Norwich - A highly-publicized coaching change. A number of key starters gone from last year's state championship team.

Everything could have gone wrong for first-year coach Jeff Larson and the New London High School football team.

But as he stood on the green turf at Norwich Free Academy Thursday after his Whalers beat the Wildcats, 34-14, and finished the regular season 10-0, Larson could finally let out a sigh of relief and elicit a smile.

Just don't get complacent, however, because the state playoffs begin in five days.

"It was a good season," Larson said. "Any time you go 10-0 it is good. Those opportunities are very, very rare. To have that opportunity in front of you, and to be able to go out and seize it ... that's what we talked about all week."

New London will be the top seed in Class M when the CIAC officially announces its playoff pairings today and the Whalers will play host to No. 4 Bethel (8-2) in Tuesday's semifinals at Cannamela Field at 6:30 p.m.

As Josh Clements, New London's starting quarterback, watched from the sideline after suffering a concussion two weeks ago, backup Josh Zurita stepped in again and the Whalers didn't miss a beat.

The junior passed for two touchdowns and also scored on a 12-yard run as New London improved its record to 77-59-11 in the oldest high school rivalry in the nation, dating to 1875.

"(Larson) told me I had to step up," said Zurita, who will return to the sideline because Clements will be ready for the playoffs.

The Wildcats (4-6) took an early lead on Jordan Johnson's 22-yard touchdown reception from Erik Washburn, but New London tied it on Stephan Dance's 1-yard run midway through the second quarter.

The Whalers recovered the ensuing kickoff, and four plays later Zurita hit Aaron Bonnette on a 22-yard scoring pass for a 14-7 lead.

Kyle McKinnon (29 carries, 168 yards) and Zurita added rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, and Dance hauled in a 2-yard pass for New London's final score. NFA's Anthony Facchini scored on a 9-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats were hurt by two interceptions and lost five fumbles.

"We played very physical football and we got after it. To go into the half down seven, I felt the kids played their hearts out," NFA coach Jemal Davis said. "If you play with a certain mentality, all the other things will start to come into place."

With the undefeated regular season behind them, Larson and the Whalers can now concentrate on Tuesday, when they begin pursuit of a second straight state title (New London won the Class SS championship in 2008).

And Larson wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't find much to work on before that game.

"I'm not really worried about focus in the playoffs," he said. "For us, we'd just like to say, 'Hey, one game at a time, one practice at a time. Come out and let's take care of what you've got to do today. Don't worry about tomorrow, (worry about) today.'"