Football Game Preview: Farmington River Hawks vs. Bristol Eastern Lancers

The Farmington River Hawks will square off against the Bristol Eastern Lancers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Farmington will be strutting in after a win while Bristol Eastern will be coming in after a defeat.

Farmington will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up six points last Friday, then bounced right back against Edwin O. Smith on Friday. The River Hawks were the clear victors by a 35-13 margin over the Panthers. The game was the first time the River Hawks have beaten the Panthers on their field since September 27, 2019.

Special teams played a big role in the game for Farmington, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Michael Campagnano, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

One reason for the win was Farmington's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Michael Coccomo was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up four himself.

Meanwhile, Bristol Eastern was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss dating back to last season. They were outmatched by Berlin and fell 42-6. The Lancers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.

Farmington's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Bristol Eastern, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.

Farmington came up short against Bristol Eastern in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 19-14. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Lancers' Lincoln Bashaw, who rushed for 186 yards and one score while picking up 7.8 yards per carry. Now that the River Hawks know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.