Killingly — Just when football has become awash in multiple (and sometimes exotic) formations, technobabble and multi-colored plays on wristbands, there is Killingly High School as the friendly reminder that in simplicity there is poetry.

And Friday night, there was history.

The Redmen run one of those offenses in which quarterback Kyle Derosier could announce, pre-snap, exactly where the play will be run ... and teammate Austin Caffrey could still get 20 yards.

Caffrey got 180 of them Friday night and the Redmen accomplished something the program hadn't since before the current players were born. They qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 1996.

Killingly 42, Montville 6.

The Redmen (8-1, 5-1) also clinched at least a share of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Small Division title. They'll have a chance to play at home in the playoffs, too, with a victory Thanksgiving Day over Quinebaug Valley.

"The first day (of practice) coach (Chad Neal) sat us down and brought in a goal board," Caffrey said. "Each kid raised his hand and said something. One stood up and said 'to make the playoffs and win the ECC title.' Now it's happening."

Indeed. Killingly has won eight straight since a season opening loss to Griswold.

"I thought we had potential to be over .500," Neal said. "But with the work the kids put in during the offseason, things started to happen and I think that Bacon game (a 40-7 win Oct. 10 over the ECC Large Division champs) really got everybody believing."

Killingly led 14-0 at halftime, thanks to Spencer Lockwood's 6-yard touchdown run and Derosier's 37-yard touchdown pass to Vasileios Politis. But it could have been more, evidenced by an interception (from Montville's Tyler Price) and a fumble.

Hence, Neal resorted to a more basic — and familiar — approach in the second half. Give it to Caffrey and get out of the way. He scored three touchdowns in the third period.

"We got sloppy," Neal said. "We got complacent. So we decided to go with our bread and butter."

Montville (4-4, 1-3) hung around despite a first half in which quarterback Cody Calash was sacked five times.

"Killingly is very good," Montville coach Tanner Grove said. "They run their stuff. We're out here with our 20-something kids and in the second half, it kind of wore on us."

Lockwood gained 138 yards for the Redmen, who amassed more than 300 rushing yards.

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @BCgenius