The contest began with about half of the field covered by sun. Fifteen minutes later, the field was very cool without the sun beaming down on it. Very pleasant conditions to watch the game in.
Dobbs did most of his damage early, during the sunshine. I saw three of his TDs today. One was a 45yd burst down the far sideline. It was awesome. His last TD, however, was the most electrifying. He took the hand-off and immediately took a shot from the defense, but managed to shake-it-off and juked five additional defenders en route to the end zone from 25yds out. I cannot wait to see this kid versus NVL teams this season. His line, led by sophomore Tyler Williams, put in work today. The Chargers have a decent-sized line going into the 2010 season.
The Chargers looked a lot more balanced than I expected. Chudwick threw the ball well and Lester, as expected, made some very awesome plays out of the pocket at the QB position. I won't get into too many details, as I am an Ansonia fan, but don't be surprised if Ansonia lights-it-up through the air this season. It won't be Masuk-like, but just remember I mentioned it.
Matos also showed signs of being a great player. The kid is only a freshman. He doesn't look or play like one, though. Finney, another freshman, looked good out there, too. He's long and athletic. LaRovera, a sophomore, also gives Ansonia an option through the air with his size at tight end. He's tall and is very athletic. He made a couple of nice grabs today, including a bomb for a TD from Chudwick. With these guys and Tyler Wood returning from injury, the Chargers have a lot more firepower on the squad than I thought going into this season.
The chatter at Nolan Field today was whether or not the Chargers were a .500 team. If the team completely flops, then yes, .500 is a possibility. But based on what I saw today, I expect them to finish 7-3. Of course, I hope they make the states. That's expected in this city. What makes me wonder isn't the lack of talent on this team...because they have some players...it's their experience. This squad is very, very young.
We'll just have to wait and see.
Overall, I was pleased with the execution and the support shown by the parents, former players, and Ansonia residents that came down to watch the game. It was a great evening of football.
