Greyhounds look to knock off Chargers
Editor’s note: This article appears in the special Thanksgiving football section. It has been updated to include statistics through games played Nov. 21.
Thanksgiving is here. A day where everyone remembers the first settlers of the United States while feasting until they cannot breath.
How much more American can Thanksgiving be?
Add football to the mix and there lies the answer.
While NFL teams like the Cowboys and Lions prepare for their annual Thanksgiving contests, head coach Craig Bruno and his Naugatuck Greyhounds will be preparing as well for the 115th installment of their Thanksgiving rivalry with Ansonia — the second-oldest high school football rivalry in Connecticut.
While this tradition is new to Bruno, who is in his second year at the helm, he will certainly be ready after getting his feet wet last year in a 66-28 defeat.
A game, even a 38-point loss, that Bruno will never forget.
“It was awesome,” Bruno said. “The environment. The tradition. It was definitely special.”
This year, however, Bruno knows the outcome on Thanksgiving can be very different.
“The environment will certainly be the same but hopefully we will play a lot better,” said the Greyhounds’ head coach, who owns a 16-3 record since coming to the borough.
But how can Naugy (9-1) do it? Certainly it will not be easy.
Ansonia (9-1) has owned the series with a 67-37-10 record and only two of those losses have come since 2000 (Naugy won in 2001 and 2010).
In those years since 2000, Naugy has faced some of the best running backs to ever come out of the NVL, like Alex Thomas and Arkeel Newsome to name a couple.
Newsome graduated last year but the rushing attack hasn’t stopped. Top rushers Jai’Quan McKnight, Tajik Bagley and Tyler Bailey lead the way for Ansonia, which has rushed for 2,934 yards on the ground.
Bruno is very much aware of this, and he knows that the running game has to be neutralized in order for the turkey to taste even better Thursday.
“We have got to slow down McKnight, Bagley and Bailey,” Bruno said.
Easier said than done.
The Greyhounds have not been that successful against the run this season. The defense, led by key players like Kevin Robinson, P.J. Murphy and Bryan Coney, has allowed 235 rushing yards per game this year and has held an opponent to under 100 yards on the ground only twice.
To give Naugy credit, those two games were big games for Naugy — wins against Holy Cross and Derby. Holy Cross, Brass Division champions, was Naugy’s first challenging opponent of the year. Derby was a must win for a state berth, and Naugy more than got the job done. Both games were lop-sided victories for Naugy.
So which defense will show up against Ansonia? Will it be the “big-game” defense
or will it be the defense that gave up 286 rushing yards to Kennedy, 289 to Woodland, and 210 to Wolcott?
Everyone knows that Naugy can score. Quarterback Jason Bradley, Coney and running back Antoine Sistrunk have all been the players to watch for Naugy.
Bradley has completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,520 yards and 42 touchdowns — 36 more than his number of interceptions — heading into the Thanksgiving showdown with Ansonia.
Coney has 1,018 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns, while Sistrunk and Bradley have combined for over 1,400 rushing yards (Sistrunk with 1,049 and Bradley with 371).
Bradley said the key to winning on the offensive side is quite simple.
“Our offense won’t really change much,” said Bradley, who is closing in on breaking the career passing touchdowns state record of 113. “If we control the line of scrimmage, I think we’ll be alright.”
The Valley’s cornerstone Thanksgiving rivalry means a lot to not only the players and the coaches, but the high school’s faculty members too.
This includes NHS faculty member Bill Bradley, a former Naugatuck football player (Class of 2010) and older brother to Jason Bradley. Just like the many players before him, it was a very special experience for Bill Bradley to play in the game.
“The adrenaline, the energy is just through the roof,” said Bradley, who played defense in his years at Naugy. “It is not like any other high school football game.”
Now that he is graduated, Bradley will be in the stands to cheer on his youngest brother and hope for a win.
“It will hopefully be a great game, followed by delicious turkey.”
The fact of the matter is that these teams are both going to score. Naugy’s high-powered offense, which also includes CJ Wall and Jalen Datil, will put up points. But will Naugy’s defense be clutch at the right time?
Regardless the outcome, the turkey and stuffing can wait because the 115th matchup should be a fun contest down at Nolan Field in Ansonia.
