Surprise, surprise! Ansonia's playing in our Game of the Week again. Can Holy Cross do anything to avoid the blowout losses suffered by the Chargers' first three opponents?
Click here to watch Kyle's and Remmy's preview of the Game of the Week.
Remmy's Keys to the Game: We're in Week 4 and no one has stopped, let alone slowed down, Ansonia's rushing attack. But if it's one team that looks like it could limit the Chargers from running the ball at will, it's Holy Cross (based on the Crusaders' performance last week). Keeping Arkeel Newsome out of the end zone is easier said that done. However, Cross allowed over 300 yards rushing to Torrington in Week 3 but did not allow Brenden Lytton to get into the end zone many times. The Crusaders' passing game will have to win this game. Zach Brown's ability to get the ball downfield to his young playmakers will be the difference this week if the Crusaders intend on leaving Jarvis Stadium with a win. The Chargers will need to stick with their bread and butter--Newsome. The Chargers have not played from behind all season. So, scoring first is a must in this game. Despite being able to dominate the competition in three-consecutive weeks, Ansonia must keep that momentum going and not allow a team like Holy Cross, who is rather balanced on offense, to gain any momentum early in the game. The less confidence Cross has, especially at Jarvis Stadium, the worse the outcome will be for Gang Green. Last year, the Crusaders strolled into Ansonia with a boatload of confidence and it went downhill quickly. That cannot happen this year. The mindset has to change. The first couple of series will tell us a lot about whether or not Holy Cross came to play. For Ansonia, it must get Newsome the ball on screens and watch him dazzle into the end zone. When Newsome is in space, he is outstanding. If Newsome has to carry the rock more than 30 times, I think Ansonia loses this game. Otherwise, the Chargers will go to 4-0.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: There's no need to overthink this one. Ansonia just needs to play like it has been playing and this game won't be close past the first quarter. The Chargers' offensive line and front seven have been playing great, and we all know how good Newsome has been. It's going to take Holy Cross forcing some turnovers and capitalizing on all of its offensive possessions to keep this game close. The Crusaders had't found a ton of flow on offense until the second-half comeback against Torrington, so there is at least some momentum upon which they can build. I've said this about Woodland and Derby, and I'll say it with Holy Cross--if you can't throw the ball on Ansonia, you can't win the game. Brown's athletic and has a good arm, so we'll see how Cross tries to use him and the rest of the playmakers. The one thing the Crusaders can hang their hat on from last week is that they only allowed one big play to Lytton. If they can at least take the big play away from Newsome, they can hang around.
Remmy's Players to Watch: If you saw the film from last week's Torrington game, you'd see how Holy Cross freshman Isaiah Wright had a fantastic game on offense, defense, and special teams. He has size for a freshman and will be one of the top players in the league, if not the state, in the coming years. He made some great grabs last week--one over Lytton--for a touchdown. He's also tough on defense where he intercepted a pass to end the game and broke up at least two others that went his way. It's only "Wright" that Zach Brown will target the freshman wideout but I expect No. 13 to be involved on jet sweeps and/or reverses--anything to get the offense going for Cross. David DiGiorgi will have to take the load off of Brown and Wright. He'll need at least 25 carries and 150 yards rushing for the Crusaders to have a shot. If Ansonia's Tyler Wood and company are blowing up the Holy Cross rushing attack, it'll be a long game for the Crusaders. Ansonia' Andrew Matos will be back in the lineup this week. If Newsome struggles on the ground, expect Matos to haul in some passes from Elliot Chudwick. Ansonia hasn't had to pass the ball much because its offensive line has smashed the opposing defense in the first three weeks of the season. But it's always nice to see other guys like Ryan O'Connor, Raeshaun Finney, and Matos get involved. Ansonia's offensive line is the biggest reason for the Chargers' success. So, that will be the most interesting battle to watch this week and how Holy Cross' defensive front defends the run.
Kyle's Players to Watch: Ansonia's players to watch are no secret by now since this is the fourth time in a row the Chargers are playing in our Game of the Week. For Holy Cross, Wright, Brown, and DiGiorgi are the offensive playmakers and will all have to contibute. Guys like Adrian Brown are capable of making some plays out of the backfield, too. This variety could help the Crusaders. On defense, Anthony Jamele played very well against Lytton and Torrington, and he'll have to be even better against Newsome and Ansonia. He swarms to the ball, but there's no way one guy can slow down Newsome. The rest of Holy Cross' defense will have to be sure tacklers. Derby was able to get to Newsome a few times last week but he just shook off the hits. If that happens, this game is a blowout.
The Picks: We've said it over and over and we'll continue to say it until somebody steps up and proves otherwise--Ansonia isn't going to play a game closer than two scores, much less lose a game, for the rest of the regular season. Opponents either need to play a perfect game or force Ansonia to make some major mistakes to make games close. We don't think either happens in this one.
Picks: Remmy- Ansonia, 40-18. Kyle- Ansonia, 35-7.
