Dedicated—Richard Dance’s word of choice to summarize the Rocky Hill football team. In his fourth year coaching the team, Dance has big expectations for the upcoming season.
“I’ve been with this year’s seniors since they were freshmen,” he said. Planning to build on progress from last year, Dance has nothing but confidence in this senior class.
With no shortage of talent, Dance noted players such as Alex Peruta and Frankie Guerrera as playmakers who will lead the team this year, playing alongside an offense backed by quarterbacks Tommy Garrahy and Joey Motes.
However, there are significant adjustments to be made, with the team adapting to the loss of players who graduated. Most notable among these players is Class of 2022’s Tyreice Dominique, who Dance noted as a “special athlete,” leaving the team with “big shoes to fill.”
The team’s strategy last year relied heavily on getting the ball to Dominique, a game plan they cannot depend on this year.
Dance is not worried about this transition, noting that the team will always “do what we do best.” This year, Dance plans on relying on several more players, adjusting to play more as a team.
“The team is dedicated to learning, improving, and showing Rocky Hill football in its best light,” said Dance.
Coming off of an encouraging pre-season, Rocky Hill’s home opener against Hartford Public was the first test for this new team. The Sept. 9 game ultimately resulted in Rocky Hill’s first loss, 14-18.
The team made the most of their next game against Northwest Catholic on Sept. 16, winning 27-6.
Their next game is on Sept. 23 against Waterford High School at home.
(Photo by: Shlok Deshmukh)