Groton — The new abnormal has become a foundation for new levels of resourcefulness, including this new concept of "football activities" within the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

League officials, in creating the format for 7 on 7 and lineman challenges, designed the makeshift high school football autumn with the understanding that COVID-19 could alter schedules weekly. Hence, they wanted schools to schedule their traditional rivals early in the season to ensure rivalry games got played.

And so Friday night Oct. 9 became the makeshift Thanksgiving Day, during which Ledyard and Fitch renewed their game at Dorr Field traditionally played for the Colonel Ledyard Sword.

"They haven't beaten us on our field in half a decade," Fitch lineman Brian Toussaint said. "We take that personally."

And the Colonels — the clearly improved Colonels — still haven't, following Fitch's 55-27 victory.

"I go back to even when I was a kid and I remember 7,000 people watching," Fitch coach Mike Ellis said of the Fitch-Ledyard game. "There was that game (a memorable 46-40 Ledyard win in 1993) when Mike Emery (Fitch) and Bill Mignault (Ledyard) were coaching. Bottom line is that when we play Ledyard, we're going to get their best shot."

Fitch won all four lineman challenges, giving the Falcons 28 valuable points.

"I credit all my lineman – Andre Portillo, John Luethy, Trae Johnson, Landon Huffstickler," Toussaint said. "We've all been working very hard at this."

The Falcons won challenges that included bag carries, an obstacle course and figure 8s, all involving various skills and equipment.

Fitch quarterback Josh Letellier spread the ball around generously, throwing touchdown passes to Noah Charron and Calvin Kilgore, among others. Fitch runs the triple option, but may add a passing game to it in the spring during the proposed regular season.

"We keep seeing Josh make better and better decisions," Ellis said. "This is giving us an opportunity to work on some things we don't normally have the time to work on."

Ledyard, meanwhile, was very competitive in a 30-26 loss to Waterford earlier this week. The Colonels were tied with Fitch (20-20) going to the fourth quarter of the 7 on 7 competition.

Freshman quarterback Dylan Clark threw touchdown passes to Walker Lenz, Roman Streckfuss and Jackson Poulton for first-year coach Mike Serricchio.

"We're enjoying the fact that we get to keep playing," Ellis said, "and the chance to keep getting better."

m.dimauro@theday.com