Quarterback Brendan Bilchek helped guide Hand to a come-from-behind victory against defending Class LL champion Xavier.
Photo by Matthew Jaques
After four lead changes,
Hand (Madison, Conn.) took the lead for good when
Brendan Bilcheck thew a touchdown to
Caleb Ewald with 2:00 left in the third quarter and held on to upset defending Class LL champion
Xavier (Middletown, Conn.) 40-20 Friday night in front of 4,000 at Palmer Field in Middletown.
Dubbled the "Game of the Century" by Connecticut Post writer Sean Patrick Bowley, the win for reigning Class L champion Hand extended its winning streak to 18 games, while snapping Xavier's streak at 30 games.
After taking the lead on a
DeAngelo Berry touchdown run, Xavier went into halftime with a 20-14 lead. Hand took the lead for good with a touchdown pass by Bilcheck to Ewald in the third quarter.
Matt Walsh, Hand
Photo by Matthew Jaques
was the top performer for Hand. The senior ran for five touchdowns.
Tim Boyle played well for Xavier. The senior quarterback threw one touchdown and ran for one touchdown.
The defeat comes as a step back for Xavier, which notched a 49-6 victory over Hamden in its previous outing.
Xavier (4-1) will play a Southern Connecticut Division I - West game against Amity Regional next week, while Hand (5-0) will take on West Haven in a Southern Connecticut Division I - East game.
