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11/24/2018 11:00 PMThe Branford football team had a lot to feel thankful about last week. The Hornets not only solidified their first winning record in nine years by defeating crosstown rival East Haven, they also prevented the Yellowjackets from making the playoffs.
Branford and East Haven squared off in the 77th edition of the annual Beehive Bowl at East Haven High School on Nov. 23. The game was slated to be played on Thanksgiving as usual, but was moved to the next day due to cold temperatures. The Hornets wasted no time jumping on the Yellowjackets as Head Coach John Limone’s squad scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and another in second quarter on their way to a 20-3 victory in an SCC Tier 3 matchup.
Senior captain Jackson Seward, junior quarterback Sean Kelly, and junior Cameron Mills each rushed for TD to help Branford increase its all-time lead in the series to 40-33-4. The Hornets completed their campaign with an overall record of 6-4, marking the first time they finished above .500 since 2009.
“It’s a really good accomplishment. When you go out there with a lot of sophomores in key positions and juniors who are first-time starters, it’s huge for the program,” Coach Limone said. “It’s huge for our seniors to be able to walk out of here with a winning record. Even though there are only six of them, they helped turn the tide, and helped us get going in the right direction.”
For the second time in four years, Branford eliminated East Haven from playoff contention by defeating the Yellowjackets. In 2015, the Hornets earned a 10-7 win on Thanksgiving to put an end to East Haven’s campaign. This year, the Yellowjackets finished in the No. 12 spot in the Class M State Playoff rankings in which the top eight squads qualified. Branford was next in line in the No. 13 slot.
While keeping East Haven out of the postseason was a nice bonus, Coach Limone said that it wasn’t the main item on the Hornets’ agenda. Limone knows that there doesn’t need to be playoff spot on the line in order to make a victory versus East Haven a magical moment.
“The big thing is to win on Thanksgiving. It’s a big game that’s a lot of fun to be a part of, regardless of records and playoff implications. We were just focused on having a winning season and sending our seniors out with a win,” said Limone. “We knew it would be a tough game. Knocking them out is great, but at the end of the day, we were more focused on our own goals and what we were trying to do.”
Branford took an early lead over East Haven by scoring a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Seward broke off a 48-yard run to put the Hornets in business and then rushed for a 2-yard TD to make it 6-0 just 1:32 into the contest.
Branford’s defense forced East Haven to turn the ball over on its first two possessions. Following the Yellowjackets’ second fumble, Branford was set up in great shape with the ball at East Haven’s 36-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Kelly ran for a 10-yard touchdown to give the Hornets a 12-0 advantage with 1:23 to play in the first quarter.
East Haven scored its lone points of the game when Evan Damian kicked a 31-yard field goal to cut it to 12-3 with 7:25 to play until halftime. However, Branford brought momentum into the break after Mills rushed for a 5-yard TD on a reverse as time expired. Kelly ran in the 2-point conversion to increase the Hornets’ lead to 20-3 at intermission. Seward ran for a key first down on 4th-and-4 to keep that drive going.
Seward had a big game on the ground by gaining 115 yards on 17 carries for Branford. The senior captain made the All-SCC Tier 3 Team as a linebacker for the second year in a row this season. Kelly, who made the Tier 3 Team at quarterback, completed eight passes for 118 yards, in addition to running 22 times for 78 yards. Senior captain Chris Bouton earned All-SCC Tier 3 honors as defensive lineman. Bouton had a 27-yard reception, Mills caught three passes for 39 yards, and junior Aiden MacNeil had two receptions for 36 yards to aid Branford’s opportunistic offense against East Haven.
“We had a great plan on offense, and we executed when we had to. Whenever it seemed like we needed to make a big play, we did,” Coach Limone said. “We didn’t light up the scoreboard, but we ran the ball effectively, made some big plays in the passing game, and just did a lot of the little things well. We were tough up front.”
Branford’s defense also played tough up front, forcing East Haven to lose two more fumbles during the second half, including one in the Hornets’ red zone on its first drive. Bouton, MacNeil, and junior Austin Colburn forced fumbles for the Hornets, who saw Seward, junior Spencer Landsbach, and sophomore Matt Maebry recover fumbles in the victory. Sophomore Justin Osler turned in a gargantuan effort by recording three sacks, while junior Ian McDonald also took down East Haven quarterback Tanner DiVito for a sack. Osler also had 13 tackles, including five that went for a loss of yards. Bouton had 10 tackles with four going for a loss. Sophomore Kamryn Holmes made eight tackles, plus McDonald and Landsbach had seven tackles apiece.
Coach Limone said that his defense fulfilled its mission of containing East Haven running back Ryan Cordova. He added that everyone who took the field for Branford made a significant contribution toward the victory.
“We executed the game-plan very well. We wanted to limit Ryan Cordova and get them to put the ball on the perimeter, and we accomplished that. And when they did get on the perimeter, we were able to limit their big plays,” said Limone. “Overall, it was a great performance by the entire team the whole way around. Everybody that was out there did something to help the team win. It was just a great win and a great way to win on Thanksgiving.”
In reflecting upon the season, Coach Limone said the Hornets were a team that grew up fast and grew together on their way to making 2018 a memorable year.
“We’ve had trials and tribulations, and a lot of ups and downs, but it’s been a really fun year, and fun to be around these kids. They’re a close-knit group of kids that really care about each other and care about playing football at Branford High School,” Limone said. “When you look at the whole picture and what we were able to accomplish with a small senior class and so many young guys still developing, I think it was a successful year. And more than anything, it was a fun year.”
From the Sidelines
The members of the Branford football team’s senior class are fullback/linebacker Jackson Seward, who is the Hornets’ captain; along with two-way linemen Robert Olejarczyk, Sam Laska, and Max Warner; wide receiver/cornerback Rob Lionetti, and tight end/linebacker Chris Bouton.
During the regular season, Branford posted home victories versus Lyman Hall (26-21) and non-conference opponents North Branford (42-12) and Pomperaug (35-15). The Hornets also recorded road wins over Amity (28-14), East Haven (20-3), and non-conference squad Stonington (8-2). Branford took home losses against Notre Dame-West Haven (33-14) and non-conference opponent East Lyme (34-13), as well as road losses to Law (35-6) and Sheehan (64-27).
Branford finished in fourth place with a record of 2-2 in SCC Tier 3 play by virtue of its wins over Lyman Hall and East Haven, and its defeats versus Sheehan and Law. The SCC Tier 3 standings were: Sheehan (9-1 overall, 6-0 SCC Tier 3), Law (7-3, 4-1), Guilford (6-4, 3-2), Branford (6-4, 2-2), East Haven (7-3, 2-3), Lyman Hall (5-5, 1-5), and Bassick (0-10, 0-5).