Sheehan scores twice in the fourth quarter to beat NW Catholic for Class S title

NEW BRITAIN, Dec. 13, 2025 – Sheehan High quarterback Jake O’Brien was able to keep the pressure off senior running back Joshua Durant this season.

O’Brien threw for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns as the Titans advanced to the state finals for the second consecutive year. But when O’Brien got hurt in Sheehan’s semifinal win over Woodland Regional on Monday, the focus shifted to Durant.

He was happy to shoulder the burden.

Durant ran for a season-high 264 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Woodland. On Saturday, he ran for a game-high 215 yards and three touchdowns as No. 5 Sheehan (11-2) beat Northwest Catholic, 21-7 at Willow Brook Park.

Sheehan won their first state championship since 2019.

O’Brien suffered an ankle injury in Monday night’s win over Woodland and couldn’t walk on Tuesday. By Wednesday, he had progressed to using a crutch. On Friday, he was walking in a brace.

“I’ll do whatever my team needs me to do,” said Durant, who had a season-high 39 carries against Northwest Catholic.

“You saw what Josh Durant is all about,” Sheehan head coach John Ferrazzi said. “He is as tough as they come. He’s been doing this all year with the schedule we play. He never wants to come off the field. If he comes off the field, as soon as I turn my back, he back on the field.”

No. 6 Northwest Catholic (11-2), playing in their first championship game since 2009, made life difficult for the Titans. They were able to bottle up the Titan offense in the first half, forcing a fumble. It was scoreless at the half.

O’Brien returned to the lineup in the second half, even though he had very limited mobility.

“(Northwest) played really well and we had to put in Jake and see what we could do,” Ferrazzi said. “By having him back on the field, it brought an energy to our team. He was able to make some plays for us when we needed them.”

Sheehan took a 6-0 lead on a seven-yard touchdown run by Durant with 2:17 left in the third quarter. His touchdown capped off a 13-play, 97-yard drive that saw the Titans gain six first downs. O’Brien had an 18-yard completion to Reid Carter on third down that kept the drive alive.

But Northwest Catholic responded immediately, driving 65 yards on three plays with the Lions scoring on a 21-yard touchdown pass from QB Vincent Burbank to receiver Kayden Davis with 11 seconds left in the quarter. Burbank’s extra point gave the Lions a 7-6 lead.

The drive started with a 43-yard run from Burbank to the Sheehan 22-yard line. Two plays later, he hit Davis for the touchdown.

Sheehan was hard to stop. O’Brien completed a 16-yard pass to Sebastian Rosato to the Lion 45-yard line. Thanks to a roughing the passer penalty, the Titans picked up another 15 yards to the 33. After a first down run from Durant, O’Brien completed another 18-yard pass to Rosato to the Lion two-yard line.

Durant scored from the two-yard line and Kiely Nolan scored on a two-point conversion pass from O’Brien to boost the Titan lead to 14-7 with 9:22 remaining in the game.

Northwest Catholic went three and out and Sheehan marched 54 yards on nine plays with Durant scoring from the 12-yard line with 2:41 left for a commanding 21-7 lead. O’Brien had a 26-yard completion to Mason Francis on a third down and 21 play to keep the drive alive and Durant was hard to bring down, frequently carrying a tackler or two as he powered up the middle.

O’Brien, who couldn’t really run, completed 6-of-7 passes for 91 yards and his offensive line did a marvelous job of protecting him.

“They’ve had my back all year,” O’Brien said. “They were more physical. They were really the champions.”

It was a sweet victory for Sheehan, who fell to Killingly in last year’s Class SS championship game, 48-33.

Sheehan scored twice in the final 9:22 to earn the victory but it was a close game to that point.

Northwest Catholic had opportunities in the first half. On their second possession of the game, a Lion received dropped a pass in the end zone that could have been a touchdown. Burbank tried a 39-yard field goal but it was wide left.

Sheehan responded with a 11-play drive that went to the NW Catholic eight yard line. But on a fourth down and one play, NW Catholic lineman Jacob Krause stopped Sheehan’s Joshua Durant for no gain and Sheehan turned the ball over on downs.

On Sheehan’s next possession, Northwest Catholic’s Patrick Knorr came up with a fumble recovery on the Titan 35-yard line after a bad handoff exchange.

The Lions got to the Titan 11-yard line but Burbank lost two yards on a run, threw an incompletion and then an interception to Sheehan’s Johnson Mason.

Sheehan advanced to their own 27-yard line and were facing a fourth down and one with 1:45 left in the second quarter. Again, Durant was stopped for no gain and Northwest Catholic took over on the Sheehan 27.

But the Lions couldn’t capitalize on the sweet field possession, turning the ball over on downs with 27 seconds left in the first half.

Sheehan 21, NW Catholic 7
At New Britain
NW Catholic (11-2)    0  0  7  0  — 7
Sheehan (11-2)           0  0  6  15  — 21
Third quarter
S: Joshua Durant 7 run (kick failed), 2:17
NW: Kayden Davis 21 pass from Vincent Burbank (Burbank kick), 0:11
Fourth quarter
S: Durant 2 run (Kiely Nolan pass from Jake O’Brien), 9:22
S: Durant 12 run (Reid Carter kick), 2:41
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Sheehan – Joshua Durant 39-215, Zack O’Brien 9-28; NWC – Vincent Burbank 8-51
PASSING: Sheehan – Jake O’Brien 6-7-0, 91, Durant 1-1, 6; NWC – Burbank 17-28-1, 120
RECEIVING: Sheehan – Seb Rosario 4-41, Reid Carter 1-18, Mason Francis 1-26, Mike Simlin 1-6; NWC – Chase Henry 1-7, Kaedean Stewart 1-1, Patrick Knorr 2-16, Kayden Davis 9-83, Ayden Ayala 4-13