Berlin’s Eli Rice returned a kickoff 79 yards, scoring with 33 seconds left in the game to lift Berlin to a 20-15 win over Brookfield in Saturday’s Class M championship game in New Britain. (Photo courtesy of the CIAC)
NEW BRITAIN, Dec. 13, 2025 – A year ago, Brookfield went for a two-point conversion and the win in the final minute of the Class M championship game against St. Joseph. But the run was stopped and St. Joseph survived with a one-point win and the championship.
On Saturday night at Central Connecticut State’s Arute Field, a similar situation faced Brookfield in the CIAC Class M championship game. Trailing by seven, the Bobcats cut the lead against undefeated Berlin to one on a one-yard touchdown run from Thad Balzi with 48 seconds left in the game.
Again, Brookfield went for two points and a potential state championship. This time, the Bobcats succeeded with Tyler Buttendorf scoring to give the Bobcats a 15-14 lead.
However, Berlin’s Eli Rice returned the resulting kickoff 79 yards to lift the Redcoats to a stunning 20-15 decision.
Rice picked up the bouncing ball at the 21-yard line, turned to his right, got a key block from teammate Tommy Motta, shook off two attempted tackles and raced down the far sideline to score with 33 seconds left in the game.
It gave Berlin (13-0) their second state championship in school history and first since 2009. It also completed the first undefeated season for the program since 1963.
Incredible finish to the Class M State Championship game. After Brookfield went ahead 15-14 on a touchdown and 2 point conversion with :48 to play, Berlin had an answer.
Have you seen Eli Rice's 80 yard game winning (20-15 FINAL) kickoff return for a touchdown? @nfhsnetwork with… pic.twitter.com/zVEdAo1MDF
— CIAC Sports (@ciacsports) December 14, 2025
Berlin took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a one-yard TD run from Cody Puzio and the extra point from Collin Sullivan. The score was set up by a fumble recovery from Berlin’s Braden Kelly on Brookfield’s third play of the game.
Brookfield (10-3) responded quickly to tie the game with a 54-yard touchdown run from Tyler Buttendorf with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
Berlin led 14-7 at the half thanks to a five-yard touchdown pass to Rice from Puzio with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.
The victory capped off a wonderful return for coach John Capodice, who coached the Redcoats from 2004-15, leading Berlin to the Class M championship in 2009 along with nine CIAC playoff berths in 12 seasons.
He was dismissed in the fall of 2015 by the Berlin Superintendent of Schools after the CIAC fined the school $4,000, stripped the team of seven wins (in 2015) and banned it from the postseason in 2015. According to published reports, the CIAC ruled that four players were ineligible due to recruiting practices. Capodice, a teacher in the Berlin school system, was rehired as the head coach by the school earlier this year.
Berlin 20, Brookfield 15
At New Britain (CCSU)
Brookfield (10-3) 7 0 0 8 — 15
Berlin (13-0) 7 7 0 6 — 20
First quarter
Ber: Cody Puzio 1 run (Collin Sullivan kick), 3:32
Brook: Tyler Buttendorf 54 run (Zachary Costa kick), 1:30
Second quarter
Ber: Eli Rice 5 pass from Puzio (Sullivan kick), 0:38
Fourth quarter
Brook: Thad Balzi 1 run (Tyler Buttendorf run), 0:48
Ber: Rice 80 kickoff return (run failed), 0:33
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Brookfield – Tyler Buttendorf 5-83, Thad Balzi 9-2, Matt Ackerly 4-0; Berlin -Cody Puzio 17-67, Ryan Lavender 10-35, Brandon Sadowski 7-34
PASSING: Brookfield – Balzi 5-7-0,115; Berlin– Puzio 5-9 0, 40
RECEIVING: Brookfield — John Lopes 2-39, Tristen Becker 2-25, Chase Sylvia 1-55
Class S
Hand 37, Killingly 13
NEW BRITAIN, Dec. 13, 2025 — Junior Lucca Boyce ran 24 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns and senior lineman Tim O’Malley scored on a game-changing interception return late in the third quarter as No. 2 Hand beat defending champion Killingly, 37-13, to win Saturday’s CIAC Class SS championship at Veterans Stadium.
It was the 15th state championship for the Tigers (12-1). It happened 50 years after they won their first state title in 1976, the first year the CIAC hosted football championship games.
“We have a next play mentality. Our boys are going to stay in the fight for four quarters,” Hand coach Erik Becker said. “It was a great game. That is a fantastic football team (Killingly) but our boys are resilient and they responded.”
Boyce scored on a five-yard touchdown run that gave Hand a 17-13 lead with 2:18 left in the third quarter. Hand sophomore Nate Kessell deflected a pass two plays later and O’Malley caught for his first career interception return to put the Tigers ahead, 24-13 with 1:19 remaining in third quarter.
“It certainly sparked some momentum,” Becker said of the interception. “Great players step up in big games and Tim Omalley is as good as we have ever had here at Hand.”
Junior Diego Portley scored on runs of 55 and 17 yards for Hand and senior Anthony Bowe added a 26-yard field goal. Hand scored 27 unanswered points to take control of the game.
Killingly (12-1) had won a state-best 25 straight games.
After the game, Becker had emotional hugs with his high school coach, former Hand mentor Steve Filippone, who won seven titles at Hand and Larry Ciotti, who won four state titles at the school.
“My work is to uphold the culture that Larry started 55 years ago and my work is to honor the legacy of my mentor Steve Filippone,” Becker said.
Emotions flow after Hand beat Killingly 37-13 with former head coach Steve Filippone, left, and current head coach Erik Becker Saturday in New Britain. Hand won its 15th state title
Hand 37, Killingly 13
At New Britain (Willow Brook)
Hand (12-1) 7 3 14 13 — 37
Killingly (12-1) 0 7 6 0 — 13
First quarter
H: Lucca Boyle 4 run (Anthony Bowe kick), 0:00
Second quarter
K: Joseph Mackie 1 run (Cooper Logee kick), 4:30
H: Anthony Bowe 26 FG, 0:32
Third quarter
K: Hayden Allard 5 run (kick fails), 5:12
H: Boyce 5 run (Bowe kick), 2:18
H: Tim O’Malley 18 interception return (Bowe kick), 1:19
Fourth quarter
H: Diego Portley 55 run (pass fails), 10:00
H: Portley 17 run (Bowe kick), 5:19
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Hand – Lucca Boyle 24-177, Diego Portley 2-72, Cole Preskar 2-14, Stone Leckey 2-5, Bobby Reh 2-2, Conor Casagrande 1-9, Wilson Walker 1-8; Killingly – Hayden Allard 33-121, Joseph Mackie 8-21, Hunter Allard 2-minus 5, Joseph Gould 1-1, Quinn Sumner 1-minus 8
PASSING: Hand – Bobby Reh 5-10-0, 53; Killingly – Quinn Sumner 7-10-1, 127
RECEIVING: Hand – Brendan Riodan 3-45, Finn Barry 1-5, Lucca Boyle 1-3; Killingly – Hayden Allard 2-13, Joseph Mackie 1-53, Payton Wallace 1-22, Aidan LaMotte 1-19, Hunter Allard 1-16, Callan Senecal 1-4
Class L
New Canaan 34, Cheshire 13
NEW BRITAIN, Dec. 13, 2025 – Junior Finn Mocco ran 21 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns and classmate Jackson Crowell scored on a 46-yard interception return as No. 1 New Canaan rolled past No. 3 Cheshire, 34-13, to win its fourth straight CIAC Class L championship at Veterans Stadium.
New Canaan (13-0) held nine opponents to single digits this season, including Class LL champion Greenwich (14-7, Oct. 24). It also allowed just 90 points as the Rams posted their fourth undefeated season in team history and the first since 2008.
“It’s a culture, a tradition,” New Canaan senior linebacker Ryan Brooks told Ned Griffen about the defense. “(It’s) the way we fly around. It’s every single second in the weight room.”
Senior Bennett Heagle scored on a 4-yard run for New Canaan and sophomore Neel Arora kicked field goals of 31 and 28 yards.
New Canaan tied St. Joseph for the second-most CIAC state titles (16). It also put itself in a four-way tie for the third-most consecutive state titles. Ansonia was the first to win four in a row (1981-84) and New Canaan had already done it twice before (2006-09, 2013-16).
New Canaan 34, Cheshire 13
At New Britain (Willow Brook)
Cheshire (9-4) 7 0 0 6 — 13
New Canaan (13-0) 14 14 3 3 — 34
First quarter
NC: Finn Mocco 19 run (Neel Arora kick), 8:22
C: Aldren Gregorich 1 run (Tim Reinhard kick), 7:00
NC: Bennett Heagle 5 run (Arora kick), 1:18
Second quarter
NC: Mocco 4 run (Arora kick), 8:36
NC: Jackson Crowell 46 interception return (Arora kick), 2:22
Third quarter
NC: Arora 31 FG, 9:17
Fourth quarter
C: Liam Suomala 11 pass from Alden Gregorich (run fails), 11:09
NC: Arora 28 FG, 6:01
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Cheshire — Aiden Gregorich 13-141, Michael Chopak 12-41, Noel Martinez 2-0, Jacob Rivera 1-minus 12. New Canaan — Finn Mocco 21-162, Henry Stein 4-16, Maddox Hoffman 3-4, Bennett Heagle 2-5, James McInerney 2-2, Charlie Koch 1-5.
PASSING: Cheshire — Aiden Gregorich 12-232-0, 105. New Canaan — Maddox Hoffman 11-17-0, 66.
RECEIVING: Cheshire — Liam Suomala 5-57, Michael Chopak 4-38, Sean Kennedy 1-12, Noel Martinez 2-1, Jonathan Heavens 1-minus 12. New Canaan — Andrew Esposito 3-42, Ryan Brooks 2-8, Jack Valente 2-8, Bennett Heagle 2-6, Charlie Koch 1-6, Finn Mocco 1-6.
Jayden Compton of Windsor reaches out to pull in a pass during Saturday’s Class MM championship game in New Britain. (Photo courtesy of the CIAC)
Class MM
Windsor 23, Bunnell 13
NEW BRITAIN, Dec. 13, 2025 — Quarterback AJ Robinson ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as No. 1 Windsor defeated No. 3 Bunnell 23-13 to capture the Class MM title on Saturday at Central Connecticut State’s Arute Field and win the second state championship in school history.
Robinson scored on a five-yard run with 4:20 remaining in the game to put the Warriors up by 14 points, 21-7. The score was set by a fumble recovery from Windsor’s Raiden Hollman.
Bunnell cut the lead to eight by scoring on a 12-yard touchdown reception to Keyshon Zimmerman from QB Jake Garrigan with 1:36 remaining. Bunnell recovered an onside kick but Windsor picked up a safety when Garrigan was tackled in the end zone with seven seconds remaining.
Robinson, who was named Connecticut’s Gatorade Player of the Year earlier in the week, completed 13-of-23 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 99 yards and two TDs for Windsor (12-1).
Windsor 23, Bunnell 13
At New Britain (CCSU)
Bunnell (10-3) 0 7 0 6 — 13
Windsor (12-1) 14 0 0 9 — 23
First quarter
W: A.J. Robinson 6 run (kick blocked)
W: Missoni Brown 4 pass from A.J. Robinson (Brown run), 3:03
Second quarter
B: Rody Rickets 21 run (Joel Ofshudi kick), 6:21
Fourth quarter
W: Robinson 5 run (Camryn Wimberly kick), 4:20
B: Keyshon Zimmerman 12 pass from Jake Garrigan (kick blocked), 1:36
W: Safety: Raiden Hollman tackles Garrigan, 0:07
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Bunnell – Jake Garrigan 15-77, Rody Ricketts 15-74, Rickie Miller 11-53, Marios Charitopoulos 8-42; Windsor – AJ Robinson 1499, Robert McKinney 9-60, Missoni Brown 3-34
PASSING: Bunnell – Garrigan 6-20-1 76; Windsor Robinson 13-23-2 140
RECEIVING: Bunnell – Ricketts 1-39, Charitopoulos 1-6, Keyshon Zimmerman 1-12, Rickie Miller 1-4, Jacob Mosley 1-8, Trent Raffaele 1-1; Windsor – Jayden Compton 4-36, Rondale Mapp 3-11, Brown 2-15
The CIAC’s Ned Griffen and Jim Fuller contributed to this report.
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