[Vitals]

• COACH — TANNER D. GROVE (14th year, 83-56) 

• CONFERENCE — ECC Division III

• PLAYOFF CLASS — S (280 boys enrollment)

• HOME — Montville HS Field, Oakdale

• 2018 RECORD — 3-7

• 2019 OPENER — Sept. 6 vs. Thames River, 6 p.m.

• TEAM WEBSITES — Montville Athletics | Maxpreps | TWITTER —  @villefootball1

[Top Players]

• RYAN DOUCHETTE, Sr. QB (5-8, 165)

• COLIN NICKERSON, Sr. WR

• NEHEMIAH OWENS, Jr. WR (5-8, 189)

• ANTONIO BROWN, Jr. WR

• MILES SARMIENTO, Soph. RB (5-9, 175)

• FRANK COOK, Sr. RB/LB (5-9, 185)

• TIM LEITZINGER, Sr. OL/DL (6-2, 280)

• BRYCE SULLIVAN, Sr. OL/DL (6-0, 255)

• JAYDEN LONG, Sr. TE (6-0, 225)

• CHAS TERNI, Soph. ATH

[Key Losses]

Tyrone Mack, DL; Marcus Velez WR; Kolt MacCracken, OL.

[Outlook]

The search for playmakers continues at Montville.

After a promising start to last year, a 28-7 victory over Stonington, Montville’s offensive woes continued deep into the season against some of the better opponents on its schedule. 

All told, the Indians scored just 186 points last year, continuing a three-year run of sub-200 point seasons. The last time Montville averaged over 20 points per game was in 2015, and just barely.

The program’s scoring troubles don’t appear as if they’ll be ending any time soon. Although half of last year’s starters return — five on offense, six on defense — only two returners scored touchdowns.

The good news is, the starting lineup will be almost entirely seniors — 10 on offense, nine on defense —  making the Indians an overwhelmingly veteran group in their quest for the school’s first winning season since 2014.

One of those seniors is three-year staring quarterback Ryan Douchette. Coach Tanner Grove admits he had to start Douchette too early as a sophomore. But now that Douchette has survived his trial by fire, Grove says his quarterback has matured and is ready to lead. Douchette was an ECC Division III honorable mention pick last season.

Three offensive linemen return, including big senior tackles Tim Leitzinger (6-foot-2, 280), Bryce Sullivan (6-0, 255) and end Jayden Long (6-0, 225). The Indians will look to sophomore Miles Sarmiento and senior Frank Cook to run the ball behind them, while a variety of receivers — Colin Nickerson, Nehemiah Owens and Antonio Brown — will attempt to replace the graduated Marcus Velez.

All-ECC Division III lineman Tyrone Mack has graduated, but, as will the offense, a majority of the team’s defenders return. Montville allowed 255 points last season, but a good chunk of it came against out-of-conference opponents (41-0 loss to Lyman Hall, 47-12 loss to Fairfield Ludlowe).

Like most of the smaller schools in the ECC, Montville isn’t involved in the Scheduling Alliance. Its out-of-conference schedule consists of just one game: vs. Amistad-New Haven. The rest of the Indians’ schedule consists of fellow ECC opponents.

[2019 Schedule]

• Sept. 13 — at Stonington,* 6:30 p.m.

• Sept. 20 — WATERFORD,* 6 p.m.

• Sept. 27 — LEDYARD,* 6 p.m.

• Oct. 4 — AMISTAD, 6 p.m.

• Oct. 18 — at East Lyme,* 6:30 p.m.

• Oct. 25 — GRISWOLD/WHEELER,** 6 p.m.

• Nov. 2 — at Bacon Academy,* 1:30 p.m.

• Nov. 9 — at CREC,** 11 a.m.

• Nov. 15 — PLAINFIELD,** 6 p.m.

• Nov. 27 — at Windham,** 6:30 p.m.

Home games in CAPS
*Conference game
**Division game