(Peter Casolino – New Haven Register) Ansonia’s Arkeel Newsome blasts through the Coginchaug line during the second quarter for an 82-yard Touchdown.
pcasolino@NewHavenRegister
(Peter Casolino ? New Haven Register) Ansonia’s Paul Makinano makes the sack on Coginchaug’s QB, Tyler Meeker early in the first quarter. pcasolino@NewHavenRegister
ANSONIA >> Needing 337 yards to reach 10,000 for his career, Ansonia senior running back Arkeel Newsome wasted no time in chipping away at the milestone on Tuesday, running for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in a 49-21 Class S quarterfinal win over seventh-seeded Coginchaug at Jarvis Stadium.
However, Newsome said he wasn’t thinking milestone.
“I was just thinking about this win,” the smiling senior said. “That’s all I was thinking of the whole time.”
Newsome would reach the 10,000-yard plateau on the final play from scrimmage in the first half and finished with 492 rushing yards and all seven Chargers touchdowns on 26 carries. Newsome now has 10,155 career rushing yards.
“It’s amazing,” Newsome said. “I never thought I’d be able to get that milestone, and now that I have it, it’s just crazy.”
Ansonia coach Tom Brockett said it couldn’t have happened to a better person.
“He’s a great kid,” Brockett said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
No. 2 seed Ansonia improves to 13-0 and advances to play No. 3 Rocky Hill (11-1) in the semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sheehan High in Wallingford.
Brockett said the team will be ready, and the Chargers should have their quarterback back on the field, too. Starting QB Jai’Quan McKnight sustained an ankle injury in the Thanksgiving Day triumph over Naugatuck and sat out Tuesday’s game.
“He could’ve went tonight,” Brockett said. “But we thought we could keep him out against (Coginchaug), and fortunately we were able to do that.”
Ansonia got it done without its signal caller in impressive fashion.
Paul Makinano had a sack as the Chargers stopped the Blue Devils (9-3) on their first possession. Newsome followed that up with a 72-yard touchdown run on Ansonia’s first play from scrimmage. As they would do most of the day, the Chargers ran plays out of the wildcat in the absence of McKnight. Newsome said the wildcat allows him to see the entire field, but said the keys to success were the guys up front.
“They did a phenomenal job just blocking the whole way through,” Newsome said.
The offensive line kept opening holes and Newsome continued to dance and shift around would-be tacklers, running for a 15-yard touchdown on the Chargers’ next possession. The UConn-bound senior carried the ball on Ansonia’s first 13 plays. He had touchdown runs of 72, 15, 83 and 68 yards in the first half. In the second half, the senior scored from 64, 55, and 3 yards out.
Ansonia 48, Coginchaug 21
(at Ansonia)
Coginchaug 7 0 0 14 0 — 21
Ansonia 14 13 8 13 0 — 48
First quarter
A—Arkeel Newsome 72 run (Witold Gul kick)
A—Arkeel Newsome 20 run (Gul kick)
C—Jake Ober 8 run (Jack Granger kick)
Second quarter
A—Arkeel Newsome 83 run (Gul kick)
A—Arkeel Newsome 68 run (kick fail)
Third quarter
A—Arkeel Newsome 64 run (Tajik Bagley run)
Fourth quarter
A—Arkeel Newsome 55 run (Tajik Bagley run)
A—Arkeel Newsome 3 run (kick fail)
C—Eric Solomon 7 run (run fail)
C—Devin Rodrigue 0 pass from Tyler Meeker (Granger run)
Team records: Ansonia 13-0; Coginchaug 9-3
Disgraceful display of sportsmanship by the Ansonia coaches today, running up the score and padding Newsome’s stats then the entire coaching staff charges the field when their QB got sacked twice as they tried to run plays instead of taking a knee. Typical Ansonia, no class.
I saw the game. I can’t blame Ansonia for handing the ball to Newsome the entire time. Newsome *IS* Ansonia. He is by far the best high school player I’ve seen in person since Bruce Campbell played for Hyde. Newsome made every Coginchaug defender look silly. The game was rather competitive in a lot of ways. I don’t blame their coaches for running Newsome and staying with their starters until one minute left in the game. I’m sure they were expecting to beat up on Coginchaug and Coginchaug did most of the hitting… They just couldn’t even get close to Newsome.
Without Newsome Ansonia is a *BAD* football team. They probably go 1-7 this year against the Shoreline teams. People here had repeatedly claimed that Ansonia had the best OL in the state? No way. Pedestrian, at best. Valley/Old Lyme, Morgan, Cromwell, Coginchaug, and North Branford all have lines FAR better. In the rest of the Pequot is no different: Avon, Canton, Granby, Gilbert all have better lines than Ansonia. None of the teams OL I listed are in the top 20 in the state and all are better offensive lines than Ansonia and not by a little margin. Newsome makes that line look good.
The Ansonia defense was driven on all night long. The big wideout for Coginchaug absolutely embarrassed Newsome when he was at corner. If Ansonia wasn’t getting the friendly reffing from the striped shirts (one PI called when it could have been called on just about every play) the whole game changes but no one is going to stop Newsome with the ball in his hands.
However the Ansonia kids clearly gave everything they had and seemed to be great sports. Yet I’m not sure about the coaching staff at Ansonia they clearly tried to start a fight after the game. I’ve never seen that. The fat Hispanic coach for Ansonia pushing players and chest bumping coaches? Brockett putting his fingers in other coaches faces and screaming profanity loud enough that I could hear him from 50 feet away? I hope the Coginchaug coach or a team scouting caught it on film cause a bunch of people (at least in a responsible town) would be fired for that behavior.
I had seen Ansonia a few times over the years in the playoffs and lets get serious for a second here. This must be their worst team player by player. It is also probably the single worst coached offense I have ever seen. Anyone who has coached even youth football looks at the hodgepodge nature of the Ansonia offense and laughs. It looks like it was drawn up by a first year coach and is just a mash up of a few plays from a few other “real offenses.” Whoever has Newsome (who appears to be a real class act) wins state and Ansonia has Newsome, so Ansonia wins state. But this isn’t a team victory (although Newsome being a class act will obviously say so) and it certainly isn’t won by good coaching. Any ten year old who has played Madden with the slider all the way up for Player RB could do Brockett’s Job.
That said I went to this game because I figured I’d be able to see Valley and Morgan next week. I guess that I can still go see Valley next week (who while they might not win Class M is 50 plus points better than Ansonia without Newsome).
…seriously?
pathetic
clearly ansonia is just an inferior team. i dont know why they even bothered to show up, they barely even won…. i mean seriously… you are knocking a program that dominated you WITHOUT THEIR STARTING QB!!!! ansonia is nothing without newsome??? bagley had 4 carries for 90+ and a TD
Really sorry that the parents of the Pequot players had that reaction to getting their azzes kicked all over the field.
Perhaps they’re not used to it.
Props to little Pequot for showing up and giving a decent performance. Their players conducted themselves better than the bitter parents posting here.
So glad to hear that Arkeel Newsome did all that without any support from his offensive line. He really must be the second coming of Jim Brown.
In big boy football, when you lose, you accept that you have lost. Guess that’s a lesson that little Pequote hasn’t learned just yet.
For a back to score 7 TDs in a game, it says alot about the program (not in a good way, unless he is the only back on the team).
Jeeze you people are so bitter. Ansonia did this without their QB who is also their best cover corner. Why do something different if it works? So our starting QB goes out and we still beat you by 28.
Man you people just don’t get it. So Brockett’s coaching is bad yet a kid ran for 492 and 7 TD’s.
How bad is your coaching, when you haven’t gained a yard rushing the ball and then you run for it on 4th and 2 on the ten yard line. Or how about the fact you had 3 PI calls called for you in the end zone, and then you throw a pick. Had 3 first downs inside the 10 yard line and STILL couldn’t score
Questioning Brockett’s coaching is a tasteless act. The guy has lost 7 games in 7 years. Comical
With 2 minutes left, JV team comes on takes a knee (right thing to do) on 1st and ten. 2nd and ten you don’t run a play, serves them right poor kid got crushed. That’s what caused all the problems at the end of the game, win with some class is all I am saying. Newsome is an outstanding player, but the coaches were classless, especially storming across the field to try and start a fight with our coaches. Comes around goes around, good luck next week.
Last time I checked, JV’s get put into games like this to gain experience. Maybe your ‘coach’ should try it sometime.
I could understand it if they came in and started throwing the ball, etc. But they didn’t. They ran a simple dive play and a QB bootleg run. That’s hardly what I would call trying to run up the score.
GREGG
you are exactly right, he ran a play (after taking a knee) and he got his clock cleaned. I don’t have a problem with that either. Ask the QB if he appreciated it.
lol @ the comment saying Ansonia will went 1-7 against shoreline team
Morgan got beaten up pretty badly by Woodland last night, and you can ask how did Woodland do against Ansonia this year
Now I know Ansonia doesn’t exactly play the toughest schedule in the state, but let’s please not make ridicilous statement here.
They didn’t get beaten up pretty badly. They didn’t execute and they didn’t capitalize on mistakes, plus that punt fumble right before halftime was a massive punch to the gut. That one mistake right there was deflating. I know the scoreboard didn’t show it, but it really could have gone either way if Morgan capitalized. Everyone should remember three things about Morgan: First, their coach has only been there a couple years, and he is bringing a great program to town. Before that, it was quite a bit of chaos. Second, only two years ago, they were 1-9. I would say Coach Eagle is doing more than some things right. Third, almost the entire line and Jake Ward are back next year. I honestly believe it only goes up from here. This was the first time since 2000 they made the playoffs. I played for the T-Birds in the mid 80’s and I never made the playoffs. I tip my hat to Coach Eagle and the “men” on that team. They’ve come a long way in a very short time. Kent, if you think they got beaten up badly, I don’t think you were at the game. I would compare Morgan’s performance to opening night jitters at the most, not a rout in any way shape or form. They certainly didn’t get beat up.
Seriously, Pete Thomas? Newsome was out of the game in the 4th quarter. Ansonia puts their JV’s in late in the game. Coginchaug calls a timeout… then leaves their varsity D in the game. Who’s classless again?
Oh, and lets talk about what your coach Mr. Bozzi said after the game…some of the dumbest comments I have ever seen from a high school football coach. if you didn’t see it, look here: http://www.courant.com/sports/high-school-football/hc-hs-ansonia-coginchaug-1204-20131203,0,4197341.story
Oh, and FYI if McKnight played, the score could have been 66-21.
if you take a knee and then decide to run a play you get what you deserve
The time out was taken to put all the seniors (alot of them don’t start) on the field all at once, again if you take a knee there are no issues and the game ends with hand shakes instead of profanity
Gregg:
Pete Thomas is right.
For example, typically, Middletown pulls its starters by half-time of lopsided games. I understand this is the playoffs, but not using other backs (other than Newsome) in a lopsided game is “bush league” at best.
D Moeney – The Halftime score was only 27-7. Team aren’t pulling their starters at that point. Ask any real coach in the state. And they did spell Newsome on a few series. And guess what? Ansonia’s #4 ran all over them as well.
The rule is 50 points. Not 10, 20, or 35.
So how old is this McNight kid and what town does he live in? I notice nobody has disputed that fact that Newsome lives in Waterbury
Well… here I am wondering why my phone is blowing up with comments on Ansonia this morning. I’m stunned.
Too soon to call for some #LOVELETTERS?
More padding Saturday as Ansonia plays Rocky Hill who lost 47-14 to Platt this year.Platt lost tonight 35-0 to North Haven.Another stellar win for the undefeated Chargers.
Are you saying you think North Haven is a better team than Ansonia?
Really?
Really?
Where does the delusion end?
They would not come within three touchdowns. But you know that, don’t you?
The truth does hurt.
So it’s easier to be a hater.
No,I did not say North Haven is better than Ansonia.Just pointing out that due to the very inferior Competition that Ansonia plays in “S” Playoffs people should not be shocked that Ansonia wins big or that Newsome scores as many Touchdowns he wants and runs for 500 yards.
TRUTH really have you been to a NH game. We will take it to who ever we play. THE HOUSE has a great RB X a great RB the WAVE A GREAT TEAM although we came up short.To say NH would lose by 21 TRUTH stop drinking the COOL AID and join the others in your group looking 4 ALICE IN WONDER LAND
NH would lose by 21 ? Where did I write this ?
I went to Darien vs North Haven and North Haven vs Platt
TRUTH NOT TRUTH HURTS SAYS
this guy is likely the ranter above too,seems to live for hating on a high-school football program, I really don’t get it…as for your scores, football is a game of emotion and momentum – especially at this level – so your though process is a weak one. Rocky Hill also blew out Bloomfield who played Platt even (34-32 loss) and Platt absolutely imploded last night after they had the first possession down to the North Haven 2-yard line and got called for three personal fouls. A lot can happen to change the momentum and emotion of a game, including turnovers and injuries, so no match-up should be undermined.
ansonia is the best class s program in the state. hats off. well done.but, that folks have to get into a debate about the merits of the likes of platt and rocky hill to try to figure whether ansonia could actually play with the best teams in ct, much less play the sort of schedule the best teams play, seems to answer the question
49-21 final score. Coginchaug showed up to play. However, it doesn’t matter unless you actually outscore the opposing team. Grow up, get over it. Tis the season to be jolly :)
Go Lavender, Go Blue, Go Chargers!
Pequot-
You are apparently new to to the blog-at least under that moniker-so welcome.
But your statements are laughable and clueless. My son has played in the Pequot conference for the last four seasons, so I know the teams well. Valley Regional is good enough this season to at least be competitive with many teams in the state’s top ten. But the rest of the shoreline? The rest of the Pequot? Seriously??
You do realize that Morgan was demolished last night by Woodland Regional, a team that lost to Ansonia by 40 points or so in the NVL Championship less than two weeks ago. And how did Pequot powerhouse North Branford fare against Ansonia in the state finals last year?
Be happy that Coginchaug played hard and inspired and stayed within four touchdowns or so. I guarantee that most of the Ansonia kids probably don’t know where Coginchaug is located, and weren’t exactly fired up for the game. But the Blue Devils acquitted themselves well-despite giving up about 500 yards (on only 26 carries) to a kid they KNEW would be Ansonia’s primary weapon.
So feel free to keep posting Pequot. But please bring a modicum of football knowledge to the blog, so you don’t come across as so foolish.
Actually, the worst display of sportsmanship last evening was the post-game comments by Coginchaug Head Coach John Bozzi.
The Coginchaug kids were not intimidated, and played hard and inspired. They had a nice season in their conference and got to the tournament. They deserve congratulations. Unfortunately they are guided by a a coach who can’t lose with grace and class.
Bozzi’s post game rant was bitter, laughable, and truly classless. His lack of sportsmanship and respect for an opponent reflected poorly on him, his school, and the communities the school represents.
Coaching staffs across the Pequot Conference have always respected Bozzi for the job he has done at Coginchaug, quickly developing a competitive small-school football program. But he is also widely regarded as a first-class (jerk) Last night he demonstrated why.
Newsome, best 19 year old running back still in High School……
You are legal to play HS when you are 20 years old, socomplaining about a HS player being 19 is like complaining that a 19 year old votes!! Pete, wake up! Your team lost to “1 player” as your coach said. So you can’t win a game when it is 11 vs. 1. What do you want next time, have Ansonia send their 8th grade AYF team??
No. You’re wrong.
“You are not permitted to start a sport during a season in which
your twentieth (20) birthday falls. The season is from the first allowable play date until the posted date of the state championship in that sport.”
-pg 2 CIAC eligibility rules.
So no. If someone is playing at 20 it is cheating. However I’m not saying anyone is ineligible by age.
Additionally:
“Student athletes under the age of eighteen (18) must be residing with their parent or legal guardian (as determined by the Probate Court) to be eligible to participate. Residence with and support by any individual other than the parent or legal guardian for a period of one year or more does establish the residence of the student for athletic purposes. ”
-pg3 CIAC eligibility rules.
So I’d wager dollars to doughnuts that every kid on Ansonia’s roster has followed the letter of the law. They “move into” their second cousin’s house in Ansonia before 8th grade and are at least partially supported by that family while their parent lives back in Waterbury. They have been doing this forever, they know the rules, those who are trying to catch Ansonia “cheating” are, I’m sure, wasting their time. Letter of the law followed, player eligible. Additionally when most juniors are 18 and most seniors are 19 their varsity program is exempt from this clause and can live wherever they desire without any regard to a legal guardian.
The real issue would be the recruitment clause on page 5 except as we see every year in the Catholic schools that clause is unenforceable. If the Catholic schools can recruit… why shouldn’t Ansonia be able to?
he was the best 18 year old running back last and the best 17 year old the year before that….. what your point?? im sure Newsome is the only 19 year old playing high school football in the state right now
Pete Thomas sounds like another disgruntled that should put his efforts into teaching the kids from his town how to play football. For all others there is no such thing as running up scores in the playoffs. Don’t go away mad… Just go away
Al you wouldn’t know football if it hit you in the head. Sportsmanship transcends the game’s importance if you have any class.
Pete I’m pretty sure you have been hit in the head quite a few times…..FYI I coach college football….stop crying
I have to say it is really sad the bashing of Ansonia going on here from the Ansonia haters. Up until the last two and half minutes of the game Coginchaug played a great game and never gave up. The issues came when Ansonia JV went in and took a knee. Cog called a time out, we thought to put in their JV but no, kept Varsity on the field. Next two plays the Cog varsity piled on and had late hits on JV running back and JV quarterback. Refs didn’t call the first one but multiple flags were thrown on the second one. Ansonia JV took a knee there out. Wasn’t on that side of the field so I will not comment on what happened at the end of the game. However, those last two minutes sure was poor sportsmanship on Cog’s part. And to say that Ansonia padded the score? Really? They won by 28, remember the stupid rule is 50? Look at the other scores out there, hardly padding the score. The Coginchaug coach’s post game comments to the Courant show his frustration but it is extremely inappropriate for a Coach to bash a team like that. It is a disservice to the kids on his team who played their hearts out.
Ansonia is clearly not the best team in the state (according to the Courant poll). They are very 1 dimensional (Newsome) with really no line or defense. They will not make it past Saturday. Does Newsome really live in Waterbury? that’s shameful.
If it’s one dimensional then stop it. You’re coaching staff couldn’t make adjustments, so how good are they? You knew what was coming every time and YOU STILL COULDN’T STOP IT.
It’s shameful the sore losing that Cocincaug has, be happy that you actually made Ansonia fans nervous for a quarter. God go milk a cow or something
Pretty sure that no one here is claiming that Newsome is not the best player on the field and by a wide margin. No one can stop him. I think most people were just expecting Ansonia’s Line, from all the press accounts, from all the insane commentary about it being the best OL in the state, to you know, be better than lines from Pequot teams hovering around .500.
What all this rediculous posturing regarding how good Ansonia is (minus Newsome who is, as previously stated, the best player on every field he steps on – at least on offense) does is show that the NVL is as deserving of the crap that it gets from the SCC and FCIAC as the Pequot is. Cause for all the posturing everyone who watched that game between a middle of the pack Pequot-Shoreline Coginchaug team and big bad Ansonia 40+ game win streak knows the reality, that Ansonia is one single player this year. One kid, one amazing player going down in preseason away from getting romped instead of romping over people. The luster is off the jewel.
The “God go milk a cow” comment speaks for itself there Kyle. Just think about what the turn-about is fair play comment would be…
Actually NVL do gets a lot of “crap” from SCC and FCIAC, some legit, some not.
But Please, Woodland lost to Ansonia by 40s and beat Morgan by 26, please don’t try to claim Ansonia without Newsome is like an average peaquot team, Newsome didn’t play 4th quarter last night, Bagley runs almost as wildly as Newsome.
Just a reminder that ansonia played without their QB/ starting safety. I’m sure for coginchaug it was the game of the century but for ansonia it was just another step on the way to a chip. If ansonia played in that league they’d be sitting in same undefeated position. Doesn’t say much about coginchaug coaching staff if they feel they got beat by one person and didn’t make any effective adjustments. Also Soph rb 5 carries, 93 yards, do the math on that. They’ll just reload for next year & the next & the next!!!!
Are you really going to say Ansonia has no class? Did I just read this. The Ansonia JV team came in and a varsity player knee’ him in the back while laying on the ground and gets a 15 yard penalty?
Then after the game the coach from Cocincaug is going through the line telling the Ansonia players they aren’t S**t without Newsome? What kind of crap is that. Cocincaug was completely out of hand and it was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. Please people are going to bash Ansonia but that other team was an absolute disgrace, just crying like most of the people on this blog.
By the way #4 Bagley made their defense look just as stupid as Newsome did
Does the Coginchaug AD condone that kind of behavior? Do the Parents? Is John Bozzi the latest example of the “Cobra Kai” school of leadership and coaching?
It is really no secret how Ansonia wins games for the past 3 years. What preparation did Coach Bozzi accomplsh to stop Ansonia? Not enough.
The Coginchaug kids played hard. I was very impressed with that team, they came to play. Plus I really liked the helmet, perhaps UCONN should wear one like that, ooops they did, and now they have eyes on their heads, how uncool is that?
“sweep the Leg Johnny, SWEEP IT!”
Well it would help if what was written wasn’t complete fiction to begin with.
Ansonia took out its first team and put in its younger kids with just over two minutes in the game remaining. Two minutes left with timeouts left means that Coginchaug could get the ball back and give its seniors a few more plays of football (I’m told there is just one senior who starts for Coginchaug on defense). Reasonable thing to do at a football game.
Brockett decided to go for the first down with his younger kids and Coginchaug was just as physical as they were all night. Everything was clean there were no “late hits” but I’d have thrown the flag as the ref too. Brockett tossed those kids to the wolves. His 19 year olds were being out physicaled and he puts in his 16 year olds? Probably a bad call on his part but a huge part of the ref’s job is to protect those kids out there. I’d make up a fictional late hit too.
Kyle, that’s factually incorrect i watched the video replay of the game, the play actually happened on the Coginchaug side so you i think you saw what you wanted to see……falsely quoting coaches is just added BS.
Pete just get off the blog.
So Kyle = Kyle Brennan of the Republican-American?
Kyle how do you feel about the Ansonia coaches charging the Coginchaug sideline screaming how Coginchaug were “[explicative]?”
[Edited by the administrator]
I believe “Kyle” is not Kyle Brennan, Mr. Brennan always use his full name when commenting. I could be wrong though
not kyle brennan—-he covered woody game—he wouldnt comment on something he didnt witness
Some really outlandish statements above by frustrated parents, I suppose. Ansonia graciously takes a knee and Cognichaug calls a timeout. C’mon get real. But Pequot and Pete Thomas, you’re obviously both somewhat delusional to make asinine remarks like those above. Tom Brockett has more coaching skill and respect for others in his little finger than the two of you have in your whole stinking bodies. The both of you suffer from diarrhea of the mouth, because all you talk is a bunch of crap. You got to see the #1 team in the state and one of, if not THE best, runner EVER in the State of Conn. last night.
Ansonia stinks. We were the better team. We just wanted to lose to prove a point that we could have won if we wanted to, but we didn’t want to. Ansonia’s line stinks. They stink so much that they didn’t even score a touchdown every time they ran a play. I can still smell their stink all the way in Durham this morning, and Durham doesn’t exactly smell great! You call that a #1 team?!? A #1 would score every single play. They only scored like 1 out of every 7 plays. Pathetic! If you take Newsome off of that team, they probably wouldn’t have gained a positive yard. I challenge them to play us next year and see how they do! #pequot4life
lol——-what really stinks is coginscrubbs coaching staff——-ansonia had one back in backfield and they couldnt figure it out.no d- line? how many rushing yards did they have? they can join morgan picking needles off clinton shore
funny
The pequot and csc conf stink and shouldn’t be allowed to have even 2 teams from either make the playoffs. They should be capped to one league champion making the playoffs. What a joke of 2 conferences.
I am so glad I didn’t change my travel plans to Europe…I guess Ansonia vs Capital Prep in the finals is not going to happen.
The end of the game was strangely ugly, and I am pretty sure that is what contributed to these bizarre comments from the Coginchaug coach and Pequot fans. Ansonia up 49-21 with 1:45 left in the game. Ansonia first down at midfield and has the jv/freshman offense in. They take a knee on first down and Coginchaug calls timeout. This gets Ansonia people fired up and annoyed. Ansonia runs the ball up the gut on the next play and the kid gets buried by three defenders.
Next play Ansonia runs a fake dive, naked bootleg with a QB who is probably 5 foot 5. He doesn’t get the first down but gets driven into the turf and then piled on. Ansonia staff is (understandably) very upset. Personal foul is called on Cog. First down for Ansonia and they down it out finally.
So when the Cog coach is interviewed a mere seconds after this all happens, he let loose with his frustration and said things that make him look foolish and bitter.
A few more thoughts:
A. There was definitely more than one pass interference call made on Ansonia. There were at least two, both were made at crucial times and both were suspect. They both seemed like a ref using an iffy situation to keep a blowout in check and bring the score a little closer. But refs are human, it happens.
B. It strike me as a weird time to criticize an offensive line right after your team gives up close to 600 rushing yards to that same offensive line.
C. Maybe this was your first time seeing Ansonia this year, or ever, but that was not their entire offensive playbook on display. In fact, Newsome hardly ever runs the wildcat although he has at points in his career. The QB was suited up but did not play in the game. Ansonia went with what they felt gave them the best chance to win the game.
D. If Coginchaug is better coached and has a better offensive line and a better team overall, it would seem like they should have kept the game closer against a team like Ansonia that (according to these posters) is poorly coached, has a poor offensive line, and runs a simple offense based around one player.
Coginchaug played hard and except for the last few snaps of the game, they represented themselves and their league very positively. Like I said, I think what transpired in the last two minutes is really what is causing the negative feelings and the strange comments from the Coginchaug coach.
KO Club……you take is spot on
Do you all even realize what you are saying? All this talk that Ansonia ‘stinks’ and is ‘bad’. You LOST to them. What does that say about your team…that they ‘stink’ even more? Come on! I can understand saying that Ansonia ‘stinks’ if you won, but all you are doing now is bashing your own team! The ‘misfits’ as their own coach calls them. Way to encourage the kids who have come a long way in a short time!
ValleyFalls-
I agree that you have to wonder this morning if the Coginchaug AD is OK with Bozzi’s public statements.
Ansonia runs for over 600 yards, not having to dig more than a few plays into the playbook since it wasn’t necessary. And you disparage that team, their coaching staff and their preparation??
Bizarre, classless, clueless, and detracting from his own team’s gritty effort.
If I am the Coginchaug AD, Bozzi and I are meeting this morning.
Wow. Some of these comments are so ridiculous that I had to read them twice just to be sure I understood them correctly.
Before I comment I was not at the game nor did I see any highlights (or lowlights). I am merely commenting on what I have read.
Those of you commenting on behalf of Coginchaug need to grow up and learn how to accept defeat (starting with the head coach but I will get to him in a minute). This is HIGH SCHOOL football, not Pop Warner or AYF. Stating that Ansonia ran up the score is such an embarrassing statement I feel bad for you. Did you see any other scores from last night? New Canaan by 36. North Haven by 35. Valley by 45. THOSE were blowouts. And guess what? Not one person from Farmington, Platt, or Quinebaug complained about the other team running up the score. Do you know why? BECAUSE IT IS THE PLAYOFFS!!!!! BECAUSE IT IS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL!!!!! Put your big boy pants on and join the rest of us. We are raising a generation of marshmallows because of this kind of attitude. Take your butt kicking, shake their hands, wish them luck, and move on. Use it as inspiration for next year. Make a vow to never let it happen again.
As for the head coach (and I use that term only because what I really want to call him will be censored and this is a family blog), he should never be allowed to coach and lead anyone ever again. Anyone who knows anything about high school football in CT should know that Arkeel Newsome has been Ansonia’s offense for the last four seasons. He has scored 179 TD’s in his career. Everyone on that field last night KNEW he was going to run the ball, including your ‘coach’, and you still couldn’t stop him! What makes Ansonia so good is the simplicity of what they do AND how well they do it. Vince Lombardi once said that he didn’t care that other teams knew they play were going to run because he told his team that they will run the play so well, it won’t matter. That’s how you coach. Instead, he says he was beat by one player. Last time I checked, Newsome doesn’t block for himself, no one can. The ‘coach’ failed so badly at preparing his team he chose to deflect his failure by calling out the rest of the Ansonia players who did nothing but show up, play hard, and do their jobs. I hope it was the final act of a classless moron who has no business influencing and teaching young people.
I will not speak to the unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of the game.
I am sure this will bring on quite a bit of back lash so bring it on. As I stated at the beginning, I did not see the game and I am not commenting on it. I am commenting on what I have read in this thread and the LUDICROUS statement made by the ‘coach’ after the game so don’t bother telling me I wasn’t there so what do I know. I also don’t have any rooting interest in the state playoffs.
I’m not sure I understnad the circumstances…and for someone not at the game it sounds like a LOT of over-reaction from both sidelines.
Two questions:
1) If Ansonia is taking a knee, what difference does it make WHO is on the field? Why would it matter if it was the JV, varsity, or the NE Patriots? You are taking a knee. The game is over.
2)Again, if Ansonia is taking a knee why did Cocinchaug need a time out? Just run your kids on the field. If they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss anyone…let some time run down…call time-out…throw the kids out there and move on knowing the game is winding down.
How such a simple process became an “issue” is just nuts.
Egos, testosterone, pettiness, take you pick. smh
Guess we’re left to wonder where he’d rank Woodland’s offensive line since they blew out Morgan minus an Arkeel.
Having now seen the Woodland-Morgan tape (as well as the Ansonia-Woodland tape): I’d say that Woodland is a well coached team that lacks Arkeel Newsome. Put Newsome on Woodland and they win state.
Pequot-
LOL!!!!
You have been getting beat up in this blog for some truly ridiculous posts. But now I realize it is not your fault! Your football knowledge and understanding about how the game is played is sorely lacking.
Woodland IS a well-coached team, and a running back of Newsome’s caliber would make them a better team. But if you watched the Woodland-Ansonia game, and concluded that the only difference between the teams was Newsome, you just don’t get it.
But hey, keep watching those game tapes! You’ll get better!
I am in no way an Ansonia fan but lets be real. You didnt loose to one guy,you lost to a better team, was it one guy who held you scoreless for the second and third quarter?
I am certainly entertained by the comments above. I feel it would aid in the discussion if everyone who might take the minute or so to read what I write here.
Coginchaug is a new program.
They have existed as their own football team for about 4 years now.
They used to send their player to Vinal Tech.
Those are FACTS; period.
My opinion is that on the “Time Out” debacle, if Ansonia had taken a knee after Coginchaug replaced their players then the clock would have run and tempers would have been a lot less heated. I will assume that Ansonia’s coaching staff could, despite the mentioned fan’s distress over the time out, see several player being substituted into the game. AND EVEN if the Chargers take all their kneel downs and there was time left, would the outcome have been different? Players get to claim emotional insanity, the coaches should try to be the adults with the fire hoses that keep the raging inferno to warm comfortable fire when required.
In any dispute between two people, or groups, there are at least 3 stories as to what happened. What party A believes, what party B believes and in between the two lies the truth. It might be closer to one than the other but emotional involvement clouds peoples vision.
Congratulation on your win Lavender.
Nice showing for a team in it’s 4th season Coginchaug.
Everything else is FWAP FWAP FWAP . . .
well said
Well, this was a fun read… Let’s be serious here, Pequot football is not good in CT. And CT football is, dare I say, not very good. I know first hand. (Go X!) And all this “one player” jibber jabber is ridiculous. Did anybody see what Highsmith did to New London last night? Anybody remember a little fella named Tim Washington? STOP THEM FROM RUNNING DOWN YOUR THROAT. If you can’t, you lose. Bozzi should have his picture in the dictionary next to “coaches who couldn’t stop ONE PLAYER.”
Ansonia youi just keep on doing what you are doing this petty bs is beneath you.I live in Hartford and have no allegiance to your school. I hope you smack the crap oput of Rocky Hill Lord knows they desrve it.
Yes this has been fun. Coach Bozzi and his team have had their 15 minutes. Time to move on to other “stuff”.
Ok I have to comment on this situation that occurred!
First of all as a Proud North Haven Alum Coach Bozzi was a freshman basketball coach at North Haven in 1989 and he lasted one season because he was a poor coach and didn’t have a clue about the game. Coach Bozzi was at Sheehan coaching freshman football for many years and at the varsity games for Sheehan he handled stats. Last night Coach Bozzi made these remarks because he wants his team and himself in the headlines. To say one player beat you is an awful statement to make but even better coach Bozzi called his team a bunch of misfits regardless if he was joking. Coach Bozzi embarrassed himself and the Coginchaug football team. Way to take the teams accomplishments of the season away in one night because you handled yourself very poorly coach.
No one in the state is taking you seriously. One guy beat you but the Ansonia O Line pushed your team around the field.
The school should take action on Coach Bozzi because he is bad for high school football.
Maybe you should try coaching freshman football again coach.
This is what has Ansonia’s panties in a twist?
“Flat out, we lost to one guy. This group in white is the best team on that field. We lost to one guy. You take away Arkeel Newsome and this is a less than average football team. At this point right now, as they are, they wouldn’t be the best team in our division let alone the state. They did not impress me tonight. Arkeel Newsome impressed me, but nothing else impressed me. They lost their quarterback and that’s all they could do. That’s what they could do, against my little band of misfits from Coginchaug High School. That’s the best they could come up with was run the same kid. We lost but I was unimpressed with the team and their preparation.”
My, my. Buck up, Ansonia. Loosen the panties.
Ansonia scored 49 pts with out there starting QB!
Coginchaug couldn’t even make it a game.
And what does that say for the level of competition ?
the fact that there are coginchaug fans/parents defending this man and his comments is baffling to me. if some coach publicly called my kid and his friends misfits and said they lost to “one guy” after they just played their hearts out against the #1 team in the state (which they really did) i would be calling for his head on a spike. if u dont want to get your tail kicked then pin back your ears and stop somebody. there is no room for crying and complaining in high school sports
and to call out coach brocketts preparation after his team racked up nearly 600 yards rushing is just dumb. where is your preparation?? did u watch film?? talk to other coaches?? is the scouting report on ansonia really that tough to figure out??? THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE THE BALL TO #2!!!!!!! and i guess arkeel played defense by himself too because u seemed to really light up the score board
Just so you know he said “misfits” because two minutes before the Ansonia coaching staff charged their sideline at a full sprint after the whistle pushing Coginchaug players out of the way and screaming that the Coginchaug coach was a “[explicative] coaching a bunch of misfits.”
Brockett and the entire staff should have been fired today. I was there, 50 feet away. Everyone heard and saw it go down. Single most insane thing I’ve ever seen another human being do. I thought the little guy with the grey goatee and slurred speech was going to punch someone. He was hopping around screaming “win something first [explicative]s” over and over. Literally ten or more times while literally jumping up and down.
I have no love for Coginchaug but after that display and the actions of both the NVL covering media and the posters here I clearly see how things are down in the valley. Scream as loud as you can about nothing so no attention gets paid to the homophobic slurs and physically aggressive actions of the Ansonia staff.
if it walks like a duck,quacks like a duck…………….
What a remarkable read this is. Once again the haters emerge on both sides. Ansonia is for real and they are willing to prove it. They really don’t need their fans taking the bait from the silly and obvious sophomoric comments on here. Some Cagajoke stuff is unintelligible. When is the last time you heard a coach who gave up 59 points say that he had the best team on the field? He also allegedly cursed out kids in the handshaking line. Where is the CIAC when you need them to do something except count money.
Take it easy with words everybody.
-your friendly neighborhood admin.
If the Chargers faithful actually read what the Coginchaug coach actually said, instead of fabricating what he didn’t, they would see that he holds Arkeel in far higher esteem than they do. Arkeel was so good that he was able to overcome the deficiencies of the rest of the Ansonia football program. He was so good that Ansonia won. Quite a tribute. It looks like the faithful would be happier if the coach held Arkeel in less esteem. It looks like the faithful would only be happy if the coach saw the Ansonia program exactly as they do.
The Cog coach’s comment does not have a basis in reality. That is why Ansonia fans are having problems with it. It would make sense if Ansonia was a mediocre program before Arkeel got there and only started winning state titles the year he got there. This is clearly not the case. They were very successful before he got there and will be successful after he is gone.
The posts on here that refer to Cog being more physical than Ansonia also seem to be out of touch with what really happened on the field. And back to the Cog coach, anybody who knows football knows that a RB is going nowhere without his line. If he was trying to say that Ansonia did not run a variety of plays, then I would agree. But all 11 guys ran those few plays extremely well.
This whole post is thriving because Ansonia fans took offense to the coach’s comments. But the coach likely made those comments out of anger at the scene that happened right after the game. If even 75% of what was described above actually happened, then I would agree that Ansonia handled it poorly. In the end, Ansonia will move on and I’m sure Coginchaug will as well.
i heard the italian coach with the mustache and the white ansonia hat was making huge scene lol
Thomas-
Your comments are almost as asinine as Bozzi’s, the difference being that you have the right to appear clueless on a blog, while a high school football coach should meet higher standard.
Newsome “was so good that he overcame the deficiencies of the rest of the Ansonis football program”??
Please tell me that you are tryong to be funny or satirical. Otherwise, just stop!
Ansonia was a winning program for decades before Arkeel Newsome-dominant many of those years-and will continue to be when he is long gone.
Count you among the Chargers faithful who hold Arkeel in less esteem than does the Coginchaug coach. You, too, are unhappy with his assessment of how Ansonia won.
And if what Pequot wrote at 7:31 p.m. is true, that does put things in a different light, doesn’t it? If what Pequot wrote is true, it would appear that it is Coach Brockett who owes the apology.
The last statement was by far my favorite as I agree 100% with Crocodile, WHERE is the CIAC when not counting money….that bunch seems to be the real misfits….As far as the COG coach…what a classless piece of DIRT.. Now, let’s see if the AD there has any guts(not what I really meant to say) and takes action against a coach who clearly embarrassed himself, his school, and the AD for throwing the AD under the bus now….WELL, Mr AD, let’s see what YOU stand for….I’ll guess you too have no guts, after all, you are the one who Hired a True Misfit….
Rocky hill gets embarrassed against a very average platt team and now they have to face Ansonia. Where is prince tech when you need them. New some will run for a mile in that game. Coach brocket twill be taking a knee at the six minute mark of the third quarter.
First off Bozzi is the man. Everyone wearing blue and white has his back just like he would have ours.
Second I want to thank the players from Ansonia for being as nice of kids as we played all year. Not one of us think any less of you guys because of what your coaches did at the end of the game. We don’t blame you guys for them talking trash to high school kids or using a word better left in the 90s to describe our team. We have 17 starters back next year. Let’s do it again, we can do it at our place next year. We’ll send you an invite after Thanksgiving.
Third what is most shocking to me today is that members of the “press” are all over twitter and blogs talking trash to high school sophomores yet are calling other people out for being unprofessional.
The press and fans are killing Coginchaug all over the blogs and Twitter because your man, “Coach” Bozzi, couldn’t accept a thumping with class.
Things are often said on a football field or during heated exchanges between coaches. But to make the comments he did to the press, after he should have had time to calm down and gather his thoughts, was bizarre and embarrassing to himself, the school.
The story should have been about Coginchaug’s grittiness and inspired play, or about Newsome’s latest amazing exploits.
Instead, by ripping an opponent that just beat you by 4 TD’s, an opponent that racked up 600 yards-600 YARDS!!!-on the ground against your defense, Bozzi became the story. And that is shameful.
be careful what you wish for
so next year coginchaug gets blown out witha team of 17 seniors by a grad depleted ansonia team? cant wait
Bozzi and Blue Devil, the blind leading the blind.
What is being completely distorted here is why Brockett was angry at the end of the game…because of the cheap shots, piling on, and personal fouls on the last two plays (Cog varsity vs. Ansonia JV). Again, 2:30 left, Ansonia puts JVs in to take knee the rest of the way. Cog calls time out. Ok, but no subs. Ansonia runs play, gets crushed, Cog players pile on after whistle. No flag. Ansonia runs another play, more late hits, this time anyone at Jarvis that had a yellow hanky in their pocket throws it. Players may have been frustrated, but not a classy way to end the game. Cog players played hard, never gave up. Credit is due. But Brocket ran across the field to protect his kids. He was upset, and rightfully so, at the personal fouls by Cog at the end of the game.
As for the comments by the Cog coach, I have never seen such poor sportsmanship. Bozzi makes Cochran the 2nd most unsportsmanlike coach in the state. Congratulations coach, you’re #1 at something!
I really hope Cog makes it back to the playoffs next year. Ansonia will not forget these comments
Nah what is being distorted here is the claims of anything unethical by the Coginchaug players. If someone perceives one of the end of the game plays as a “late it” it is at best a borderline call and the refs very much had a “let them play” attitude (towards the PI and the same kind of “late hits” by Ansonia).
This created outrage at the Coginchaug coach’s comments is being done because the Ansonia coaching staff was hurling homophobic insults at Coginchaug and in at least two cases put their hands on Coginchaug players (shoves, not hits, and not powerful ones but to clear a path to the Coginchaug sideline, but MORE than enough for a teacher to lose their certification to teach and coach).
We shall wait and see if Video emerges (which is possible in the age of camera phones in every pocket). Should it do so I would expect that the entire Ansonia staff is fired and the NVL so-called press who have been foaming at the mouth with outrage at the Coginchaug head coach pointing out the obvious, will step down.
I guess the 6 officials who threw flags on that ‘supposed late hit’ must have been drunk or something too.
Agreed, and I really don’t blame the Cog kids, obviously they were instructed to do it.
Agreed. I take nothing away from the Coginchaug players. Thought they played a hard, good game.
Pete Thomas, no way am I a fan of Ansonia (I live in New Haven) but they are just that much better any team in the Pequot league.
This is the playoffs. The best of the best. Sounds like you would like to see a “mercy rule” like in Pop Warner.
Ansonia makes a living beating teams like Cog. you don’t see them playing any SCC teams unless it’s a weak SCC team so this is why I’m not a fan of theirs.
Maybe you guys should schedule some of the top teams every now and then for the experience. It will only make you better.
i didnt know hillhouse was weak
Didn’t Ansonia beat Hillhouse 44-14 in ’09 with Ansonia’s weakest team in decades?
This is 2013 genius.
Your livin’ in the past man!!
From here on out—–this moron Bozzi will be referred to as either BOZO the clown, or Coach BOZO-perhaps this name will go viral and he will be viewed for what he brought on himself
Correction—Bozo the classless coaching clown
And so it goes…..on and on and on and on :)
(Bozo 10,000)you shamed your kids your town your high school with those comments you’re going to against one of the number one rushers in the country what did you think was going to happen..everyone knows you can’t stop the run!!!! You just got a 10,000 mg 1 day of Newsome prescribing doctor Tom brockett
Take it like a man
if your country is ct you may have a point
My, my. Ansonia did win the game, didn’t they? And their faithful’s panties are still in a twist. Remarkable.
The Chargers faithful do have a right to disagree with the Coginchaug coach. And they do have a right to vilify him.
To exercise the former right is fine. To exercise the latter right betrays their insecurity. The faithful are upset that their Chargers just aren’t admired enough in the way that the faithful feel their Chargers ought to be admired.
The faithful haven’t denied that their coach’s post-game behavior was as described.
Most of the state admires the Coginchaug coach for speaking truth to power.
Your team will still be in relevant for the next-generation….. Enjoy the couch and the View from the outside
Not “weak” Ray, you called them “over rated”……(Hillhouse)
newsome, why uconn? you will just fade away