The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Spartans fall to Redcoats
BERLIN 23 LEWIS MILLS 6
BURLINGTON — Berlin beat Lewis Mills 236 at Lewis Mills High School Saturday afternoon in a game whose major highlight was muchneeded experience on both sides, despite some glitzy records coming in.
The Spartans rolled into their Homecoming dance 40 in their first season in the Central Connecticut Conference after an 010 final year in the Pequot League.
“Despite our record, we have a lot of young kids,” said Coach John Oko, starting just five seniors. “We’ve never been in a big game like this.”
The Redcoats have been in plenty of them, making it to the playoffs in each of Joe Aresimowicz’s three years as head coach, including a trip to the Class L finals last season.
Then time and fate produced a leveling blow to a program that looked like it was poised to reload and carry on after graduating 85 percent of last year’s offense. Two of their best returning players transferred to prep schools. Three more are down with serious injuries.
By the time the Redcoats arrived at Lewis Mills, their skill players were as young or younger than the Spartans, happy with a 31 earlyseason record, thanks, in part to a huge returning line.
“We just lost two more starters, so we’re down eight,” said Aresimowicz. “You’re going to get mistakes.”
It was that kind of game. Fans saw four fumbles and two interceptions in the first half and enough penalty flags in the second to decorate a goodsized Christmas tree.
“We had three turnovers in our first four games. Today, we had four in the first half (two fumbles, two interceptions),” said Oko. “We haven’t played a team that gets off the ball this quick.”
Despite two Redcoat fumbles in the first quarter, Aresimowicz was more concerned with the secondhalf penalties, including several 15yard personal fouls.
“There will be a lot of extra calisthenics this week,” he said.
Still, mistakes cost the Spartans more. Mills recovered Berlin’s first fumble on the Redcoats’ second play from scrimmage, ran and passed for two first downs, then claimed Berlin’s second fumble at the Redcoat 25yard line on a Spartan punt.
Primed for an early lead, Mills gave up its first interception instead.
When two Redcoat runs lost yardage, quarterback Justin Skates uncorked a 40yard pass to Elijah Crowley. Next play, Johnny McGeever sprang loose for 50 of his 102 rushing yards and the first of his two touchdowns.
Nevertheless, after a fruitless second quarter, the game was still on the line.
“With four turnovers, we were happy to be down just 70,” Oko said.
One of Berlin’s preseason strength assessments was a wealth of promising receivers. The third quarter unveiled four more besides Crowley.
Concentrating on screen passes and short flares, quarterback Skates (11for13, 138 yards) picked up shortyardage chunks of the field to three different receivers on the Redcoats’ opening thirdquarter drive, setting the Mills’ defense back for consistent ground gains, culminating with McGeever’s fiveyard run for his second score.
“We knew we were in trouble when it got to 140,” said Oko. “We don’t really have an offense that can get upfield in a hurry. Our quarterback (Colby Nordstrom) never played the position before this year. We just picked our best athlete — so we don’t really have a big passing game.”
For Berlin’s Sparks, the Redcoats’ third quarterback in line this season, the short throws would do. He hit Danny Lynch for an eightyard touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter for a 210 lead.
With 6:36 left in the game, Mills’ Nordstrom proved his athleticism with an 18yard scoring pass to Colby Cables.
Berlin blocked the extra point. Worse for the Spartans, their last possession found them pinned at their own twoyard line. Nordstrom was called for intentional grounding on his pass, carrying the ball back to the end zone and a Redcoat safety.
“We’re just happy to take a win,” said Aresimowicz.