A new era begins this season for the Seymour Wildcats football team.
Long-time coach Paul Sponheimer has moved on, passing the reins of the squad to Tom Lennon, a former SHS star himself and veteran coach in his own right.
It will not be an easy act to follow.
Fortunately for the new Wildcat mentor, he inherited some key players from last year’s Seymour squad, which finished 11 – 2 and advanced to the Class SS final game before falling to a very strong New London team.
The Rundown
Chief among the returning standouts are quarterback Connor Shugrue, running back Taylor Searles, and lineman Jacob Drozd.
Shugrue threw for over 1,300 yards and connected on 13 touchdown passes. Searles was the team’s second leading rusher with over 800 yards good for six touchdowns. Drozd is one of the area’s top two-way linemen and will be the key to success in the trenches for Lennon’s ‘Cats.
Joining Drozd on the offensive line will be James Tyer, Chris Wilson, Justin Guillette, and Dylan Sadick at center.
Note: Click video above to see recent Seymour scrimmage action. The vid was shot by the CT Post’s obsessive high school sports guru, Sean Patrick Bowley.
On the receiving end of Shugrue’s passes will be such players as Phil Wilhemy, Jimmy Farrell, Adam Merritt and Mike Fraser, a transfer from Hamden.
Of course, a big hole will be noticed by anyone who has followed Seymour the past several years.
Two-way standout Mike Osiecki has moved on to the University of Connecticut, taking with him over 2,300 yards in total offense, along with 33 touchdowns. He also was the team’s leading tackler on defense, with 152 to go with six sacks and an interception.
But the leading sack man on defense was Drozd, with an incredible 18, among the tops in the state. Drozd is one of the strongest, most athletic players on the team as well and seems primed for another monster season.
Other defensive stalwarts for coach Lennon include Searles (86 tackles last year), Shugrue (36 tackles) and Chris Wilson (60 tackles), a hard-hitting linebacker.
Others expected to see a lot of action include Chris Sheppard (transfer from Holy Cross), Ken Tapia and Ryan Luby.
Leaving along with Sponheimer after last year was his long-time offensive coordinator Bob Kelo, considered by many to be among the top play callers in the state. Ray Nappi, yet another veteran member of the Wildcats’ coaching staff, has taken over the OC position.
The Schedule
Seymour again will be competing for a divisional title in the Brass Division as well as a place in the always-tough Class SS tournament. The division features several NVL teams such as Woodland, Wolcott, Holy Cross as well as the Wildcats. This could be one of those years when the division turns into the “NVL Invitational.”
The Seymour schedule is a difficult one, including an out-of-conference game against defending state champion New Canaan, which visits DeBarber Field on October 16. League opponents expected to give the ‘Cats a battle include Crosby, Wolcott, and Ansonia.
The season kicks off with a Thursday game at home against one of their biggest league rivals, Naugatuck, which hopes to rebound after last year’s 3 – 8 debacle. If Seymour can find some depth among its younger players and if last year’s stars have seasons close to those they had in 2008, Seymour can once again be among the top contenders in the Naugatuck Valley League.
“The keys to success this year are growth and leadership,” said Lennon. “The league is wide-open and we need our new players to step up to meet the challenge.”
Steve Fainer, a former sports writer for the Evening Sentinel, publishes NVL Football Blogosphere.
