Running backs Montrel Dobbs and Robert Kinnebrew combined for over 300 yards rushing to lead the Ansonia Chargers to a stunning 41 – 12 win over the Hillhouse Academics in a game played at Veterans Field in West Haven.
While it was not a complete surprise that Ansonia won, the margin of victory shocked many of those in attendance and even impressed the Chargers’ coach Tom Brockett.
“Did I think we were going to come in here and win 41 – 12?” he asked amid jubilant Ansonia players and coaches. “No way. Hillhouse is a quality program and we beat an excellent team tonight.”
The game was witnessed by some 1,200 fans on a perfect night for football.
It looked like it would be a close game, with the Chargers hanging onto a 14 – 6 halftime lead. Dobbs had scored from five yards out and Kinnebrew matched his teammate with a 40-yard run on a slant play off the left side of the line.
But the Chargers were to explode in the second half, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of the team’s offensive line.
“We made some adjustments at the half,” admitted Brockett. “The line really stepped up in the second half and took complete control of the game.”
The big and talented Ansonia line was a question mark coming into this season after the loss of several keys players, including All-State tackle Tom Hyde, now playing at Trinity College.
But the newcomers, such as Brandon Urzua and Tyler Williams, mixed in with veterans like Chris Jeanette, Chris O’Brien and Paul Stumpo, pushed the Academics’ defenders all over the field.
This huge effort was combined with bruising defensive play by such stalwarts as Marty Lawlor, Tyler Wood, and Michael Hough, who shut down the usually explosive Hillhouse offense, particularly in the first half.
“The defense played lights out,” said Brockett. “It was a great team effort all around on both sides of the ball.”
Ansonia exploded for 27 unanswered second half points to bust the game wide open at 41 – 6. Hillhouse managed to score one more touchdown, but by that time it was too late for them to mount any kind of comeback.
Kinnebrew, who is seeing his first significant varsity action this year, came in for high praise from his head coach.
“Robert is a very underrated player,” he said. “He and Montrel make a great running back tandem for us. We didn’t have to pass very much with the way those two played tonight.”
The two backs combined for five of the Ansonia touchdowns, with quarterback Nick O’Connor adding the sixth on a one-yard sneak.
“There was some chatter coming into tonight that Ansonia was down,” said Brockett. “I think we put some of that to rest.”
Some observers had anticipated that the Chargers would be down a bit this year after losing so many key players from last year’s 12 – 2 NVL champion and Class S playoff finalist. But such was not the case as Ansonia showed they have indeed “reloaded” and are ready for the 2009 season.
“We know we are in for a battle every Friday,” said Brockett. “But the shirts still say ‘Ansonia’ and we have to live up to that tradition.”
That they did in defeating a perennial power from the Southern Connecticut Conference, reputed by many to be the best league in the state.
Ansonia begins its league schedule next Friday with a grudge match against the Crosby Bulldogs, the only NVL team to beat them last year.
Crosby lost their season opener 37 – 0 to St. Joseph’s of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIA).
The game will be played at Jarvis Stadium on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff and we will be their to provide complete coverage of the game.
Steve Fainer publishes the NVL Football Blog. Visit the site for analysis of this week’s NVL games.
Click below to replay @NVLFOOTBALL‘s live updates from the game. Photos and video courtesy of Brian Barreto.
