BEACON FALLS — There isn’t much more a high school football team could want halfway through the season than a 5-0 record.
For the second straight year, that’s where Woodland finds itself coming out of the Naugatuck Valley League’s bye week. The Hawks stayed unbeaten with a 21-8 win over St. Paul on Oct. 11 thanks to three first-quarter touchdowns and a strong defensive effort.
Although Woodland graduated a slew of starters from last year’s Class S quarterfinalist squad, this year’s less experienced group has matured quickly — something that hasn’t necessarily surprised coach Chris Moffo.
“I thought if we came around that we could be sitting where we are right now,” Moffo said. “We had key positions coming back, and I thought that if we got an offensive line to jell and if some of the younger guys stepped up, we’d be OK.”
Some of those guys in important offensive skill spots have propelled the Hawks. Senior quarterback Tyler Bulinski has powered the offense with both his arm and his legs, as he rushed for another touchdown in the home win over the Falcons. Sophomore running back Jason Palmieri has also picked up where he left off last year, emerging as the team’s top two-way player.
Wide receivers Nate Bodnar and James Champagne, utility player Nick Rousseau and tight end Joe DeDomenico have also stepped up as important weapons for Bulinski.
“Tyler is doing a fantastic job,” Moffo said. “We’re very proud of him. Young guys like Nate Bodnar, Jason Palmieri and Nick Rousseau have stepped up.”
The offense has also flourished thanks to a quickly maturing offensive line built around returning seniors Alek Tolboe and Ryan Knobel.
“They’re doing great,” Moffo said. “We’ve asked some of those sophomores and juniors to step up and take on roles next to all-league players, and they’re doing a fine job at that.”
Woodland hasn’t necessarily lit up the scoreboard, but the Hawks have excelled on defense. They’ve allowed only eight touchdowns in five games, a couple of which came after the starting units had exited.
“Our kids understand what we want to do and they’re executing,” Moffo said. “They execute our game plans each week. Some of the veterans who saw decent time last year, like Brett Barrett and Joe DeDomenico and those kids, have been taking on strong roles and are doing a great job.”
Woodland will ease out of its bye week with a couple of home games against city opponents, Sacred Heart-Kaynor Tech on Friday and Crosby on Nov. 1. The Hawks’ biggest test will come Nov. 8 at Ansonia.
A second-straight postseason berth looks like a real possibility for the Black and Gold.
“We need to be able to execute what we do and be able to stay healthy,” Moffo said. “If we do those things, then we can focus on the other things.”
