Prior to this season, we pointed out a number of games that would be pivotal in determining the champion of the Copper Division. Needless to say, Torrington-Naugatuck is one of those matchups. The Greyhounds are 4-0 and the defending NVL champions, but they've had a few close calls. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, are off to a somewhat disappointing, 2-2 start, but they used a new-look offense to score 80 points last week.
If Torrington loses, it will be probably out of the running in the Copper Division race and will be completely out of the Class L playoff hunt. If Naugatuck stumbles, we'll have a mess brewing in the division.
Click here to watch Kyle's and Remmy's Game of the Week video.
Remmy's Keys to the Game: Without question, it will be whether or not Torrington can run the ball on Naugatuck. We all know that Naugy will be set on stopping Brenden Lytton. But whether it's Lytton or Phil Bresson, will Torrington's new-look offense be enough to rattle Naugatuck?
Everyone's been a witness to the fact that Torrington has not showed up in big games this year. This is another big game for the Red Raiders. Will they lose another one? In one of those games vs. Ansonia, Lytton was held in check. Against Holy Cross, Lytton had his fair share of yardage, but could not get into the end zone when he needed to.
I said this about the Torrington-Holy Cross game in Week 3: "This one is easy: Holy Cross' ability to stop the Torrington running game. It sounds simple but stopping the Torrington running game will win you the game. Of course, that's sometimes the task of a lifetime. I expect Brenden Lytton to run all over the Cross defense but I do expect some turnovers in this game if the Crusaders contain Lytton and Torrington has to count on its quarterback to win the game."
And that's exactly what happened. The only difference this week is that Torrington has found an athlete to fill a big void at quarterback. And he might be the guy that finally puts the Raiders over the top.
There are two reasons Naugatuck will need to pound the ball on the ground to win this game. First, Jake Yourison needs to get off on the right track this week after a scare versus Sacred Heart in Week 4. And second, the less time Torrington has the ball on offense, the higher the chances get at beating Torrington. If Yourison rushes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, I think the 'Hounds win this one.
Kyle's Keys to the Game: It's going to be very interesting to see how Torrington handles its passing game this week. It's natural to be enamored with the new toys and want to play with them some more, but I think it's important that the Red Raiders don't try to throw it around too much. While Bresson had a phenomenal debut, we have to take that performance with a grain of salt because it was against the worst defense in the state (statistically). Naugatuck's secondary is more athletic and has more playmakers than St. Paul's. Lytton still needs to carry the ball 25 times in this game, not including his touches on screen passes. With the way both of these defenses have been playing of late (yes, Torrington's defense has been much improved), this might be more of a ball-control, defensive game than some might expect in a game involving Torrington's offense. Running the ball is generally a better way to minimize mistakes than throwing it around the yard.
Naugatuck finally seems to have all of its players ready to play in the same game, which is definitely encouraging. The return of Matt Harris, who had to sit out the first four weeks after transferring from Holy Cross, could be a very interesting addition to the 'Hounds offense. Zac Mercer has been playing well at quarterback and maintaining their recent balance is very desirable. Naugy needs to find a way to contain a spread offense with a prolific runner. Leaning toward stopping the run and maybe playing some man on the outsides in the passing game could be the way to go with a quarterback who only has one game under his belt, but we'll see.
Remmy's Players to Watch: Torrington's Brenden Lytton and Naugatuck's Jake Yourison are the most obvious picks here. But let's not forget about the two quarterbacks--T-town's new gunslinger Phil Bresson and Naugatuck's Zac Mercer. Will the Red Raiders' staff put the ball in Bresson's hands when the game is on the line, or will it go to Lytton? That will be interesting to see this week. Naugatuck's Mercer will need to make a couple of big plays and third-down conversions with his arm or with his feet in order for Naugy to keep on rollin'. Both teams will be keying in on each other's running backs and focusing on stopping those two horses all night long.
Kyle's Players to Watch: The feature running backs and quarterbacks will obviously be very important to each team's chances of winning. Both teams figure to pass at least 10 times in this game, so both sets of receiving corps could be key. Torrington's wideouts and skill players, like Desmond Langs, Joan Toribeo, Demetrius Dailey, and even Jason Abbott will be important to helping Bresson, while Naugatuck's weapons, like Mick Pernell, Matt Harris, Mike Schebell, and Besim Bomova, will be big in making some plays for Mercer. In the past, I've also pointed out Dan Schebell in Torrington's linebacker corps, and the same goes for Tim Woodfield in Naugatuck's group. These guys will be very important in helping slow things down at the line of scrimmage and in the passing game.
The Picks: As we figure will be the case in most of these key Copper Division games, this should be a close one that ends up being decided in the fourth quarter. We'll see how both of these teams complement their feature backs with their improving passing games and which defense can make the key stops when they need it. Both these teams have a ton riding on this game, so it's sure to be physical and emotional.
Picks: Remmy- Naugatuck, 30-18. Kyle- Naugatuck, 27-20.
