Cromwell @ Lewis Mills
Cromwell (3-4) has had an up and down season. Last week was a down week, allowing 527 rushing yards in a 45-24 loss to Hyde Leadership. This week they have a chance to point the arrow upwards when they travel to face the winless Lewis Mills Spartans. The Burlington-based Spartans have a solid offense led by quarterback Lucas Lanning, but their defense has let them down in their seven losses, surrendering 46 points per game. The conferences foes did not play each other last season, but Cromwell defeated Lewis Mills the previous three seasons by a combined score of 160-47. Muzzy Field in Bristol is the site of Saturday’s showdown. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Newington @ Southington Newington has righted the ship, winning their last two games. The Indians are coming off of a nail-biting 20-18 victory over East Hartford. Jake Hedberg threw two of his three touchdowns passes to Andrew Grenier in the two-point win. It will take a monumental effort to win their third straight, because they have to travel to play nemesis Southington, who has won fourteen straight games (including the 2013 Class LL State Championship) dating back to last season. Southington has also defeated Newington in each of the last five meetings, including a convincing 56-20 win last season. Grenier hauled in seven passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. However, Newington was ultimately doomed by five turnovers and a blocked field goal. Newington’s defense will have their hands full with Southington’s junior quarterback Jasen Rose, who has thrown 25 touchdowns compared to only 6 interceptions with season. Kickoff is Saturday at 1 p.m. Rocky Hill @ Bristol Central Rocky Hill had quietly won four of five games before last Friday’s 44-22 upset loss to Plainville. Dave Sevigny had 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Terriers, but the team’s normally reliable defensive front-seven had trouble stopping Plainville’s ground game. The Terriers next test is Bristol Central (4-2), who is coming off their first victory over Farmington since the Reagan Administration. Rocky Hill has won the last three games versus the Rams of Bristol, including a 35-0 blanking last season. Defensive back Jason Carducci had his coming of age game in the win, recording six tackles and intercepting his first pass at a varsity level. Carducci is now a junior and a leader of the feared Rocky Hill secondary. Muzzy Field is the scene for a spooktacular Halloween night game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wethersfield @ RHAM Wethersfield remained undefeated with an easy victory over the Fermi Falcons. Now the Eagles turn their attention to conference rival RHAM, who has struggled this season---losing five of seven games. However, the Hebron-based Sachems are coming of their best performance of the season, a 50-18 whitewash of Bulkeley/Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. Wethersfield has defeated RHAM in each of their head-to-head games over the past four seasons. This includes last season’s 34-7 drubbing when quarterback Matt Sanzaro threw four touchdowns to four different receivers. The Wethersfield defense also played spectacular in the win, registering four sacks and recovering four RHAM fumbles. RHAM High School Athletic Center is the venue for Saturday’s game. Kickoff is 1 p.m. Middletown @ Farmington Middletown is one of the hottest teams in the state, winners of five straight. The Blue Dragons latest victory was a 21-6 triumph over Maloney. Dario Highsmith again had a monster game and has combined to tally 472 yards and six touchdowns on the ground over the past two weeks. The team will look to make it six straight wins when they travel to play the Farmington Indians. Farmington is in the midst of a rare down season, losing five of seven games. Middletown has defeated the Indians of Farmington in each of the last two seasons, but both games have been close. The Blue Dragons needed a phenomenal defense effort, surrendering only 46 rushing yards in a 21-7 victory last season. Ghosts, goblins, and goal posts will be on display Friday night in Farmington. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Daniel Hand @ Xavier Xavier welcomes Madison’s Hand Tigers to Palmer Field for a Halloween hoedown. The Falcons are returning home after losing their first game of the season, a 27-24 loss to Notre Dame. The Xavier defense played well, but two interception returns for touchdowns by Notre Dame doomed the previously unbeaten Falcons. Hand has uncharacteristically struggled this season, losing five of seven games. In order to pull the upset the Tigers will need a big game from junior quarterback Nick Van Dell, who leads the team in passing and rushing yards. Hand lost only three regular season games last season, but one of them was to Xavier (28-14.) The Falcons defense frustrated the Tigers offense, intercepting three passes. Fright night’s kickoff is 7 p.m. It’ll be a scream.
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![]() The game was lopsided but Wethersfield's marching band provided additional entertainment On paper it looked like the undefeated Wethersfield Eagles would steamroll the winless Fermi Falcons. On the field, Wethersfield fired up the heavy machinery and flattened Fermi 37-0 on a brisk Friday night at Cottone Field. The Eagles (7-0) used a balanced offensive attack and capitalized off the visiting teams special teams’ mishaps to score all 37 points over the first two quarters, before resting several starters during a quick second half. Quarterback Matt Sanzaro delivered another efficient outing throwing the football, completing 11 of 13 passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns. The senior signal caller also gashed the Falcons defense on the ground, rushing for 102 yards and another score. Sanzaro watched the second half from the sidelines as the Wethersfield coaching staff allowed a couple of underclassman to control the reigns. Freshman Timothy Blaisdell and sophomore Eric Shields took turns behind center in an uneventful final two quarters. Two of Sanzaro’s aerial touchdowns went to his favorite targets Kyle Klavins and Devon Smith. Junior Eric Wright hauled in the other score and showed that he is another weapon in the Eagles’ arsenal. Wright’s touchdown came after catching a bubble screen and breaking several would-be tackles before polishing off a highlight-reel eight-yard score. Fermi entered the contest on a 39-game losing streak and faced an uphill battle to compete with the unblemished Eagles. The game got out of hand early and the Fermi offense didn’t take the field until the score was 17-0 late in the first quarter. Kicker Austin Stefano nailed a 28-yard field goal on the opening possession to put the Eagles up for good. Fermi’s special teams then muffed the next two kickoffs allowing Wethersfield’s Eric Lamore and Andrew Cravero to pounce on the lose balls. Both fumble recoveries set up Wethersfield touchdowns. Fermi muffed a third kickoff late in the first half that junior Navarre Pratt secured for the Eagles’ fifth takeaway of the half. The other two turnovers came on interceptions by cornerback Jae-Quan Brown and linebacker Richard Williams. The game was decided early in the evening, but the Wethersfield cheer, dance, and marching band teams combined to put on an exhilarating halftime show that kept the rowdy home crowd on their feet throughout halftime. The three squads proved that they are just as organized and talented as their football brethren. After the break there was very little drama, but Fermi did threaten to avoid the shutout on their second possession after the intermission. The Falcons received great field position at the Wethersfield 16-yard line following an Eagles’ fumble. Fermi then registered their initial first down of the game, but the hometown defense stiffened at the 6-yard line and forced a turnover on downs. Wethersfield remains one of only four teams in Class L without a loss---Darien, Windsor, and New Canaan are the other three schools. The Eagles have four more regular season games before the playoffs start in December. It will be the first season under the new postseason format, in which each class will be split into two bracket, meaning that two Class L teams will be crowned champions in mid-December. Christmas could come early for the soaring Eagles if they keep performing at a high level in all three phase of the game. Fermi @ Wethersfield
This is a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. Wethersfield has won all six games this season and 13 straight dating back to last season. Fermi is still searching for their first win this season and is currently on a 39-game losing streak. Wethersfield has also been victorious over the Enfield-based Falcons in each of the last four seasons, including a 40-20 outcome last year. The Eagles rushed for four touchdowns in the lopsided victory. On paper, this looks to be an easy home victory for Wethersfield, but they will have to game plan for Fermi’s wide receiver Bailey Raymond. The senior is a 6’7” athletic specimen that has a nose for the end zone. Kickoff is Friday at 7 p.m. Cromwell @ Hyde Leadership This is a pivotal midseason game between conference rivals. Cromwell sits at 3-3 after beating Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton 49-21 behind Kristian Sapp’s 191 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Hyde Leadership is also 3-3 after falling to Ellington/Somers 13-10. The conference schools didn’t get a chance to play each other last season, but the Hamden-based Howling Wolves defeated the Panthers 21-10 in 2012. Hyde has a talented general behind center in Dwayne Hunter-Parker, who leads the team in passing yard and rushing yards. He also is the team’s starting free safety and their leading tackler. Saturday’s game will be played at East Haven High School. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. Rocky Hill @ Plainville Rocky Hill improved to 4-2 with a 44-7 dismantling of the Weaver Beavers. The backfield tandem of Dave Sevigny and Grant Nieves combined for 275 yards and five touchdowns in the victory. The Terriers now take their talents on the road to begin a three-game trip, starting with the Plainville Blue Devils (1-5) this Friday. Rocky Hill has won the last seven meeting between the two schools, including a 35-6 victory last season. Linebacker Patrick Sullivan tallied 11 tackles and a sack as a sophomore in the 29-point win. He is now a junior and has been a tackling machine through the team’s first six games. The Terriers seek their fifth victory of the season and Plainville looks to snap a four game skid. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Newington @ East Hartford Newington snapped a three game losing skid with a convincing victory over South Windsor. They’ll look to keep the momentum going against the struggling East Hartford Hornets. East Hartford is 1-5 and their defense has allowed 30 or more points in four of their five losses. The Indians have won all three games between the schools over the last three seasons, including a 35-16 result last season. Safety Brendan Zotti registered 15 tackles in the victory and helped the Newington’s defense control the game from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Zotti is now a senior and one of the team leaders on defense. Kickoff is Friday at 7 p.m. Xavier @ Notre Dame Xavier brings their undefeated record on the road to face the West Haven-based Notre Dame Green Knights. Xavier is fresh off a 27-7 victory over West Haven thanks to 25 consecutive points in the second half. Quarterback Michael Scherer threw for and caught a touchdown on a trick play in the victory. Notre Dame started the season losing two of their first three games, but the team has rebounded to win their last three, including a 40-8 pasting of Amity Regional last week. Electrifying junior Prince Brooks is an explosive running back and a dangerous kick returner. Brooks and his teammates are looking to snap a six game losing streak against Xavier. The Falcons won last season’s game 54-13 behind a devastating ground game that amassed 423 yards and seven touchdowns. Veterans Stadium in West Haven is the venue for Friday’s game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Maloney @ Middletown Middletown’s offense has gotten hot since an early-season shutout loss, winning four straight games. The latest victory was a 47-8 thumping of Bristol Central behind 209 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Dario Highsmith. The senior also added two touchdown tosses. Maloney started the season 4-0, but have dropped their last two games, including a 21-20 heartbreaker to Bristol Eastern last week. Middletown has won the last three meetings between the schools, including a 47-16 victory last season when Highsmith combined for 289 yards and four touchdowns in only one-half of action. Highsmith looks to duplicate that feat this Friday under the lights at Middletown High School. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ![]() Jake Hedberg lets it fly against South Windsor The Newington offense began the season scoring 65 point over their first two games, both wins. However, the high-powered Indians’ offense had since cooled off during a recent three game losing streak. All that changed Saturday afternoon when quarterback Jake Hedberg and his offensive mates took to the friendly skies of South Windsor to reignite the flame that had burned brightly over the first two weeks of the season. Hedberg threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns as the Indians steamrolled the Bobcats of South Windsor 41-14 to snap the three-game losing skid. Hedberg, who has an extremely quick release and has as good of anticipation as any quarterback in the state, was glad to see the offense clicking on all cylinders again. “It was a good feeling to get the offense going again,” Hedberg said with a smile, “We were able to hit a lot of downfield passes. The offensive line did a great job at keeping the defenders off of me and our receivers did a great job catching the ball.” Newington’s offense was so efficient that they scored on all five of their first-half possessions. The Indians marched 71 yards of their first drive, which was capped off with a 9-yard scoring strike from Hedberg to Andrew Grenier. Grenier, who also caught a 12-yard pass on third down to extended the drive, easily beat his man to the inside on a slant pattern for the opening score. It was the first time the two seniors had connected on a touchdown since the second game of the season. Newington, who primarily runs a spread offense featuring three and four receivers, was also able to get their running game going to compliment their potent passing attack. The opening touchdown was set up by a 31-yard run by John McDonald, who also added a one-yard touchdown plunge later in the half. McDonald is small in stature, but is showed Saturday that he is capable of lowering his pads and running through would-be defenders. Fellow running back Pedro Kerr scored the game’s second touchdown when he took an inside handoff out of a shotgun formation and scampered nine yards through the heart of the Bobcats’ defense, putting the Indians up 14 points---a mere eight minutes into the game. Kerr’s score came after the Newington defense forced the game’s first turnover when junior cornerback Deven Perez intercepted an overthrown by South Windsor quarterback Vincent Bacho. The interception was one of two on the day for Newington. Senior linebacker Joram Sanchez secured the other interception after Grenier tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage before Sanchez made a diving catch at the South Windsor 20-yard line. The second interception set up Hedberg’s second touchdown pass to Grenier. Following the turnover Newington was called for a holding penalty, but on the ensuing play after the infraction Hedberg hit a wide open Grenier for a 30-yard score with 1:18 left to play in the half. The touchdown gave the Indians a comfortable 35-7 lead at the break. Hedberg put any doubt of a victory to bed when he connected with Kyle Armour on two long passes on the opening drive of the second half. The first was a 28-yarder down the right sideline and the second was a perfectly timed 32-yard bomb down the same sideline. Armour ran passed a pair of South Windsor defenders and snared the beautifully lofted pass before crossing the goal line. The deep touchdown was Armour’s second of the afternoon. The 6’3 senior also caught a 12-yard touchdown in the first half. The Newington offense put on an exhibition, but the Indians’ defense did their part, allowing only one offensive touchdown. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Allen and junior linebacker Sean Grover hounded the opposing backfield and rendered their read-option offense useless in the second half. South Windsor’s touchdowns came on a 50-yard run by Bacho in the first half and a 44-yard interception return by Adam Leclerc late in the fourth quarter. The loss ruined the Bobcats’ homecoming and dropped them to 0-6 on the season. The victory over South Windsor was the first of three consecutive road games that Newington will play to close out October. The will finish the regular season with two of their final three games at home. “Our goals are the same as we started with and we still want to win out,” Hedberg added, “We started to turn things around today, but we have to take it one week at a time and get better each week.” Their signal caller knows that the high school football season is a marathon and not a sprint. This is good news for an offense that seems to be ascending at the right time. Wethersfield @ Hartford Public
Wethersfield improved to 5-0 with a resounding 41-0 blanking of previously undefeated Maloney. Senior Tyler Nelson has his second consecutive outstanding performance, rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Matt Sanzaro added a touchdown through the air and two more on the ground. The Eagles are firing on all cylinders and will now travel to the capital to play the Hartford Public Owls. The Owls are coming off a loss to Middletown and were hammered 40-16 by Wethersfield last season. Wethersfield’s defense harassed Hartford Public, forcing five turnovers and blocking a punt in the one-sided affair. The Eagles defense should be able to have similar success this season; they are allowing only 4.8 points per game and have shutout two opponents this season. The birds of prey battle is Friday at Dillon Stadium in Hartford. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Weaver @ Rocky Hill Rocky Hill is looking to shake off a home loss to Platt. The loss snapped a three game winning streak for the Terriers. The Terriers look to get back on track against the winless Weaver Beavers. Weaver has lost all five games this season, including a loss to Berlin last weekend. Rocky Hill has beaten the Hartford-based Beavers by a combined 169-12 over the past four years. Grant Nieves had his breakout game against Weaver last season as a freshman, rushing for 65 yards on 14 carriers in a 49-12 victory. The sophomore has now teamed with senior Dave Sevigny and freshman Joe Catania to give the Terriers and multifaceted backfield trio. Dream Weaver will try and get through the night and pull the upset. Friday’s kickoff is 7 p.m. Newington @ South Windsor Newington is looking to halt a losing skid after dropping their third straight game last Friday night, a 21-14 heartbreaker to Glastonbury. The Indians have the perfect opportunity this Saturday when they travel to play the winless South Windsor Bobcats. South Windsor has played well at times this season, despite losing all five of their games. Their offense has scored at least two touchdowns in four of their five games. Senior Deniro Edwards and sophomore Jake Sylvester have given the Bobcats a formidable offensive backfield. Newington has won the last three meetings between the schools, including a 52-36 fireworks show last season. Quarterback Jake Hedberg’s has his most productive game of the season, throwing for 459 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for two scores in the lopsided victory. South Windsor High School is the venue for this conference collision. Kickoff is 11 a.m. Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton @ Cromwell Cromwell had won straight games before falling to Valley Regional/Old Lyme last Saturday. The Panthers now welcome the three-headed school monster Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton to Pierson Park for an afternoon of football and fun. CWB started the season win a victory, but has since dropped their last four. The Patriots, much like the professional Patriots team, rely on their defense and a running game to be successful. They played Cromwell close last season, but ending up losing 20-14. Kickoff is Saturday at 1:35 p.m. West Haven @ Xavier Xavier and West Haven have developed a fierce rivalry over the years. Xavier had beaten West Haven four straight times before last season’s thrilling 35-34 overtime victory by West Haven. The win propelled the Blue Devils to the Class LL postseason and left Xavier on the outside looking in. Xavier is off to a fantastic start to the season, winning all five games, including a 28-10 victory over Amity last week. West Haven has won three of five games and is coming off of a 40-33 loss to Notre Dame. West Haven coach Ed McCarthy has announced that this will be his last season on the sidelines after amassing 329 wins during his tenure. McCarthy’s son, sophomore Tim McCarthy, is the team’s quarterback. Saturday’s game will be played on the field turf at Xavier High School. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Bristol Central @ Middletown Middletown breezed by Hartford Public last Friday to win their third game in a row. Dario Highsmith has played exceptional during the three games, including a 169-yard performance on the ground against Hartford Public. The senior has tallied eight total touchdowns in the three wins. Bristol Central (3-1) is off to their best start since 2006 and is showing signs of the hardnosed team they were some forty years ago when coaching icon Thomas Bruni patrolled the sidelines. They will need to bring that toughness into Middletown, because the Rams have lost four years in a row to the Blue Dragons, including a 49-12 pasting last season. Kickoff is Friday at 7 p.m. ![]() Carley Wanner-Hyde is leading Newington volleyball It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the midway point of the season for high school sports this fall. It has been another exhilarating autumn for the local schools, with many of the area’s teams in contention for postseason success. Here’s what you might have missed while raking leaves or picking apples. Cromwell’s Nicole Faucette is again running across the country at an incredible pace. The senior distance runner opened the season with a fifth place finish in the 3-Mile run at the 36th annual Haddad Windham Invitational. She’s looking to close out her high school career with an exclamation point when she participates in the Shoreline Championships (10/16) and Class SS state meet (10/25.) Wethersfield’s Troy Stegman is covering a lot of ground as well. The junior is the Eagles’ best distance runner, finishing sixth in the 5K at the Blue Dragon Invitational in Middletown. He’s averaging a 6-minute mile and is primed for a strong showing at the conference championship (10/15) and state meet (10/25.) In field hockey, Newington head coach Paul Macchi has managed to put his team in contention for a Class L tournament run, despite a young roster. The Indians have relied on fantastic defense play and goaltending to post a 6-4 record. Sophomore sensation Elena Hynes has taken over as one of the team’s leaders and is pacing the team offensively. The team will be a strong contender once the tournament starts on November 15th. Wethersfield has been unbeatable on the gridiron, convincingly winning all five contests. The Eagles have an extremely organized coaching staff, led by big boss man John Campanello. Quarterback Matt Sanzaro is leading a high-octane offense and defensive captains Jimmy Malizia and Patrick Mozzicato have helped form one of the state’s stingiest defenses. The Eagles just missed the Class L postseason in 2013, but are in great position to make a deep run in the playoffs this December. The Rocky Hill girls have been impressive on the pitch. The Terriers are one of the best soccer teams in Class M, posting a record of 9-2-1. Senior Alex Carreira has teamed with juniors Madison Nastri and Madison Stabile to help formulate a strong nucleolus of players. Veteran coach Annemarie Catania is hoping her girls carry the momentum into the tournament, which starts in md-November. The Wethersfield boys have found similar success on the soccer field. Head coach Rob Jachym may have his best squad since the 2008 Eagles’ state championship team. Senior midfielder Justin Jensen has provided the offensive spark and junior goalkeeper Jimmy Slayton has protected the net. Wethersfield is also the home to a great volleyball team. Girls’ volleyball is the only indoor team sport played in fall and the Eagle spikers have taken advantage of the climate-controlled gymnasiums, posting a 9-5 record. Head coach Debbie O’Brien’s has a talented group of girls led by senior captain Lian Hoffman, who is one of the better setters in the state. Newington’s volleyball is also in contention for a postseason berth. Junior setter Carley Wanner-Hyde is posting great individual numbers and senior captain Alexis Souza and Natalia Rozio have made the Indians a force to be reckoned with when the volleyball championships start November 15th. In the pool, Caroline Even is in the midst of her senior season and is leading a group of experienced senior swimmers at Wethersfield. Junior Caroline Logozzo is back on the diving board doing what she does best. The two Carolines and the rest of the aquatic Eagles have their eye on the conference championships and state finals, which are less than a month away. Wethersfield @ Maloney
Two of the state’s best teams lock horns for an epic midseason game. Wethersfield brings their unblemished record to Meriden to visit the equally impressive 4-0 Maloney Spartans. The winner will have a leg up in the race for a Class L postseason berth. Wethersfield destroyed Maloney 53-8 last season behind a balanced offense which totaled 260 yards through the air and amassed 248 more on the ground. However, this isn’t your grandmother’s Spartans; they have dismantled their opponents this year to the tune of 162-67. Maloney is fresh off of a 22-0 shutout of E.O. Smith and is led offensively by junior quarterback Chris Dingwell. The classic showdown is Friday at Falcon Field in Meriden. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Valley Regional @ Cromwell Valley Regional has won three of the last four against Cromwell, including a 49-2 blowout last season. Justin Cheverier ran for three touchdowns and tallied 12 tackles (4 for loss) in the lopsided victory. Cheverier is now in the midst of his senior season and has been instrumental in the team’s 4-0 start. Cromwell has won two straight after losing their first two contests. Sophomore running back Kristian Sapp has been a man on fire in the two wins and he will have to duplicate that feat this week against the stingy Warriors’ defense that has only surrendered 24 points in four games. To see if Cromwell can pull the upset and make it three straight victories comes to Pierson Park on Friday night. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. Glastonbury @ Newington Glastonbury has slowly built a football powerhouse. During that building process they have had tremendous success against Newington, winning all five games dating back to 2009. Last season, they intercepted quarterback Jake Hedberg three times and held the Indians to a mere 13 yards on the ground in a 33-0 shutout. Newington started the season winning two games, but they have since hit a bump in the road, losing two consecutive. The Indians’ offense has struggled in the two-game skid, scoring only 16 points in eight quarters. Glastonbury lost their first two games, but they have bounced back with two straight shutout victories. Both teams prefer to pass, so expect to see plenty of footballs fill the night sky this Friday. Kickoff is under the lights at 6:30 p.m. Platt @ Rocky Hill Platt handed Rocky Hill their only regular season loss last season. Panther’s running back Tyzhan Leatherwood ran for a school-record 350 yards and four touchdowns in the 47-14 victory. The lighting quick Leatherwood is now a senior and has helped Platt win three of their first four games this season. Rocky Hill will try and control the ball on the ground in an effort to keep the ball away from the potent Platt offense. The Terriers have been successful at controlling time of possession over their last three games, all wins, including a wacky 7-6 overtime barnburner at Bloomfield last Friday. Rocky Hill returns home to McVicar Field after two straight road games. Kickoff is Friday at 7 p.m. Xavier @ Amity Xavier takes their undefeated record on the road to face upstart Amity. Xavier has won the last five games against the Woodbridge-based Spartans, scoring 40+ points in each game, including a 42-28 win last season. Xavier remained undefeated after a 38-6 victory over Hillhouse. Quarterback Mike Scherer threw two more touchdown passes and has improved in each game this season, but it has been the Falcons defense that has carried the team. Through the first four games the defense has only surrendered 27 total points. Amity may have their best team in years and have battled through a brutal early season schedule to post a 2-2 record. They have a balanced offense, led by fleet-footed quarterback Michael Devito and tailback D’Chaun Wilson. The team is coming off an impressive 31-0 blanking of Lyman Hall. Kickoff is Friday night at 7 p.m. Middletown @ Hartford Public Middletown has won the last four games between the two schools, including last season’s 41-7 annihilation. This game should be interesting because the venue is Dillon Stadium, where Hartford Pubic has never lost a game. Which begs the question; why not play all your home games there? Kickoff is Friday at 7 p.m. ![]() Wethersfield middle linebacker James Malizia It would have been easy for the Wethersfield football team to look ahead. The Eagles had easily disposed of their first three opponents and would be traveling to Meriden to battle fellow undefeated Maloney in just seven days. Their Friday night game against struggling Farmington had all the makings of a classic “trap” game. But Wethersfield had revenge on their minds. That's because Farmington defeated Wethersfield 32-28 in a wild game just one season ago. The Eagles have not lost a game since that defeat, but the loss ultimately cost the team a chance at the 2013 Class L playoffs. The Eagles hadn’t forgotten about that loss and came out with a great deal of focus and intensity on both sides of the ball en route to a 41-14 road victory over the Indians. Wethersfield was in complete control from the opening kickoff and scored five rushing touchdowns in the first half, giving the Eagles and insurmountable 41-point lead at the break. Senior Tyler Nelson toted the ball six times for 120 yards and two scores to lead the Eagles’ ground game. Devon Smith added another score when he took an option pitch a juked a defender before striking pay dirt. Patrick Mozzicato and Elijah Young scored the other two rushing touchdowns on nearly identical plays; both started out wide and motioned towards a trips formation (three wide receiver on one side of the field) before taking inside handoffs. Young’s score was an electrifying 53-yard scamper. The Wethersfield offense was extremely efficient in the first half, but their defense set the tone from the game’s second snap when Mozzicato sacked Farmington quarterback Michael Popolizio. It was one of several tackles that Wethersfield made in the Farmington backfield. Mozzicato also blocked one of the Indian’s five punts in the first half. Mozzicato and his defensive mates played a flawless first two quarters, not allowing a first down. They also caused a turnover when energetic middle linebacker James Malizia delivered a devastating hit on an Indian’s ball carrier, dislodging the ball. Young scooped up the loose ball off the artificial turf surface. Quarterback Matt Sanzaro had another solid outing, completing 7 of 13 passes, for 113 yards and a score. Kyle Klavins caught Sanzaro’s lone score when he out jumped a Farmington defensive back in the corner of the end zone to grab a fade pass. Klavins has routinely made spectacular catches on a weekly basis and his incredible body control and sure hands have earned him a reputation as one of the most complete receivers in the state. The junior is also the team’s punter returner and is a terrific at blocking downfield, which has become a staple of Wethersfield’s receivers. With the game well in hand, head coach John Campanello rested a majority of his offensive starters for the second half. This allowed several of the team’s reserves to get valuable playing time. One of the young players was freshman Timothy Blaisdell, who replaced Sanzaro behind center over the finals 24 minutes. Wethersfield can now look ahead after erasing the memories of last season’s loss. However, they can’t look too far forward, because Maloney (4-0) is up next. It should be Wethersfield’s biggest test of this season and could ultimately decide a spot in the postseason. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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