Howdy,

New London head coach Juan Roman made it a point of emphasis discussing this Friday’s home game against Killingly.

“Right now, we’re the underdogs,” Roman said. “They were the team in the (Class M) playoffs (last season). We were 2-8. We haven’t won more than two games yet.”

Whalers football — home underdogs.

“We still feel like underdogs,” Killingly head coach Chad Neal chuckled when told of Roman’s comment. “We’re confident, but I think our kids haven’t won at New London in a long, long time.

“Until we get in there and win a game, we’ll play the underdog role also.”

It’s a bit of a stretch for either Killingly or New London to be considered underdogs within the Eastern Connecticut Conference this year. Both are 2-0 and should be among the league’s strongest teams, even more so in a down season.

The ECC game of the year? Maybe.

The Whalers want to reclaim their place among the ECC’s ruling class after an un-Whaler-like two-win season last fall. Roman, a championship player and longtime New London assistant, took over as head coach this year and inherited a team that started a lot of younger players in 2015.

New London has beaten East Lyme (47-19) and Griswold (50-0).

“This is the kind of thing that doesn’t happen overnight,” Roman said. “You come in here, a lot of these kids, unfortunately, have seen us play over the last few years growing up and don’t see behind the scenes. They don’t see what it takes to win. Running 110s, lifting weights. I think a lot of them think, 'We won the Super Bowl in the (Southern New England Youth Football League). All we have to do is show up.' It’s like that commercial about kids drinking milk. They’re drinking milk, too, and if you don’t do what you have to do, they’re going to get you.”

“I think some of these more athletic teams think, ‘we’re better athletes,’ but in the end, you still have to get in the weight room and you still have to train. I won’t deny that football is tough sport nowadays because it’s year-round, and New London usually has been a town of multiple-sport athletes.”

Second-year quarterback Melquann Gomez has thrown for 260 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 130 yards and four scores. Elijah Lawyea (six catches, 84 yards, 1 TD) and Yale-bound D. Major Roman (five catches, 74 yards, 2 TDs) have been the top targets. Efrain Santiago III has rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns.

Linebacker Trent Robledo-Thompson (12) and end Renelson Michel (11) are New London’s leading tacklers.

“Offensively, their passing game has been excellent,” Neal said. “Gomez gets it out of there really quickly and has a great feel for his receivers. Once they get it, they have a lot of speed, and they’ve got a big tight end (D. Major Roman) who causes a lot of problems.”

Killingly was among the state’s best success stories last season as it went from 2-9 to 9-1 and the top seed in the Class M, its first playoff berth since 1996. It returned a strong core from that team, including four-year starting quarterback Kyle Derosier (234 yards passing, 5 TDs) and running back-safety Spencer Lockwood (485 yards, 5 TDs).

“A couple of kids are back, and other kids have stepped up and done a nice job," Neal said. "Ethan Canova, he was a fullback and defensive lineman. We moved him to guard, and he’s been a nice surprise. We’ve really been moving the ball. Running the ball, that’s what we like to do. I think up front that we can match up with them, but we’ve got to limit mistakes. That’s what’s killed us so far in the red zone.”

Roman said, “They’re a smashmouth team. You’re not going to have to try to find them. They’re going to come to you.”

• • • •

It was pointed out to Valley Regional/Old Lyme head coach Tim King after Saturday’s 26-15 win over Old Saybrook/Westbrook that his defense fared well again despite giving up size.

“They rose to the occasion,” King said. “That’s what we’ve heard all week, that we we’re small ...”

King was cut off and reminded that he’s talked about his team’s size more than anyone (and fretted about it).

“They’re big, we’re small. Hopefully our skill kids are that much better,” Ginny King said standing nearby, teasing her husband.

“My offensive line thinks they’re receivers, okay,” Tim King retorted to Ginny and reporters.

• • • •

East Lyme was without one of its leaders in Friday night's 35-29 loss to Fitch. Senior running back/linebacker Isaac Tomblin was sidelined with concussion-like symptons, and coach Rudy Bagos isn't sure when he'll be cleared to return.

"With concussions you've got to be sure,'' said Bagos. "I'd rather be safe than sorry.''

Tomblin rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 loss to New London and will provide a spark for the Vikings on both sides of the ball when he's cleared to return.

While East Lyme's defense gave up 347 yards rushing to Fitch, it also recovered five fumbles. Junior linebacker Blake Bragaw had two of them.

• • • •

Roman explained in great detail his decision to leave son Major in the game on defense down the stretch to try to preserve the shutout in a 50-0 victory Friday over Griswold.

When fellow linebacker Billy Clark was taken to the hospital by ambulance with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter, Clark asked his team not to let Griswold score, a request Major Roman asked his dad if he could try to honor.

"I should have been the one telling him to get his butt off the field," Juan Roman said. "... He didn't want to let his teammate down."

Said Juan Roman: "When one suffers, we all suffer. When one rejoices, we all rejoice."

• • • •

Roman wears a hat with an “X” on the front, signifying that he is a former football player at New London and a graduate of the school. The hat bears his year of graduation, 1984, on the back.

Roman captained the Whalers to a state championship in 1983 and is a member of the high school’s athletic hall of fame and football hall of fame.

“We have about eight of them on the sideline now,” Roman said of the New London alumni on his staff who have earned the same right to wear the distinguished looking hat. “… When I took over I said, ‘We have to coach these guys hard, but we love ’em hard, too.”

• • • •

Sophomore Jason O'Brien had one of the bigger offensive plays in Valley/Old Lyme's win. It had a third-and-9 from the Rams' 39 early in the second quarter when Matt Sapere lofted a pass O'Brien's way near the right pylon.

O'Brien was behind his defender, but managed to high-point the ball for a 36-yard catch. Dan Stecher ran for a touchdown on the next play to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead.

"That's a track athlete," said King, who also coaches Valley Regional track. "We try to get the kids to do track (and have) multi-sport kids.

"He was our MVP as a freshman. He was my high hurdler, 300 hurdler, triple jumper and long jumper. He scored in four events at the Shoreline (outdoor championships)."

• • • •

Roman said sophomore running back Jacob Commander, who has not played yet this season due to injury, would have been available against Griswold if necessary. Commander will likely make his season debut against Killingly.

• • • •

Thanks to David Davis and Vickie Fulkerson for the East Lyme and New London notes, respectively.

• • • •

That's all for now. Thanks for reading. The statewide Polecat will be online Tuesday morning.

Vaya con dios.