end on Tuesday as it lost to New Canaan, 49-14, in the CIAC Class L quarterfinals. It was the first time in eight seasons that Killingly didn’t advance to at least the semifinals. Athletic success is generally measured in wins-and-losses and titles instead of growth, and Killingly head coach Chad Neal and his team certainly saw a lot of progress over the season. “We knew what we’re going to get from (running back Soren) Rief,” Neal said. “We knew what we were going to get from Devin and Darin Exarhoulias who were going to be three-year starters on the line and Alexis Ruiz-Ortiz who was another three-year starter (up front). But we started a junior, Anthony Oates, at middle linebacker and we just became more dominant on the defensive side of the ball and came into his own.”
Neal was aware that there would be growing pains as the team returned just five offensive starters and two on defense from last season’s Class MM runner-up. Killingly began the year with a 43-20 home loss to Masuk on Sept. 8. It was a rematch of last season’s Class MM semifinal that Killingly won, 54-51. The following week, Killingly traveled to play defending Class M champion Notre Dame of West Haven and lost, 34-14 (Sept. 15). “We played both those teams pretty close in the first half,” Neal said. “Against Masuk, it was 14-14 at the half and we were beating Notre Dame at the half, 14-7, so we were able to point to a lot of positives.”
“I think our players were unsure of themselves in their ability. We did return some starters, but we started a lot of underclassmen, so I think they were questioning themselves. Are they the Killingly of old? And I think there was a lot of pressure on them to live up to the expectations that we had for the other teams. Being 0-2, they kind of loosened up a bit and just played football.” Killingly won its next three games, then lost at home to Fitch, 37-29 (Oct. 20), putting its goal of an ECC Division I title in jeopardy. Fitch went on to win the division.
Killingly bounced back quickly the following week with a 64-35 win over East Lyme (Oct. 27) to finish the regular season on a four-game winning streak. That included a 42-15 Thanksgiving Day win over Woodstock Academy that clinched a Class L playoff berth. Neal said: “Our sophomore class, after those (first) two games, that experience, they now felt they could play at that level and that speed of the game and physicality of it. So, once they realized that and got to that point, I think that’s why instead of being underclassmen, they became football players.”
Killingly was faced with a difficult task in the playoffs because they moved up three playoff divisions from Class SS, the second smallest division, to Class L. It was moved up because it’s a school of choice (it has a vo-ag program), and schools of choice are moved up based on previous playoff success. Killingly has 358 boys, according to CIAC enrollment figures. That ranks 103rd out of 181 schools. New Canaan is 35th overall with 668 boys. “Being considered a school of choice and moving up three divisions, I just don’t feel it’s equitable,” Neal said. “It’s one thing going up a division but going up three is a challenge.”
“One of the challenges looking at it, too, was let’s say there’s 130 plays a game. I’d say 70, 75-percent (of our players) aren’t coming off the field, whereas in some of those larger schools those guys may be playing half that number of plays (as part of a platoon). If we had won on Tuesday night, then having to go to Maloney or someplace else on Sunday (in the semifinal round), I think it’s a safety issue.” New Canaan was an especially tough opponent to draw in the quarterfinals. It was ranked third in the Hartford Courant Top 10 state coaches’ poll, has won 11 of its 13 CIAC state titles this millennium and is coached by Lou Marinelli, the state’s all-time winningest coach (391-113-7). The Rams’ Alex Benevento returned the opening kickoff for an 81-yard touchdown as Killingly fell behind 21-0 less than six minutes into the game. “For the younger kids, it was very beneficial to see that type of speed and physicality,” Neal said. “In all three phases, New Canaan has no weaknesses.”
Rief, a senior, ran for both of Killingly’s touchdowns. He ran 364 times for 2,488 yards and 37 touchdowns this season. He finished his career with 5,570 yards and 81 touchdowns in 36 games and played in three state finals. After the game, Marinelli walked over to Killingly’s huddle and asked Neal if he could speak to his team. “It was very gracious of him,” Neal said. “He basically said, ‘Don’t let this game and loss define your season. You had a (long) bus ride, and you played us for 48 minutes, played tough and never backed down.’They battled right to the end. We were just outmatched. They didn’t back down.”
Walter Camp Football Foundation Connecticut H.S. Football Conference Players of the Week
One of the best traditions that has recently started is the Walter Camp CT High School Conference Players of the Week. It’s provided the opportunity to highlight the best players from each conference across the state on a weekly basis. This week, there’s sixteen more great recipients.
ECC: WR Tyree Barnes (New London), LB Fazal Khan (Weaver)
CTC: RB Jermaine Sheppherd (Platt Tech), LB Dante Burgos (Platt Tech)
SWC: QB Jack Balzi (New Milford), LB Cooper Simmons (Pomperaug)
CCC: RB Xavier Hairston (Plainville), LB Shane McCormick (Plainville)
SCC: RB Aidan Dolan (Daniel Hand), DB Matt Jeffrey (Cheshire)
NVL: QB Jett Hall (Naugatuck), LB Xavier Teixeira (Oxford)
FCIAC: QB Caleb Smith (Staples), DB Max Maurillo (Staples)
PFC: RB Amir Knighton (Rockville), LB Trevor Dixon (Haddam-Killingworth)
Purchase Photos From CHSCA Cross Country and Girls’ Volleyball Banquets
If your son or daughter made the CHSCA All State Cross Country Teams, then you can purchase their photos that were taken at the banquet at this link HERE.
All you have to do is click on the link, click ‘View Gallery’ and enter your email address. You’ll then scroll through the available photos to find your athlete and you can then choose the sizing of the photo you’d like to order. It’s as easy as that.
In addition to the CHSCA All State Cross Country banquet photos being available, the CHSCA All State Girls’ Volleyball banquet photos are available for purchase. All you have to do is click on this link HERE. From there, just follow the steps from above!
Thank You To Our Sponsors
The NFP team would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the sponsors who work with us and make it possible to highlight the high school athletes across the state of Connecticut. Thank you to:
Buffalo Wild Wings
Stadium System
University Orthopedic
Domino's of Southeastern CT
Game On & JayPro Sports
We appreciate their continuous support and hope that you’ll frequent them in the future.
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