Football Preview: Ledyard, Waterford No Strangers

The route to the CIAC state football championships in East Hartford usually begins at home.

For the last two seasons, teams battle all season to secure a fine record and land a coveted quarterfinal home game in the current four-class, eight-team format. You can argue that playing at home while a cross-state visiting team boards a bus for 1-2 hours en route to an unfamiliar, unfriendly environment puts the visitors in a 7-10 point hole before the game even starts.

So when Ledyard pulled out its second straight last-minute touchdown to beat Fitch, 14-12, on Thanksgiving, it parlayed it into more than a memorable win in a rivalry game. It clinched home field and an advantageous boost toward a Class M title run, right?

Well, it's not exactly the home field advantage No. 3 Ledyard had in mind. The Colonels host sixth-seed Waterford 6:30 p.m. today in a Class M quarterfinal (WXLM, 980 AM at 6 p.m.).

“Usually, when you secure a home game for the playoffs the advantage is that the opponent has to travel a distance on a Tuesday night,” Ledyard coach Jim Buonocore said. “That is not the case with Waterford since it is only 10 minutes away. Also, they have been on the road all year. I am not so certain home field advantage will play a big role in this.”

Not only does Waterford (7-3) enjoy a short bus ride, it carries the experience of playing at Bill Mignault Field less than a month ago. Ledyard (9-1) trimmed the Lancers, 15-7, in a hard-fought game that clinched the ECC Medium Division title for the Colonels. Waterford won at Ledyard last year in a regular season game.

There is no rubber match (third game) here, so the winner advances, making Ledyard’s previous win moot in this matchup. It’s rare in high school or college football that a team gets a second chance to beat an opponent, so Waterford rates another edge in that regard.

Defenses dominated in the first matchup. Waterford took a first-half lead on Brian Gencarelli’s 32-yard pass to David Zaldivar, and Ledyard tied it on Alex Manwaring’s TD run. Defense keyed the turning point when Ledyard linebacker Dallas Smith sacked Gencarelli for a safety and a 9-7 third-quarter lead. Manwaring’s second scoring run in the fourth made it 15-7.

Waterford’s defense "contained" Manwaring, who set the ECC single-season record for rushing of 2,060 yards last week, to 218 yards on 48 carries. The abundance of work, though, gave Ledyard a time of possession edge. That plus Ledyard’s three forced turnovers held the Lancers to under 200 total yards. A Waterford penalty for having 12 men on the field also nullfied a Lancer safety.

As Lancer coach Mike Ellis said, "[Waterford] shot itself in the foot."

Both teams need to raise their game with higher stakes.

“Our kids will have to pay attention to detail and be able to adjust to some of the tweaks to our game plan,” Buonocore said. “I am certain Waterford will make some minor adjustments as well from the last game.”

Manwaring, a dominant offensive player with huge numbers, is the biggest difference between two very similar teams. Both had good athletes capable of making big plays at quarterback. Both feature quality interior lines and defenses. Both are viewed as overachieving teams, having graduated a number of key players from 7-3 squads that missed out on the 2010 playoffs.

The supposed Achilles heel for Ledyard heading into 2011 was a perceived lack of speed. But Manwaring’s explosive and ample production behind a ready-made junior offensive line, qb John Rainey’s penchant to excel under pressure, and Slade Baxley’s big-play emergence as a “wildcard” hybrid back-wingback has left all but New London behind this year.

Waterford’s bane was supposed to be homesickness. School renovations forced the Lancers to play every game away from school with the only “home” contest against Killingly at the Coast Guard. Ellis’ senior-dominated squad never used circumstances out of their control as an excuse.

The winner advances to the semifinals Saturday against the winner of Wolcott vs. Ellington and will likely be the favorite in that game. Undefeated Ansonia , fueled by speedy sophomore Arkiel Newsome, who set the state single-season record with 50 TDs, is favored to win Class M.

“Both football teams are solid and have a great opportunity to win and advance through the bracket,” Buonocore said. “Our goal is very clear. We want to find a way to Rentschler field for December 10th. I am proud of my players and how they have hung tough through the year and looking forward to seeing them compete in what I think will be a great environment on Tuesday night.”

One area where Ledyard holds every advantage is playoff history. While the Colonels have won four state titles and have reached nine finals, including Buonocore's first season as coach in 2008, Waterford still seeks its first postseason win, losing openers in 2000 and 2003.

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