Torrington drops its opener to Holy Cross

TORRINGTON – A year without football thanks to COVID-19 showed one basic bottom line for both teams in a 34-18 season-opening win for Holy Cross at Torrington High School Friday night.

Offenses, relying on sheer talent and educated guesses for new players, can click right away; defenses, relying heavily on experience and teamwork, take more time.

The Crusaders and Raiders started brand new quarterbacks – junior David Kacprzyski for Holy Cross, senior Tyler Semonich for Torrington.

Both did fine behind inexperienced offensive lines and a few experienced running backs on both sides.

Kacprzyski threw two long touchdown passes and added 67 yards running. Semonich ran for a touchdown and added 52 yards passing. Neither one threw an interception.

Crusader coach Giampetruzzi’s great guess was

starting freshman Anthony Shivas at center in an offense in which many plays went straight up the middle.

Still, experience showed behind the new quarterbacks. Holy Cross junior Tom Ligi ran for two touchdowns and 89 yards.

Seniors Sean Clinkscales and Exodus Rosado, the only two experienced players on Torrington’s roster, each ran for a touchdown. Clinskscales piled up a

workhorse 109 yards on 16 carries in three quarters. Rosado ran for 62, not including a 35-yard kickoff return in the second quarter and another for 32 yards in the third.

Another Torrington senior, Tyler Zepperi, broke a fourth-quarter Crusader kickoff for 62 yards, only to see the effort foiled by a fumble in Torrington’s final series for the game’s only turnover.

“They move the ball well,” said Holy Cross coach Giampetruzzi. “We knew they were tough.”

“I thought we did great, but there are some things we need to clean up,” said Torrington quarterback Semonich.

“We need to tighten our defense,” said a Torrington assistant coach in a phrase that any of the teams’ coaches might have offered.

The offenses had a field day in the first half.

Torrington won the toss and handed the ball to Clinkscales for 34 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Semonich added 20 on another big play in the series, leaving Clinkscales

to pick up a final three yards for the game’s first score.

But Torrington hasn’t found a place kicker among its new players and Holy Cross stifled all three of the Raider attempts at running for two points after their touchdowns.

When the Crusaders came right back for their first score in a series featuring a 38-yard run by Ligi, senior Kevin Matiz stepped up for the first of four extrapoint kicks.

Halfway through the second quarter, Matiz’s foot

looked like it might be the difference in the game as each team took its turn at another touchdown, 14-12.

But Torrington missed its next turn and Holy Cross didn’t. Another Ligi touchdown and Matiz kick made it 21-12 at the half.

The Raiders went scoreless in the third quarter while Kacprzyski upped the Crusader ante with a 25yard scoring pass to Mahkai Wilson. The final fourth quarter scoring trade – Rosado’s 8 yards for Torrington and Kapprzyski’s 18 for the Crusaders – left Holy

Cross with the winning hand.

Give both defense a little more time.