Strong defense lifts Simsbury, Granby/Canton to gridiron victories

Simsbury forced five turnovers in Thursday night’s 38-26 win over Manchester to improve to 3-3 on the season. (Photo courtesy Scott Kerr)

MANCHESTER, Oct. 20, 2022 – Noble Gongon rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns while QB Charlie Strayer ran for 122 yards on 17 carries and three a touchdown pass to lead the Simsbury High football team to a 38-26 win over Manchester on Thursday night in Central Connecticut Conference action.

Simsbury (3-3) forced five turnovers in the game, intercepting three passes and recovering two fumbles. Mitch Wallman scored a pair of touchdowns for the Trojans, including a 20-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

For Manchester, quarterback Jayden Kennedy completed 20-of-30 passes for 240 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Kennedy ran for 128 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Jared Lidstrom caught eight passes for 131 yards and two TDs for the Red Hawks (2-4).

Simsbury 38, Manchester 26
At Manchester
Simsbury (3-3)               10  7  7  14 — 38
Manchester (2-4)           7  0  6  13 — 26
First quarter
S: Noble Gongon 3 run (Dan Sullivan kick)
M: Nasir White 85 kickoff return (Jailen Pinni kick)
S: Sullivan 38 FG
Second quarter
S: Mitch Wallman 4 pass from Charlie Strayer (Sullivan kick)
Third quarter
M: Jayden Kennedy 21 run (kick fails)
S: Gongon 79 run (Sullivan kick)
Fourth quarter
S: Wallman 20 Interception Return (Sullivan Kick)
S: Gongon 13 run (Sullivan kick)
M: Jared Lidstrom 5 pass from Jayden Kennedy (Pinni Kick)
M: Lidstrom 16 pass from Kennedy (run fails)

Granby/Canton 44, Rockville 20
VERNON, Oct. 21, 2022 – The Bears had three interceptions and scored 35 unanswered points to earn a 44-20 win over Rockville in Pequot Uncas Division action on Friday night.

Quarterback Will Migliaccio and running back Will Attianese each ran for two touchdowns for Granby/Canton (4-2, 4-1 Pequot Uncas) with Brandon Powell scoring on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Migliaccio and George Horst kicking a 29-yard field goal.

Sophomore Carter Chambers had a 43-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

Rockville (3-2, 2-2 Pequot Uncas) had a 13-9 lead when a Horst interception gave the Bears the ball. A 20-yard pass from Migliaccio to Luke Maher put the ball on the Rams five-yard line. Two plays later, Migliaccio scored from the two to give Granby/Canton the lead for good. Horst’s extra point made it 16-13.

On Rockville’s next possession, the Bears defensive pressure caused a fumble that Granby/Canton recovered on the Rockville two-yard line. Will Attianese scored from the two with 5:45 left in the second quarter for a 23-13 lead.

Rockville did respond with a 12-play, 86-yard march to the Bear two-yard line. But the Rams lost five yards on a bad snap and Rockville QB Brady Ramsdell had three consecutive incomplete passes.

Granby/Canton extended the lead to 30-13 late in the third quarter after Migliaccio had consecutive runs of 16, 10 and eight yards respectively to put the Bears in the end zone. Luke Maher had a team-high 69 yards rushing on 13 carries and caught six passes for 54 yards.

Granby/Canton hosts Ellington next week in another big Pequot Uncas contest in Granby beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Granby/Canton 44, Rockville 20
At Vernon
Granby/Canton (4-2)    9  14  7  14  — 44
Rockville (3-2)                7    6  0    7  — 20
First quarter
Ro: Joseph Christian 20 pass from Brady Ramsdell (Molly Wilson kick), 8:35
G: George Horst 29 FG, 4:22
G: Brandon Powell 32 pass from Will Migliaccio (Horst kick), 3:21
Second quarter
Ro: Hason Green 10 pass from Ramsdell (pass fails), 11:04
G: Migliaccio 2 run (Horst kick), 6:45
G: William Attianese 2 run (Horst kick), 5:45
Third quarter
G: Migliaccio 8 run (Horst kick), 4:59
Fourth quarter
G: William Attianese 2 run (Horst kick), 8:27
G: Carter Chambers 43 interception return (Horst kick), 7:39
R: Green 80 pass from Ramsdell (Wilson kick), 7:21
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Granby/Canton — Migliaccio 7-31, Luke Maher 13-69, Will Attianese 6-14
PASSING: Granby/Canton — Migliaccio 11-19-0, 151; Rockville — Brady Ramsdell 21-49-3, 325
RECEIVING: Granby/Canton — Brandon Powell 1-32; Luke Maher 6-54

E.O. Smith 37, Farmington 21
FARMINGTON, Oct. 21, 2022 – Tyler Holcomb and Connor Ouellette each ran for a pair of touchdowns as E.O. Smith beat Farmington, 37-21, on Friday night in CCC action at the George Bennett Field.

Luke Watson scored a pair of touchdowns for the River Hawks (2-4) while Griffin Kiniry scored on a 12-yard touchdown reception from QB Kevin Ives.

E.O. Smith 37, Farmington 21
At Farmington
E.O. Smith (2-4)             14  14  7  3  — 37
Farmington (2-4)             7    7  0  7  — 21
First quarter
EO: Ben Rosenberg 5 run (kick failed)
EO: Tyler Holcomb 6 run (Anthony Bolduc kick)
F: Luke Watson 40 run (Adam Maselek kick)
Second quarter
EO: Connor Ouellette 5 run (Bolduc kick)
EP: Holcomb 5 run (Bolduc kick)
F: Griffin Kiniry 12 pass from Kevin Ives (Maselek kick)
Third quarter
EO: Ouellette 1 run (Bolduc kick)
Fourth quarter
EO: Bolduc 17 FG
F: Watson 21 run (Maselek kick)