East Hartford - Jevon Elmore has "it."

There are certain athletes who have an uncanny ability to make big plays at the biggest moments, which something Elmore did for New London High School.

Saturday, Elmore had a three interceptions, the last which saved Connecticut's hide and secured a 14-8 win over Rhode Island in the Governors' Cup Senior All-Star game football against Rhode Island at Rentschler Field.

"Jevon Elmore, I love the kid," New London coach Jeff Larson said. "There's not another kid who has any more swag, whatever you want to call it, than Jevon Elmore. He makes big plays."

It was the 10th straight win for Connecticut, which leads the series 11-3.

Connecticut's latest win was perhaps its hardest. Rhode Island had a second-and-goal at the Connecticut 21-yard line with under a minute left.

On the next play, Elmore had an interception at the 1.

"They couldn't run on us," Elmore, a cornerback, said. "I pictured (the play) in my head that they were going deep, and I just came down with it."

Elmore, who will attend West Point Prep, was the no-brainer choice for the Larry McHugh Award given to Connecticut's top defender.

It wasn't the easiest matchup for the 5-foot-10 Elmore as he was defending Cranston West's Xavier Ferland Haroun, a 6-foot-1 receiver.

"Six-one going against 5-10," Elmore smiled. "I'll take that any day."

Two plays later, New London's Kyle McKinnon broke off a 63-yard run to ice the game. It was the game's longest play from scrimmage.

"That's the Kyle McKinnon I know," Elmore said after the run.

McKinnon, who will attend Kent Prep of Flushing, N.Y., ran for a game-high 88 yards on eight carries.

McKinnon also snared an under-thrown pass on a bubble screen and fought off several would-be tacklers for a 17-yard gain, one of the game's most impressive plays.

"He's got such a great heart," Larson said. "He works hard and comes every day to practice and plays his butt off. It's proven in that screen that he hit. He wouldn't go down, and then the final play to ice it, a 63-yard scamper.

"I love both of them (Elmore and McKinnon)."

Cornerback Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (Valley Regional/Old Lyme co-op), lineman Tim Farina (East Lyme) and linebacker Dallas Smith (Ledyard) also played for Connecticut.

Windsor's Aaron Berardino had five catches for 93 yards, including two touchdowns thrown by Xavier of Middletown's Pat D'Amato. Berardino was the Jerry McDougall Award winner given to Connecticut's top offensive player.

The day belonged to Elmore, though, the perfect ending of his high school career. He leaves for West Point Prep in four weeks.

It takes a special kind of person to willingly go into the military, but, again, Elmore has "it."

"When I went to West Point, you can't compete with that," Elmore said. "What they have to offer me for the next five years of my life is going to give me everything I need."

Larson said, "I'm just excited to see him go (there). And he's going to change his life. He's got that innate ability to get people to rally around him and believe in him. And when he does that, he's unstoppable, and that's what I see happening.

"They're going to respond to Jevon Elmore."