Northwest Catholic, which only won three games last season, has won its first two this year, shutting out Weston last week and RHAM on Saturday.
Northwest won 49-0 in its season opener and 38-0 against RHAM.
“We were super young last year,” coach Mike Lenz said. “We started 5-6 sophomores. In the winter, I started to have a good feeling because we had a lot of guys showing up to the weight room in the winter and the spring and the summer was pretty good.
“Starting varsity as a sophomore is tough. Not only the physical stuff, but a lot of it is just confidence. They believe we can win.”
Junior quarterback Vincent Burbank has thrown nine touchdown passes and has completed 23 of 32 passes for 522 yards in two games. Last year, he passed for 1,361 yards and 17 touchdowns but he also had 13 interceptions.
“He had a good sophomore year but it’s really clicking for him mentally now,” Lenz said. “He’s reading coverages and getting the ball out quick and understands the game plan.”
Juniors Malachi Hymes (165 receiving yards, two touchdowns) and Kayden Davis (265 receiving yards, five touchdowns) are his two top targets.
Senior captain Dave Calendrillo, a running back and linebacker who leads the team in rushing (109 yards) and tackles (20), was part of the reason the players were motivated in the winter and spring.
“He’s the engine that gets us going,” Lenz said.
Game postponed due to threat
The game between Granby/Canton and the Coventry co-op was postponed on Friday due to an anonymous threat received in Coventry and then a second time out of what Granby High principal Mike Dunn called “an abundance of caution” in a message to players and parents.
The Pequot Conference game was initially supposed to take place Friday in Coventry but was postponed after Coventry’s superintendent of schools David Petrone sent out an email to parents about an anonymous threat. “A short time ago we received an anonymous tip stating that someone planned to harm students at tonight’s football game. I have made the decision to cancel the football game to ensure the safety of our students and spectators,” Petrone wrote.
A decision was then made to have Granby host the game Saturday at 4 p.m. But that game was eventually postponed too.
“Coventry police and administration are working to investigate the causes of last night’s postponement,” Dunn wrote. “Although there is no evidence of a viable threat, the decision to postpone is out of an abundance of caution to allow adequate time for that investigation to proceed.”
Granby/Canton coach Erik Shortell said his team’s bus was in Coventry when he heard about the postponement Friday.
Shortell said the game will be made up either during a bye week or on Thanksgiving.
Windsor QB injured but Warriors prevail
Windsor quarterback AJ Robinson left the game Friday against Simsbury in the first half with what was diagnosed as a bruised shoulder, coach Rob Fleeting said, and as of Sunday, was out for the week, pending a visit to the doctor. Windsor rallied from a 10-point deficit to win, 27-10, with senior running back John Manning taking over and rushing for a touchdown and throwing a TD pass to Cashmire Lewis in the second half.
Here are some of this week’s top performers:
Vincent Burbank, Northwest Catholic: Burbank had five touchdowns and completed 14 of 22 passes for 245 yards in a 38-0 win over RHAM Saturday.
Dante Casdia, Glastonbury: Casdia, a sophomore running back, had 34 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-27 loss to Maloney Thursday.
Jake O’Brien, Sheehan: O’Brien was 18 for 24 for 185 yards and had two touchdown passes in a 31-28 win over Xavier.
Nick Miller, Cheshire: Miller combined for 194 yards rushing and receiving and had three touchdowns in the Rams’ 37-21 win over Fitch Friday.
Ethan Nedinsky, Maloney: Nedinsky passed for five touchdowns and 287 yards in a 41-27 win over Glastonbury Thursday.
Nathan Pelletier, Southington: Pelletier had four touchdowns on 12 of 18 passing for 161 yards in the Blue Knights’ 42-7 win over Conard Friday.
Jesus Vasquez, Platt: Vasquez caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austen Standish in the last few seconds of the game to rally Platt to a 15-13 victory over Berlin Thursday night.