High Expectations For Youth Football [With Video]

Optimism abounds during any youth football team's preseason practice period.

Everyone is undefeated. Kids are excited to put pads on and make contact. Coaches foam at the mouth to work their players into shape. Positive energy reverberates from Senior to Micro division during August.

Much changes once the season starts when talent takes over from optimism. For at least half of the Southern New England Youth Football Conference teams, preseason dreams are replaced by reality of 1-3 or 0-3 records heading into October.

The Ledyard Colonels youth football program, though, has every reason to feel confident heading into 2011. The Senior Colonels posted an 8-1 regular season record, reached the Super Bowl and return talented quarterback Ty Ebdon and seven other regulars. The Junior Colonels made the playoffs with a 6-3 record.

Ledyard's Senior, Junior and Micro teams take part in a Jamboree scrimmage today hosted by Montville at Camp Oakdale. Micros begin at noon, followed by Juniors at 2 and Seniors at 4. Windham, Plainfield, Griswold Ledyard join host Montville.

The Colonels open the SNYFC season at Westerly Aug. 28. The Seniors play Sunday at 2, preceded by the Micros at 10 a.m. and Juniors at noon. Ledyard plays Saturday night home games at Judge Crandall Field at Ledyard Middle School. East Lyme is the home opener Sept. 3 with the Seniors playing at 8, following the Micros at 4 and Juniors at 6.

"We're optimistic, but you never know," Ledyard Seniors head coach Matt Schmahl said. "You still have to do the work, you still have to get ready, you still have to go from one level to another. Even though you were a good Junior player, it doesn't transpose into being a good Senior player. All of a sudden you could put on 25 pounds in a year and lose your speed."

Ebdon was one of the conference's top passers as a 7th grader last year, posting numerous passing totals well over 100 yards. The Colonels graduated top receivers Phyllip and River Thomas, but the left-handed Ebdon is sure to find new targets.

"Returning your quarterback makes the learning curve that much easier," Schmahl said. "I expect we'll be competitive, but I expect New London will have a strong team with their new field. Griswold, East Lyme, Westerly and Norwich should be fairly strong. We'll just have to wait and see."

The conference welcomes Stonington into the league. The Bears previously competed in Rhode Island Pop Warner. Now with 11 teams, an odd number, one team must have a bye every week.

"It's nice that Stonington is in, but we're down to eight regular season games instead of nine," Schmahl said. "Our bye is in the final week of the regular season."

Hopefully that will be a time of rest before another playoff berth. Ledyard's Seniors were 8-1 last year, beat Griswold in a thrilling playoff semifinal, 26-20, before losing to Plainfield in the Super Bowl, 42-14.

For a complete schedule of games, log on to www.eteamz.com/SNEYFC

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