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Edit Krivka (34) is lifted into the air by teammate Joe Shea (88) during a game at Municipal Stadium last season (Photo via Woodland Football on Facebook)

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Vitals

• COACH —  CHRIS MOFFO (3rd year 6-14)
• CONFERENCE — NVL Copper
• PLAYOFF CLASS —  Class S (334 boys enrolled)
• HOME — Woodland HS Field
• 2017 RECORD — 5-5
• 2018 OPENER — Sept. 7 at Torrington, 6:30 p.m.
• TEAM WEBSITE — Maxpreps | TWITTER — @WRHSHawkfb

Top Players

• EDIT KRIVCA, Sr. RB/DB (5-9, 170)
• JOE SHEA, Sr. OL/DE (6-3, 225)
• JOSH HASSAN, Sr. OL/DL (6-1, 239)
• ALEK TOLBOE, Sr. OL/DL (6-0)
• CARTER AMORE, Sr. TE/LB (6-1, 175)
• ZACH KABUSK, Jr. RB/DB (5-10, 185)
• TYLER BULINSKI, Jr. QB (5-10, 151)

Key Losses

G Joe Kmetz, OT/DT Jackson Henry, OL/LB/K Tom Faryniarz, OL/DL Justin Morrone, RB/CB Ben Nuss, RB Matt Mills

Outlook

Woodland bounced back from a 1-9 2016 to a .500 season last year, with three wins in a row clinching that mark for the Hawks before a season-ending loss.

With some skilled players returning, including a maturing quarterback in Tyler Bulinski, there’s optimism that the Hawks can keep it going.

“It’s a hard-working group,” coach Chris Moffo said. “We’re light in numbers, but we’ve got a group of seniors that continue to push themselves every day.”

That starts with their top running back. Edit Krivca scored 20 rushing touchdowns last season and was also an All-NVL defensive back.

“He’s a hard worker,” Moffo said. “He pushes the team. He leads by example. He’s our workhorse.”

The crew includes an All-NVL Iron Division linebacker from last year in Carter Amore (though the Hawks have swapped places with St. Paul, moving to the Copper Division with neighboring rivals Ansonia, Seymour, Oxford and Derby this year).

A few linemen like Joe Shea, Josh Hassan and Alek Tolboe return, and they’ll be the key to the Hawks defensively.

“Defensively we need to step up from where we were last year,” said Moffo, whose team gave up 28 points or more eight times in his second season as Hawks head coach. “We took some strides last year.”

They’ll play three home games in a row early in the year, then play three in a row on the road as they enter the second half. The annual Thanksgiving-eve game with Seymour is in Beacon Falls this year.

2018 Schedule

• Sept. 7 — at Torrington,* 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 14 — WILBY,* 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 21 — DERBY,** 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 28 — WOLCOTT,* 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 5 — at St. Paul,* 7 p.m.
• Oct. 18 — at Sacred Heart/Kaynor Tech,* 6 p.m.
• Oct. 26 — at Crosby,* 7 p.m.
• Nov. 2 — ANSONIA,** 6:30 p.m.
• Nov. 9 — at Oxford,** 6 p.m.
• Nov. 21 — Seymour,** 5:30 p.m.

Home games in CAPS
*Conference game
**Division game