Sports Corner
Seniors Tyler Nelson (32) and Matt Sanzaro (2) in their final high school game. Photo: Josh Howard
Eagles Football Recaps on a Near-Perfect Season
WETHERSFIELD - The expression, sometimes, is that the scoreboard doesn’t tell the story.

       In the case of the Wethersfield High School football team, the 21-14 first round state playoff defeat in New Canaan two weeks ago missed the tale of an entire perfect season by which they got there.

       Down 21-0 at halftime, Eagles Head Coach John Campanello made sure to remind his team of that.

       â€"I thought that we were a better team than what we were showing,” Campanello said a few days after the game.

       He looked to his core of seniors--among them quarterback Matt Sanzaro, who threw for 2,150 yards on his way to 31 touchdown passes this season.

       â€"That’s no way to finish off your career if you’re a senior,” Campanello told them.

       They would respond, making it a one possession game but falling just short of a complete comeback, but Campanello liked the ending anyway.

       â€"We had a good year,” he said. â€"We were down 21-0 at halftime and we came back and scored two touchdowns. They fought to the end. Every challenge I’ve given them this year, they’ve met.”

       There was the Central Connecticut II East Division title-the team’s second in the past two years. There was the 57-27 blowout victory over Hartford Public, who finished second in the division race, on their field in October.

       They did worse to third place RHAM, shutting them out 30-0 on their turf. And against the 10-1 New Canaan, a top-tier team in their own right, the Eagles refused to go quietly, even in a situation where other squads would have been silenced, Campanello said.

       â€"I think they gained confidence from the regular season and playing good teams,” he said. â€"I think they realized that they could battle them. We played a good game against a very good team.”

       Next year the team will be without Sanzaro, as well as lead rusher Tyler Nelson--he had 918 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground--and defensive veterans Timmy Linnartz, Andrew Cravero, Patrick Mozzicato, Jimmy Malizia, John Tapia, Andrew Pugliese and Andrew Dowd.

       Some good news for the Eagles is that their top three receivers, including Kyle Klavins, whose 670 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches were a team best, will be among those returning next year as seniors. Juniors Devon Smith and Richard Williams had 573 and 357 aerial yards, respectively, and each had seven touchdown catches.

       But next year, what Campanello will be looking for most can’t be measure in stats, he said.

       â€"That’s the challenge they have ahead of them,” Campanello said. â€"For us to have a year as successful as this one, you need good leadership--a ‘team first, me second’ mentality.”
MORE SPORTS NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Dec 17 2014  |  COMMENTS?