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11/12/2016 11:00 PMFootball
The North Branford football team made it four-straight victories to improve to 5-3 this season with a 22-21 overtime victory over Ellington on Nov. 11. After allowing a 1-yard touchdown run to Ellington’s Izaiha Castro early in overtime, North Branford responded with an 8-yard run by Nick Mancini. Rather than kicking the extra point to force more OT, Head Coach Mark Basil elected to go for the win and Dillon Blake made his coach look good as he converted a tough 2-point try to claim a one-point victory for the T-Birds.
Both teams traded scores in the first and fourth quarters to force the overtime period. T-Birds’ quarterback Jeff Jablonski converted a 2-yard touchdown plunge and then Castro ran home a 54-yard score to even the score. In the fourth, Castro threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Timothy Brier and North Branford’s Charles Walcott scored on a 15-yard carry to game and send it to an extra frame.
North Branford ran for 200 yards in the victory. Walcott led the way with 96, while Mancini added 70. Defensively, North Branford forced three turnovers as Sydney Franklin and Mancini each recovered fumbles and Keane Regan picked off his third pass off the season. Regan and Matt Sibley had a sack apiece, plus Sibley led North Branford with 15 tackles.
Next up for North Branford, the team will host Cromwell-Portland on Thursday, Nov. 17 with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Field Hockey
The Thunderbirds were victorious in their first round contest of the Class S State Tournament, but then saw their season end with a defeat in the quarterfinals.
On Nov. 8, No. 5 seed North Branford took on No. 12 Valley Regional and came away with a 3-1 victory. The teams traded goals in the first half as Cara Sagnella netted the opening goal of the tournament for the T-Birds, assisted by Emmy Norton. Valley’s Francesca Daniels answered to send the game into the half tied at 1. In the second half, Sydney Hogan took over by scoring a pair of unanswered goals to send North Branford to the quarterfinals. Hogan’s first goal was assisted by Sagnella and her second came unassisted. As a team, North Branford doubled Valley in shots with goalie MacKenzie Kaiser making six saves to preserve the victory.
On Nov. 10, North Branford took on No. 4 Granby and was defeated 5-1, ending the team’s season with a 13-4-1 record.
Girls’ Soccer
No. 13 seed North Branford hosted No. 20 East Catholic in the first round of the Class M State Tournament on Nov. 7 and took a 2-0 defeat in the team’s first state tourney appearance with Head Coach Pat Kozloski.
The two teams were knotted up at 0-0 for most of the game until East Catholic’s Alexandra Ansaldi broke the ice at the 64:14 mark. Olivia Fiori scored just six minutes for an insurance goal as North Branford’s season ended at 10-4-6. Allie Augur made six saves for North Branford, which took six shots on goal.