The Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team used a big game from quarterback Matt Sapere and its passing attack, plus four interceptions by its defense to defeat division rival Morgan 37-13 at the Peters Complex in Clinton on Sept. 23. Junior cornerback Cole Ensinger returned an interception 62 yards for the game’s first touchdown, after which Sapere tossed a pair of TDs to fellow senior Garrett Burdick to help the Warriors hold a 20-13 halftime lead. Valley then scored 17 unanswered points in the second half on its way to the convincing victory.

Sapere threw for 227 yards with 152 of them going to Burdick, who also reeled in one of the team’s four interceptions. Fellow safety Ernest Jean-Pierre, a junior, snagged two interceptions, while Ensinger had the pivotal pick-six for Head Coach Tim King’s squad.

“[Morgan is] a tough team and they played a great game and we caught a couple of breaks here and there, but our kids played a super second half,” said Coach King, whose team avenged a 40-0 defeat to Morgan last season. “It was a tough loss to them last year and they’re just a very good team. Whenever you beat a good team, it ends up making you better in the long run.”

By virtue of the victory, the Warriors improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pequot Conference Sassacus South Division, thus guaranteeing them at least a tie for the best record with one divisional game to play. Morgan is 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the division, Old Saybrook-Westbrook is 1-1 for both, and Haddam-Killingworth is 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the division.

Coach King is pleased with his team’s great start to the 2016 season, but he’s still keeping things in perspective, and knows that the Warriors have to travel many miles before their ultimate destination is in sight.

“Our first goal is to get a winning season and then your next goal is to win the Pequot Conference and then win a state title. So there are all steps along way and things you want to achieve. Right now, we’re 3-0 and we’re not even close to what we want to achieve. It’s a good start, but we’ve got a long way to go,” says King, who guided Valley to the Class S Large Division state championship in 2014. “We have to stay focused and the big thing is being able to play one game at a time, scout and break down each opponent, and then go in there with all due respect to all of them.”

Valley-Old Lyme brought that approach into the Morgan contest, which remained scoreless through the first quarter on the strength of a big goal line stand by the Warriors. Morgan had 4th-down-and-goal from the 2-yard line when junior outside linebacker/defensive end Roan Sullivan sacked Huskies’ quarterback Madden Ward to force a turnover on downs and keep zeros on the scoreboard.

Ensinger broke the tie early in the second by picking off Ward and taking it 62 yards to the house for a 7-0 lead following Burdick’s extra point kick. Shortly thereafter, Sapere, a senior captain, found Burdick for a 44-yard TD pass to extend the Warriors’ lead to 14-0. Sapere completed a pass to Burdick about 15 yards down field along the sidelines, where Burdick made what King called “an unbelievable move” by splitting two Huskies’ defenders and sprinting home for the score. Morgan cut it to 14-6 on Ward’s 24-yard touchdown run, but Valley promptly responded as Sapere threw a 45-yard pass to Burdick that set up the duo’s 2-yard TD connection for a 20-6 advantage.

“Garrett is a terrific player. He’s one of the best athletes on our team,” King said of Burdick. “He has great hands and his routes are pretty darn good.”

Morgan’s Isaac Eriksen scored on a 11-yard touchdown rush in the final minute of the first half and Valley was up 20-13 as the second half kicked off. Burdick gave the Warriors some breathing room with his 21-yard field goal that put them up by two scores early in the third quarter. Later in the frame, Sapere hit sophomore receiver Jason O’Brien for a 36-yard pass and Valley was once again in business in Huskies’ territory. Sapere, who rushed for 68 yards, then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and the Warriors were in command with a 30-13 advantage. Sapere later put the cherry on top by throwing a 29-yard TD to junior tight end Jon Balocca. Burdick booted his fourth extra point and Valley had a 37-13 lead through three that held up as the final margin of victory.

In addition to all of their success through the air, the Warriors also saw senior captain running back Daniel Stecher gain 62 yards on 13 carries. Coach King praised his offensive line for helping Valley move the sticks on the ground, along with how they gave Sapere ample time to find open receivers. The Warriors’ starting offensive line featured junior Ian Neviaser at center, senior captain Mitchell Conrad and senior Charlie Littler at guard, plus seniors Cody Stalls and Jeremy LaCasse at the tackle positions.

“The offensive line did a heck of a job. They protected Matt and Danny is a part of that, too. He had some great pickups,” said King, who complimented offensive coordinator Kevin Woods for calling a great game. “Everything had to click for us to put those stats together and our front did a heck of a job keeping Matt safe in the pocket. And when Matt had to run, he did a great job carrying the ball.”

Coach King also had nothing but nice things to say about Valley-Old Lyme’s defensive effort. King said the goal was to “cause some chaos in the backfield and let the linebackers flow to the ball,” and he felt all the pressure the Warriors put on Morgan’s quarterback played a huge role in his defense collecting those four interceptions. Sullivan was on in three sacks, recording one by himself, splitting one with O’Brien, and sharing another with Balocca. Ensinger forced a fumble, Nevaiser recovered a fumble on a different play, and the Warriors’ leading tacklers were Sullivan (15 with 5 for a loss), Stecher (11), and Stalls (10 with 4 for a loss).

The Warriors now get ready to take on a fellow unbeaten in Cromwell-Portland (2-0), which Valley will face at home at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30. Cromwell-Portland plays in the Pequot Conference’s Sassacus North Division and word on the street is that they’re among the Pequot’s elite teams this season.

“They’re supposed to be the team to beat. They’re loaded, they’re big, and [Kristian Sapp] at tailback is one of the top running backs in the state from what I hear,” said Coach King. “I got a chance to see them play last year and they were pretty good last year and this year they’re better. They have a lot of speed and a lot of talent, so it will be a very tough game for us.”

From the Sidelines

Once again, the Pequot Conference has realigned its divisions this year. Valley Regional-Old Lyme now plays in the Sassacus South Division with Morgan, Old Saybrook-Westbrook, and Haddam-Killingworth. The Sassacus North Division features Cromwell-Portland, North Branford, SMSA-Classical-University, and Coginchaug. The Uncas South Division is comprised of Stafford-East Windsor-Somers, Ellington, Coventry-Windham Tech-Bolton, Granby Memorial, and Windsor Locks-Suffield-East Granby. The teams in the Uncas West are Gilbert-Northwestern, Nonnewaug, Lewis Mills, and Canton.