Simsbury holds off Enfield in final seconds for win; Granby rallies to beat Rockville

SIMSBURY, Oct. 27 – The Simsbury High football team has displayed the ability to score points this year. However, the Trojans have struggled to stop the opposition – especially late in games.

On Friday night, the Trojans came up big in a 36-35 CCC Division I win over Enfield at Holden Field. It took the visiting Raiders four tries to pull within one point on a one-yard touchdown run from Mason Dumas with three seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Enfield tried to win the game with a two-point conversion run but Simsbury (4-3) stopped it to prevail with a one-point decision and their third straight win. The Raiders slip to 1-7 on the year.

Simsbury took a 12-point lead at halftime, 26-14, thanks to a pair of touchdown passes to Ralph Gilliard (5 receptions, 52 yards) from Jackson Masters and a pair of touchdown runs from Rafael Nieves (21 carries, 159 yards). Masters completed 15-of-24 passes for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Enfield cut the lead to 26-21 on Xavier Copening’s 78-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter. Cory Zall extended the Simsbury lead to 29-21 on a 32-yard field goal. Enfield tied the game when Copening scored on a 27-yard pass from Dumas in the fourth quarter and a successful two-point conversion pass from Dumas to Garrett Ritchie.

Simsbury took a 36-28 lead with 5:30 remaining on a four-yard run from Nieves. It was the first one-point decision in the series since Simsbury beat Enfield by one point, 7-6, in the 1921 season.

The Trojans travel to face Manchester (2-5) on the road next Friday night at 7 p.m.

Simsbury 36, Enfield 35
At Simsbury
Enfield (1-6)                           7  8  8  12 — 35
Simsbury (4-3)                       20  6  3  7 — 36
First Quarter
S: Ralph Gilliard 28 pass from Jackson Masters (Cory Zall kick)
E: Mason Dumas 1 run (Xavier Copening kick)
S: Gilliard 6 pass form Masters (Zall kick)
S: Rafael Nieves 2 run (kick failed)
Second Quarter
E: Joel Stewart 43 pass from Dumas (Copening kick)
S: Nieves 10 run (pass failed)
Third Quarter
E: Copening 78 kickoff return (Copening kick)
S: Zall 32 FG
Fourth Quarter
E: Copening 27 pass from Dumas (Garrett Ritchie pass from Dumas)
S: Nieves 4 run (Zall kick), 5:30
E: Dumas 1 run (run failed), 0:03
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Simsbury – Rafael Nieves 21-159, Jackson Masters 2-14
PASSING: Simsbury – Jackson Masters 15-24-2, 173; J. Taddio 1-1-0, 9
RECEIVING: Simsbury – J. Taddio 3-56, Ralph Gilliard 5-52, Jackson Butler 4-52, R. Nieves 3-13

Granby 28, Rockville 22
GRANBY, Oct. 27 – Quarterback Jackson Rome scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter as the Granby High football team beat Rockville, 28-22 in a Pequot Conference Uncas Division game on Friday night.

It continues to be a rough debut for Rockville in the Pequot Conference. The Rams are 0-7 in their first year in the league after leaving the Central Connecticut Conference in the spring.

Rockville led 15-7 in the second quarter on a pair of touchdown runs from Nick Attardo (29-174) and a 25-yard field goal from Cam Eilerman. Granby took the lead, 17-15, on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Attianese from Rome and Matt Zyzdorf’s extra point in the second quarter.

Granby extended their lead on a 55-yard touchdown run from Keon Lawrence – his second rushing TD of the day – and an extra point from Zyzdorf, 21-15. The Rams took a 22-21 lead on a 21-yard pass from Ben Ambro to Tyler Allen and an extra point.

Lawrence ran for 95 yards for Granby while Rome threw for 143 yards and 2 TDs.

Granby 28, Rockville 22
At Granby
Rockville (0-7)    12  3  7  0  — 22
Granby (3-4)        7  6  7  8  — 28
First Quarter
R: Nick Attardo 1 run (kick failed)
R: Attardo 4 run (pass failed)
G: Keon Lawrence 60 pass from Jackson Rome (Matt Zyzdorf kick)
Second Quarter
R: Cam Eilerman 25 FG
G: Samuel Attianese 50 pass from Rome (run failed)
Third Quarter
G: Lawrence 55 run (Zyzdorf kick)
R: Tyler Allen 21 pass from Ben Ambro (Eilerman kick)
Fourth Quarter
G: Rome 1 run (Lawrence pass from Rome)