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11/04/2014 11:00 PMFootball
The Tigers ventured to Xavier on Oct. 31 and scored a 10-3 victory to snap their four-game losing streak and improve to 3-5. While the Falcons earned almost 300 yards of total offense, Hand was able to stop Xavier on several occasions to gain the triumph.
Nick Van Dell completed seven passes on 16 attempts for 120 yards while he additionally ran for 80 yards in 13 tries. Reid Sweitzer also tallied the eventual winning scored and rushed 16 times for 93 yards.
On Xavier's (6-2) opening drive, it went from the Falcons' 24-yard line to Hand's 33-yard marker, though Hand was able to force a turnover on downs following an incomplete pass on 4th-and-10. In the opening moments of the second, the Falcons found themselves with a 1st-and-goal at the Tigers' 9 and then later at the 3 on 3rd-and-goal, but couldn't score. Despite the Falcons winning the offensive yardage battle 148-37 (with only 4 passing yards for Hand) at intermission, the score stood at 0-0.
To open the second half, Xavier traveled to the Hand 32, but missed on a 48-yard field goal try. The Tigers' initial drive for the third was much more successful, moving 80 yards, including a 44-yard strike from Van Dell to Andrew Fitzgerald (2 catches, 45 yards), and capping it off with a 1-yard TD rush by Sweitzer with 6:40 remaining in the frame.
In the fourth, Van Dell tossed for another key catch, this time to Mike Sampson for 38 yards that helped set up a field goal by Tyler Phan four snaps later from 21 yards out to put the visitors in front 10-0 as 8:50 remained in the contest.
Xavier then fumbled on Hand's 21-yard line with 5:30 remaining, yet it regained possession of the ball and cut its deficit to seven on a 47-yard field goal as 1:09 was left. The Falcons tried for the onside kick, yet the Tigers (237 yards of offense after halftime) scooped it up and sealed the game.
Defensively, Sweitzer, Cory Walsh, Brandon O' Neill, and Scott Sweitzer each had a sack. Scott Sweitzer and Ryan Kaufmann also led in tackles with 11 apiece. Luke Nolan and Reid Sweizter each made an interception.
Hand (also 1-1 in SCC Division I East) next hosts division rival West Haven (4-4, 0-3 SCC Division I East) on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
Girls' Swimming and Diving
Hand competed at the SCC Championship on Oct. 29 at Southern Connecticut State University and finished fifth with 622.50 points.
The Tigers were led by a runner-up showing by Allie Mascia in the 50 free (25.30). Elsewhere, Alex Wager was sixth for the 200 free (2:02.68); Mascia was also ninth for the 100 free (57.52); Callie Weiler swam to 18th in the 200 IM (2:23.74); Case Porter raced to 11th with the 100 butterfly (1:04.32); Caroline Genther found fifth in the 500 free (5:24.10) and Wagner was sixth (5:25.22); the 200 free relay of Mascia, Porter, Wagner, and Georgia Jensen came in sixth (1:47.66); and Weiler paced her way to ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.46). Also in relays, the 400 free team of Wagner, Genther, Jensen, and Mascia was sixth (3:53.86); plus the 200 medley group of Emma Connolly, Weiler, Porter, and Samantha Crans came in 12th (2:03.37). For diving, Noelle Bergere (323.00) and Lauren LaChappelle (318.00) finished side by side at eighth and ninth, respectively.
Girls' Volleyball
The No. 7 seeded Tigers suffered a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-14) to No. 2 seed Amity in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals on Oct. 27. Next up for the Tigers (12-8) was the Class L State Tournament, which began earlier this week.
Cross Country
At the State Open on Oct. 31 at Wickham Park, Hand was represented by Sheila Flaherty, who tied for 79th (21:14).