Ellington erases 21-point deficit to beat Granby/Canton in triple OT

Granby/Canton QB Joseph Lewie (10) ran for a team-leading 173 yards and 3 TDs in Wednesday night’s Pequot Conference loss to Ellington.

Ellington QB Aaron Ladr threw four touchdowns passes and scored on a game-winning two-point conversion run as the Purple Knights erased a 21-point deficit and beat Granby/Canton, 37-35 in triple OT in a Pequot Conference game on Wednesday night in Ellington.

The Bears (4-3) led 21-0 in the second quarter when QB Joseph Lewie scored on a 1-yard run with 43 seconds left in the first half. But the Purple Knights scored at the end of the half as Lehr got the ball away to Dylan Calsetta for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 14 points, 21-7.

Ellington (6-1) tied the game at 21-21 when Brett Powell scored with 7:13 left in the game. The Purple Knights stood tall, denying Granby/Canton in the final minute. Ellington stopped the Bears on a fourth down and goal from the three-yard line with 1:22 left in regulation.

Both teams scored in the first OT session and both teams failed to score in the second OT. In the third OT, the Bears scored first on a Lewie run but the two-point conversion attempt failed.

Ellington tied the game thanks to a one-yard TD pass to Maddox Dimovski and won it with a two-point conversion run from Ladr.

Lewis had a game for the Bears, rushing for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Defensively, he played well with nine solo tackles, 12 stops overall, a sack, two tackles for a loss and one forced fumble.

Elijah Sam had 82 yards rushing on nine carries for Granby/Canton while Gabe Mensah ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

With the win, Ellington snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Bears. The last win for the Purple Knights came in 2016 when Granby wasn’t in the co-op program with Canton. The co-op program began in 2019 and the co-op had five straight wins over Ellington.

The longest game in Pequot Conference history came in 2007 when Tolland beat North Branford, 35-34 in four overtimes.

It was the second OT loss of the season for the Bears. Granby/Canton dropped a 14-7 decision in double OT to Rockville in September.

Ellington 37, Granby/Canton 35, 3 OT
At Ellington
Granby/Canton (4-3)      14  7  0  0    8  0  6  — 35
Ellington (6-1)                    0  7  7  7    8  0  8  — 37
First quarter
G: Joseph Lewie 4 run (Alex Krauland kick)
G: Gabe Mensah 1 run (Krauland kick)
Second quarter
G: Lewie 1 run (Krauland kick), 0:43
Ell: Dylan Calsetta 4 pass from Aaron Ladr (kick good), 0:00
Third quarter
Ell: Everitt Buss 15 pass from Ladr (kick good), 0:39
Fourth quarter
Ell: Brett Powell 25 run (kick good), 7:13
First OT
G: Lewie 4 run (Lewie run)
Ell: Buss 10 pass from Ladr (xxx run)
Third OT
G: Oliver Douglas 12 pass from Lewie (run fails)
Ell: Mattox Dimovski 1 pass from Ladr (Ladr run)
Individual leaders
Granby/Canton: Lewie 25-173 rushing, 3 TDs, 9 solo tackles, 12 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL (tackles for a loss), one forced fumble; Mensah 20-77 rushing, 1 TD; Sam 9-82 rushing
Of note: Ellington erased a 21-0 deficit. It is the second-longest Pequot Conference game in state history. Tolland beat North Branford in 4 OT in 2007.