The Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team remains committed to building better football players even though the likelihood of a 2020 season is still in question.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Committee (CIAC) Board of Control recently announced that full-contact, 11-on-11 football would be canceled this year given direction from the Department of Health (DPH). Subsequently, many local athletes, coaches, parents, and fans protested in the state capitol. Since then, the CIAC and the DPH have discussed the possibly saving the season.

Meanwhile, Warriors’ Head Coach Tim King and his squad are continuing to condition and practice in small groups. Even with no certainty to a full-contact, 11-on-11 season, Coach King wants to keep his athletes ready to go. Beyond any potential campaign, Coach King knows that he has players who may be looking to continue playing football at the collegiate level, and a lost season with no conditioning or practice could prove devastating to their chances.

“We’re trying to do everything as normal as possible. We’re also trying to work with kids who may be playing next year in college. I can’t just let them sit around,” King said. “Our weight room is closed, and gyms are closed. So they are really at a disadvantage. The more they can practice, get experience, and do footwork, that can benefit them for next year. That’s our job, that’s my job.”

The most frustrating part of the fall season for Coach King has been the starting and stopping.

“We’re like a yo-yo, up and down with all of this. The day after the protest up at the capitol, there had been 1,000 high school football games played in the nation already, and not one case of the virus had been linked to any of the games,” King said. “We can’t even wear helmets yet. Coming from a state with one of the lowest rates of infection in the nation, we’re still bouncing around and wanting to play 7-on-7.”

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for Coach King has been the amount of lead time prior to this season. There are solutions to preventing the spread of the coronavirus being explored all around the country, but nothing beyond changing the sport into a passing drill has seemed to be presented by the CIAC.

“They could have had a couple of game plans, or they could have swung around and done spring sports in the fall, but we didn’t. I knew about not having track back in the first week of April,” said King, who is also the Head Coach of the Warriors’ boys’ outdoor track team. “What’s the difference between a collision in soccer versus in football? I’m not trying to throw them under the bus or anything like that, but it’ll happen in field hockey and everything else, too. Football is more contact, but if we’re worried about transmission between contact then there are other contact sports. There are things like face shields that go all the way down the helmet.”

Coach King would like to see seniors like Jack Cox and Colbe Andrews have a chance at their final high school season.

“Colbe Andrews is one of the captains. He was an all-league player for us. He had an incredible summer, and he’s not out there showcasing what he can do right now,” King said. “Jack Cox, he’s already committed to Amherst. Jack just plays quarterback for us, but we are having him play some outside linebacker during the fall just for the fun of it.”

Another senior that King is very disappointed in potentially missing out this year is Kyle Metz.

“Kyle Metz, he’s a beast. It’s a shame that he’s not on the field. He’s another kid that can go on and play somewhere,” King said. “He has a great work ethic, and he’s one of our strongest two-way players for us. He can play outside linebacker and inside linebacker.”

The Warriors are not short on players that could have an impact for college programs next year, and Coach King wants to give the opportunity for those players to showcase their skills, players like Weston Belisle, Tommy Burch, Jeremy Rand, and Anthony Rosario.

“Weston Belisle could be playing on in college, and Tommy Birch is another one. Jeremy Rand was a guard last year, and he would miss out in 7-on-7,” King said. “Anthony Rosario is our running back and corner, and he’s another one who needs more time out there to work on things in game. These are some of the kids who have the opportunity to play at a higher level.”

Luckily, college scouts are still interested in some of the Warriors’ student-athletes, and with many fall seasons postponed or outright canceled, conscientious recruiters are trying to find an array of players that can have a positive effect on their schools.

“I’m still getting a lot of calls with colleges, especially the ones that aren’t playing this year. They have a lot of time to recruit and look at film that you can send them. Coach Bobby Sanchez has been doing a lot of film. I’m old school. I call them, and they call me. Then I meet with them.” King said. “Everything else is on Hudl and Bobby does a great job with that. We’ve been fortunate in the past with a quite a few kids being able to go on and play, so a lot of the smaller colleges stop by and give us a call. The college line is pretty good.”

Valley’s younger student-athletes’ development is also a concern for Coach King. There are a handful of talented players whose growth could be stunted by a lost season. Junior James Marsden has already missed out on a basketball state tournament, a baseball season, and may not get to play football. Junior Samuel Mullaney could use more res on the field to stay sharp, as could sophomores DiAngelo Jean-Pierre and Jeremy Arnum.

“James Marsden is a terrific baseball player, and he’s also a basketball player. So he’s been shafted three times. Coach Woods and the basketball program were rolling into the playoffs. Then James gets shoved out of baseball, and now, he may lose out on football. Jeremy Arnum’s come so far as well. Mullaney has some great hands. We call him mittens. Didi is going to be a big part of this team, too,” King said. “Some of those young guys are really starting to come along. They’ve been great and working hard. No matter what happens, you can’t let a season pass without doing anything.”

Coach King and the Warriors are just waiting for another announcement from the CIAC. Until then, the plan is to keep practicing and trying to improve.

“Everything would be up to the state. We go as the state goes. The state makes a decision, we have to stand by it,” said King. “We just have to wait for the yo-yo. I just hope they give us a chance, even in the spring time. Give these kids something.