To say the Woodland football team was ready for the annual George Pinho Memorial Trophy game against rival Naugatuck on Friday night is an understatement.
The Hawks scored on their second offensive possession and never looked back in a 48-7 shellacking of the Greyhounds on the turf at Woodland Regional High School. Woodland turned the ball over just once and had an extra point blocked, but that was about it when it came to the negatives. The Hawks played that well.
Senior captain Will Brooks had a night to remember. Brooks scored three rushing touchdowns of four, one and three yards. On defense, he recovered a fumble and made a diving interception off a deflected pass. Brooks even helped blow up a desperate Naugatuck punt attempt following a bad snap.
Woodland junior quarterback Jack Brunetti rarely threw an incompletion as he tallied 255 yards and three touchdowns. Brunetti threw scoring passes of 18 and 50 yards to junior Norman Cook and one of five yards to senior captain Josh Stepputtis. Junior Nico Scampolino scored on a one-yard rush. Senior David O’Brien helped the offense keep drives alive with big catches. The offensive line of sophomore Colby Marsan, junior Ben Pugliese, junior Trent Burkowsky, junior Aidan Kane and senior Garek Bernegger was terrific, and there was additional help on the blocking front from Brooks and fellow senior captain Christian Morales. Whether it was the double-wing or the spread, the Hawk offense hummed.
Woodland’s defense yielded a single touchdown in the third quarter, but that was after it had built a 27-0 lead. Senior captain Brett Lato blew up a Greyhound running play early in the game to help set the tone for the Hawk defense. Junior captain Mark Poulin got in on the run defense, as did fellow junior Erik Pulkinnen. Junior Adam Setaro provided some good pass coverage.
On special teams, sophomore Hunter Cronk connected on six straight extra points after his first one was blocked.
Woodland narrowed Naugatuck’s lead in the overall series to 11-8, and it claimed its third Pinho trophy victory in nine attempts. The Hawks have some time to enjoy their big victory, but next week brings another big game against a solid Watertown team.
NOTE: Woodland honored its 2004 Class SS state championship team before Friday night’s game. The Hawks went 12-0 that season and posted six shutouts. Led by then head coach Chris Anderson, now the top guy at Naugatuck, Woodland shut out Holy Cross, 35-0, in the championship game at McDougall Stadium in Trumbull.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Friday’s Woodland game.
