Simsbury, Granby/Canton, Mills/OTWS have playoff berths in sight

With two weeks left in the regular season, all five of the high school football teams are still alive in their hunt for a CIAC football playoff berth.

Simsbury (7-1), Granby/Canton (6-2) and Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech (6-2) are in the best position with two victories in their final two games probably enough to secure them a playoff berth.

The rankings for all six CIAC classes are posted on the CIAC website but are not final until the football committee meets the day after Thanksgiving. The top eight teams in each class qualify for the playoffs.

Farmington (5-3) and Avon/St. Paul (4-4) are still alive but they would also need to win their final two games and get some help to climb into the top eight.

Simsbury is currently the No. 4 seed in Class L while Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech is the No. 7 seed in Class L. Granby/Canton is the No. 4 seed in Class S.

Farmington is currently ranked No. 11 while Avon/St. Paul is ranked No. 11 in Class M.

Simsbury (7-1), No. 4 in Class LL

The Trojans (7-1, 5-1 CCC Tier III) also have an opportunity to win a share of their first divisional title in football since 2009 if they can beat E.O. Smith (1-7, 1-5) on Friday night at Holden Field at 6 :30 p.m. Simsbury shared the CCC Division I title in 2009 with Glastonbury.

Simsbury has won seven straight games after dropping a 40-36 decision to Middletown on opening day – their longest winning streak since winning 11 in a row in 2018-19. Middletown (7-1, 5-1 CCC Tier III) plays their final CCC Tier III game of the season on Friday night against Farmington.

On Friday night, Simsbury dominated Newington in a 27-7 decision on the road as Naz King ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Simsbury QB Braeden Siano completed 12-of-18 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Simsbury had a 13-0 lead before Newington’s Makar Blazhkevich intercepted the ball and ran it back 52 yards to cut Simsbury’s halftime lead to 13-7.

But in the second half, Brett Osborne had a 60-yard interception return for the Trojans and King scored on a 36-yard run to lift the Trojans.

Osborne had five tackles, 1½ sacks and three tackles for a loss (TFLs) while teammate Cole Roberts had 11 tackles, two broken up passes and Kayveon Long had 17 tackles including nine solo stops. Jeffrey Von Pechman had seven tackles and two TFLs.

Simsbury closes out the regular season on Friday, Nov. 20 by hosting Glastonbury (2-6), who has played several teams who have been ranked in the top 10 this fall including St. Joseph, Southington, New Britain, Windsor and Cheshire.

Simsbury’s most recent CIAC playoff berth came in 2019 when they qualified for the Class L tournament.

Granby/Canton (6-2), fourth in Class S

The Bears are on track to secure a CIAC playoff berth for the sixth time in the last seven years if they can prevail in games against Weaver co-op (3-4) on Friday at Weaver and against CREC (0-7) on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Trinity College.

Granby/Canton dominated the Windsor Locks co-op squad on Friday night with QB Joe Lewie running for 139 yards and four TDs on eight carries. It was his second game this season with four touchdowns. He also completed 9-of-13 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Lewie is 52-of-93 for 721 yards passing with 11 TD passes through eight games and has rushed for 807 yards and 12 TDs on 96 carries.

The Bear defense has forced 19 turnovers in eight games (13 interceptions and six fumbles). In their six wins, Granby/Canton is averaging 45 points a game in their six victories while allowing just 13½ points a game.

The Bears missed the playoffs a year ago but qualified for five consecutive seasons from 2019 through 2024.

Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech (6-2), seventh in Class L

The second-year co-op program will be in good shape for a playoff berth with victories over NW Catholic (4-4) on Saturday morning in West Hartford and in the regular season finale against Avon/St. Paul (4-4) on Tuesday, Nov. 24 in Burlington.

Lewis Mills (6-2, 4-1 CCC Tier IV) has never qualified for a CIAC playoff game. Their best season came in 2015 when the Spartans went 7-3 but finished 11^th in Class M in a season when there were just four divisions in football – not six like there is today.

QB Jayce McDonald has completed 73 pf 139 passes for 1,097 yards and 13 TDs for Mills/OWTS. His leading receiver is Gryfn Kobylarz, who has caught 33 passes for 565 yards and nine touchdowns.

Mason Scanlon is the leading rusher with 829 yards and six TDs on 155 carries. He is looking to be the first Mills back to rush for more than 1000 yards in a single season. Colin Kennedy (2015) holds the current rushing record of 929 yards in a season.

Mills/OWTS is in second place in CCC Tier IV. Plainville (8-0, 5-0 CCC Tier IV) leads the division and can clinch the divisional title with a win over East Catholic on Thursday night.

Farmington (5-3), 11th in Class L

The River Hawks rallied with a 22-yard touchdown pass from QB Mason Kiniry to Charles Osborn with less than two minutes remaining to beat Bloomfield, 23-20, on Friday night in a CCC Tier III contest at George Bennett Field.

Farmington had a 17-6 lead at the half before Bloomfield (5-3) rallied to take a 20-17 lead on a 15-yard pass from Jordan Gist to Daris Braithewaite, a two-point conversion run from Savion Simpson in the third quarter and a two-yard touchdown run from Simpson in the fourth quarter.

Farmington’s defense played well in the game, limiting Bloomfield to just 43 yards rushing and 208 yards of offense. The River Hawks had nine tackles for a loss (TFLs) and 7½ sacks in the game.

Tyler McMahon had 13 tackles (eight solo) while Tommy Zadrozny had 10 tackles (7 solo) and Aiden Gootnick had eight tackles and three TFLs.

If Farmington (5-3, 4-2 CCC Tier III) secures their first playoff berth since 2013, they will have earned it. The River Hawks face Middletown (7-1) on Friday night in Farmington at 6 p.m. and close out the regular season on Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, Nov. 25) by hosting rival Plainville (8-0) at 6:30 p.m.

A Farmington win over Middletown would provide Simsbury and opportunity to claim sole possession of the CCC Tier III title if they can beat E.O. Smith.

Avon/St. Paul (4-4), 11th in Class M

To qualify for the CIAC playoffs for the first time since 2021, the Falcons need to win their final two games of the regular season and hope some of the teams head of them lose.

The Falcons (2-6) host Rocky Hill on Friday night and close out the regular season with a game at Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech (6-2), a team also trying to secure a CIAC playoff berth.

A first-year co-op team, Avon/St. Paul dropped a 31-6 decision to Plainville on Friday night. The Blue Devils (8-0, 6-0 CCC Tier IV) are the top ranked team in Class S and are one win away from winning the CCC Tier IV title if they can beat East Catholic this week.

Torrington (6-2), ninth in Class MM

The Red Raiders won their fourth straight game with a 42-28 win over Wolcott High on Friday night at Robert Frost Sports Complex. Nick Coleman scored four touchdowns for the second straight week on runs of 50, 33, 2 and one yard. He also had three two-point conversion runs to finish the game with 30 points.

Torrington (6-2) is ranked ninth in Class MM but has two tough games remaining. The Red Raiders host undefeated Naugatuck (8-0) on Friday night at the Frost Sports Complex at 6 p.m. and finishes out the regular season on Thanksgiving morning at rival Watertown (2-6).

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This week’s boxscores

Lewis Mills/Wolcott Tech 34, RHAM 0
At Burlington
RHAM (1-7)                          0    0     0  0 – 0
Lewis Mills/OWTS (6-2)   7  13  14  0 – 34
First quarter
LM: Mason Scanlon 8 run (Jacob Dinh kick)
Second quarter
LM: Gryf Kobylarz 19 pass from Jayce McDonald (Dinh kick)
LM: Clark Grady 18 pass from McDonald (kick failed)
Third quarter
LM: Kobylarz 4 pass from McDonald (Dinh kick)
LM: Jackson Henry 1 run (Dinh kick)
Individual results
Rushing: L – Mason Scanlon 13-129, Gryf Kobylarz 2-26, Jackson Henry 2-26, Jayce McDonald 1-5, Wyatt Norris 3-8. RHAM – Hudson Burkhardt 13-101, Justin Lisboa 7-14.
Passing: L – McDonald 9-13-0, 129. R – Noah Renouf 3-4-13-0, Shawn Daley 1-1-36-0.
Receiving: L – Grady Clark 3-48, Kobylarz 3-64, Bret Hemingway 1-42, Curtis Gilbert 1-14, Steven Madore 1-13. R – Jackson Paragone 1-36, Justin Lisboa 2-14

Farmington 23, Bloomfield 20
At Farmington
Bloomfield (5-3)           6   0   8  6 – 20
Farmington (5-3)         7  10  0  6 – 23
First Quarter
B: Kanyi Wallace 12 pass from Jordan Gist (kick blocked)
F: Tyler McMahon 2 run (McMahon kick)
Second Quarter
F: Tyler McMahon 1 run (McMahon kick)
F: McMahon 34 FG
Third Quarter
B: Darius Braithewaite  15 pass from Gist (Savion Simpson run)
Fourth Quarter
B: Simpson 2 run (kick blocked)
F: Charlie Osborn 22 pass from Mason Kiniry (kick failed)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Farmington — Titus Lynne 8-33, Tommy Zadrozny 6-21, Tyler McMahon 5-16, Mason Kiniry 5-8, Khaiden Saint-Juste 1-5
PASSING: Farmington — Mason Kiniry 4-16-0, 52, Tyler McMahon 1-1, 23
RECEIVING: Farmington — Charles Osborne 1-22, Chris Huelin 2-33, McMahon 1-13, Terrence Broxton 1-6

Granby/Canton 49, Windsor Locks co-op 0
At Granby
Windsor Locks co-op (2-6)   0  0  0  0   — 0
Granby/Canton (6-2) 14  14  14  7  — 49
First quarter
G: Keandre Hunter 10 run (Kilty kick)
G: Elijah Sam 15 pass from Joe Lewie (Kilty kick)
Second quarter
G: Lewie 42 run (Kilty kick)
G: Augie Mayle 4 pass from Lewie (Kilty kick)
Third quarter
G: Lewie 18 run (Kilty kick)
G: Lewie 1 run (Kilty kick)
Fourth quarter
G: Lewie 12 run (Kilty kick)
Of note: Lewie 8-139 rushing, 4 TDs; 9-13-0, 96 yards, 2 TDs passing; Sam 3-63 receiving, 1 TD
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Granby/Canton — Lewie 8-139, Hunter 4-41, Sam 3-15, Drew Santa 1-3
PASSING: Granby/Canton — Lewie 9-13-0, 96
RECEIVING: Granby/Canton — Auggie Mayle 4-27, Hunter 2-6, Sam 3-63

Simsbury 27, Newington 7
At Newington
Simsbury (7-1)              13  0  6  8  — 27
Newington (1-7)              0  7  0  0  — 7
First quarter
S: Nas Gouldbourne King 8 run (Shawn Sweeney kick)
S: Aaron Blecher 50 pass from Braeden Siano (kick fails)
Second quarter
N: Makar Blazhkevich 52 interception return (William Sonkin kick)
Third quarter
S: Brett Osborne 60 interception return (two point conversion fails)
Fourth quarter
S: King 36 run (King run)
Of note: Grayson Wagner (S) 3-80 receiving; King (S) 11-77, 2 TDs rushing; Blecher (S) 3-68, 1 TD receiving; Siano (S) 12-18-1, 175 yards, 1 TD; Kayveon Long (S) 9 tackles, 8 assists, 17 total, 1 TFL; Cole Roberts (S) 11 tackles, 3 assists, 2 broken up passes; Osborne 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 1 interception; Jeffrey Von Pechman 7 tackles, 2 TFLs
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Simsbury — Naz King 11-77, Siano 7-49, Long 3-42, George 3-5, Roberts 1-2
PASSING: Simsbury — Siano 12-18-1, 175
RECEIVING: Simsbury – Wagner 3-80, King 1-0, George 2-13, Roberts 2-3, Goetz 1-1

Torrington 42, Wolcott 29
At Torrington
Wolcott (5-3)             7  6  0  16 – 29
Torrington (6-2)     12  8  8  14 – 42
First quarter
T: Cam Roxbury 5 run (run failed)
W: Brandon Williams 2 run (kick good)
T: Nick Coleman 50 run (run failed)
Second quarter
W: Dan Polkowski 1 run (run failed)
T: Coleman 33 run (Coleman run)
Third quarter
T: Brody Kesl 44 run (Coleman run)
Fourth quarter
T: Coleman 2 run (run failed)
W: Polkowski 19 run (Wade Thornton pass from Polkowski)
T: Coleman 1 run (Coleman run)
W: Ryan Charbonneau 60 pass from Polkowski (Julio Navarro run)