GameTime CT

Connecticut's premier high school sports website

  • GIRLS SPORTS
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Field Hockey
    • Golf
    • Gymnastics
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
  • BOYS SPORTS
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    • Wrestling
  • Schools
  • Newspapers
    • CT Post
    • The Danbury News-Times
    • Greenwich Time
    • The Middletown Press
    • New Haven Register
    • The Norwalk Hour
    • The Register Citizen
    • The Stamford Advocate
  • Polls
    • Baseball Top 10
    • Boys Basketball Top 10
    • Girls Basketball Top 10
    • Football Top 10
    • Hockey Top 10
    • Boys Lacrosse Top 10
    • Softball Top 10
    • Other Polls
  • Scores & Stats
Football

Pequot Football 2015: Ellington preview

Sean Patrick Bowley | August 28, 2015

Ellington's football team huddles up to run a play in practice earlier this preseason. The Knights, now without Somers, are hoping to make a return trip to the state playoffs, this time in Class S (Photo via Ellington football on Twitter)

Ellington’s football team huddles up to run a play in practice earlier this preseason. The Knights, now without Somers, are hoping to make a return trip to the state playoffs, this time in Class S (Photo via Ellington football on Twitter)

Ellington Somers 100pxVitals

  • Coach: Sean Byrne (3rd year, 15-8)
  • Conference: Pequot East
  • Playoff Class: S (378 boys enrollment)
  • Home: Ellington High School field
  • 2014 Record: 9-3 (lost to St. Joseph in Class M-Small semifinals)
  • 2015 Kickoff: Sept. 12 vs. Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby, 1 p.m.
  • Captains: TBA
  • Team website: Ellingtonfootball.net | MaxPreps

Top players

  • Mark Hickman, Sr. WR/DB (5-11, 170)
  • Christian Rider, Sr. QB/DB (5-10, 165)
  • Zachary “Truck” Luginbuhl, Sr. TE/LB (5-9, 170)
  • Justin Ames, Sr. OT (6-2, 240)
  • Ryan Weitz, Jr. OG (6-2, 270)
  • Kevin Barrett, Sr. DE (6-3, 235)
  • Izaiah Castro-Vega, Jr. DB (5-9, 165)
  • Tyreik Noel, Jr. LB (5-11, 195)
  • Wellington Silva, Jr. FS (5-8, 150)

Key losses

WR/DB Daniel Hayes, LB/WR Shane McGowan, TE/NG Ben Kloter, RB/LB Derek Litty, WR/DB Nate LaJoie (Somers), LB Jake Hinkel (Somers), WR Joe Mongillo (Somers)

Outlook

Elllington returning quarterback Christian Rider (Photo Mary Albl)

Elllington returning quarterback Christian Rider (Photo Mary Albl)

Last year, Ellington’s co-op football program had a season for the books. The Knights, mostly juniors, won wild games and suffered heartwrenching losses. They persevered through tragedy and injury and, somehow, came out gleaming on the other side. The Knights qualified for the state playoffs for the third time in four years, the first under coach Sean Byrne.

With so many of the starters returning from that squad, everything looked rosy for 2015. But then the CIAC came a-knockin’. Ellington had grown too large to sustain its co-op with neighboring Somers and the arrangement was dissolved. Somers’ players — many of them top contributors in 2014 — had to go elsewhere to play football.

For the first time since 2006, Ellington is on its own.

Though the program lost Somers receivers Nate LaJoie, Joe Mongillo and linebacker Jake Hinkel — not to mention assistant Brian Mazzone, who left to coach Somers’ new co-op with Stafford and East Windsor — Ellington looks like it’ll be just fine.

For one, the school dropped from Class M to Class S, a position befitting its rural makeup. For another, there’s still plenty of returning talent to make another playoff run.

All-Pequot performers quarterback Christian Rider and receiver/defensive back Mark Hickman are both back, giving Ellington instant offensive threats.

Rider accounted for 1,394 total yards and 19 touchdowns of total offense. “(He’s a) threat to hurt you with the pass or run,” Byrne said.

Hickman, meanwhile, amassed 1,554 all-purpose yards as a junior, leading the team in both receiving, rushing and scoring with 15 touchdowns. Hickman can run, catch, throw and defend. He made 34 tackles last year. Byrne calls him “one of the best athletes in the state.”

Ellington is big up front with tackle Justin Ames and guard Ryan Weitz. It also features an end — Zachary Luginbuhl — whose nickname is “Truck.” In addition to Hickman, Ellington will also look to junior Izaiah Castro-Vega to replace the many receivers lost to graduation and otherwise. Tyreik Noel, a junior, is also a threat to run.

Defensively, Ellington lost quite a few of last year’s stars. Losing Hinkel and his eight sacks to Stafford hurts. But Byrne is encouraged by this year’s unit. Noel is expected to lead the Knights at linebacker. Byrne calls him “impressive.” He made 56 tackles — including 5 for a loss — and had three sacks last season. Kevin Barrett, a 6-foot-3, 235 end, will anchor the Knights’ big defensive line.

The secondary, which lost Daniel Hayes and his team-leading five interceptions, remains a veteran unit led by returning safety Wellington Silva, Hickman and Castro-Vega.

Ellington will compete in the revived Pequot East division against usual foes Windsor Locks/Suffield East Granby, Cromwell/Portand (a new co-op), Enfield, Canton, Granby Memorial and Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton. The anticipated game against their old assistant coach and teammates from Somers is Week 4 at Stafford.

Ellington must also contend with Pequot powers Valley Regional/Old Lyme, Morgan and Coginchaug. “There’ll be a learning curve,” Byrne said of the new league alignment. “Ellington again looks to finish among the top of the division.”

2015 Schedule

.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;}
.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:1px 4px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;}
.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 4px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;}
.tg .tg-u8t5{font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif !important;;text-align:center}
.tg .tg-08m7{font-weight:bold;font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif !important;;background-color:#ffccc9;color:#333333;text-align:center}
.tg .tg-8dsk{font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif !important;;background-color:#ffffff}
.tg .tg-gmhj{font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif !important;}
.tg .tg-abla{font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif !important;;background-color:#ffccc9;color:#333333}

DATE OPPONENT TIME
Sept. 12 vs. Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby 1 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Coginchaug** 1 p.m.
Sept. 26 vs. Cromwell/Portland** 1 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Stafford/East Windsor/Somers** 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 BYE
Oct. 16 vs. Valley Regional/Old Lyme* 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Granby Memorial** 7 p.m.
Oct. 31 vs. Canton* 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 BYE
Nov. 13 at Morgan* 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 vs. Enfield** 1 p.m.
Nov. 25 at Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton** 7 p.m.

*Conference game
**Division game

About Sean Patrick Bowley

Sean Patrick Bowley is the executive producer of GameTimeCT.com. Email him at sbowley@nhregister.com. Twitter: @SPBowley

Newsletter Signup

Don't strike out on CT high school sports news. Sign up for The Whistle newsletter from GametimeCT

You agree to our Terms of Use. Your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.

Spring Sports Quick Links

Spring Sports Quick Links

BASEBALL 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO SEE
SOFTBALL 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO SEE
BOYS LACROSSE 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO WATCH
GIRLS LACROSSE: PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO SEE
Spring Sports Schedules

Winter 2021 Preview Links

Winter Sports 2021 Links

2021 ALL-STATE TEAMS

CHSCA: GIRLS BASKETBALL | GYMNASTICS | BOYS HOCKEY | CHSGHA: GIRLS HOCKEY

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

BERKSHIRE | CCC | CRAL | CTC | ECC | FCIAC | NCCC | NVL | SCC | SHORELINE | SWC

TeamPlayer Scores and Stats search

Scores and Stats

Video

Podcasts

Fall Sports Quick Links

Fall Sports Quick Links

2021 FOOTBALL COLLEGE RECRUITING LIST
2020 GAMETIMECT ALL-STATE TEAMS
BOYS SOCCER
GIRLS SOCCER
FIELD HOCKEY
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
2020 LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:
Central Connecticut
Fairfield County
Shoreline Conference
Southern Connecticut
South-West Conference

Twitter

Tweets

Polls

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
Follow Us
© Copyright 2017 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC