For the first time in 20 years, thousands of people flooded the grounds of Woodland Regional High School for the biggest event in the valley. The War in the Woods, the annual Thanksgiving rival game between the Woodland Hawks and Seymour Wildcats had a lot more riding on it than normal: the title of Naugatuck Valley League Champions. The electricity throughout the crowd on both sides was the highest of the year at any valley game. Ending in a 28-14 victory for the Hawks, this is just the beginning of a cemented legacy of the 2025-2026 Woodland Football team. 

Top players on the team include siblings Justin and Ean Pringle, Hunter Cronk, and Aiden Kane. Junior Justin Pringle is ranked No. 9 in the state, with 916 receiving yards. Senior Ean Pringle is ranked No. 15 in the state with 18 touchdowns. Junior Hunter Cronk has made 49 kicks this season, earning 49 points as well as player of the game eight times according to MaxPreps. Going into the game, most players had their nerves at an all time high. But as soon as the first whistle blew, performances skyrocketed. 

“In the Seymour game I had three tackles for loss and one sack,” said Aiden Kane. “I think Seymour was definitely better because it was for the NVL championship. It was just a good down to get a sack on to push them back.”

The most competitive part of the game was the rivalries among players, so taking them down was a large feat, especially since Seymour quarterback Anthony Cortello had some words to say about our team.

“It definitely felt better because there’s a lot of hype around him. He was saying how they’re gonna score on our defense so it felt awesome,” said Kane.

Coming in hot from Xavier High School in Middletown, junior Justin and senior Ean Pringle have made a serious impact on how the team plays. 

“I was confident in what we were gonna do as a team; I knew that the team was gonna be good regardless of if I was here or not but I knew that I could add onto the team and possibly make the team better,” said Ean Pringle.

“I definitely wanted to make an impact because I wasn’t really sure how much of an impact I was gonna make on the year,” said Justin Pringle. “I knew that the team was gonna be good this year and I just wanted to have a part in that and try to make it better than it would be before kind of just try to help the team get even better than they are.” 

Thanks to the team, junior kicker Hunter Cronk has had lots of success this season. Kicking the extra point has given the Hawks a little more edge against the opponents, especially still being undefeated. 

“I haven’t missed more than three field goals this season. I just put a lot of work in pregame especially with help and support from my teammates,” said Cronk. “I don’t really think or anything I just rely on Ben Pugliese to snap and Mark Poulin to hold it the right way cause if they get their job done, I just get in the zone.”

The team would not be anywhere without guidance from coaches. Head Coach Joe Lato leads the team in all seasons of the year, making them the best that they can be. This big rivalry game had a large impact on the way that he coached. 

“There was nothing to take away from Seymour because they played a great game but there were some evaluator friendly things we did that were not like us or things we didn’t do that we typically do well. I messed up as well and learned myself,” stated Lato. “So it wasn’t an “A” game by us all but I am proud of how we found a way and got it done. The defense made some big stops and the offense was able to close out the game in the 4th quarter.”

As a coach, Lato is very proud of what the Hawks have accomplished this past year and really believes that they cemented their place in school history.

“I was happy that we can give something to the school and community that everyone can reflect on for years to come,” Lato said. “There is no erasing what we did this year. No one can take it away. 10-0 NVL champs is quite the accomplishment for our program.” 

Thanks to this great victory, the passion shown on the team will help them greatly in the postseason with the biggest goal in mind—winning a state championship for the first time in 20 years. The No. 1 Hawks will play at home on Dec. 3, 2025, against the No. 8 Bloomfield Warhawks at 6:30 p.m.

“We are attacking the offseason like any other day. Everyday is our Super Bowl. Every day is a chance to spill our tanks and put our heart and soul into our daily tasks. We will prepare and leave no stone left unturned just like it was any other scrimmage or game. Only our best is “good enough”.”

Photo Credit-Lucas-John Minicucci