Ledyard

He recruits. Yes. This must be the reason. This must be why Jim Buonocore is dining on the rest of the Eastern Connecticut Conference at the moment.

He recruits.

Hey, it's convenient. Requires no thought. Perfect. And it sure beats having to acknowledge the guy is a better coach than anyone else around here.

Put it this way: Give me one football game game to win in this corner of the world, I'm taking Buonocore. You can have the field.

"I don't know anyone around here who knows the game better," assistant coach Jeff Ziegler was saying Friday night about The Boss at Ledyard High, who led the Colonels to a 41-14 butt kicking of New London Friday night at Bill Mignault Field.

Ledyard remains unbeaten.

But then, he recruits. Look at Friday. Leo Clinton, the kid at New London last year, was perhaps Ledyard's best player. Buonocore must have set up clandestine meetings over the summer and convinced Clinton to attend the Agri-Science program, channeling Clinton's inner burn to become a veterinarian.

Turns out Clinton lives in Ledyard now and isn't even part of the Agri-Science program. Neither is his buddy Rashan Young - "Kat" as he's known - also a Whaler last year.

But this is what happens when you run a successful program. Sometimes, they find you. And since when is it a violation of federal law to want to play for a coach you believe will get that college bill reduced significantly?

"That stuff doesn't bother me. Those comments are from people who are ill informed," Buonocore said. "We don't recruit. Believe me, I coached college football. I know what recruiting is. I've recruited before at the college level.

"What does sell," Buonocore said, "is the great school, great academic program and great athletic program. Kids want to be part of something special. That's what's selling. It's not us selling it. It's what we do that's selling it. If people want to use that as an excuse? So be it? If people want to see a good football team, they should come out and see Ledyard."

Indeed. And it's a different Ledyard. A few years ago, the Colonels were a run-first, run-second and run-third offense, using running back Alex Manwaring to get to the state finals. They've morphed into a drastically different style of spread 'em out and knock 'em out now.

"Jimmy coaches what he has," Ziegler said. "He doesn't try to get something out of what we don't have. And he keeps it simple. My linemen have one rule for every play. It's very simple to play line here."

Buonocore was a happy man Friday night. In successive weeks, the Colonels inhaled previously unbeaten Windham and then hit a time-honored rival over the head with a snow shovel. The time-honored rival also happens to be Buonocore's alma mater, even if Vegas would offer long odds on him winning Alumnus of the Year.

"As the years go on, the separation continues more," he said. "The New London I knew and was part of was a different New London in terms of the high school in general and the football program. I really don't feel much of a connection at all.

"Do I have a little bit more juice for this game? I do because it's a big rivalry. Ledyard-New London always has been," Buonocore said. "Besides, certain things were said leading up to this game that I think sparked our interest on this side of the bridge. Our kids were ready for that."

The odds are excellent that the Colonels finish the regular season unbeaten. And they will have a legitimate chance to win the school's fifth state football championship. It would be Buonocore's first in his 15-year coaching career. How ironic, indeed, that the league's best coach now chases the very thing that defines coaching greatness, fair or not.

He'll win more than one in his time. But that first one has been elusive.

"With the practices we have and coach's game plans I feel like I'm playing college football already," quarterback Ty Ebdon said. "He's worked so hard. He's never won a state championship. This year, we want to make it happen for him. We know how much he cares about us."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius