New London - New London knows that Brookfield is going to run right at them in today's CIAC Class M-Large football semifinal.

"My first reaction watching them play live was, 'Wow, these guys get off the football very, very well,'" Whalers coach Duane Maranda said. "You could be in the parking lot and hear them coming off the football."

New London's issue is stopping the Bobcats' run game, something it didn't do well on Thanksgiving against Norwich Free Academy. The Wildcats ran for more than 600 yards and nine touchdowns in a 63-40 win.

"You could say that wasn't our best game of the year," Maranda said. "Defensively, we just did a really poor job of doing our job, tackling and pursuing. It made me sick to my stomach to the point where I had to stop watching the film.

"I challenged the kids this week about what they're made of."

Brookfield (10-2) has run 528 offensive plays, rushing 77 percent of the time. The Bobcats used the pistol as their base formation for most of the season, but switched into the double-wing during last Friday's 30-13 win over Bethel. The double-wing was Brookfield's base offense last season when it played for the Class M title.

Bobby Drysdale averaged a team-high 126 yards per game with 21 touchdowns for Brookfield. Fullback Austin Reich had a season-high 14 carries for 84 yards against Bethel.

Danny Jackson, one of the Bobcats' top runners last season, was hobbled by injury most of the season and wasn't used until the Bethel game. He ran 10 times for 164 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown.

"They like to run the ball hard," New London defensive end/tight end J. Hunter Roman said. "We've had struggles stopping the run the last couple of weeks. If we just man-up this week and try to stop what they're going to do, we have a good shot.

"If we force them to start throwing, that puts us in a position where we'd like to be."

Maranda referenced his team's ability to play the run in a Week 2 win over Class S-Small qualifier Hartford Capital/Achievement First (10-0, Sept. 19).

"Capital Prep is very good up front and fires off the ball," Maranda said. "Our kids played the most physical football game that they could play. They stepped up and did it. They have to be that motivated for this game.

"It's not about X's and O's. What it really comes down to is do you have what it takes to step up and fill those holes and come up and hit?"

The Bobcats' defense has its own problem to deal with because New London (7-3) likes to throw and strike fast.

Wide receiver/safety Jelani Lucas is electric. He has 44 catches for 712 yards and 12 touchdowns (he's scored 18 times overall) to go along with seven interceptions.

Quarterback Danny Maranda has averaged 191 yards passing for the Whalers with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

"They're not shy about playing man coverage and sticking eight or nine guys in the box," Duane Maranda said of the Bobcats' defense. "We're going to have to take advantage of that, stretch the field and be aggressive.

"We're kind of getting that mentality that we're playing with house money. Open it up and go after them. Keep attacking them vertically and get some of their big guys moving out there a little bit."

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED