Granby/Canton to challenge No. 3 Sheehan Tuesday in Class SS quarterfinals

Granby/Canton QB Vinny Forte (2) and the Bears face Sheehan in the quarterfinals of the Class SS tournament on Tuesday in Wallingford.

Seldom do you have an easy game in the state tournament. It is to be expected. Most qualifiers in the CIAC football tournament have won at least eight of 10 contests or more.

Granby/Canton (8-2) will be facing a challenging opponent on Tuesday when they travel to Wallingford to face No. 3 seed Sheehan High (8-2) in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Class SS tournament beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Riccitelli Field.

The Bears are looking for their first-ever CIAC football tournament victory while the host Titans are looking for a bit of redemption after coming 79 seconds from earning a spot in last year’s Class SS title game.

Joel Barlow’s last-second touchdown pass lifted the Falcons past Sheehan, 17-16, in the Class SS semifinals last December. The CIAC later admitted that the game officials erred on a call that would allowed Sheehan to run out the clock if the penalty had been assessed correctly with 1:19 left in regulation.

Sheehan returned 12 starters from last year’s team, including eight on defense. The Titans had three shutouts this season and three games allowing just six points. They gave up just 27 yards of offense (16 yards rushing, 11 passing) to cross-town rival Lyman Hall on Thanksgiving.

They have forced 15 turnovers (8 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries) and have blocked three punts.

Offensively, the Titans are led by QB Jake O’Brien, who has completed 87-of-136 passes for 1,577 yards and 26 TDs. Jayden Dougherty has a team-leading 14 TD receptions. Through nine games, Jack Grant (105-657, 8 TDs) and Josh Durant (94-638, 10 TDs) have led Sheehan’s ground game.

The Bears will need an all-around effort to advance. The Granby/Canton defense has forced 22 turnovers (18 interceptions, four fumbles) this season led by Hayes Horst with 64 tackles and 12 tackles for loss.

“We’re flying around playing assignment football (defensively),” Granby/Canton head coach Erik Shortell said. “When the ball is in the air, we are attacking it. When it is on the ground, we’re swarming (around it). It’s a gang-tackling defense.”

Offensively, the Bears will rely on quarterback Vinny Forte, who has gotten better and better at running Granby/Canton’s option offense as the season as progressed.

“He’s dynamic,” Shortell said. “He us really figuring out the option game, making the correct reads. He can run. He can throw. He is making smart decisions throwing the ball.”

Granby/Canton defenders swarm over Ellington’s Owen Boucher (4) during a Pequot Conference game in Granby.

Forte has rushed for 482 yards and a team-leading 14 touchdowns. Throwing the ball, Forte has completed 54 of 96 passes for 953 yards with 11 touchdown passes.

“He’s a rusher, a big rusher,” Granby/Canton teammate Carter Chambers said. “He has legs. He’s a dog. He can move around. He’s always there for the team with the right reads.”

Chambers is the team’s leading rusher with 637 yards on 83 carries with nine touchdowns. Forte has rushed for nearly 500 yards while Horst has run for nearly 600 yards. The leading receiver is Ryan Cuniowski with 19 receptions for 433 yards and six TDs.

Class SS quarterfinal
No. 6 Granby/Canton (8-2) at No. 3 Sheehan-Wallingford (8-2)
Location: At Riccitelli Field, Wallingford
Date and time: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Coaches: John Ferrazzi, Sheehan, 19th season (107-92-2), Erik Shortell, Granby/Canton, 8th season (52-32)
Playoff rosters
Series: First meeting
Playoff history: Granby/Canton, 0-5 (sixth appearance); Sheehan, 6-3 (seventh appearance). Won Class SS championship (1985) and Class S championship (2019)
Outlook: The Bears are looking for their first-ever CIAC playoff victory but they will be challenged by a hungry Sheehan team that is looking to return to the finals after losing to Joel Barlow with 16 seconds remaining in last December’s semifinal. The Titans are effective through the air and on the ground. QB Jake O’Brien has thrown for 1,577 yards and 26 TDs while Josh Durant (107-761) has a team-leading 11 rushing TDs. The only losses for Sheehan came to Killingly (10-0), the top seed in Class SS and Fairfield Prep (9-1), the top seed in Class LL.
Of note: Granby/Canton earned a CIAC playoff berth for the fifth straight year and have won seven or more games for the last six seasons. Sheehan is making their second consecutive CIAC playoff appearance. … This is the fifth year of the co-op between Canton and Granby.

CLASS SS tournament
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Ellington at Killingly
Ledyard at Windham
Granby/Canton at Sheehan
Waterford vs. Bullard Havens at Kennedy Stadium, Bridgeport
Semifinals
Sunday, Dec. 8
At higher seeds
Championship
Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 14
Time TBA at Arute Field (CCSU) or Rentschler Field in East Hartford
Seedings: 1. Killingly (9-0), 2. Windham (9-1), 3. Sheehan-Wallingford (8-2), 4. Bullard-Havens (7-3), 5. Waterford (8-2), 6. Granby/Canton (8-2), 7. Ledyard (6-4), 8. Ellington (6-4)