Mills looks sharp in win over Wolcott Tech to capture Route 4 Bowl
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Nov. 24 – Lewis Mills scored 18 points in the final 12 minutes and forced six Wolcott Tech turnovers to end a challenging first varsity season with a 37-14 win over the Wildcats to win the Route 4 Bowl trophy at Simsbury High Wednesday night on Thanksgiving Eve.
Sophomore quarterback Zach Milbourn threw four touchdown passes for Mills and completed 9-of-17 passes for 111 yards and one interception. Senior Daniel Doyle led the Spartans with 136 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries.
After winning their first-ever varsity game with a 20-13 win over Granby on opening day, Mills (2-8, 2-7 Pequot Sassacus) lost eight straight games including a 24-18 overtime loss to Sports Medicine Science Academy and a forfeit over Haddam-Killingworth after the infamous third quarter fight with North Branford on Oct. 30. In the two games before Wednesday night’s contest, Mills gave up 62 and 56 points, respectively.
But against Wolcott Tech (0-10, 0-9 Pequot Sassacus), the Spartans were able to bottle up Tech’s leading rusher Isaiah Harrington, who ran for just 48 yards on 14 carries. The Mills defense gave up just six points.
Wolcott Tech had a hard time keeping their hands on the ball with eight fumbles. Mills recovered four, including two by Parker Colby. The Spartans also intercepted Carlson twice.
“We finally played four quarters of football tonight,” Mills coach Peter Flammia said. “Our offensive line did a nice job today. They made the effort to improve each day and I’m glad it showed today.”
Tech coach Jamie Coty was disappointed with the mistakes that his Wildcats made. But he was proud of the effort his team made. Carlson scored the first passing touchdown of the year for Tech. He took a 10-yard pass from Steve Oakes and was nearly tackled near midfield. But he stayed on his feet, tiptoed around the two defenders and raced down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown reception with 3:51 left in the fourth quarter.
But by that time, the game was over.
After Wolcott Tech fumbled the ball away on its first possession, Mills drove 38 yards on eight plays and scored on Devin Pease’s 12-yard touchdown reception from Milbourn for a 7-0 lead.
Tech tied the game early in the second quarter when Oakes intercepted Milbourn and returned it 48 yards. Harrington’s two-point conversion made gave Wolcott Tech an 8-7 lead.
Mills responded with a 67-yard drive that took 16 plays and ate up 9:45 of the second quarter. Milbourn found Jeremy Dunn (4 catches, 38 yards) on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 1:54 remaining. Mills led 13-8 after the conversion run failed.
Tech drove to the Mills nine-yard line with eight seconds left but Mills’ Chad Cables intercepted Oakes to end the threat.
In the third quarter, Mills extended its lead to 19-8 on a 18-yard touchdown pass from Milbourn to Russell LeSage after Wolcott Tech’s punted twice dropped the ball and barely kicked the ball away.
On Wolcott Tech’s next possession, the Wildcats again drove to the Mills nine-yard line but they fumbled the ball away after Oakes was hit behind the line of scrimmage. Mills couldn’t get a first down but on its next offensive play, Wolcott Tech fumbled the ball away on its own 21-yard line.
This time, Mills made Tech pay with Dunn making a sliding 12-yard touchdown reception in the end zone with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter for a commanding 25-8 lead. “We came out with a different intensity,” Mills lineman Tyler Pragosa said.
Windsor High keeps battling, hands Hall first loss in overtime
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
WINDSOR , Nov. 12 – Football can teach its players many lessons that can be applicable later in life. How do you respond to adversity and pressure? What do you do after getting knocked down?
The Windsor High football team rallied from a seven-point deficit and survived a missed field goal attempt with 26 seconds left in regulation to hand Hall High its first defeat of the season Friday night in a 27-24 double overtime thriller at Jack O’Brien Stadium.
“They didn’t quit and kept playing hard,” Windsor coach Rob Fleeting said. “They kept believing in themselves. Sometimes, it can be hard to lift their spirits when things go bad.”
For Hall, it was a disappointing end to its most challenging game of the season and the end of an eight-game winning streak. But Hall (8-1, 6-0 CCC Division II) still has an opportunity to win the CCC Division II title with a victory over arch-rival Conard on Saturday and possibly earn a berth in the CIAC’s Class LL tournament.
Windsor (7-2, 5-2 CCC Division I) shut down the Hall running attack, allowing just 33 yards but quarterback Riley Carroll was outstanding, completing 20 of 43 passes for 253 yards and three touchdown passes to Miguel Godoy.
“They fought hard,” Hall coach Frank Robinson III said. “We made plays. They made plays. ( Windsor ) did a great job running the ball but we hung tough.”
Jackson, who transferred in from South Windsor for his senior year, literally carried Windsor on his back. He rushed for a game and season-high 240 yards on 35 carries. He scored all four touchdowns and kicked each extra point. His number was called on Windsor ’s final 11 offensive plays and on 14 of the last 17 snaps. “He ran like a bull,” Fleeting said. “We’re proud to have him on our team.”
Neither team flinched. Each rose to the challenge. “I love all of these guys,” Robinson said. “I have happy for the guys who stepped up when they had to because of a few injuries.”
With the score tied at 14 in the fourth quarter, Windsor marched 81 yards on 14 plays to the Hall two-yard line on a long drive that ate up nearly seven minutes. But when Jackson attempted a 18-yard field goal to win the game with 26 seconds remaining, his holder bobbled the snap and the kick fluttered to the left, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, each team gets four plays from the 10-yard line to try and score. Each team gets one offensive possession. For Windsor , it took two plays for Jackson to bull his way into the end zone, giving Windsor a 21-14 lead.
Hall responded with Carroll completing a 10-yard pass to Godoy on third down. Godoy snatched the ball inches off the grass, turned and ran three yards into the end zone. Mike Steinberg kicked the extra point to tie the game, 21-21.
In the second OT, Hall got the ball first. Carroll gained five yards on first down but after two incompletions, Steinberg kicked a 22-yard field goal to give Hall the lead.
On third down from the two, Hall initially stopped Jackson but he continued to run and with his second effort, he scored the game-winning touchdown.
“Our offensive line stepped up,” Jackson said. “They made the holes for me.”
Windsor took a 7-0 on its first drive of the game. Jackson carried the ball for 74 yards on six plays, scoring from the 14-yard line. Hall tied the game on
seven-play, 70-yard drive in the second quarter with Carroll hitting Godoy for a 23-yard touchdown strike.
On its first possession of the third quarter, Hall marched 75 yards on eight plays with Carroll finding a wide-open Godoy for a 20-yard touchdown reception. Steinberg’s extra point gave the West Hartford squad a 14-7 lead with 6:22 remaining in the quarter.
Windsor tied the game at 14-14 late in the third quarter. Runs of 25 and 16 yards by Jackson and a 29-yard pass from quarterback Robert Fleeting to
Brian McClain put the home team in position. Jackson scored from five yards away with 0:21 left in the third quarter.
Both defenses made big plays. Hall marched 59 yards on nine plays to the Windsor seven-yard line with 13 seconds left in the first half and set up to attempt a 26-yard field goal. But McClain raced around the end to block Steinberg’s kick.
McClain also intercepted a pass while Adam Glynn picked off a pass for Hall.
It was Hall’s first overtime game since 2008 – a 23-17 loss to a Weaver team coached by Fleeting. It was Windsor ’s fourth straight win over Hall and 11th in the last 13 years. Windsor leads the overall series between the two schools, 14-12-1.
Editor's note: The opportunity arose to cover this game and it was a thriller so we wanted to share it you.
Farmington beats New Britain for the first time
NEW BRITAIN, Nov. 12 – It was a milestone victory for Farmington on Friday night at Willow Park Park. The Indians beat New Britain for the first time in school history, 20-19. “This was a game I think some people in our town were scared of since we moved to the CCC (Central Connecticut Conference) but it’s a game we in the football program were excited about since we moved to the CCC. These are the games we want,” Farmington coach Chris Machol told the New Britain Herald.
Farmington (5-4) took a 14-0 lead with a pair of first quarter touchdowns. Brandon Paolillo pulled in a 14-yard pass from quarterback Colan Callahan and Jourdan Parkinson (146 yards rushing) scored on a 16-yard run. Mitch Lewis converted on a pair of extra point attempts.
New Britain, which lost its eighth straight (1-8), cut the lead to seven on a 30-yard run from Martez Newby. In the third quarter, the Hurricanes cut the lead to one, 14-13, in the fourth on a eight-yard run from Lamar Bowsky. The extra point attempt failed.
Farmington extended its lead to seven when Patrick Wollenberg scored on a nine-yard reception from Callahan with 9:48 remaining in the game to cap off a 13-play drive. New Britain cut the lead to one, 20-19 on a five-yard run from Newby with 7:35 remaining in the game. The Hurricanes went for two points but the Farmington defense swarmed over Bowsky.
One last drive by New Britain ended at the Farmington 30-yard line with 40 seconds left in the contest. It was Farmington's first game ever against the Hurricane varsity team. The Indians played the New Britain junior varsity several times in the 1930s and 1940s.
Two quick TD runs spark Avon past Enfield in fourth
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Avon Football Online
ENFIELD, Nov. 5 – Pressed for just the second time this season, the Avon High football team got physical in a challenging game with Enfield High on Friday night.
Enfield tied the game 14-14 midway through the third quarter after a long drive. But the Falcons scoring 22 unanswered points including a pair of back-breaking touchdowns on long runs of 68 yards and 84 yards by Ross McDonald and Colin Moore, respectively, to beat Enfield, 36-20.
The victory leaves Avon (7-1, 7-0 Uncas) in first place in the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division while Enfield (5-2, 5-1) slips into third place behind Coventry/Windham Tech (6-1, 6-0), who the Falcons host next Saturday. It was the first of three games against teams with winning records to close out the regular season for Avon.
McDonald and Moore received some excellent blocks and both made some nice moves to evade tacklers at the line of scrimmage on their touchdown runs.
“We told our guys this game would be won in the trenches,” Enfield coach Jay Gaucher said. “They got into some gaps. Our line got pushed around a bit and their running backs made a good cut or two.”
The two touchdown runs about 90 seconds apart changed the game.
Avon led 17-14 when Enfield took over and marched 39 yards to the Falcon 32-yard line. But on fourth down and two, Enfield’s Tyler Spence fumbled the snap and was stopped for no gain enabling Avon to take over on downs.
On the next play, McDonald was able to get some blocking, cut back inside and escaped into open space for a 68-yard touchdown run and a 24-14 Falcon lead with 10:14 left in regulation.
Two plays later, Avon's Ryan Jordan intercepted a pass from Eric Gernux, who was under heavy pressure. Two plays later, Moore got the ball, cut inside and took off to the outside for a 84-yard touchdown run and a 30-14 lead with 8:47 left.
“We had to go toe-to-toe with them and draw them in,” Quinion said. “When you get all of those bodies in tight, you can start running some of those power plays and obviously, Colin (Moore) and Ross (McDonald) were able to break some tackles.”
Avon tried to spread out its offense earlier in the game and had some success but the Raiders made moving the ball challenging. “They’re more athletic than we are on the line so they took away a lot of the things we like to do offensively in the spread offense,” he said.
Moore finished with a game-high 162 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. McDonald had 152 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Colin Pavano completed 4-of-6 passes for 100 yards. Receiver Tyler D’Onofrio caught three passes for 85 yards and one touchdown, a 69-yard pass that he outleaped the defender for and sped away for the score.
The Falcon defense made plays when they had to. Trailing 14-6, Enfield drove to the Falcon 7 yard line in the waning minutes of the second quarter. But on third and goal, Enfield was penalized for holding to negate a 7-yard touchdown run by Buanno (22-111). And fourth and goal from the 20, Buanno couldn’t get around the corner and Avon took over on downs.
“Defensively, we played terrific,” Quinion said. “We made them run, which we wanted to do To hold a team like that down to 20 points was terrific.”
The Falcons intercepted two passes and knocked down four others.
Fumbles were a problem for Avon. Seven times, they dropped the ball on the carpet and they gave it away three times. “The kids said that the ball was picking up moisture,” Quinion said. “We’re not used to playing on this (artificial) turf.”
Getting better but Southington still tops Simsbury
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Oct. 29 – The babes are growing up.
The Simsbury High football team continues to grow and mature as the season progresses. The Trojans (2-5, 2-3 CCC Division I) didn’t come out with a win on Friday night against Southington but they played much better than they did in recent losses to Berlin and Manchester.
Southington (6-1, 5-1) beat Simsbury for the sixth time in seven meetings since the series resumed in 2004 with a 41-28 victory.
However, the game was tied 14-14 after one quarter and the Trojans were within one touchdown for most of the contest. Simsbury quarterback Kyle Decker ran for three touchdowns and 77 yards while teammate Andrew Girard ran for a team-high 115 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
“There was a lot of improvement,” said senior linebacker Josh Gowdy, who had nearly 10 tackles in the second half. “We get better every week. We didn’t win but we played a much better game than we have been.”
The return of defensive back/running back Josh Helmkamp was extremely helpful. “We have a speed threat and everyone is getting into a groove,” Gowdy said. “Everyone is becoming a varsity player.”
Helmkamp helped solidify the defense while sparking the offense with 103 yards on 10 carries.
It didn’t look promising at the beginning when Southington’s Jordan Chapman returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown and Simsbury ran just six plays on its first offensive possession before punting the ball.
But when Southington’s Matt Scapati fumbled the ball, Simsbury’s Garrett Crowe recovered on the Southington 39-yard line. Helmkamp’s 24-yard run down the sideline moved the ball to the five-yard line. Two plays later, Decker scored from the four to tie the game at 7-7.
“I like our intensity and our work ethic,” Simsbury coach Jeff Osborne said. “The kids come and want to learn. They don’t think of the record. They just play and get better.”
Southington took a 14-7 lead on a 50-yard pass from freshman quarterback Stephen Barmore to Zach Wholley. But Simsbury responded immediately with a seven-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Decker scoring on a one-yard touchdown run with 2:12 left in the first quarter. The key play in the drive was a 38-yard pass from Decker to Helmkamp, who leapfrogged over a Knight defender for an extra five yards.
Southington took a 21-14 lead late in the second quarter on an eight-play, 68-yard drive. Simsbury’s offense shrugged their shoulders and went back to work – except they made a crucial error.
A mishandled pitch from Decker hit the turf and Southington’s Andrew Walowski scooped it up and rambled 40 yards for the touchdown and a 28-14 lead with 1:54 left in the second quarter.
Simsbury scored on its opening possession of the third quarter, keyed with a 21-yard run by Helmkamp who shook off several attempted tackles to race the ball to the Southington six-yard line. Girard scored from the six.
After Southington convered on three third-down plays and scored to extend the lead to 35-20, Simsbury again made it a one score game with Decker scoring from the four-yard line with 2:10 left in the quarter. Girard had the big play on the drive with a 49-yard ramble.
Trailing 35-28, Southington took advantage of another Simsbury fumble. After hard running and getting a first down, Girard lost the ball near the Simsbury 40 and Southington’s Nick Gothberg recovered. It took six straight running plays from Matt Scarpati to move the ball 35 yards and score from the seven for a 41-28 lead.
Scarpati was hurt late in the game when he landed on the ball and dislocated his hip. Simsbury tries to get back on the winning track when they travel to South Windsor on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Best game so far for Avon in win over Canton
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Oct. 23 – After a two-point loss to defending Class S champion Hyde, the Avon High football team hasn’t lost a game. But coach Brett Quinion hasn’t been satisfied with simply victories. He knows that the Falcons will have to be better to defend its Pequot Conference Uncas Division championship and possibly earn a spot in the CIAC’s Class L playoffs.
On Saturday night, the Falcons won their fifth straight game with a dominating 47-12 victory over Canton and Quinion began the see the play he knows will be needed as the Falcons close out the season.
“This is the first quality game we’ve played all year,” Quinion said, praising his offensive line. “We’ve been averaging a dozen plays for a loss or no gain. We had 15 last week (in a win over Granby).
“We made some changes on the offensive line,” Quinion said. “We’ve worked really hard the last two weeks on blocking and tackling, simple fundamentals. I’m proud of the guys. We could have run whatever we wanted tonight.”
Avon’s All-State running back Ross McDonald ran for a season-high 244 yards and tied the school record that he shares with four other players by scoring five touchdowns in a single game.
The Falcons intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble. Colin Moore rushed for 44 yards on fourcarries for Avon while receiver Tyler D’Onfroio caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. D’Onofrio also intercepted a pass and ran back a punt 25 yards.
After facing Housatonic/Wamogo (3-3) next week, the Falcons close out the regular season with three straight games against teams with winning records. They travel to Enfield (5-1, 5-0 Uncas) on Friday, Nov. 5 and host Coventry/Windham Tech (4-1, 4-0) and Gilbert/Northwestern (5-1, 4-1) in the final two weeks of the season.
Avon (5-1, 5-0 Uncas) had little trouble with an undermanned Canton squad, who was missing several players due to injuries.
On Avon’s first offensive play, McDonald took off around the left side for a 52-yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead. On Avon’s second series, quarterback Colin Pavano found receiver Tyler D’Onofrio for a 16-yard touchdown pass. For D’Onofrio, it was his record-tying ninth TD catch of the season. He and Andy Roell, who caught nine TD passes in 2007, currently hold the school’s single-season record.
Avon took a 19-0 lead on McDonald’s 22-yard run early in the second quarter. McDonald gained 115 yards on his first six carries.
Canton (1-5, 1-4) got on the scoreboard on a 74-yard, 11-play drive that was helped by a pair of personal foul penalties on the Falcons. Canton QB Nick Grabowski did pick up a key first down on a fourth down and one run near midfield. Grabowski ran eight times on the drive for 40 yards on the drive, including the seven-yard touchdown run.
Within seconds, Avon responded on its next offensive play with a 69-yard run by McDonald for a 26-6 lead.
“They played hard and they played with heart,” Canton coach Roger Pearl said. “We’re undermanned. Our defense is struggling right now. Basically, we have only 13 or 14 players who are playing. We have some freshman playing on special teams.
“We’re making strides. We have a lot of young kids and it shows,” Pearl said. “It’s a work in progress. The enthusiasm is still there. The love of the game is still there. We’re trying to get better.”
Canton did make the first interception of the season against Avon quarterback Colin Pavano in the second quarter. Nick Quattro tipped a Pavano pass into the air and Robby Grillo came down with the ball and returned it 25 yards.
Grabowski led the Warriors in rushing with 124 yards on 25 carries. He also completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Quattro in the waning seconds of the contest.
For the Falcons, Ryan Jordan, D’Onofrio and Colin Moore each came up with interceptions while Joseph Murphy came with a fumble recovery.
Hall 41, Farmington 14: The undefeated Warriors (6-0) took control early to hand host Farmington (4-2) its second loss of the season. Hall led 21-0 after one quarter and 35-0 at halftime. QB Riley Carroll threw four TD passes in the first half while teammate Jacob Rosario began the game by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Farmington QB Colan Callahan ran for a 1-yard touchdown and threw a 23-yard TD pass to Mike English in the fourth quarter.
Simsbury 20, New Britain 14: QB Kyle Decker scored two touchdowns including a 14-yard run with 1:58 remaining in the game to lift Simsbury (2-4) to a win over host New Britain. Not only did the Simsbury offense help control the game by eating up time running the ball but the defense made two big stands. After Simsbury took a 12-7 lead on Decker’s two-yard TD run with 10:07 left in the third quarter, New Britain (1-5) marched to the Simsbury eight-yard line. But on fourth and one, Lamont Priest was stopped by Simsbury linebacker Josh Gowdy in the backfield to end the drive.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, New Britain drove to the Simsbury 13 but the drive stalled after a fumble and two incomplete passes. After Decker’s score to give the Trojans a 20-7 lead, New Britain did rally for a touchdown in the final minute but Simsbury recovered the onside kick to seal the victory. Decker ran for 83 yards reported the New Britain Herald while Dom Gerardi ran for 101 yards and Andrew Girard gained 99.
Mistakes haunt Simsbury in lopsided loss to No. 5 Berlin
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Oct. 15 – The young Simsbury High football team received a hard lesson on Friday night. Mistakes that would have resulted in a few extra yards in most games were magnified in a contest against undefeated Berlin, the No. 5 ranked team in the state.
Struggling to make tackles, Berlin rolled over Simsbury for a 43-0 victory with three touchdowns and a season-high 134 yards from All-State running back Max DeLorenzo. Simsbury also contributed to its woes with five turnovers (four fumbles and one interception). They also had a punt blocked.
There were a few bright spots for the Trojans but not enough for head coach Jeff Osborne. “We look to improve every week,” he said. “I think we took a step back tonight.”
Simsbury (1-4, 1-2 CCC Division I) made some plays. Omari Archer nailed DeLorenzo for a six-yard loss on the second play of the game. However, on the next play, Berlin quarterback Zack Zulkiewicz lofted a short, screen pass to Ras Morgan, who made a leaping, one-handed catch. He pulled the ball in and began evading Simsbury defenders and breaking attempted tackles. He ran 57 yards before being pulled down.
On the next play, DeLorenzo broke through the Simsbury defensive line and into the clear for 24-yard scoring run.
Archer had a 38-yard kickoff return in the first half while teammate Blair Zentek had kickoff returns of 39, 16 and 37 yards. Osborne was pleased with the return effort but he expected a better overall effort from the squad.
“We did what we had to do,” said Berlin coach John Capodice, who isn’t a big fan of playing two Division I teams as his non-divisional contests. “They are a tough team to stop.” Berlin (5-0, 4-0 CCC Division III), the defending Class M champion, also plays New Britain.
On its second drive, Berlin made it look easy. DeLorenzo, who has committed to play with the University of Connecticut next fall, broke through the line and scampered down the sideline for a 44-yard gain. Morgan gained 25 yards on the next play, making defenders miss and breaking attempted tackles. Two plays later, DeLorenzo scored from the seven for a 12-0 lead.
Simsbury did make a stand early in the second quarter. Berlin drove to the Simsbury six-yard line. On third down and inches, Zulkiewicz was stopped for no gain. On fourth down, Josh Gowdy nailed Morgan for a five-yard loss and the Redcoats turned the ball over on downs.
However, Simsbury could only manage four yards on its next possession and then Dave Balfore blocked a Kyle Decker punt, allowing Berlin to recover the ball on the Simsbury 10-yard line. Thanks to a great block from Morgan, Morgan Powers scored easily from the 10. DeLorenzo caught a two-point conversion pass for a 20-0 lead.
DeLorenzo scored his third touchdown with 1:20 remaining in the second quarter and grabbed a two-point conversion pass by literally reaching over the top of a Simsbury defender and snatching it out of the air for a 28-0 halftime lead.
Balfore recovered two fumbles in the game and blocked the punt. In the previous four games, Berlin had recovered five fumbles. In this game, they got four.
For Simsbury, Andrew Girard led the way with 74 yards on 17 carries, including a nice 15-yard run up the middle in the third quarter. Gowdy ran for 23 yards on five carries while Decker managed 21 yards on 10 carries.
Berlin’s 43-point victory was the most lopsided game in the series between the two schools that dates back to 1935. Berlin had a 35-0 victory over Simsbury in 1948. Simsbury still leads the overall series between the two schools, 18-12.
Manchester, Devalve too quick for Trojans
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Oct. 8 – The Simsbury High football had no business staying close to Manchester High in Friday night’s CCC Division I contest in Simsbury. Indian QB Seth Devalve frustrated the Simsbury defense in the first half by rushing for 70 yards on nine carries and completing 13-of-18 passes for 137 yards.
Yet, the visiting Indians led by just seven points at the half, 13-7 and Simsbury was just one big play away from tying the game or moving into the lead.
Simsbury was able to come up with a few big plays but Manchester had more in 27-18 victory. Simsbury QB Kyle Decker rushed for a game-high 158 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries and threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Blair Zenteck in the fourth quarter.
But Devalve led Manchester on a pair of quick touchdown drives (five and seven plays, respectively) in the second half to put Manchester (3-1, 3-1 CCC Division I) in control for good.
“If you’re going to play in our league (CCC Division I), there will be some fast, big kids that we have play,” Simsbury coach Jeff Osborne said. “We were a half second behind on everything – missing some tackles, missing some blocks”
Mistakes haunted Simsbury (1-3, 1-2). They missed three extra points. One snap was bobbled by the holder, one kick sailed under the crossbar and a two-point conversion was rushed when a player was late getting on the field.
A bad snap on the first punt of the game gave Manchester the ball on the Simsbury 22-yard line. The Indians scored two plays later to take a 7-0 lead. Manchester took a 13-0 lead on its second drive, marching 66 yards on 12 plays. Devalve completed 4-of-6 passes for 34 yards and rushed for 34 yards on the drive. Chris Turner capped the drive by scoring from the 1-yard line with 3:35 left.
“It looked like initially that he could almost do what he wanted at times, throwing off his back foot and making things happen,” Manchester coach Marco Pizzoferrato said.
With some quick throws, Devalve was able to move the Indians up the field quickly. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, nine to teammate Carlos Deleon for 103 yards.
Simsbury remained in the game thanks to its relentless veer offense that ate up time, moved the ball and keep Devalve on the sidelines. A 13-play drive to the Manchester 10 yard line stalled due to a pair of penalties but ate up nearly six minutes.
Simsbury trimmed the lead to 13-6 on a 99-yard drive with Decker rushing for 47 yards on five carries including runs of 27, 16 and 12 yards. Andrew Girard rambled for 26 yards on the drive. Decker scored from the one with 2:15 left in the half. The extra point failed when the snapped dropped the ball.
Manchester took a 19-6 lead on its first drive of the second half on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Devalve to Deleon. The conversion run failed.
Simsbury responded with a methodical 16 play, 69-yard march that ate up 8:22. Decker carried the ball nine times for 43 yards with Gowdy rushing for 19 yards on five carries. Decker scored from the one to cut the lead to 19-12 with a minute left in the third quarter. The extra point kick went under the crossbar.
However, Manchester was able to easily respond. Turner had a big 28-yard run and Devalve scrambled away from two Simsbury defenders and hit Matthew Webber for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 10:01 left in the game and a 27-12 lead.
“We’re a very young team,” Osborne said. “We start only four seniors. The defensive line got a decent rush and we’re getting better. We see the progress. We see it in practice. We’re just going to be a menace to the teams we play. We’re going to out there and do the things we can do.”
Girard finished with 71 yards rushing on the ground for Simsbury.
Coginchaug 41, Lewis Mills 12
BRISTOL, Oct. 8 – Hosting its first-ever night game, Lewis Mills QB Zane Milbourn completed 10-of-20 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns but it wasn’t enough to defeat first-year team Coginchaug at Muzzy Field on Friday night, 41-12. Alec Corazzini rushed for four TDs and 104 yards for the undefeated Blue Devils (3-0) in a Pequot Conference Sassacus Division contest while QB Ryan Scherer completed 7-of-10 passes for 128 yards and 1 TD. For Mills, Devan Pease caught a 5-yard TD pass in the second quarter and teammate Nicholas Gnitzcavich caught a 65-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter.
Farmington 21, Bristol Central 12
FARMINGTON, Oct. 8 – Jordan Parkinson rushed for 125 yards and 2 TDs to lead Farmington (3-1) to a victory. QB Colan Callahan completed 7-of-12 passes for 69 yards and scored on a 48 yard run.
Enfield 47, Canton 13
ENFIELD, Oct. 8 – Canton's Sam Hartzell rushed for a career-high 168 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 74 and 20 yards but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders dominated Canton. Andrew Buanno ran for 155 yards and scored three TDs in the first quarter for Enfield while Kevin Merker scored twice in the second quarter. Enfield led 47-7 at halftime.
Even in victory, it is the effort that counts
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
AVON, Oct. 2 – A win is not just a win for the coaching staff of the Avon High football team. The Falcons improved to 2-1 on Saturday night with a 26-14 victory over Stafford/East Windsor.
It was Avon’s 28th straight win in the Pequot Conference’s Uncas Division dating back to 2006, their fifth straight win at home under the lights and 13th win in 14 games against Stafford.
But coach Brett Quinion and his coaching staff were disappointed. In the third week of the season, they expected a better performance from their players.
“We’re struggling badly,” he said. “We’re not executing well in any offensive set, running or throwing. I expected a lot more out of us.”
Against a smaller and less experienced team such as Stafford, sloppy footwork, half-hearted blocking and poor technique wasn’t too much of a problem. It will hurt them against a better team.
And there are better teams awaiting Avon, including Enfield (2-1, 2-0 Pequot Uncas), Coventry/Windham Tech (2-1, 2-0) and Gilbert/Northwestern (3-0, 2-0) in a challenging three week run at the end of the regular season.
Seniors Tyler D’Onofrio and Colin Pavano each had two touchdowns in the victory over Stafford. D’Onofrio scored on a 12-yard reception Pavano and an 80-yard interception return – the third longest interception return in school history.
All-State running back Ross McDonald played very little, gaining 10 yards on two carries. After suffering a concussion in the win over Ellington, he was cleared to play but the Falcons limited his playing time just to be safe.
Avon took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by Pavano (13 rushes, 80 yards) with 3:44 left in the first quarter and an extra point from Kevin Deming. Less than a minute later, it was 13-0 after D’Onofrio caught his fifth TD pass of the season on a 12-yard reception from Pavano. The extra point kick from Deming was no good.
Avon made it 20-0 with D’Onofrio’s 80-yard interception return and Deming’s extra point with 10:11 left in the first half.
Stafford got on the scoreboard with an nine play, 67-yard drive to open the third quarter that ended with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Tim Artuc to Martin Graham. Avon’s Tyler Arnott blocked the extra point attempt.
Avon extended its lead to 26-6 on a nine-yard from Pavano with 2:41 left in the game to cap off a 10-play, 44-yard drive.
Stafford scored again on its next offensive play as Artuc broke some half-hearted tackles to scoot around the right side for a 66-yard touchdown run down the sideline with 2:18 remaining. Artuc scored on a two-point conversion to trim the lead to 26-14.
The Falcons did have a 31-yard touchdown run by Pavano early in the fourth quarter negated due to a holding penalty.
NOTES: Avon’s Ryan Jordan intercepted two Artuc passes in the second half. … D’Onofrio’s interception return for a TD was the third longest in school history. The record is 97 yards, set in 1997 by Matt Keefe against Stafford. Avon’s Walt Moore had 95-yard interception return for a TD in 1962 against Wilton.
Simsbury takes charge to beat NHS
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
SIMSBURY, Sept. 24 – The uniforms are the same. The coaches are the same. And All-Star quarterback Kyle Decker is back under center for the Simsbury High football team after leading the Trojans to a share of the CCC Division I championship a year ago and the Class L semifinals.
But that is about it for returning players on the Trojan football team. Another two starters are back but the rest are starting on the varsity for the first time, including seven sophomores.
That youth was exposed in a 42-6 loss to Windsor on opening night. “We had so many mistakes to correct after the Windsor game,” Simsbury coach Jeff Osborne said. “We spent the next week just correcting mistakes.”
On Friday night, Simsbury showed poise and maturity with a strong second half effort to come from behind and beat Newington, 22-19. In the second half, Decker scored a pair of touchdowns and ran for 154 of his career-high 209 yards.
“The offensive line did a great job,” Decker said. “We were 1,000 times better than against Windsor. I gave to give it out to Chris Henry, my left guard. He was my horse today. He’s the guy I really relied on, going behind him. He played big.”
Simsbury’s defense also rose to the occasion. In the first half, the Trojans were able to pressure Newington’s junior quarterback Jon Snyder, who was able to scramble away for 72 yards on 10 carries. But Simsbury sharpened its play in the second half, limiting Snyder to just 12 yards on six carries.
“Our defensive line did a good job of getting pressure on him,” Decker said. “We have a good core of linebackers with (Josh) Gowdy and (Dylan) Sullivan in the middle and Omari (Archer), who flies all over the field.”
Trailing 12-7 at halftime, Simsbury marched 60 yards on 10 plays on its second drive to take a 15-12 lead. Gowdy picked up 24 yards on a key third down to keep the drive alive and Decker scored from the five on fourth and goal. Decker’s two-point conversion run extended the lead to three points.
Two plays later, Simsbury recovered a Newington fumble on its own 19-yard line after a poor handoff. Mistakes crippled Newington, which had a whopping 10 penalties for 70 yards and allowed Snyder to be sacked four times.
On third and six, Decker scrambled nine yards for the first down. He scored on the next play from six yards out for a 22-12 lead with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Simsbury seemed to have the game in its control. With about five minutes left, Simsbury’s Austin O’Seep and Stephon King had back-to-back sacks of Snyder for a combined loss of 19 yards. Simsbury got the ball back and Decker rambled 48 yards to the two-yard line.
Two plays later, Decker tried to score from the one but the ball was popped out of his hands and flew into the end zone. Newington’s Jeremy Rodriguez scooped the ball in the end zone and raced down the right sideline for a 103-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:16 remaining. The extra point was good, cutting the Simsbury lead to three, 22-19.
Simsbury came inches short of getting a first down with 1:05 left that would have clinched the game but they had to punt. Newington drove to the Simsbury 33 but ran out of time. Snyder completed 13-of-25 passes for 117 yards, including a 27-yard pass to Rodriguez that put Newington into Simsbury territory.
Trailing 6-0, Simsbury rallied to take the lead in the waning seconds of the first quarter. Decker made a nice fake inside and broke free for a 39-yard gain to the Newington 35-yard line. There, he lofted a 21-yard touchdown pass to Omari Archer with five seconds left in the quarter. Andrew Melanson kicked the extra point for a 7-6 lead.
Newington regained the lead after a 63-yard, 11-play drive that ate up nearly the final 3:29 of the second quarter. Snyder completed a three-yard pass to Freddy Burgos with 19 seconds left to give the Indians a 12-6 lead. The two-point conversion run failed. Snyder completed 4 of 6 passes on the drive for 46 yards.
“We didn’t make too many changes at halftime,” Simsbury coach Jeff Osborne said. “Just wrap up better and contain the quarterback.”
TITLES: A new championship banner that includes Simsbury’s 2009 Central Connecticut Conference Division I title was raised before the game. As part of that ceremony, former Simsbury High coaches Rollie Morrison (1958-76) and Joe Grace (1990-2006) were introduced to the crowd. Both men won over 100 career games with Simsbury.
Farmington doesn't panic, wins with FG
in final minute
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
FARMINGTON, Sept. 17 – It was a matter of trust. And the growing faith that the Farmington High football team is gaining in each other led the Indians to a thrilling 23-20 season opening victory over East Hartford last week.
After letting a 20-point lead slip away, the Indians didn’t panic and continue to make plays. Eric Meier’s interception and ensuing 60-yard return with 3:01 remaining in a tie game put Farmington in position to win.
Three plays later, senior Mitchell Lewis hit a 30-yard field goal with 1:32 remaining for the game-winning points – the first game-winning field goal at Farmington in 12 years since Mike Bernabucci hit a 24-yarder with 26 seconds remaining to beat Berlin in 1998.
“Last year, we talked a lot about guys just being in position,” Farmington’s second-year coach Chris Machol said. “We had the athletes. We had the talent. But we didn’t have the trust that the guy next to you was going to do his job.
“If everyone does their job and is in the right position, we’ll make some plays,” he said. “And we have the athletes that can do it. Tonight, for the most part, we were in positions and made plays.”
A year ago, Farmington was 3-7. Now, they are 1-0 with its first-ever victory over East Hartford in three tries.
Against the visiting Hornets, Farmington had five interceptions and another that was negated by a penalty. The Indians also recovered a East Hartford fumble. Sean Fern picked off three passes.
“We talked about never leaving your head down and always staying positive,” said Farmington running back and linebacker Jourdan Parkinson, who led the Indians in rushing with 101 yards on 24 carries and had a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Farmington had control for much of the game. They took a 7-0 lead thanks to an 18-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 7:48 in the second quarter. Quarterback Colan Callahan scored from the one. In the third quarter, Parkinson had his 45-yard interception return and scored on a two-yard run with 43 seconds left in the quarter for a 20-0 lead. It looked like the game was over.
But East Hartford rallied with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Kristofer Williams down the far sideline from quarterback Jose Arriaga (8-20-5, 188). On its next drive, Farmington gambled on fourth down and one from its own 41. Callahan’s sneak was short and three plays later, Arriaga found Newman Davis with a 26-yard touchdown pass with 9:43 remaining in the game to cut the lead to 20-13. Farmington’s Mitchell Berlandy came up with a key block of the extra point.
Two big running plays from Arriaga helped East Hartford’s tie the game at 20-20 with 8:03 remaining. He scored on a 25-yard scramble. And on the kickoff, East Hartford’s DeQuan Cooper knocked the ball out of the hands of the Farmington kick returner giving East Hartford the ball on the Farmington 24.
But the Indians stiffened. The two teams traded fumble recoveries before Meier’s key interception with 3:01 remaining.
“We have that mindset,” Parkinson said. “Never hang your heads and always look for that big play. Always look for that extra inch, that first down. Just keep playing.”
“Congratulations to our seniors for their leadership,” Machol said. “It’s not easy to let a team comeback. But we came back with plays on them. It’s a brand new era of Farmington football.”
