Plymouth South grad boosts Norwich effort

His season came to an abrupt halt during a practice session in mid-October, when the Plymouth South High graduate tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as the Cadets, of Northfield, Vt., were preparing for a conference matchup against St. John Fisher.

“I heard a pop and knew right away that something was wrong,’’ recalled Madden, who was starting at left guard as a sophomore. “For a while, I was a little depressed watching my teammates carry on without me. All I could do was sit back and watch as the season passed me by.’’

Madden was expected to be ready for the start of this season, even though he was told that it would take up to two years for the knee to be back at 100 percent. In Madden’s absence, Norwich coach Shawn McIntyre turned to Nick Britton, a 6-foot-1, 224-pound lineman from Foxborough who entered camp this past summer as the projected starter.

“Coach [McIntyre] told me that nothing is ever guaranteed and that I might not be the starter next season,’’ Madden said. “That really stuck with me during the offseason and helped me get back to where I am.’’

But Madden reclaimed his starting spot during camp and has helped propel the Cadets (4-3, 4-0 ECFC) to first place in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference.

“I can’t say enough about his work ethic,’’ McIntyre said. “He has a good knowledge of the system and is actually a better player this year.’’

After starting the season 0-3, Norwich has won four consecutive games and is over .500 this late in a season for the first time since 2004. The Cadets had lost to conference foe Husson College three years in a row until last Saturday, when they stopped a two-point conversion attempt late in the game for a 20-19 victory.

“We were just making critical errors during games early in the season,’’ McIntyre said. “Ball control was an issue, but we’ve corrected that quite a bit. We’ve been running the ball pretty well, too.’’

The Cadets have 1,887 rushing yards - second in the ECFC - and 327 passing yards. And after allowing 20 sacks in 2008, the offensive line has allowed only five sacks in seven games, which is tied for the second fewest in the conference.

“The offensive line has been on the same page all year,’’ McIntyre said. “Everyone is doing a good job executing within the scheme, and Chris certainly is a main component of that.’’

“It’s all juniors and sophomores on the line, so we know what everybody is thinking,’’ Madden said. “Last year, there was a lot of freshmen in there so we gave up a lot of sacks.’’

Over the summer, Madden rehabbed with the Norwich training staff; his younger brother Ryan, an offensive lineman on Plymouth South; and Plymouth South head coach Scott Fry. He even tried mixed martial arts, a recommendation from a friend who said it would help with his speed and quickness. Madden, who admitted he now is always cautious about his knee, said the injury has not had much impact on his technique. His mobility is still there despite wearing a knee brace, and he thinks his footwork has actually improved.

“I rehabbed for six months until I could run,’’ said the 6-foot, 235-pound Madden. “I missed most of spring ball and offseason lifting, so I had to work hard to catch up.’’

The hard work has certainly paid off. After leaving the Empire 8 Conference after last season, the Cadets appear to have a strong chance to capture the ECFC in its inaugural season. Norwich’s remaining three games are all against conference opponents: Anna Maria College (0-7), New York Maritime (5-2), and Castleton State (2-4).

“We haven’t been this good offensively in a long time,’’ Madden said. “Our offense was never in games last year because of the offensive line. We were the weakness of the team and weren’t producing. We’re now the strength of the team, and I want to keep that going.’’

Steve Crowe can be reached at crowe.steven@yahoo.com.