Vikings have defensive master on their sideline in Coach T

East Lyme - This was just how Paul Tenaglia envisioned it: The eve of the school's biggest home football game in five years and …

East Lyme couldn't practice outside. This was Monday. Driving rain, not to mention hundreds of seagulls using Dick North Field as nature's restroom. So practice moved inside, not in the gym, of course, which had been commandeered by basketball.

And so there was Tenaglia, head coach and defensive mad scientist, tending to the vagaries of Vinal Tech/Coginchaug's offense in the school commons. Yet even with the considerable number of tables they moved to clear space, safety Brendan McDermott's keister was almost affixed to a vending machine. One false move and B-Mac, as his friends call him, would have committed pass interference on the Aquafina.

"Think Marinelli goes through this?" Tenaglia wondered aloud, alluding to Lou Marinelli, who coaches at palatial New Canaan, where even the practices are catered.

Turns out, though, that the Vikings did just fine.

It took Tenaglia's defense all of three plays Tuesday to give the Vikings the only points they'd need during a 39-0 win that sent them to the program's fourth state championship game in seven years. Jacob Grills, also the starting quarterback, doubled as a corner, taking home an interception return 45 yards and the lead one minute into the game.

"Great jawb … shutout!" Tenaglia told his players after the game in his endearing, and often imitated, accent straight from hometown Medford, Mass., which, of course, Tenaglia refers to as "Meffa," as all the locals do.

And this just in: Paul Tenaglia, "Coach T" to the kids, could coach defense anywhere, anyplace. His Vikings have allowed a grand total of 64 points in 11 games this season, fewest of any other ECC school, heading to Saturday's finals. It's been like this since Tenaglia got here, which coincided with the program's first state championship in 2003.

Best of all, outside opinions about this don't matter. Whether parents, fellow coaches or The Public At Large thinks Tenaglia knows anything is irrelevant. Why? Because the kids believe. If Coach T says it, they believe it. And they execute it. Have you any idea the significance of that?

"He's the defensive mastermind," McDermott said. "When the game starts, we're well rehearsed. We'll have a day that's designated for offense and spend an hour and a half on defense."

Tenaglia's wife, Robin, also from Meffa, says of her husband, "He gets a high off defense. That's his baby."

Grills said, "Sometimes we have to bring Coach T back and tell him, 'OK, it's offense time now.' But he's the defensive guru. It's been that way since he got here. When he tells us something, there's really no need to question it."

Makes you wonder if Dr. Seuss would ever consider making a comeback as a sportswriter. Could you imagine if he wrote a sequel to "Green Eggs and Ham" about Coach T?

I am Coach T

I can coach 'D'

Coach T, that's me

I am Coach T

I can coach 'D'

I can coach it here

I can coach it there

I can coach it anywhere

I am Coach T

Coach T, that's me

I am Coach T

I can coach 'D'

I would coach it for free

I would coach it here

I would coach it there

I would coach it anywhere

I am Coach T

Coach T, that's me

And if Dr. Seuss relents, his players could always make a Coach T video. Several players, one more hilarious than the next, tried out their Coach T impressions while inhaling pizza after Tuesday's game.

Senior Josh Paquette nosed out teammates Kevin Seery and Kevin Dolan for the championship. Paquette flailed his arms and mimicked Tenaglia's accent beautifully:

"Thirty yee-izz (years) we haven't socked (sucked) this bad! Thirty yee-izz!" Paquette hollered.

And with that, they roared with approval, reveling in a historic night in East Lyme ... and also in the knowledge that the guru from Meffa will be on their sideline in the finals.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.