Pequot Conference coaches
select league All-Star teams
The 2011 Pequot Conference All-Star teams, as voted by the league coaches, have been announced. Twenty-four players were named to the All-Pequot Uncas Division and Sassacus Division squads.
Championship weekend
At Rentschler Field, East Hartford
Friday, Dec. 9
Class S final: Holy Cross 34, Cromwell 27: Dave DiGiorgi ran 30 times for 314 yards with four touchdowns and teammate Ryan Byrne had an interception at his team's goal line in the closing seconds to lead No. 2 Holy Cross before 2,318 at Rentschler Field. It is the second title in program history for the Crusaders (12-2). Anthony Morales completed 14 of 25 passes for 323 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Panthers (10-3). He also set the state single-season passing records for both yardage (3,688) and touchdowns (43).
The score was tied 27-all when Holy Cross quarterback Zach Brown ran for a 23-yard touchdown with three minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the game. Holy Cross had the ball at the Panthers' 2-yard line with two minutes left, but fumbled it away. Morales drove the Panthers down to the Crusaders' 24 before a tipped pass was intercepted by Byrne. Derrick Villard ran 28 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns for Cromwell. Mike Antonio added four catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Saturday, Dec. 10
Class M final: Ansonia 38, Ledyard 0
Class L final: Hand 27, New Canaan 10
Class LL final: Xavier 42, Staples 7
CIAC semifinal Saturday
Holy Cross 23, Valley Regional 14: Kyle Broderick hit a 20-yard FG with 22 seconds left to snap a 14-14 tie and lift the Crusaders into the Class S championship game Saturday at Falcon Field in Meriden. Holy Cross (11-2) added a 30-yard interception return for a TD on the final play of the game. Valley QB Jimmy Fairfield Sonn (7-55 rushing) ran for a 7-yard TD on Valley’s opening drive of the game. He also had a 2-yard TD run later in the first quarter. Dave DiGiorgi (18-185) scored a TD for Cross.
Cromwell 35, Northwest Catholic 19: The Panthers erased a 13-point lead and outlasted Northwest Catholic to earn a spot in the Class S final for the fifth time. Cromwell (10-2) scored 21 points in the final 5:56 of the second quarter with a pair of TD runs from Derek Villard (72, 1 yards). Villard ran for 155 yards in the game. QB Anthony Morales completed 16-of-24 passes for 304 yards and 3 TDs.
CIAC quarterfinal Tuesday
Cromwell rallies to eliminate Capital Prep
HARTFORD, Nov. 29 – Cromwell intercepted two passes and scored 21 points in the third period to pull away from pesky Capital Prep/Hartford Classical Tuesday night to earn a 23-14 victory in the Class S quarterfinals at Dillon Stadium. Cromwell’s Brett Director intercepted two passes in the game, including a 50-yard interception return for a TD in the third quarter.
In the first half, top-seeded Capital Prep (10-1) had five sacks and tackled Cromwell QB Anthony Morales twice for a loss to grab an 8-0 lead. “They were sending too many players for us to handle,” Cromwell coach Chris Eckert said. “Once we were able to settle down and make some adjustments, we were OK.”
Capital took a 6-0 lead on a 61-yard touchdown pass to Nick Sherman off a simple screen pass. The Trailblazers added two points with a safety when a Cromwell punt sailed over the punter’s head and through the end zone.
No. 8 Cromwell (9-2) intercepted Capital QB Antwan Boyd on the second play of the third quarter. Then, the Panthers rode the running of Derrick Villard, who ran for 155 of his game-high 200 yards in the second half. A 31-yard run by Villard set up a 8-yard TD pass from Morales to Ricky Feggins. Villard added a 58-yard TD run, too.
The Panthers advance to the Class S semifinals where they will face No. 5 Northwest Catholic on Saturday.
Cromwell 23, Capital Prep/Classical 14
At Hartford
Cromwell 23, Capital Prep/Hartford Classical 14
No. 5 Northwest Catholic 22, North Branford 19: QB Tyler Calitri threw two first-half touchdown passes of 43 and 45 yards to Jalen Lollar, and Anthony Charles ran for a 72-yard score to lead No. 5 Northwest Catholic over No. 4 North Branford.
Holy Cross 42, Haddam-Killingworth 14: Dave DiGiori ran for 115 yards and 2 TDs on 14 carries to lead No. 2 Holy Cross (10-2) over No. 7 Haddam Killingworth
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 14, Rocky Hill 12: QB Jimmy Fairfield Sonn threw a 5-yard TD pass in the second quarter and ran for a 44-yard TD on a draw play to lead the No. 3 Warriors (10-1) past run-oriented Rocky Hill. Valley intercepted a pass in the final minute to secrure the win.
Semifinals, Saturday, Dec. 3
Cromwell vs. Northwest Catholic; Holy Cross vs. Valley Regional ; Final: Dec. 2-3
Wolcott High 32, Ellington/Somers 26, OT: No. 7 Wolcott High scored with 1:10 left in regulation to force overtime where Wolcott QB Mike Nicol found Chad Acevedo for a 12-yard TD pass to lead the Eagles. No. 2 Ellington, which had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, saw its 15-game winning streak ended.
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Hand 35, Coventry/Windham Tech 12: Henry Foye threw a pair of TD passes and No. 2 Hand (11-0) allowed just one Patriot first down in the first two quarters to grab a 35-0 halftime lead.
Pequot teams qualify for playoffs
Six Pequot Conference teams qualified for the CIAC tournaments, including four in Class S. Undefeated Uncas Division champion Ellington/Somers (10-0) earned its first-ever playoff berth with a 27-14 win over Coventry/Windham Tech on Thanksgiving. The Knights will host Wolcott High on Tuesday night in the Class M quarterfinals. Coventry/WT (9-1) is making its third CIAC appearance and is the No. 7 seed in Class L. The Patriots will challenge undefeated Hand.
Four teams qualified in Class S including Sassacus champion Valley Regional/Old Lyme (9-1) for the second straight year. North Branford, Haddam-Killingworth and Cromwell also qualified. Cromwell is making its seventh CIAC tournament apperance in the last nine years. North Branford last qualified in 2008 while H-K is back in the playoffs for the first time since 1994.
Week 11
Thursday, Nov. 24
Granby 27, Canton 12: Junior co-captain Stephen Blake rushed for 88 yards and 2 TDs to lead Granby (2-8) to its second-ever win. Coach Paul Schmutz announced his retirement after 36 years of coaching, the last four at Granby.
Lewis Mills 26, Nonnewaug 7: QB Devin Pease threw two TD passes and ran for a third to lead Mills (2-8) to a Thanksgiving Day win over the winless Chiefs (0-10). Pease completed 8-of-16 passes for 180 yards
Gilbert/NWR 43, Housatonic 14: Devon Molway ran for 255 yards and 3 TDs, including a 95-yard TD run to lead the Yellowjackets (7-3) in the annual Berkshire Bowl. He finished the year with 1,425 yards and 19 TDs.
Ellington/Somers 27, Coventry/Windham Tech 14: The Purple Knights scored 21 unanswered points to top the Patriots and win its first-ever Pequot Uncas championship. QB Bryan Rider ran for 180 yards and 2 TDs on 25 carries as Ellington (10-0) ran for 161 yards and 2 TDs in the second half. Coventry led 14-13 at halftime.
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Haddam-Killingworth 6, Valley Regional/OL 0: The Cougars blocked a FG and stopped three Warrior drives deep in their territory to stun Valley Regional (9-1) and qualify for the Class S tournament. H-K (8-2) scored with about 3 minutes left.
Stafford/East Windsor 44, WIndsor Locks/Suff/EG 0: The Bulldogs blanked Windsor Locks to end the season at 5-5. Stafford's TIm Artruc ran for a game-high 159 yards and 4 TDs.
North Branford 34, Hyde 13: QB Brandon Basil threw 3 TD passes while the Thunderbirds recovered a blocked punt in the end zone and ran back an interception for a TD to earn the win. After Hyde pulled within a point in the second quarter, the T-Birds scored 20 unanswered points. North Branford (9-1) and Valley finished tied in the Sassacus Division but Valley gets the championship thanks to its 48-47 victory in week 1.
Cromwell 50, Coginchaug 26: Cromwell QB Anthony Morales throws 4 TDs to lead the Panthers (8-2). Morales has thrown 36 TD passes this season.
Old Saybrook/Westbrook 16, Morgan 14: An interception by Andy Deantonis followed by a seven-play, 30-yard scoring drive helped the Rams (5-5) clinch their non-losing season since 2003. Jailan Swain’s 12-yard run but the Rams ahead for good.
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Enfield 32, SMSA/University 26: Enfield QB Tony Romano threw 3 TDs passes to Hugh Lindo as the Raiders (6-4) used a third quarter rally to snap the Tigerhawks' four-game winning streak. Anthony Trotta hit 2 FG for Enfield.
Final week has playoff implications
With the final week of the regular season beginning Tuesday, three Pequot Conference teams have clinched playoff berths with five teams harboring hopes for post-season berths. The game to decide the Pequot Uncas Division title between undefeated Ellington/Somers (9-0) and Coventry/Windham Tech (9-0) on Thanksgiving morning in Coventry has playoff implications. Ellington has already qualified in Class M but Coventry is the No. 3 seed in Class L and will likely be eliminated with a loss.
In Class M, Gilbert (6-3) is hoping for a return trip to the Class M playoffs but they are seeded 10th. They will need to beat Housatonic and hope that two of the following three teams (Waterford, Stonington and Bethel) lose.
In Class S, Valley Regional/Old Lyme and North Branford have clinched playoff berths. Cromwell and Haddam-Killingworth can clinch berths with victories. Cromwell faces Coginchaug on Thanksgiving while H-K faces Valley Regional on Wednesday night. Losses will likely eliminate Cromwell and H-K.
Week 10
Thursday, Nov. 17
Sport Medicine Science Academy/University 36, Canton 8: The Tigerhawks (4-5) scored on their first four possessions of the second half to earn the win and tie a school record with its fourth straight win. Rashod Cauley caught a six passes for 169 yards and two TDs. Kayron Macon ran for a pair of touchdowns and a season-high 108 yards on 11 carries.
Friday, Nov. 18
North Branford 58, Lewis Mills 20: Brandon Basil threw 3 TD passes to lead the Thunderbirds to the win. Dale Hausman and Joe DeLucia each scored 2 TDs.
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 41, East Hampton/Vinal Tech 12: QB Jimmy Fairfield Sonn ran for 72 yards and 2 TDs while completing 8-of-13 passes for 192 yards and 4 TDs to lead the undefeated Warriors to their second straight Sassacus Division championship. Chris Jean Pierre (3-114) caught 3 TD passes.
Stafford/East Windsor 22, Gilbert/NW Regional 21: The Bulldogs scored 22 unanswered points including a 55-yard TD pass to Zach Rollins from Tim Ford with 2:21 remaining to stun Gilbert and likely knock the Yellowjackets out of playoff contention. Rollins two-point conversion run was the difference. Gilbert's John Ambrozaitis intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back 100 yards for a TD.
Saturday, Nov. 19
Haddam-Killingworth 48, Old Saybrook/Westbrook 6 : Dan German scored 4 TDs and ran for 208 yards on 14 carries to lead the Cougars (7-2).
Hyde 33, Nonnewaug 0
Coginchaug 32, Morgan 0: QB Tyler Meeker threw 2 TD passes and completed 13-of-19 passes for 188 yards to lead the Blue Devils. Ethan Donecker (7-109) caught 2 TD passes.
Ellington/Somers 28, Housatonic/Wamogo 6 : Bryan Ryder threw 3 TD passes to lead Ellington while Mitch DiResta intercepted a pair of passes.
Coventry/Windham Tech 37, Granby 14: The Patriots remained undefeated as QB Mike Fahey threw 2 TD passes and completed 5-of-6 passes for 142 yards. Alex Amarante scored 2 TDs, including a 95-yard run.
Ellington earns first playoff berth
ENFIELD, Nov. 14 -- The Purple Knights clinched a spot in the CIAC Class M tournament Monday night with a 14-5 win over Avon, eliminating the Falcons from playoff contention.
Valley Regional clinches playoff berth
CHESHIRE, Nov. 12 -- With its thrilling 24-21 win over Cromwell on Saturday, Valley Regional/Old Lyme has unofficially clinched a berth in the CIAC Class S tournament for the second straight year. The Warriors are the only Pequot Conference team with a ticket to the post-season although several are close. In Class S, North Branford (4), Cromwell (6) and Haddam-Killingworth (8) are all ranked in the top eight. In Class M, Ellington/Somers (2) and Gilbert/Northwestern (8) are vying for playoff berths along Coventry/Windham Tech (3) in Class L. Avon remains mathematically alive in Class L at No. 14.
Week 9
Monday, Nov. 14
Ellington/Somers 14, Avon 5: The Knights beat Avon for the first time ever by prevailing in a defensive battle. Bryan Rider’s two-yard TD run with 5:20 remaining in the game extended the Ellington lead to nine points. The win clinches a playoff berth for Ellington.
Coventry/Windham Tech 36, Enfield 28: Michael Fahey rushed for 3 TDs touchdowns and Kyle Wing rushed for 102 yards to lead the undefeated Patriots (8-0). A Fahey TD in the fourth quarter put the Pats up seven.
Friday, Nov. 11
East Hampton/Vinal Tech 21, Morgan 14: The Bellhawks stopped Morgan from scoring inside its 10-yard line four times in six opportunities to earn a 21-14 victory at Palmer Field Friday night. Macklin O’Connor ran for 109 yards on nine carries for the Hawks. Morgan had 333 yards of total offense compared to 218 for East Hampton. Ryan Gillespie ran for 2 TDs for the Hawks while Steven Hall had a 58-yard interception return to build a 21-6 halftime lead.
Saturday, Nov. 12
Haddam-Killingworth 36, Coginchaug 20: The Cougars won their fifth straight game by rallying to beat Coginchaug, which has lost three in a row. Trailing by six, Dan German (27-176) scored from the 13 late in the third quarter to give HK a lead it wouldn’t give up. HK ran for 284 yards and had 98 yards of passing from Alex DiMauro-D’Amico.
North Branford 45, Nonnewaug 0: The Thunderbirds won their seventh game by blanking the Chiefs.
Old Saybrook/Westbrook 35, Lewis Mills 6: The Rams limited Mills to six points to earn their fourth win.
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 24, Cromwell 21: QB Jimmy Fairfield Sonn ran for 180 yards and 3 TDs to lead the undefeated Warriors past Cromwell in a thriller at Pierson Park in Cromwell. Two Fairfield Sonn TDs gave Valley an early14-0 lead but the Panthers tied it halftime. Valley extended its lead to 10 on a 22-yard FG from Ricky Harrison and a Fairfield Sonn run. Cromwell cut the lead to three when Mike Antonio caught a 8-yard TD pass from QB Anthony Morales (11-19, 210 yards) with 3:10 left. After recovering an onside kick, the Panthers drove to the Valley 8 but missed a 25-yard FG with 54 seconds to go.
Gilbert/NW Regional 43, Windsor Locks 0: Devon Molway ran for 170 yards and 3 TDs on 10 carries to keep the Yellowjackets (6-2) in CIAC playoff contention. John Ambrozaitis stripped a Windsor Locks runner of the ball and ran 35 yards for a TD. Thomas Casey also scored on an 80-yard TD pass from John Lippincott.
SMSA/University 16, Housatonic/Wamogo 8: The Tigerhawks topped Housatonic for its third straight win.
Stafford/East Windsor 44, Granby 8: Zach Rollins ran for 3 TDs and 124 yards on 11 carries to lead Stafford to its third win. Tim Artuc added 2 TDs and 166 yards on 13 carries.
Granby forfeiting game to Gilbert
WINSTED, Nov. 9 – Granby will be forfeiting its game with Gilbert/Northwestern, originally scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5. School has been closed in Granby since the Oct. 29 snowstorm cut power to nearly every resident in Granby. School re-opened on Wednesday, Nov. 9 with no school there was no practice for the Bears. Granby coach Paul Schmutz said the safety of his players is his first priority and it would unsafe to go out and play football after 10 days without practice. Gilbert and Granby will play their regularly scheduled games on Saturday.
Week 8
Friday, Nov. 4
North Branford 19, Coginchaug 16: Joe DeLucia caught a 7-yard TD pass from QB Brandon Basil with 2:02 remaining to lift the Thunderbirds to the win. Basil completed 20-of-35 passes for 333 yards and 2 TDs.
Saturday, Nov. 5
Cromwell 40, Old Saybrook/Westbrook 0: Cromwell QB Anthony Morales threw 5 TD passes and completed 10 of 13 passes for 171 yards to lead the Panthers (7-1). Cromwell held OS to four yards in the first half. Derek Villard rushed for 205 yards and 1 TD for Cromwell.
Hyde 32, East Hampton/Vinal Tech 6: Akeem Berry (13-81) scored a TD and had nine tackles and two sacks to lead Hyde.
Monday, November 7
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 48, Lewis Mills 0: QB Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn completed 9-of-11 passes for 143 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Warriors. He had four carries for 79 yards and 2 TDs and also intercepted a pass.
Morgan 19, Nonnewaug 0 : The Huskies earned their first win of the season with a shutout win.
Coventry/Windham Tech 33, Housatonic/Wamogo 12: Alex Amarante ran for 119 yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries to lead the undefeated Patriots (7-0). Mike Fahey ran for 97 yards and 3 TDs on 10 carries.
Tuesday, Nov. 8
Stafford/East Windsor 40, Canton 8: Stafford scored touchdowns on an run (81, 7, 15 yards), pass interception (55) and punt return (73) in an easy win over Canton.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
Gilbert/Northwestern def. Granby, forfeit: Unable to practice once since the Oct. 29 snowstorm and lengthy power outage that cut power to nearly all of Granby, the Bears decided to forfeit out of concern for the safety of its players.
Thursday, Nov. 10
Avon 20, Enfield 7: Colin Moore scored 3 TDs and ran for 269 yards on 41 carries to lead the Falcons at Enfield on Thursday night. Moore set a new single season record with five games over 200 yards and is less than 100 yards away from the single season record for rushing yards.
Week 7
Friday, Oct. 28
Haddam-Killingworth 40, Morgan 6
North Branford 41, Cromwell 33
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 32, Coginchaug 0
Ellington/Somers 28, Enfield 7
Saturday, Oct. 29
East Hampton/Vinal Tech 13, Lewis Mills 12
Old Saybrook/Westbrook 26, Hyde Leadership 6
SMSA/University 42, Granby 15: Kiante Macon runs back two interceptions for TDs as the Tigerhawks win their second straight game. QB Wilfredo Alicea throws 2 TD passes.
Coventry/Windham Tech 48, Windsor Locks/Suff/EG 8
Two crucial Sassacus games on Friday
Two crucial Sassacus Division contests are set for Friday night. Undefeated Cromwell (6-0) visits North Branford (4-1) while Coginchaug (5-0) travels to Deep River to take on undefeated Valley Regional/Old Lyme (5-0). … The big game in the Uncas Division looks like it may take place on Thanksgiving morning. Ellington/Somers (6-0) and Coventry/Windham Tech (5-0) both remained undefeated this past weekend. On Thanksgiving, Ellington will be at Coventry.
Week 6
Saturday, Oct. 22
Haddam-Killingworth 41, Nonnewaug 6 Dan German scored 4 TDs and ran for 231 yards on 20 carries to lead the Cougars (4-2).
Coginchaug 35, Old Saybrook/Westbrook 6 : Tyler Dougherty ran for a pair of first quarter TDs and while Ethan Donecker caught a 30-yard TD pass and returned an interception 34 yards for a TD to lead the undefeated Blue Devils (5-0).
Hyde 55, Lewis Mills 12: Kevin Jones threw a 33-yard TD pass to Elijah Nixon and ran for a pair of TDs to lead the Howling Wolves (2-4). Devin Pease threw 2 TD passes for Mills (1-5).
Ellington/Somers 34, Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby 6 : Mitch DiRista ran for 2 TDs and 222 yards on 25 carries to lead the undefeated Knights (6-0). The Knights led 13-6 at halftime but an 85-yard TD run in the third quarter from DiRista gave the Knights some breathing room,
Avon 39, Granby 0: Junior back Colin Moore ran for 228 yards and 4 TDs on 22 carries to lead Avon. Moore also threw a 5-yard TD pass to Chris Suttmeier.
Friday, Oct. 21
Cromwell 61, Morgan 16: Cromwell QB Anthony Morales threw 5 TD passes as the Panthers rolled past winless Morgan. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 218 yards in the first half. Brett Director (4-55) caught 2 TD passes. Morgan scoring a TD on the final play cut the lead to 45 points, avoiding a potential one-game suspension for Cromwell coach Chris Eckert for violation of the CIAC sportsmanship policy that doesn’t allow schools to win by more than 50 points.
Stafford/East Windsor 32, SMSA/University 22: Tim Artruc ran for 2 TDs and 174 yards on 18 carries to lead Stafford/East Windsor to its first win. He also added 18 tackles and a sack for Stafford (1-5).
Enfield 27, Housatonic/Wamogo 20: Enfield’s Lukasz Kluk intercepted Housatonic’s Jake Sutterlin with 6:14 remaining and then Enfield QB Tony Romano avoided a sack and threw a 50-yard scoring pass to Hugh Lindo with 5:22 left to lift the Raiders to a 27-20 victory. Avery Boissy ran for 206 yards and 3 TDs for Enfield (5-1). It was the first loss for Housy (4-1).
North Branford 40, East Hampton/Vinal Tech 0: Brandon Basil (16-of-26, 235 yards) threw 5 TD passes including two to Cory Onofrio (5, 9 yards) to lead the Thunderbirds. Joe DeLucia also scored on a 98-yard TD run and kicked two extra points.
Coventry/Windham Tech 48, Canton 21: Jeremy Weeks returned two interceptions for touchdowns to lead undefeated Coventry/Windham Tech. Weeks scored the games first TD on a 21-yard interception return with only nine seconds gone in the game and had a 48-yard interception return in the second quarter. He had three interceptions in the game.
Week 5
Saturday, Oct. 15
Gilbert/NWR 20, Avon 10: Sophomore Tony Ortiz scored a pair of touchdowns and Devon Molway had a 55-yard TD run with 2:24 remaining in the game to lift the Yellowjackets. Gilbert held Avon’s all-purpose star Colin Moore to a game-high 163 yards and 1 TD on 33 carries. His teammates managed an additional 28 yards of offense. Molway ran for 140 yards on 16 carries while Ortiz ran for 83 yards on 6 carries and caught a 33-yard TD pass. Gilbert had 4 interceptions.
Enfield 34, Canton 0: QB Tony Romano threw three 3 TD passes, including two to Hugh Lindo, as Enfield improved to 4-1. Romano completed 12-of-19 passes for 193 yards while teammate Avery Boissy ran for 118 yards and 2 TDs.
Coventry/Windham Tech 37, SMSA/University 14: Michael Fahey ran for 3 TDs to lead the undefeated Patriots (4-0) at Dillon Stadium Saturday night. Rashod Cauley caught a pair of TD passes from Wilfredo Alicea for SMSA.
North Branford 39, Old Saybrook/Westbrook 0: Brandon Basil threw 3 TD passes and ran for another to lead the Thunderbirds.
Cromwell 49, Nonnewaug 0: Derek Villard (7-138) ran for 3 TDs as the Panthers remained undefeated (5-0). QB Anthony Morales completed 13-of-17 passes for 289 yards and 3 TDs, including a pair of TD passes to Ricky Feggins (4-85). Cromwell’s Peter Bennett was outstanding with 7 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 41, Hyde 7: QB Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ran for 74 yards and 3 TDs on 18 carries to lead undefeated Warriors. He also completed 11-of-14 passes for 137 yards and 1 TD.
Housatonic/Wamogo 39, Granby 8: Jake Sutterlin ran for 4 TDs and 228 yards on 26 carries as the Mountaineers improved to 4-0 – its best start since going 10-0 in 1990. Housatonic ran for over 350 yards.
Ellington/Somers 10, Stafford/East Windsor 8: In Stafford, Ellington’s Mitch Cobb hit a 28 FG with 50 seconds left to keep Ellington undefeated at 5-0 on Saturday night. The visiting Knights converted on a fourth and 25 to keep its game-winning drive alive.
Monday, Oct. 17
Haddam-Killingworth 48, Lewis Mills 6: Dan German ran for 4 TDs and 308 yards to lead the Cougars (3-2) at Middletown High on Monday night. HK ran for 432 yards, including 262 in the first half. Andrew Vollaro had a 46-yard interception return for a TD while Tyler Genovesio had 2 interceptions. Mills scored on a 61-yard TD reception by Bob Martinotti (8-154) from QB Devin Pease (14-of-28, 222 yards).
Week 4
Saturday, Oct. 8
Gilbert/NW Regional 40, SMSA/University 20: Despite four turnovers, the Yellowjackets scored 4 unanswered TDs in the second half to pull away Saturday night at Dillon Stadium in Hartford. Gilbert's Devon Molway ran for a game-high 183 yards and scored 2 TDs. Tony Ortiz scored 3 TDs, recovered a fumble and intercepted two passes, including returning one for a 60-yard TD. Gilbert improves to 2-2.
Coginchaug 48, Lewis Mills 15: Zev Kartiganer ran for 94 yards and 3 TDs on seven carries while teammate Sean Harper ran for a game-high 116 yards and a TD to lead undefeated Coginchaug to a win at Muzzy Field in Bristol. Alec Corazzini also had a 55-yard interception return for a TD. Ethan Donecker caught a pair of TD passes for Coginchaug.
Ellington/Somers 48, Granby 0: Mitch DiResta had 3 interceptions and QB Bryan Rider (6-of-12, 150 yards) threw a pair of TD passes to lead the Knights.
Friday, Oct. 7
Coventry/Windham Tech 41, Stafford/East Windsor 8: Mike Fahey and Alex Amarante has interception returns of 77 and 40 yards, respectively, as the Patriots pulled away in the second half. Coventry led by six at halftime but scored 28 unanswered points in the second half. Fahey also ran for 2 TDs and 106 yards on 16 carries.
Thursday, Oct. 6
Avon 31, Canton 0: Colin Moore scored 3 TDs and 24 points as Avon scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to beat a pesky Canton squad. Moore is 11 yards short of 1,000 yards rushing for the season after four games.
Cromwell 55, Hyde 20: QB Anthony Morales threw 7 TD passes and completed 16-of-22 passes for 402 yards to lead the undefeated Panthers on Thursday night. Mike Antonio (7-180) and Brett Director (5-142) each caught 3 TD passes. Cromwell finished with 594 total yards. Mike Sullivan had four sacks for Cromwell.
Valley Regional/OL 41, Morgan 0: QB Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn and Jordan Saintil combined to rush for 220 yards and 5 TDs as the undefeated Warriors rolled to an easy win in Clinton and their second straight shutout. Fairfield-Sonn completed 4-of-9 passes for 52 yards including a 29-yard TD pass to Peter Barry. He ran for 114 yards on 8 carries. Sanintil ran for 3 TDs.
Old Saybrook/Westbrook 34, Nonnewaug 18
Enfield 43, Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby 6: QB Tony Romano threw 4 TD passes, three to Hugh Lindo, as Enfield rolled to the win. Romano completed 13-of-19 passes for 226 yards. Lindo caught six passes for 157 yards including TD receptions of 18, 28 and 37 yards. Avery Boissy (17-95 rushing) played well for Enfield. Tristan Cauley led Locks with 65 yards on 13 carries.
Bayer has a single wing library in his basement
FALLS VILLAGE, Oct. 5 -- If Housatonic coach Deron Bayer needs to develop a new wrinkle for his single wing offense or to prepare for an opponent, he heads to the bunker -- a room in his basement with over 400 crates of single wing information and technique. It has helped the Mountaineers to a 3-0 start -- its best since 1994.
Week 3
Saturday, Oct. 1
Avon 36, SMSA/University 6: Avon QB Colin Moore threw a pair of touchdown passes, ran for two TDs and returned an interception for another TD as the Falcons beat Sport Medicine Science Academy/University, 36-6.
Housatonic/Wamogo 36, Canton 20: The Mountaineers (3-0) are off to their best start since 1994. Jeremy Stiewing scored on a 60-yard TD reception from Jake Sutterlin in the second quarter and a 30-yard TD reception from Will Perotti in the fourth quarter for Housy. The Mountaineers led 16-0 after one quarter and 30-6 at halftime.
Granby 13, Windsor Locks/Suffield/EG 12: Granby (1-1) held onto win its first varsity football game with a goal line stand late in the fourth quarter. The Bears forced four fumbles and received a key extra point kick from Evan Downey in the second quarter. Tristian Cauley ran for 165 yards and 2 TDs for Locks. Granby's Ben Marlor caught a 25-yard TD pass from Zack Balboni in the second quarter and scored the game-winning 5-yard TD in the third. The game was played under the lights at Suffield High.
Ellington/Somers 35, Gilbert/NW Regional 0: Jake Schneider scored two touchdowns and Ellington/Somers forced seven Gilbert turnovers (six fumbles, one interception) to blank the Yellowjackets, 35-0 on a wet, muddy field in Ellington. Gilbert gained just 54 yards of offense. Ellington had 11 fumbles but lost just three of them. FB Mitch DiResta led the Knights with 180 yards and a TD on 18 carries.
Enfield 7, Stafford/East Windsor 6: Adrian Crichton caught a 31-yard pass from Tony Romano as time expired and Anthony Trotta kicked the extra point to leader the Raiders (2-1). Romano completed 10-of-21 passes for 128 yards.
Coginchaug 14, Hyde 0: Coginchaug limited Hyde to 114 yards on offense in their shutout of the Howling Wolves and their first win over Hyde. Coginchaug sacked Hyde QBs five times and had two interceptions.
Friday, Sept. 30
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 49, Old Saybrook/Westbrook 0: Valley QB Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn had another outstanding night to lead the undefeated Warriors (3-0). He threw a pair of TD passes, ran for 120 yards and 3 TDs and had an interception. Fairfield-Sonn completed 7-of-10 passes for 83 yards and 2 TDs. Jordan Santil blocked a punt for Valley, which held Old Saybrook (1-1) to 76 yards of total offense.
Cromwell 42, Haddam Killingworth 20: Cromwell’s Derek Villard scored 4 TDs and ran for 167 yards on 24 carries to lead the undefeated Panthers (3-0). The game was closer than the final score. Trailing by one, 21-20, Haddam-Killingworth’s Nate Cruz rambled 60 yards to the Cromwell two but he fumbled and lost the ball. The Panthers responded with a 98 yard touchdown drive with QB Anthony Morales firing a 24-yard TD pass to Rick Feggins. Morales completed 10-of-20 passes for 184 yards and 2 TDs. H-K’s Dan German (19-132) had a touchdown for the Cougars.
North Branford 55, Morgan 12: Joe DeLucia scored 3 TDs in the first half as the Thunderbirds built a 41-6 halftime lead and cruised to the win in Clinton. DeLucia (121 yards rushing) scored on runs of 78 and 10 yards and on a 22-yard reception from QB Brandon Basil. Dale Hausman also scored 3 TDs on runs of 3 and 1 yard and a 43 reception from Basil, who threw 3 TD passes and 173 yards.
Week 2
Friday, Sept. 23
North Branford 18, Haddam Killingworth 7: Joe Deluca caught a pair of TD passes and ran for a third as the Thunderbirds (1-1) shutdown the Cougars (1-1). H-K’s Dan German led all rushers with 218 yards on 18 carries, including a 29-yard TD run in the second half but it wasn’t enough.
Coventry/Windham Tech 26, Avon 21: The Patriots stopped Avon on the one-yard line as time expired to beat the Falcons for the first time since 2006. Trailing by five, Avon recovered a Coventry fumble with 2:24 remaining. Avon’s Colin Moore (33-286, 3 TDs) was stopped on the 1-yard line as time expired. For Coventry (2-0), Mike Fahey scored 2 TDs and ran for 191 yards on 13 carries. Coventry led 20-7 at halftime thanks to long TD runs of 80 and 55 yards from Mike Fahey and a 64-yard TD pass from Fahey to Jeremy Weeks.
Saturday, Sept. 24
Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby 22, Canton 20: Trayson Cauley scored 3 TDs including a 27-yard run with no time left on the clock as the Raiders rallied for their first win. Cauley scored on a 2-point conversion run with no time remaining. Canton had taken the lead with 56 seconds left on a 38-yard TD pass.
Cromwell 51, Lewis Mills 12: QB Anthony Morales threw 4 TD passes to lead Cromwell at Muzzy Field in Bristol. His longest was a 78-yard TD reception to Ryan Jarzabek to give Cromwell a 14-0 first quarter lead. Mills cut the lead to 14-6 on a 37-yard TD run from Bobby Martinotti. But Cromwell scored 37 second quarter points to ice the contest. “They owned the line of scrimmage today,” Mills coach Greg Todd told the Register Citizen “We tell our kids every day, whoever owns the line of scrimmage is going to have success, and they had success today.” Mills added a 72-yard TD reception to Martinotti from Devin Pease in the fourth quarter.
Hyde 40, Morgan 0: The Howling Wolves had little trouble with Morgan as Devan Dolphin ran for 3 TDs on runs of 1, 5 and 22 yards. Marcus Rogers had 2 rushing TDs (2, 1) while Matt Sheffield scored on a 14-yard pass from Kevin Jones.
Valley Regional 41, Nonnewaug 7: Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn rushed for 102 yards on eight carries and ran for 3 touchdowns (2, 37, 2) to lead the Warriors. Teammate Jordan Saintil (10-101) scored on an 8-yard TD run. Freshman Evan Smith had a 73 yard kickoff return for Valley and later scored on a 15-yard run.
Gilbert/Northwestern 36, Enfield 20: Devon Molway ran for 150 yards and 3 TDs to lift the Yellowjackets (1-1) to their first win of the season at Van Why Field. “Last week, we came in with our heads in the clouds,” Molway told the Register Citizen. “We thought nobody could beat us.” Gilbert limited Enfield to just 18 yards of rushing. Molway also registered a safety for Gilbert.
Housatonic/Wamogo 22, Stafford/East Windsor 15: Trailing by seven, the Bulldogs drove to the Housatonic five-yard line with under a minute to go but the Mountaineers tackled a Stafford runner for a loss as Housatonic (2-0) held on for the victory Saturday night under the lights. Jake Sutterlin ran for 2 TDs (30, 14) and a two-point conversion. Jake Foley added another 3 yard TD run.
Sunday, Sept. 25
Old Saybrook/Westbrook 37, East Hampton/Vinal Tech 15: The Rams won their season opener as Jalan Swain ran for 3 TDs (20, 56, 60 yards) and Andy Deantonis caught a pair of TD passes (65, 70) from Torin Wood.
Monday, Sept. 26
Ellington/Somers 51, SMSA/University 12: The Knights scored 36 points in the second half, fueled in part due to a blocked punt, four interceptions and one fumble recovery to break open a seven-point game at halftime.
Early-season look at the league
One writer takes a brief look at all 22 Pequot Conference teams. His early-season favorites for division titles -- Avon and Cromwell.
Future of Gilbert squad uncertain
WINSTED, Sept. 18 – The future of the Gilbert School football team beyond this season is questionable due to two factors. Popularity of the football team at its co-op partner Northwestern Regional may end the program. Regional has 31 students on the team and the CIAC limit is 32. And if that doesn’t kill it, perhaps the politicians will. Gilbert administrators are questioning if the $600 that Northwestern contributes for each player on the team is enough. Gilbert’s superintendent of schools said in August that the payment may need to be $900 per player. Gilbert doesn’t have enough players on its own to field a team. The Yellowjackets have been playing varsity football since the school was founded in 1895 although there was a 24-year period from 1910 to 1934 when they dropped the sport.
Week 1
Saturday, Sept. 17
Cromwell 40, East Hampton/Vinal Tech 24: Cromwell had 562 yards of offense but East Hampton showed they could move the ball, too, rolling up 303 yards of offense. "The surprised us with their schemes, their toughness and their tenacity," said Cromwell coach Chris Eckert told the Middletown Press. "They were relentless. We'd get up and look to be ready to put it away, but they would come back with big plays. Cromwell QB Anthony Morales was 20-of-28 for 383 yards and 4 TDs. Receiver Mike Antonio caught 8 passes for 142 yards.
Coginchaug 48, Nonnewaug 0: Zev Kartigainer ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on six carries in a home win. Coginchaug totaled 357 yards rushing behind Kartigainer and senior Alec Corazzini (8-97, 2 TDs). Coginchaug held the Chiefs, playing their first varsity game in nearly two years, to just 47 total yards.
Haddam-Killingworth 51, Hyde Leadership 30: Dan German ran for 3 TDs as H-K outscored Hyde 21-0 in the fourth quarter and scored 29 unanswered points to earn the win. Hyde QB Kevin Jones threw 2 first-half TDs to Elijan Nixon. It was H-K's first win over Hyde since 1999. Hyde has now lost 5 straight.
Enfield 40, Granby Memorial 29: Enfield QB Tony Romano completed 7-of-9 passes for 171 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Raiders past host Granby. Sean Gill (4-92) caught two touchdown passes while Tyler deMontigny (2-28) pulled in one TD reception. Granby’s James Utso had a pair of touchdown runs of 13 and 12 yards.
Lewis Mills 42, Morgan 28: Robert Martinotti scored 3 TDs on a 25-yard run, a 77-yard interception return and a 90-yard kickoff return to lead Mills at Muzzy Field. QB Devon Pease threw 3 TD passes for Mills. Martinotti's interception and kickoff returns were the first in team history.
Friday, Sept. 16
Valley Regional/Old Lyme 48, North Branford 47: Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn scored 6 TDs, including 80 kickoff return and a 30-yard interception return, as the Warriors outlasted North Branford in a shootout. Fairfield-Sonn ran for 268 yards on 37 carries. His 8 yard run with 4:43 remaining in the game capped a 13-0 run that gave Valley the lead for good. North Branford QB Brandan Basil completed 23-of-44 passes, 310 yards and 3 TDs in his first varsity start. Cory Onofrio caught six passes for 112 yards while Joe Delucia had 7 receptions for 101 yards and 2 TDs
Avon 30, Stafford/East Windsor 7: Avon junior Colin Moore ran for a career-high 237 yards and two TDs on 28 carries. He also threw a 35-yard TD pass to Will DiStefano and ran in three two-point conversions. Mitch Gauthier also had a 68-yard kickoff return for Avon.
Coventry/Windham Tech 28, Gilbert/NW Regional 0: Coventry/WT forced seven turnovers, including six fumbles, as they shutout the Yellowjackets, 28-0 under portable lights at Van Why Field in Winsted. Coventry scored on a 33-yard fumble recovery from Austin Ives and a 45 interception return from Travis Lemire. QB Michael Fahey ran for a team-high 104 yards and threw a 26-yard TD pass to Justin Lindinger. Gilbert was led by Devon Molway with 116 yards on 18 carries.
Housatonic/Wamogo 36, Windsor Locks/Suffield/EG 20: Jake Sutterlin scored 3 TDs and rushed for a game-high 212 yards on 27 carries to lead Housatonic to a season opening win under portable lights in Falls Village. Sutterlin scored on runs of 35, 22 and 13 yards and also threw a 27-yard TD pass to Jeremy Steiwing. The Raiders cut Housatonic’s lead to eight on an 84-yard run by Trystan Cauley with 2:20 remaining in the game but after a failed onside kick attempt by Locks, Housatonic scored three plays later on a 22-yard run by Sutterlin.
Avon eyes another Pequot crown
AVON, Sept 9 -- The Avon High football team won’t look the same this fall as it did a year ago. And that isn’t unexpected – especially when two All-State athletes graduate along with your starting quarterback. Still, Avon head coach Brett Quinion thinks his team can contend for a fifth straight Pequot Uncas Division championship. “We lost a lot of team speed but we’re very strong,” said Quinion. “Last year’s team didn’t work hard in the weight room. This team is the strongest team I’ve ever had. They’ve been very diligent for the last 11 months.”
Panthers look for another title
CROMWELL, Sept. 9 – New head coach Chris Eckert has the Panthers shooting for a championship. “Our goal is to put up a ‘W’ on Dec. 10,” said Eckert of the date the state championships will be decided. “That should be everyone’s goal.” The Panthers lost just three starters from last year’s Class S quarterfinal squad and is full of veteran players.
Canton will be young in 2011
CANTON, Sept. 7 - Canton High looks to build a foundation of success this season. Warriors have roster peppered with sophomore and freshmen. All-Pequot RB Kyle Mullins returns for Warriors.
Solid running game again for Gilbert
WINSTED. Aug. 25 – Not only does Gilbert return senior tailback Devon Molway, who rushed for over 1,600 yards, but the Yellowjacets return three starters on their offensive line including All-Pequot center Jim Schmitz, four-year starter Zach Gain and three-year starter Max Chenail.
Mills' Todd has built programs before
BURLINGTON, Aug. 23 – Greg Todd has built programs before. He helped build a strong team at Woodland Regional in Beacon Falls as part of a staff that won back-to-back Class SS championships in 2004 and 2005. He begins again at Lewis Mills and is optimistic for the season. “We just want to build it and make a program,” Todd told the Register Citizen. “Not just a football team, but a program.”
Avon is largest school in Pequot,
8 co-op teams among top 10
AVON, August 20 - -Avon will have the most boys in grades 9-12 of the 20 schools in the Pequot Football Conference this fall but just by one boy. Overall enrollment at Avon dropped 15 this year to 548 boys according to figures filed with the CIAC. Nearly even with the Falcons is the co-op team of East Hampton and Vinal Tech with 547 boys in the two schools. East Hampton will be fielding a varsity team for the first time.
Co-op teams round out the remainder of the top five. Coventry/Windham Tech is No. 3 with 526 boys, the tri-op of Windsor Locks, Suffield and East Granby is No. 4 with 495 boys while Ellington/Somers is fifth at 436 boys. In fact, eight of the top 10 largest teams in the league are co-op teams.
With a decrease of 19 boys, Canton slipped to No. 19 in the league with 270 boys. Hyde is the smallest school in the league and in the state with a football program with 163 boys in grades 9-12. The biggest increase was with the co-op of Sports Medicine and Science Academy and University High out of Hartford, which increased by 78 boys and leaped six spots to No. 7 in the league and into the Class M tournament.
Gilbert out to make a point
WINSTED, Aug. 18 – The Gilbert/Northwestern Yellowjackets graduated start QB Bobby Lippincott and several other star players. But the Yellowjackets are determined to show that their march into the Class M semifinals a year ago wasn’t a fluke. Gilbert returns a majority of its offensive line and stud running back Devon Molway.
Housy wants to keep building
FALLS VILLAGE, Aug. 18 – Housatonic/Wamogo hopes to build upon its 5-5 record of a year ago with a solid group of juniors and seniors. The Mountaineers are one of the few teams in the country to use the single-wing offense, which takes time to learn and perfect. Most of the offensive line returns from last year’s team.
Nonnewaug returns to varsity play
WOODBURY, Aug. 18 – Two years after suspending its varsity program, Nonnewaug is set to return to the Pequot Conference this fall. Third-year coach John Oko said his Chiefs continue to grow. They return to varsity football by traveling to second-year Coginchaug in Durham on Sept. 17. Nonnewaug went 6-4 the past two seasons at the junior varsity level.
Todd sees growth at Lewis Mills
BURLINGTON, Aug. 7 -- New head coach Greg Todd is upbeat about what can be accomplished at Lewis Mills this fall. Todd expects about 48 upperclassmen and 20 freshman when practice begins. "The program is supported by very enthusiastic parents who conceived the idea of a football program and making it a realistic dream come true. There is a great passion here to move forward and become successful," he told the Republican American.
After whirlwind day, funding restored for fall sports
HARTFORD, Aug. 3 – It’s been a hard day for athletes at Connecticut’s 16 vocational technical schools. Earlier in the day, Patricia Ciccone, the superintendent of the State Board of Education that all fall sports at the tech schools would be cancelled. Earlier in the summer, all sports programs were suspended for two years to save $2.8 million after state employee unions voted down a concession plan. When the unions asked to vote again, hope swelled that the athletic programs would be restored.
But Ciccone said that a mid-August deadline the unions set for themselves to approve the proposal would be too late to reinstate fall sports, including football. By the end of the day, there were reports that the state Department of Education had come to an agreement with Gov. Dannel Malloy that the funding would be found somewhere for the fall athletic teams. The CIAC’s deadline for finalizing fall sports schedules is Friday. In the Pequot Conference, the decision impacts Coventry/Windham Tech and the new East Hampton/Vinal Tech co-op team, what will field a varsity team for the first time this fall. If the programs had been cut, no players or funding from Windham Tech or Vinal Tech could have been used by the co-op program.
Football teams at Tech schools to be eliminated
HARTFORD, July 15 -- To deal with a reduction in funding and the laying off of state employees to balance the state budget, the Connecticut Board of Technical High Schools has decided to eliminate all interscholastic sports at the state’s 17 technical high schools for the next two years to save $3 million. Adult education programs, art and music programs are also being eliminated, according to the Connecticut Mirror. "We can't cut mandated programs, graduation requirements or our trade technologies," Patricia Ciccone, superintendent of the technical high schools told The Register Citizen. "Our primary mission is to prepare the workforce for Connecticut."
Not only would the football teams at eight schools be eliminated but co-op teams would also be affected with no players or monetary support from technical schools. That would affect Coventry/Windham Tech and East Hampton/Vinal Tech in the Pequot Conference. More coverage from The Register Citizen and Connecticut Mirror
Todd hired at Lewis Mills
BURLINGTON, March 11 – Greg Todd, a former assistant coach at Wolcott High, Naugatuck, Woodland Regional and New Fairfield, has been selected to be the new head coach at Lewis Mills. Todd, 49, takes over for Peter Flammia, who resigned after a 1-9 season. He was the unanimous selection of the hiring committee, Mills athletic director Dave Tanner told the Republican American.
Cromwell goes with Eckert
CROMWELL, March 12 – Former Wilby High coach Chris Eckert has been hired as the new football coach at Cromwell High. He replaces Lou Bronk, who took the job on an interim basis last summer after the resignation of Sal Morello. Eckert, 29, has been the coach at Wilby for the past three years, posting a record of 8-23. He played three years of football at Southern Connecticut State.
Wolcott Tech leaving Berkshire League and Pequot Conference
TORRINGTON, Jan. 14 – Wolcott Tech is leaving the Berkshire League to move to the Constitution State Conference, effective this September. Wolcott Tech will join the other technical schools in the league. The Wildcats were the only technical school in the state not with the CSC. Wolcott Tech will also be withdrawing from the Pequot Conference. Tech had been a member of the Berkshire League since the mid-1980s.
Canton has too many players to form co-op team with Wolcott Tech
CANTON, Dec. 16, 2010 – Canton and Wolcott Tech were investigating the possibility of fielding a co-op football team next fall. But that won't happen because Canton will have more players than the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) allows. CIAC rules allow schools in co-op football programs to have a maximum of 32 athletes. At this time, Canton expects 40 athletes to participate with 14 players coming from youth football programs in Canton, Simsbury and Farmington.
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