Quarterback Tim Boyle fakes a hand-off to Cromwell running back Derrick Villard Jr. during practice at Xavier Thursday evening. Villard and Boyle are members of Team National Guard and will play in the Connecticut Military Bowl Saturday at 4:30 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford Photo by Catherine Avalone/The Middletown Press
MIDDLETOWN >> Despite averaging nearly 11 yards per carry and smashing career and single season school records for rushing yards, Cromwell?s Derrick Villard didn?t get many Division I scholarship offers. That?s sort of the deal when you play in the Pequot Conference.
So Villard will be playing football and taking AP courses as a post-graduate student at Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.) in September.
?I got some (Division I) looks during the season,? said Villard, who averaged 239.3 yards per game for the Panthers last fall. ?I really want to play at the next level. That?s the main reason for me going there.?
Before heading to New York, Villard will get another chance to showcase his abilities today in the inaugural Hall of Fame Classic Military Bowl at Rentschler Field. Kick-off is at 4:30 p.m.
Connecticut?s newest senior all-star football game pits the National Guard team versus the Marines team and National Guard head coach Jim Buonocore (Ledyard) is happy to have Villard on his side.
?(Derrick) stood out from the beginning at the combine in March,? said Buonocore. ?We identified him as one of the top backs there that day. We were very fortunate to be able to select him in the draft and he?s been doing a good job.?
Villard (6-1, 205) will be sharing the tailback duties with Justin Potts (Platt) and John Shannon (Bullard-Havens). The National Guard backfield also includes quarterbacks Tim Boyle (Xavier) and Mike Nicol (Wolcott), and fullback Austin Kingsbury (Windsor Locks).
?It?s fun and I like the atmosphere with all the players on the team,? Villard said. ?They have a different outlook on football in general. It?s a lot more competitive. Coming from my school our linemen are not as big as some of these kids. I think we have one kid who weighs 305 on this team, so there?s a big difference.?
Cromwell football coach Chris Eckert is one of Buonocore?s assistant coaches.
?It?s a unique opportunity for Derrick to be playing in the first game in this format,? said Eckert, who guided the Panthers to an 8-2 mark last season. ?I think it?s neat that he was recognized as one of the Top 100 players in Connecticut. The game is going to be a great experience for him. It will be something he?ll never forget.? Continued...
As a junior, Villard gained 2,125 yards and scored 27 rushing touchdowns while leading Cromwell to the Class S state championship game. His sensational 72-yard TD run helped Cromwell rally from a 13-0 deficit against Northwest Catholic in the Class S semifinals and propelled the Panthers to a 35-19 win.
Villard then gained 161 yards on 28 carries and scored three touchdowns against Holy Cross of Waterbury in the Class S finals. The Panthers, however, fell short 34-27 in a classic at Rentschler Field.
Villard?s senior year was equally impressive. He set a school record for most yards in a season with 2,393, surpassing 5,000 for his career, also a school record. Villard scored 22 touchdowns and was named to the New Haven Register?s All-State Third Team.
?He was our work horse,? said Eckert. ?A lot of times the staff and I said, ?let?s just put the ball in his hands and see what happens.? He definitely carried us. He?s going to be greatly missed.?
Added Buonocore, ?He?s a big, physical kid?a little bigger than I had thought in terms of what he looks like when the pads go on. He?s a hard worker. He?s picking up the offense. I think he?s going to have a big say in our success on Saturday.?
Source: http://middletownpress.com/articles/2013/06/29/sports/doc51ce4748afb8d776491916.txt
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