The Lonesome Polecat: YOUR quarterfinal repository~!

November 30, 2021 11:00 pm • Last Updated: December 03, 2021 11:46 pm

By Ned Griffen

n.griffen@theday.com

Howdy,

Hope everyone enjoyed the CIAC #cthsfb quarterfinals Tuesday on the final night of the season.

We’re going to try to keep this streamlined so HERE WE GO:

CLASS LL

No. 1 Fairfield Prep 21, No. 8 Greenwich 14

Ryan O’Connell scored on two 1-yard runs as the Jesuits relied on its run game to avenge their only loss of the season.

Connor Smith also scored on a 22-yard run for Prep (10-1), which ran 49 times for 296 yards.

The game changed with Greenwich leading 14-7 in the third quarter when Cardinals’ quarterback Jack Wilson was knocked out of the game after taking a shoulder to the head from the Jesuits’ Joe D’Elia as he was sliding.

Greenwich coach Anthony Morello told Pete Paguaga of the GameTimeCT Inc. Hearst Monolith that he thought targeting should’ve been called.

Wilson completed 6 of 10 passes for 96 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to James Wailgum for the Cardinals (7-4). Thomas Foster ran for an 86-yard touchdown on the game’s first play and finished with 121 yards on 10 carries.

Greenwich beat Prep during the regular season, 14-7 (Oct. 2).

Go read more about the game from Pete.

No. 2 New Canaan 38, No 7 Southington 14

The Rams rallied back from a 14-0 deficit by scoring 24 unanswered second-half points.

Mack Seelert had six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown and ran four times for 24 yards and a score for New Canaan (10-1). Henry Cunney completed 18-of-25 passes for a season-high 269 yards while Conor Bailey (1 yard), Vincent Cognetta (12) and Hunter Telesco (16) all ran for touchdowns.

Jack Barnum completed 23 of 32 passes for 214 yards with an interception and scored on a 6-yard run for the Blue Knights (8-3). Javon Thomas added nine carries for 41 yards and a score and Justin Zitofsky had four catches for 87 yards.

No. 3 Darien 46, No. 6 Hamden 19

Tighe Cummiskey scored on touchdown passes of 14 and 15 yards and also ran for a 30-yard touchdown for the Blue Wave.

Miles Drake threw four touchdown passes for Darien (10-1), including one to Matt Minicus (41 yards) and another to Jaylen Lesperance (47). Jeremiah Stafford also scored on runs of 6 and 15 yards.

The Blue Wave head back to New Canaan to play its rival in the semifinals. The Rams beat Darien on Thanksgiving, 12-7.

Sam Doumah scored on a 1-yard run and threw an 8-yard touchdown to Derrell Redd for the Green Dragons (8-3). Cam Winder scored on a 6-yard run, too.

No. 5 Shelton 42, No. 4 Hall 28

Tyler Rich ran 28 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns for the Gaels.

Aidan King had two interceptions deep in Shelton territory in the last five minutes of the first half for his team.

The Gaels (9-2) ran 55 times for 295 yards and six touchdowns (swoons). Ayden Sepkaski scored on runs of 4 and 1 yards and Shane Santiago ran for a 3-yard touchdown.

Shelton gets another crack at Prep — the latter tramped the Gaels, 54-0, on Nov. 5.

Matt Farber scored on an 8-yard run and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Eli Salomons for Hall (9-2). Leo Perreira also scored on runs of 1 and 4 yards.

CLASS L

No. 1 St. Joseph 21, No. 8 Hand 20 (OT)

THIS GAME.

Reilly Jordan ran for a 1-yard touchdown and Logan Spolestra ended the game with an extra point as the defending champion Cadets once again found a way to win.

St. Joseph’s Maxwell Warren scored on a 1-yard run and Spolestra’s extra point tied the game at 14 with over eight minutes left.

The Tigers’ Patch Flanagan threw a 45-yard pass to Shane Smith to give their team the ball at the Cadets’ 10-yard line with under a minute left. Hand ran on its next three plays and a 20-yard field goal attempt by Marco Mazzarella was blocked.

Jordan ran 23 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns for St. Joseph (10-1) and Matt Morrissey completed 16 of 20 passes for 160 yards.

Flanagan ran 24 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns and completed 7 of 9 passes for 121 yards for Hand (7-4).

No. 3 Maloney 49, No. 6 Bristol Central 14

Angel Arce completed 10 of 12 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns while the Spartans’ defense kept UConn commit Victor Rosa from running wild.

Josh Boganski ran for 22 times for 149 yards and a touchdown for Maloney (10-1) and Rashawn Shelton had two interceptions. Ian Graham and Austin STUDLEY each caught two touchdown passes and Kenny McMillian scored on two 1-yard runs.

(FYI — Austin Studley would’ve been a great name for a pro rasslin’ heel in the old Mid-South territory feuding with the Junkyard Dog or “Dr. Death” Steve Williams.)

Rosa ran 28 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams (9-2). He rushed for 2,598 yards during the regular season with 39 touchdowns.

No. 5 Windsor 62, No. 4 Cheney Tech 0

Whelp, this was even uglier than expected.

Elijah Cromartie threw six touchdowns for Windsor (10-1), including two to Elijah Lopez (38, 18 yards) and another to Shawn Bell (35). The latter also scored on a 15-yard run.

Windsor will play St. Joseph for the second time — the Cadets won, 45-22, on Sept. 24.

No. 7 Masuk 20, No. 2 Naugatuck 17

Nick Saccu ran 18 times for a game-high 192 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Jackson as the Panthers edged past the Greyhounds.

Masuk (9-2) went ahead for good on Saccu’s 9-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 12 seconds left.

Naugy had fourth-and-3 from the Panthers’ 11-yard line but was called for an illegal substitution. Masuk got the ball back on an incomplete pass and ran out the clock.

JETT Hall ran 20 times for 175 yards and a touchdown for the Greyhounds (9-2). Mike Deitlebaum ran 14 times for 51 yards and a touchdown and Dom DeSousa kicked an 18-yard field goal and two extra points.

CLASS M

No. 1 Killingly 49, No. 8 Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic 14

Jack Sharpe ran 24 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns to help send Killingly to its sixth straight semifinal.

Thomas Dreibholz completed 7 of 10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns for Killingly (10-0) while Soren Rief ran 16 times for 109 yards and recovered a fumble.

Nate Keefe (three catches, 74 yards) and Ben Jax (three catches, 55 yards) both caught touchdown passes for Killingly. Also, Seth Dootson recovered two fumbles and Noah Colangelo added an interception.

Fred Camp ran 10 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, caught a 45-yard pass to set up a to set up another touchdown and threw a 25-yard pass for the Yellowjackets (6-3). Aiden Avenia also scored on a 3-yard run.

No. 2 Rockville 27, No. 7 Ellington 0

The Manchester Journal-Inquirer covered the game and it's an afternoon paper, so it’ll post something from Adam Betz at some point.

No. 5 Branford 7, No. 4 Avon 6

Nate Chieffo ran 14 times for 68 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown, as the Hornets scraped past the Falcons.

Branford (9-2) beat Avon during the regular season, 21-7.

Tabor Engle ran 30 times for 112 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons (7-3), who had him try to run for the conversion.

No. 6 Torrington 39, No. 3 Granby/Canton 29

Mason Stannard caught a go-ahead 55-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Semonich with 57.8 seconds remaining and knocked down a fourth-down pass at the Torrington goal line in the closing seconds to give the Raiders their first playoff win.

Semonich ran 20 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns and completed 4 of 6 passes for 85 yards and a score for Torrington (8-3). Sean Clinkscales had 19 carries for 111 yards and a score.

Torrington ran 43 times for 328 yards because GOD’S FATHER’S OFFENSE.

Marquis Thomas ran 14 times for 96 yards and three touchdowns for the Bears (7-4) and BEACH Sessions scored on a 79-yard kickoff return.

CLASS S

No. 1 Bloomfield 50, No. 8 Morgan 18

FYI — the WARHAWKS were missing several starters on both sides of the ball due to COVID-19 protocols.

Bloomfield still had Dallas Rose and Conellius Patrick, though, so it rolled.

Rose ran six times for 154 yards and three touchdowns for the WARHAWKS (11-0) and Patrick ran for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught a 44-yard touchdown pass.

Backup quarterback Jansyn Booth made his first start in place of Darrien Foster and completed 11 of 15 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Robert Dunkley.

Drew Nye threw touchdown passes to Garrett Garbinski (18 yards) and Ethan Ranaudo (33) for the Huskies (8-3). Casey Corrigan also ran for a 6-yard touchdown

No. 2 Cromwell/Portland 29, No. 7 Notre Dame-Fairfield 20

Teddy Williams caught a 32-yard pass and set up the Panthers’ other three touchdowns in their win.

Cole Brisson threw two touchdown passes for the PANTHERLANDERS (11-0) and Alex Hair scored on a 4-yard run.

Jaidyn Denny threw two touchdowns to Bailey Coleman (11, 12 yards) and another to Tayshawn Dixon (43 yards) for the Lancers (7-3).

No. 3 Ansonia 35, No. 6 Seymour 14

Darell McKnight ran 19 times for 190 yards and four touchdowns as the Chargers ran down the Wildcats again.

David Cassetti had 11 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown for Ansonia (10-1), which beat Seymour, 33-8, on Oct. 21.

Colin Frey ran 26 times for 114 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats (8-3). Caden Drezek also completed 7 of 13 passes for 107 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sean Foster.

No. 5 New Fairfield 41, No. 4 Holy Cross 7

Justin McCormack ran 15 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more as the REBELS took it to the Crusaders.

Ryan Fata scored on a 62-yard run and an 18-yard touchdown pass for New Fairfield (9-2) and Vincent Sarro caught a 50-yard touchdown pass.

Jason Caswell, who has been the REBELS’ workhorse all season, ran 17 times for 138 yards and a score.

Thomas Ligi ran 17 times for 83 yards for Holy Cross (8-3) and David Kacprzyski scored on a 2-yard run.

• • • •

Here are YOUR Sunday semifinals (all games kickoff at 12:30 p.m.)

CLASS LL

No. 5 Shelton at No. 1 Fairfield Prep — THE REMATCHENING~!

No. 3 Darien at No. 2 New Canaan — THE REMATCHENING~!

CLASS L

No. 5 Windsor at No. 1 St. Joseph — THE REMATCHENING~!