By Ken Lipshez
MaxPreps.com
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. – Southington went to the Monster and Simsbury was grabbing at a ghost.
The Blue Knights, operating from a tight Double-Wing set that generally accents running known as Monster, broke open a tie game on a 64-yard pass play from Josh Lamson to Evan Rodrigues last Friday night for a 14-7 victory in a CCC North clash at Fontana Field.
The loss was the first this season for Simsbury (4-1).
Southington, 4-1 overall and undefeated against state opponents, ran its familiar spread most of the night but went to Monster with 4:18 to go and the score tied at 7.
“Part of our game plan is working on different things, trying to utilize the strengths of our personnel,” Southington coach Bill Mella said. “One of them is that we have good role players for that Double-Wing set.
“We wanted to bring them down and in and go punch-for-punch a little bit.”
The haymaker came on first down at the Southington 36. Lamson tossed to Rodrigues along the left sideline. He got some key blocks and streaked through would-be tacklers and into the end zone with 2:18 left.
“We went toss-toss-toss, went right to a pass and caught them off-guard,” said Rodrigues, a fleet 5-10, 177-pound senior receiver. “I was fortunate enough to get a few good blocks.”
Rodrigues showed some brotherly love when he passed out kudos to his downfield blockers.
“My brother Jake Rodrigues laid a huge block,” he said. “Ryan Gemmell, the entire [offensive] line held up. It was the perfect play. Josh threw a perfect ball to me.”
The touchdown turned serious frustration into postgame frolic. Southington penetrated the Simsbury 25 five times without scoring a point. An interception, missed 26-yard field goal and three fourth-down failures prevented the Knights from breaking away despite their 200-yard advantage on offense (349-148).
“It’s a little frustrating, yeah, but we always keep our heads up and never get down on ourselves,” Evan Rodrigues said. “We just keep trying to push forward and we succeeded.”
Simsbury’s first drive of the game gave new significance to the word ‘methodical.’ The Trojans ran the ball 15 times, 13 of them by 6-2, 215-pound bruiser Lawton Arnold. Arnold consummated the excursion with a 6-yard touchdown run. The drive chewed up nearly 7½ minutes.
“They came out and did what they do very well, which is the option,” Mella said. “We knew it, they executed it better than we defended it. They ate up clock, they ate up yardage and put the ball across the stripe.
“They did a great job on that series but part of game-planning is the ability to make an adjustment. My kids and the coaching staff sat down, we [knew] what they were doing and we made a little adjustment.”
The Knights’ attempt to answer went smoothly until Simsbury’s defense stiffened on fourth down at the visitors’ 18. Only 12 seconds remained in the first quarter.
A holding penalty slowed Arnold’s charge on the next possession and a 17-yard punt gave the Knights optimum field position at the Simsbury 40. The Knights turned to tailback Dylan Danko, who picked up 35 yards on four successive carries. They scored on a broken play where Lamson fumbled, picked it up and bolted for the end zone.
The second quarter was a defensive struggle. The Knights held Simsbury to one first down. Southington’s forays into Simsbury territory resulted in an interception by Nick Mallette and a missed field goal.
A 32-yard punt return by Evan Rodrigues gave the Knights a short field at the 23 early in the third quarter. Once again, the Simsbury defense turned them away on fourth down.
For the first time since the first quarter, the Trojans strung together a couple first downs. Southington forced a punt but Simsbury gained in the battle for field position, pinning the Knights at their own 10.
A 38-yard pass play from Lamson to Rodrigues enabled Southington to again penetrate the red zone. The third quarter ended with Southington facing a fourth-and-4. The fourth quarter began with Simsbury frustrating the Knights once again.
“We’re built for spread offenses,” Simsbury coach Jeff Osborne said. “That’s what we do in the offseason is prepare. This is the sixth time we faced the spread offense in six games.”
Arnold carried the ball 31 times, 22 in the first half, and churned out 116 yards.
Mancini Leads Rocky Hill
Mike Mancini out-jumped a defender for a pass from Ty Reed and completed a 45-yard scoring play to give Rocky Hill a 15-8 win over previously undefeated Berlin in a key Nutmeg League clash.
“I knew I had the height advantage all day,” Mancini told the New Britain Herald. “Ty Reed threw a beautiful ball and we got lucky with that jump ball.”
After a scoreless first half, Rocky Hill (5-1) scored less than two minutes into the third quarter on a 4-yard run by Frank Carlson.
On the Terriers’ next possession, the Berlin defense held on 4th-and-inches at midfield. Max DeLorenzo gained 39 yards on the next four carries, setting up a 3-yard run by quarterback Dan Hackett. DeLorenzo’s two-point conversion run gave the Redcoats (4-1) an 8-7 edge.
The game-winning pass play came with 2:42 remaining.
The win enabled Rocky Hill to move into the fourth and final playoff qualification slot in the CIAC Class SS race.
New Britain Rolls
Tailback Kaiuway Boima rushed for two scores and caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Rafal Garcarz as New Britain improved its record to 5-1 by crushing East Hartford, 42-0, in the CCC North opener for both teams.
Boima gained 153 yards on 13 carries. Tebucky Jones Jr. caught five passes for 94 yards. Chris Linares and Tarik Hightower also caught touchdown passes from Garcarz, who threw for a season-high four.
The Golden Hurricanes hold down the third spot in the CIAC Class LL playoff points race.
Regional Roundup
* Newington rolled up 337 yards on the ground to steamroll Bristol Central, 33-0, in a CCC South opener.
Quarterback Spencer Parker scored on a pair of short runs. Jon Riddick and Harrison Scully also ran for touchdowns. Shane Leupold scored on a 71-yard punt return.
Central (1-5) managed just 130 yards from scrimmage.
Newington (5-1) is second to undefeated Bunnell-Stratford in the CIAC Class L playoff points standings.
* The battle of CCC North unbeatens turned into a mismatch Friday as Glastonbury (6-0) trounced Manchester, 43-7, before 2,500 fans in Glastonbury.
Quarterback Erich Pfeffer turned in a complete performance. He completed 8-of-12 passes, three for touchdowns, kicked a field goal and knocked four extra points through the uprights.
Glastonbury is second to Hamden in the CIAC Class LL playoff point standings. Dejavon Chisholm ran for 129 yards for Manchester (5-1).
* St. Paul/Goodwin Tech ventured outside the Nutmeg League for a 41-14 clubbing of winless Windsor Locks/Suffield to extend its unbeaten string to six. The combination of quarterback Brian Kaczynski to Ryan Moore struck for two touchdowns.
* Avon (4-2) turned back a late Tolland drive to record a 21-13 in a key Uncas Division clash in the Pequot League. An interception near the goal line by T.J. Stolzenberg sealed the deal.
Ross MacDonald scored three touchdowns and gained 148 yards for the victorious Falcons.
* Cromwell continued to dominate the Pequot League Sassacus Division by pounding Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 39-6, behind a ground game that produced 350 yards. Tyshawn Prude ran for two touchdowns and 118 yards. Cromwell continues to set the pace in the Class S playoff point standings.
Ken Lipshez of the New Britain Herald covers central Connecticut for MaxPreps. He may be reached at kenlip@aol.com.
