Ledyard falls to Sheehan 42-10 in football opener
Sep. 8—LEDYARD — A year ago, Ledyard had the playmaker, even sometimes known as The Playmaker, James Green, with more than 1,800 rushing yards to go with 26 touchdowns, named The Day's All-Area Football Player of the Year.
But this season's Ledyard offense is brand new — same formation with the triple-option with entirely different personnel.
And in Friday night's season-opener at Bill Mignault Field, it was Sheehan sophomore Brady Rossacci with all the juice. Rossacci finished with 29 carries for 237 yards and four touchdowns as the Titans strong-armed their way past Ledyard 42-10.
Ledyard's offense mustered just 90 yards on 36 carries. The Colonels did not attempt a pass.
"We're going to get back to work," Ledyard coach Mike Serricchio said. "We knew they would be a phenomenal football team and they are. That's a state-level team. All credit to them. I wish them the best of luck. They're an unbelievable team, unbelievably well-coached. Their defensive plan was phenomenal."
Rossacci, a 5-foot-10 sophomore running back, finished with 1,206 yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago as the Titans went 5-5.
He had 82 yards rushing and a touchdown in the first half against Ledyard as Sheehan took a 21-3 lead.
Rossacci punched the ball in from the 13-yard-line for a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, with the big play on that drive coming on a 45-yard completion from Paul Gorry to Jayden Dougherty racing down the right sideline.
Gorry then hit Dante DeNuzzo with a beautiful high spiral to the left side of the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown pass that, combined with Austin Eccles second extra point, gave the Titans a 14-0 lead. They made it 21-0 with 2:53 remaining in the half on a 1-yard keeper by Gorry.
Ledyard's final drive before the half, aided by a facemask penalty, was capped by a line drive of a 31-yard field goal by Finn Scully.
In the third quarter, however, Rossacci scored twice, running for a 7-yard touchdown at the the 5:54 mark. Ledyard fumbled the ball back on the first play of its next series and the Titans capitalized, with a four-play drive culminating with a 1-yard score from Rossacci.
Ledyard scored with 1:53 remaining in the third quarter when Diego Rosario-Gonzalez picked up a Sheehan fumble at midfield and returned it for a touchdown, pulling the Colonels within 35-10.
Rossacci rang up his fourth touchdown of the game at the 9:00 mark of the fourth quarter, scoring from nine yards out for the final margin.
Ledyard had early success defensively against the Sheehan sophomore, holding him to a net total of 0 yards on his first five carries before he broke free for his first TD run.
"It was some lapses mentally as far as guys not executing their assignment," Serricchio said of the game plan against Rossacci. "They have a great scheme and you have to play it a particular way in order to bottle it up. On plays we did, it did, and on plays we didn't, it didn't. And once he breaks free, he's very hard to tackle."
Ledyard travels next week to play at Weaver, its first of three road games.
Said Serricchio of the Colonels' learning curve: "It's a marathon, not a sprint, you know? First game. Still hopeful. We still have a lot of season left."
