Newington High School senior Akari Rosemond made the most of his last game on Alumni Field, scoring three touchdowns as the Nor’easters defeated Wethersfield 39-13 on Nov. 22.
“I’m doing it for the family,” said Rosemond, who had 127 total yards from scrimmage. “It’s my senior year and I had to make something happen, something to remember.” The win marked the Nor’easters third straight victory over Wethersfield in the annual game dubbed the ‘Thanksgiving Classic’, which dates back to 1976. Newington now holds a 26-19-1 lead in the all-time series. Newington head coach John Acquavita praised his team for playing a “complete game” on both sides of the ball. The 39 points were a season-high for the Nor’easters offense and the 13 points allowed were a season-best for the defense. “The kids played hard, there’s nothing more that you can ask for,” added Acquavita. “Today they played a full football game.” It hadn’t been an easy year for either team heading into the annual rivalry game. Wethersfield entered Newington winless and, following a season-opening win, the Nor’easters had lost eight straight. But it was Newington who took control early thanks to a defensive score by lineman Kuba Gaska, who picked off a pass inside Wethersfield the five-yard line and returned it for a touchdown with 6:10 to play in the first quarter. “It was special, really special,” Gaska said of the pick-six. Acquavita said it was fitting that Gaska, a senior captain, would score in the finale. “You couldn’t have asked [for that to happen] to a better dude in his last game,” added Acquavita. The defensive score energized the home team’s offense, which scored touchdowns on four of their next six possessions. With just under two minutes to play in the first quarter, sophomore Josiah Sims blasted up the middle for a 25-yard touchdown run to make it 12-0. Rosemond then scored the team’s next three touchdowns, hauling in a 12-yard scoring strike from junior quarterback Enzo Corvino with 9:48 to play in the second quarter before rushing for a three-yard score on fourth down with 3:10 to play in the first half. The dynamic athlete, who switched between playing outside as a receiver and in the backfield behind center, then ran the ball in from 33-yards out of the team’s first possession of the second half, increasing Newington’s lead to 32-7. Senior Nathan Clark put the finishing touches on the victory by catching a 13-yard touchdown from Corvino, who scrambled around before finding Clark up the left sideline. Corvino, who completed 9 of 16 passes for 139 yards and the two scores, credited the team’s offensive line for allowing him to spread the ball around, adding that it “felt amazing” to close the season with a victory. Acquavito added, “The turkey always tastes better with a ‘W’.” For Wethersfield, the loss wrapped up a season in which they lost all ten games as they battled both a brutal schedule and injuries this fall. In the 26-point loss in Newington, junior quarterback Cam Righi, who missed a portion of the season with a shoulder injury, tossed a touchdown to senior captain Jova’n Hill in the first half. Dhallas Morgan added a touchdown on the ground in the second half. Wethersfield head coach Matt McKinnon, who had led the program to two playoff appearances in the previous three seasons, thanked his seniors following the game. “It’s not easy going out this way, especially after the seasons we’ve had. But they showed up every day and led by example,” McKinnon said of his departing players. “The message to the returners is to remember this feeling. So in January when we are in the squat rack you can think about this and let it drive you and fuel you.” Newington finished with a record of 2-8, bookending the season with victories in the program’s first year under Acquavito. *For a detailed look at the Nor’easters entire 2023 season, check out next week’s Rare Reminder*
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AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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