GHS Football Grounds Senators in Opener

Glastonbury senior Jack Petrone sheds a would-be tackle from Brien McMahon's Jonathan Angione during the Guardians 22-13 win on Sept. 8. Petrone led the offensive attack with 181 yards and a touchdown.

Glastonbury High School used a dominant defensive performance in the first half and prolific running game in the second half to defeat Brien McMahon, 22-13, in the season opener at GHS on Sept. 8.
           
Jack Petrone ran for 181 yards and a key fourth quarter touchdown to lead the Guardians ground game. Jordyn Sams put the game on ice with 2:32 left in regulation when he broke several arm tackles and muscled his way across the goal line from 12 yards out. 
           
Head coach Eric Hennessy praised his punishing backfield duo for putting the finishing touches on what turned out to be a satisfying, yet sloppy victory.      
           
“We want to wear teams out and Jack and Jordyn did a great job. They were carrying guys,” added Hennessy, whose team amassed 237 total yards on the ground.       
           
Leading the way for Petrone and Sams were an unsung offensive line featuring starters Luke Baran, Aaron Lawrence, William Sinnott, Dylan Rohan, and Jake Jackson. Kevin Delbon, Ryan Jackson, and Logan Hilliard also rotated in to keep the line fresh for all four quarters.  
           
The offense’s potent rushing attack cemented the game, but the defense set the tone early, scoring the opening points of the season when Delbon and [Jake] Jackson combined to sack quarterback Callum Letters for a safety on the first play of the second quarter. 
           
Punter Alexander Hernandez, who also handles the place kicking duties, helped set up the safety when he pinned McMahon inside the 10-yard line on his first punt of the season.
           
With 5:03 left in the first half, the Guardians extended the lead to 9-0 when senior quarterback Jack Anglim rolled to his right before lofting a touch pass to Danny Bowman in the right corner of the end zone from eight yards out.   
           
The margin could have been more lopsided, yet three turnovers — including a pair of red zone interceptions on the Guardians’ opening possessions of the first and third quarters — allowed the visiting Senators to stay within striking distance. 
           
Hennessy was disappointed in the costly offensive miscues, but credited defensive coordinator Peter Ladas for designing a good game plan against McMahon’s quick strike offense. 
           
Ladas’ defense pitched a shutout for the first three quarters before Letters led a late charge for the visitors in a wild fourth quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Letters hit Mel Bynum own the seam for a 34 yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
           
Petrone then set up his score when he tackled the McMahon punter Joshua Fleuriot following a high snap, giving the Guardians possession in the red zone early with 7:47 to play in regulation. Four plays later — all runs by Petrone — the do-it-all senior plunged in from a yard out to extend the lead to 16-7.
           
On the ensuing possession, Letter delivered a deep shot to Bynum and then connected with Pablo Gomez from 19 yards out to narrow the deficit to a single score at the four minute mark.
           
Petrone would not be outdone, ripping off a 46 yard run on the ensuing possession before Sams touchdown finished the scoring.  
           
The game-clinching scoring drive, which featured four running plays, was exactly the kind of response that Hennessy wants to see out of his team in crucial moments. 
           
“That’s our M-O, we want to line up and grind the clock,” added Hennessy, “We’re not going to dance around, we’re going to turn it into a slugfest and see if we can win it in the fourth quarter.”
           
Trailing by multiple scores late in regulation, McMahon’s last gasp effort was thwarted when Delbon sacked Letters with under a minute to play before Drew Curto intercepted a pass on the following play.
           
Glastonbury ended the night in victory formation as Anglim took a new knee before the school’s student section, The 12th Man, stormed the field to celebrate the team.
           
It was the team’s first time winning a season opener since 2019 and was a perfect start for a rejuvenated team playing in front of the school’s new fieldhouse, which opened Aug. 11.    
           
Hennessy said the entire atmosphere surrounding the victory made it even sweeter and now wants to see the team clean up some mistakes.
           
“You could tell it was our first game,” added Hennessy. “There were a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of and so this week it’s about growth as we head into our first conference game.”
           
The Guardians now take the short trip to East Hartford High School to face the rival Hornets in a Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) clash tonight (Thursday, Sept. 15). Kickoff is 6:30 p.m.