Nick Coleman powered Torrington to a dominant 21-0 season-opening win over Kennedy on Friday, racking up three touchdowns and 160 yards. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement from the Torrington Raiders, showing exactly what their unique single-wing attack and a couple of standout runners can do.
‘Thunder and Lightning’ Are Unstoppable
When you saw senior Nick Coleman and sophomore Kevin Leavitt tearing it up in the Raiders’ backfield, they looked like they’d been together for years. Coleman, with his monstrous 21 carries for 160 yards and those three scores, was running like a freight train. But here’s the kicker: whenever Coleman got the ball, Leavitt was right there, throwing a crisp block to clear the way. And when Leavitt carried it, racking up 58 yards on 11 carries himself, Coleman was blocking for *him*. Torrington head coach Gaitan Rodriguez nailed it, calling them “thunder and lightning.” Coleman, the thunder, showed some lightning on the edge, while Leavitt is pure speed. These guys aren’t just ball carriers, they’re a selfless unit. Coleman himself said it, “We embrace blocking. Single-wing offense, that’s what it’s about. There’s no player above blocking, even if you’re the quarterback, the tailback, whatever. You’ve got to go and make a block.” And Leavitt echoed that loyalty, “I’d do anything for (Coleman). If I have to make a block, I’m doing whatever I can for him.” That’s the kind of team-first mentality that wins.
The Single-Wing Grinds ‘Em Down
Torrington’s offense, despite replacing four starters on the offensive line and getting hit with 11 penalties, mostly false starts, still dominated on the ground. They posted 252 rushing yards, plus 11 through the air on Coleman’s lone completed pass to Anthony Ciesco, totaling 263 yards of offense, mostly just running over Kennedy. Their scoring drives were brute force: Coleman bolted 34 yards up the middle for the first score, then punched in a 3-yard run right before halftime to make it 14-0. To start the second half, Coleman and Leavitt got the ball on all eight plays of a 58-yard drive, with Coleman sweeping left end for a 10-yard touchdown that put them up 21-0. Kennedy head coach Chris Sarlo, a single-wing enthusiast himself, admitted, “They just wore us down, as the single-wing does. You can’t stop it. I’ve learned that. You can only outscore it. Tonight, we didn’t.”
What’s Next After The Opener?
Kennedy, playing without several starters due to an administrative decision stemming from a school incident, battled hard, with Coach Sarlo praising his defense for only giving up seven points in the second half despite playing a ton of plays. They even got into the red zone, but just couldn’t capitalize. Sarlo is confident, saying, “We’ll recover. We’ll rebound from this.” But for Torrington, this opener is a huge momentum builder. With Coleman and Leavitt leading, plus other backs “filling in nicely,” their single-wing attack looks like a force. If they can clean up those penalties, this team is a real problem. Every other team on their schedule just got a wake-up call.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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