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09/09/2018 12:00 AMFootball
The Hand football team opened up its 2018 campaign with a bang by posting a road rout over Hillhouse in an SCC Tier 2 matchup last week. The Tigers traveled to Bowen Field in New Haven and walloped the Academics by the lopsided margin of 43-6 on Sept. 7. Hand enters the season as the defending Class L state champion.
Phoenix Billings completed eight passes on 13 attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while Colin McCabe rushed for 49 yards on just six carries and scored three TDs in the victory. Jesse Lutz added to the ground game with 90 yards on 20 rushes and a score. Chris Bartosic led the aerial attack by making five catches for 108 yards, in addition to scoring a pair of touchdowns.
The Tigers struck for their first points of the season and an 8-0 advantage when Billings found Bartosic on a 28-yard TD toss. McCabe later ran one in from six yards away to make it 14-0. Billings again found Bartosic for a score, this time for 46 yards out, to push the Tigers’ command to 21-0 with 2:32 to go in the first.
Early in the second quarter, McCabe scampered in for a 4-yard score to make it 28-0, after McCabe recorded a safety on defense for a 30-point command. McCabe later found paydirt for his third rushing touchdown on the night with a 3-yard run just 21 seconds before intermission to give the visitors a 37-0 advantage.
Lutz capped off a big night for the Tigers’ offense by scoring on a 1-yard TD run. Hillhouse finally got on the board with 2:51 to play as the Tigers cruised to their Opening Night triumph.
Next up, Hand travels to New Fairfield (0-1) for a non-conference contest and a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Sept. 14.
Boys’ Soccer
The Tigers began their defense of the SCC and Class L state titles that they won last fall by notching a shutout victory in their 2018 season opener. Hand began the season by blanking non-conference opponent Coginchaug 5-0 on the road on Sept. 8. Hand is entering its first season with new Head Coach Greg Cumpstone.
Scott Testori and Lee Wildermann each scored a pair of goals, while Jason Wallack added a goal for the Tigers. Wildermann also had an assist, as did Charlie Sullivan and Wallack. Clayton Knibbs made four saves in goal.
Hand broke the scoreless tie with a Wallack goal off an assist from Wildermann. Shortly thereafter, Hand doubled its lead when Wildermann scored on a deflected free kick from 25 yards out. Later, Testori was fouled in the box by Coginchaug’s goalkeeper. Wildermann followed by smashing home the ensuing penalty kick to give the Tigers a 3-0 halftime lead. Early in the second half, Testori scored on an assist from Sullivan on a corner kick. For the final score, Wallack cut the ball across the goal for Testori to put it home.
“There were key performances from center back pairing of Jack Green and Ethan Gulcicek, Clayton Knibbs looked commanding in goal, Chris Porte was excellent on his varsity debut, Greyson McGeary performed superbly off the bench,” said Coach Cumpstone. “Trey Doktorski, Spencer Hartmann, and Matt Cifarelli were at their creative best for most of the game. Jack Wildermann put in a solid and professional performance in midfield.”
While Tigers are still making adjustments and settling into the flow of things, Coach Cumpstone feels plenty proud of his club following its first contest.
“I was very pleased with both the result and the performance. The team is growing, and the players have been very open to the new ideas and stylistic tweaks we are trying to make to their game,” Cumpstone said. “We had a very taxing preseason with lots of training and tactical work, and the boys have really impressed me with their willingness to learn new concepts and attempt to play in a new way. Coginchaug pressed high up the pitch and made things difficult for us, but once we settled into a rhythm, we managed to dictate most of the game. We had over 10 players making their varsity debuts, and they didn’t look like they were nervous or out of place.”
Last season, the Tigers finished with a record of 19-3-2 after winning both the SCC Tournament and the Class L State Tournament. In the SCC Tournament, Hand defeated Hamden 1-0 in the quarterfinals, bested Shelton 4-1 in the semifinals, and then topped Fairfield Prep 4-2 in the final to claim its first conference championship in seven years.
The Tigers then won four games in the Class L State Tournament to get back to the final for a showdown against Masuk. Hand won the Class L state crown for the second year in a row by posting a 2-1 victory at West Haven High School.