Fall Sport Preview: Football Team Expected to Bounce Back From Tough Season

With a 3-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the Central Connecticut III West league, 2010 was a poor season for the Rocky Hill football program. But with many of their young and talented players returning, the new season promises to be fun and possibly, very successful.

Rocky Hill should be particularly strong in the backfield under head coach David Coyne. Sophomore Chris Young and junior Alex Denardo are tough and skilled and will be running behind senior captains Salvatore Calafiore and Paul Spada at guard and tackle. The team’s double-wing offense should be successful and allow Coyne’s vision of “smash mouth football being our game” to become a reality. 

Though the Terriers will heavily rely on the running game, Coyne is looking for junior Troy Syme and junior Andrew Jenkelunas to contribute to the team's aerial attack and to take on more responsibility as the season goes along. The pair will split time evenly at the beginning of the season with Syme getting the first call in tonight’s season opener at Rockville.

Coyne saw the same undeniable promise in his defense just a few weeks ago. However, the head coach said that six defensive starters are injured and unable to play in today’s game. For the next couple of weeks, Rocky Hill will be shorthanded on defense and forced to play inexperienced players until it gets starters back from injury, Coyne said. Coyne admits the biggest weakness currently affecting the team is depth.

“We are using a lot of younger kids right now who wouldn’t be playing too much otherwise.”

The "smash mouth" style the Terriers hope to play will be well suited for the rugged Central Connecticut Conference. That being said, Coyne still realizes how much of a week-in and week-out grind it will be playing in such a tough conference and against quality teams like Berlin, Platt-Meriden and Plainville. For him, this is why the road opener against Rockville is so important.

“This game is going to be a little bit of a brawl,” he said. “We’re going to need to show a lot of toughness out there if we want to open the season with a win.”

Coyne recognizes the first few weeks of the season will be challenging especially with all the injuries the team is facing. Still, he believes that Rocky Hill will be a strong team.

“I think we’ll be over .500. We have a lot of young talent, especially in the running game.”

Rocky Hill begins the 2011 season on the road against Rockville at 6:30 p.m.