With three interceptions returned for TDs, Granby rolls past Yellowjackets

GRANBY, Nov. 2 – The Granby Memorial football team intercepted four passes Friday night and returned three for touchdowns as the Bears earned their fourth shutout of the season with a 39-0 Pequot Uncas victory over visiting Gilbert/Northwestern.

Granby’s Andel Smith returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown for a new school record while Jackson Rome also returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown. Conor Hogan also had an interception for the Bears and returned it 55 yards for a TD. Dylan Disabella also intercepted a pass for the Bears.

The Bears (5-3, 4-2 Pequot Uncas) were led on the ground by Rome, who ran 83 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Sam Attianese ran for 84 yards on five carries.

According to the Connecticut High School Football Record Book, Granby tied the state record for interceptions returned for a touchdown in a single game. Foran-Milford in 2010 and Morgan in 2013 also ran back three interceptions for touchdowns.

Defensively, Granby was sharp, sparked by Devin Flagg with 11 tackles and a sack, Tyler Perez with 10 tackles including one for a loss and Daniel Linton, who had nine tackles in the contest. Ben Kibby had seven tackles and two sacks. Gilbert/Northwestern (4-4, 3-4 Pequot Uncas) had won three of their last four games.

Granby plays their final home game of the season next Friday when they host Coventry/Bolton/Windham Tech/Lyman Memorial (3-5) co-op team at 7 p.m. The Bears close out the season on Wednesday, Nov. 21 when they travel to Canton (1-7) for annual holiday classic.

NOTES: The state record for most interceptions in a game is eight by Notre Dame-Fairfield in 1969 and Staples in 2010. … Smith’s interception return for TD breaks the previous record of 70 yards that was held by Sam Attianese, who had a 70-yard interception return for a TD against Ellington in 2017. Smith’s 90-yard interception return is the third longest scoring play in school history. Connor Field had a 99-yard TD run against Enfield in 2015 and a 92-yard kickoff return against the Windsor Locks co-op team in 2014.

Granby 39, Gilbert/NWR 0
At Granby
Gilbert/NWR (4-4)       0  0  0  0  — 0
Granby (5-3)               6  20  13  0 – 39
First quarter
G: Sam Attianese 60 run (kick fails)
Second quarter
G: Conor Hogan 55 interception return (Garrett Strain pass from Jackson Rome)
G: Strain 11 pass from Rome (kick fails)
G: Andel Smith 90 interception return (run fails)
Third quarter
G: Rome 35 interception return (kick blocked)
G: Rome 31 run (Matt Zydorf kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Granby – Jackson Rome 10-83, Sam Attianese 5-84, Garrett Strain 8-25, Andel Smith 1-8, Dylan Disabella 4-5
PASSING: Granby – Jackson Rome 4-12-0, 55
RECEIVING: Granby – Garrett Strain 2-43, Disabella 1-5