By John Goralski Sports Writer As soon as NCAA football officials announced the pairings for the Division I tournament’s opening round, Jordan Chapman’s cell phone came alive with a flurry of texts, but the former Southington High School star didn’t even have to look at the screen. Sacred Heart University had earned the program’s first postseason bid, and Chapman’s Fordham team was scheduled to face them in the opening round. Sacred Heart’s offense features a former classmate, Tyler Dube. The first round game was much more than just a rivalry between schools. “As soon as we found out that we were going to be playing Sacred Heart, the text messages started going. It was immediately. There was a little bit of smack talk here and there, but it made it a lot of fun,” said Chapman. “Dube told me that it was going to be about bragging rights, and I agreed with him.” Chapman wasn’t the only one engaging in good-natured smack talk with Dube in the days leading up to opening kick-off. Jake Rodriques, a former Southington High School captain, is a senior linebacker on Fordham’s varsity squad. Rodriques and Chapman would both be charged with stopping their former [...]
By John Goralski Sports Writer As soon as NCAA football officials announced the pairings for the Division I tournament’s opening round, Jordan Chapman’s cell phone came alive with a flurry of texts, but the former Southington High School star didn’t even have to look at the screen. Sacred Heart University had earned the program’s first postseason bid, and Chapman’s Fordham team was scheduled to face them in the opening round. Sacred Heart’s offense features a former classmate, Tyler Dube. The first round game was much more than just a rivalry between schools. “As soon as we found out that we were going to be playing Sacred Heart, the text messages started going. It was immediately. There was a little bit of smack talk here and there, but it made it a lot of fun,” said Chapman. “Dube told me that it was going to be about bragging rights, and I agreed with him.” Chapman wasn’t the only one engaging in good-natured smack talk with Dube in the days leading up to opening kick-off. Jake Rodriques, a former Southington High School captain, is a senior linebacker on Fordham’s varsity squad. Rodriques and Chapman would both be charged with stopping their former [...]