Vitals

• COACH — TONY BONITO (13th year, 68-58)
• CONFERENCE — Pequot Uncas
• PLAYOFF CLASS — M (co-op)
• HOME — Coventry High School Field
• 2017 RECORD — 10-1, lost to SMSA Co-Op in Class M quarterfinals
• 2018 OPENER — Sept. 7 vs. Lewis Mills, 7 p.m.

Top Players

• NICK GRIMALDI, Sr., OT/LB (5-11, 180)
• SID GREEN, Sr., OT/DT (6-0, 200)
• JORDAN SMITH, Jr., RB/DB (5-11, 170)
• KALEB CARLSON, Soph., RB/NT (5-8, 165)

Key Losses

WR/DB Nick Pronovost (All-State / All-Pequot), QB/DB Jacob Carlson (All-State / All-Pequot), RB/DE Ethan Valdes (All-Pequot), OL/DL Riley Gardener (All-Pequot), RB/LB Shaun O’Connell (All-Pequot, TE/LB Brandan Sklenar (All-Pequot).

Outlook

After going 0-10 in 2015, and improving to 5-5 the following fall, Coventry’s co-op squad reached the mountaintop a year ago, finishing 10-1, winning the Pequot Uncas Division and earning the No. 2 seed for the Class M playoffs.

But team’s dream season ended with a heartbreaking, 33-29 Class M quarterfinal to SMSA/University/Classical Magnet, which Coventry had beaten just the week before to complete the program’s first undefeated regular season.

Despite the frustrating end, football was back in the sleepy little community just a Hail Mary away from UConn‘s Storrs campus.

This fall, Bonito, the 2017 Pequot League Coach of the Year, finds out how deep his program runs as he has to replace eight starters on both sides of the ball in 2018.

“We are undersized, have a lack of depth and very inexperienced,” Bonito said. But he did add one promise to his team’s preseason outlook: “We are going to play hard.”

Two of the team’s key returnees are linemen, giving the squad something to build around in the trenches. Both Grimaldi and Green are seniors and can provide leadership to go with the experience they offer.

The loss of two all-state players and six All-Conference players, however, might mean a rebuilding year is in the offering. Plus, it has to replace its quarterback, top running back and top receiver, as well.

Bonito has already built the co-op squad into a contender once, so he knows the way to get back there moving forward.

2018 Schedule

• Sept. 7 — LEWIS MILLS,* 7:00 p.m.
• Sept. 15 — at Ellington,** 1:00 p.m.
• Sept. 21 — CANTON,** 7:00 p.m.
• Sept. 28 — ROCKVILLE,** 7:00 p.m.
• Oct. 5 — at Haddam Killingworth,* 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 19 — GILBERT/NORTHWESTERN,** 7:00 p.m.
• Oct. 26 — STAFFORD/SOMERS/EAST WINDSOR,** 7:00 p.m.
• Nov. 3 — at Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby,** 1:00 p.m.
• Nov. 9 — at Granby Memorial,** 7:00 p.m.
• Nov. 16 — at SMSA/Univ/Classical,** 6:00 p.m.

Home games in CAPS
*Conference game
**Division game