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| Dathan Hickey (3) had a monster game for Bristol Central against Eastern. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, 2017 file) |
Bristol Central senior standout Dathan Hickey ended his high school football career in spectacular fashion in the Battle for the Bell against Bristol Eastern at Muzzy Field.
Hickey ran for 333 yards and the Rams claimed a 33-27 victory over the rival Lancers. Central (7-3) won the Bell for the third straight season. Hickey finished 20 yards shy of the single-game Bell record of 353 by former Ram great Tim Washington.
Hickey ran for four touchdowns, including a pair of 75-yarders. He also scores from 52 yards and one yard. Hickey’s last score went for 75 yards and put Central ahead 33-21 with 1:29 to play in the fourth quarter.
Eastern scored for the final time on the game’s last play, a pass from Justin Marshall to Ariza Kolloverja. Marshall had another big day throwing the ball for the Lancers (2-8). Kolloverja contributed running the ball and catching it, and Elijah Gagliardo and Jaden Laprise were the top targets for Marshall.
Hickey had Central’s first score for a 7-0 lead. Marshall and Kolloverja connected for a touchdown pass and a tie game at 7-7. Justus Fitzpatrick staked the Rams to a 14-7 lead with a touchdown run in the second quarter. Central led Eastern 14-7 at the half.
After a Lancer interception early in the third quarter, Steven Hopkins bulled his way into the end zone on a short run, and a John McPhee extra point tied the game at 14-14.
It took Hickey 53 seconds to respond. His 52-yard touchdown run put the Rams ahead 21-14. Eastern came back to tie the game at 21 on a Laprise touchdown run, but Hickey broke the tie again, this time for good.
The Central players of the game were Hickey on offense and Devon Dawson on defense. For Eastern, it was Kolloverja on offense and Gagliardo on defense.
HOLY CROSS 42, WOLCOTT 28
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| Corey Fappiano played a part in all six Holy Cross touchdowns against Wolcott. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, 2017 file) |
The Crusaders scored four consecutive touchdowns to erase a 28-14 deficit and beat the Eagles at Joe Monroe Field.
Holy Cross finished the season at 6-4 while Wolcott ended at 5-5.
Holy Cross’ run started when Corey Fappiano and DeAndre Wallace hooked up for a long completion. Wallace fumbled at the one-yard line, but Qaron Brown alertly recovered it for the touchdown. That and a Vincent Graziano kick made the score 28-21 Eagles.
The Crusaders pulled even at 28 on a pass from Fappiano to Jaiden Epps.
Fappiano and Wallace connected again to put Holy Cross ahead, and Graziano’s fifth extra point without a miss made the score 35-28. Alex Ward capped the scoring with a short touchdown run, and Graziano made his sixth and final extra point kick. Graziano was 6-for-6 on extra points.
Fappiano threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 completions. He also ran for two short touchdowns. Wallace ended with 211 yards receiving and a touchdown. Ward ran for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Wolcott jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pass from Mike Polzella to Nick Longo. Polzella had to leave with an injury in the first half, but Matt Stoeckert found Anthony Ligi for a short touchdown pass, and a Mike Ciarlo two-point run extended the early lead to 14-0.
Fappiano got the Crusaders on the board with the first of his two touchdown runs, but a Ligi scoring run and Jake Sforza conversion rush extended the Eagle lead to 22-7. Fappiano’s second touchdown run made the score 22-14, but a Polzella pass to Ciarlo put Wolcott’s advantage to 28-14.
The Polzella pass to Ciarlo was the first score of the second half, but Holy Cross tallied the last four to claim the victory.
Polzella had 138 yards passing while Stoeckert threw for 62. Ligi ran for 163 yards, and he led the receiving corps with 80 yards.
KENNEDY 7, CROSBY 6
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| Kennedy held off rival Crosby for its second straight NVL Brass Division and City championships. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, 2017 file) |
Pretty? Nope.
A great offensive game? In your dreams.
A win, a second straight NVL Brass Division title and another City Championship for the Eagles? Yes, yes and yes!
Kennedy’s lone score at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Field came on a surprising long touchdown pass from Evel Pacheco to Jake Desjardins. Desjardins then followed with what turned out to be the winning extra point. The Eagles (4-6, 4-1 Brass Division) led 7-0 at the half. It was the lone pass attempt and completion for Pacheco, but it was a huge one. Desjardins’ extra point was the only one Kennedy made this season.
In the third quarter, Alberim Klenja connected with Davonte Howard for Crosby’s only score. The Bulldogs (5-5) went for two and the lead, but the Eagles’ Angel Cruz came up with an interception on the conversion pass, leaving the score at 7-6.
The one-point lead remained because of Kennedy’s ball-hawking defense. The Eagles forced four Bulldog turnovers, including three interceptions. Zy’Ron Jordan and Pacheco had the other interceptions.
The fourth turnover, a fumble recovered by Desjardins, came on Crosby’s final drive, and Kennedy made sure its rival didn’t get the ball back again.
Yes, the Eagles won their first Brass game because Holy Cross had to forfeit after using an ineligible player. There were three other wins that had to happen, and Kennedy earned each one, including the one against Crosby.
