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11/03/2019 11:00 PMThe Branford football team traveled to Milford to take on Jonathan Law and doubled up the Lawmen 42-21 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Tier 3 matchup on Nov. 1. Branford held a 14-7 lead over Law after the first quarter and was up 28-14 at halftime. With a 28-21 lead entering the fourth quarter, the Hornets put the game away by scoring a pair of touchdowns during the final frame.
Senior captain quarterback Sean Kelly and fellow senior Cameron Mills connected for seven receptions and 192 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the victory. Kelly also rushed for two touchdowns for the Hornets, whose defense recorded eight sacks on the night. Branford improved to 3-4 overall and also picked up its first win of the year in SCC Tier 3 play, leveling its record at 1-1. The Hornets will be back on the road to face Bassick in another divisional game this week.
Law (2-5, 2-1) put the first points of the game on the board when the Lawmen connected on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 7:50 remaining in the first quarter. Branford came right back with a touchdown on its next series, capping off the drive with a 4-yard TD run from senior Spencer Landsbach to make it 7-6 with 5:39 to go. Senior Jake Bodner kicked the extra point to tie the score at 7.
On Law’s next possession, junior Justin Osler forced a fumble that was recovered by senior captain Ian McDonald to give Branford the ball back. The Hornets capitalized on the turnover when Kelly fired an 75-yard touchdown pass to Mills to give Branford a 13-7 advantage with 2:57 to play in the period. Bodner hit another extra point to make it 14-7.
Early in the second quarter, Kelly connected with Mills on a long pass to bring the Hornets into the Lawmen’s red zone. Right after that, Kelly scored on a 21-yard touchdown rush to increase Branford’s lead to 20-7 with 7:44 left in the first half.
With halftime approaching, junior Kamryn Holmes broke off a big run for the Hornets. Then with 1:13 to go in the half, Kelly found Mills for a 53-yard scoring strike that gave Branford a 26-7 advantage. Kelly completed the 2-point conversion pass to junior Mehki Barnette to make it 28-7. Law came back by scoring on a 4-yard TD run with just 30 seconds to go until halftime, cutting the deficit to 28-14 at the break.
The Lawmen came out strong in the second half and drove down the field for a score on their opening drive. Law used a 6-yard touchdown pass to get within 28-21 just 1:13 into the third quarter. The rest of the period featured some turnovers and few big plays by each defense, but neither team was able to get into the end zone, and Branford took its one-score lead into the fourth quarter.
The Hornets got a drive going late in the third quarter and, after a few nice runs by Kelly, Branford had 1st-and-goal from the Law 3-yard line early in the fourth. Kelly finished off the drive by running for a 3-yard touchdown that gave Branford a 34-21 lead 21 seconds into the period. Bodner’s extra point made it 35-21.
The Hornets’ defense stifled the next three drives by Law, forcing a punt and a couple of turnovers on downs to maintain the two-touchdown lead with just three minutes left in the game. Holmes had a nice run to give Branford another 1st-and-goal with time winding down. Holmes then iced the game by rushing for a 5-yard TD that gave the Hornets a 41-21 lead with just 1:06 to play. Bodner’s fourth extra point of the night put the final stamp on Branford’s 42-21 victory.
Holmes had 20 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown for Branford. Landbach carried the ball six times for 38 yards and a touchdown. Kelly had 18 rushes for 95 yards and two TDs to go with seven completions for 192 yards and two scores—all of which went to Mills.
On defense, junior Peyton Tracy had two sacks with 10 tackles to highlight a big night for Branford. Osler and fellow junior Jamal Gethers both recorded 1.5 sacks in the win. The Hornets also received sacks from juniors Dylan Pyle, Andrew Robinson, and Cooper Robinson. Holmes grabbed an interception and had seven tackles for Branford. Osler, Gethers, and Landsbach added six tackles apiece.
Branford’s next game is at fellow SCC Tier 3 opponent Bassick at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. Bassick comes into the game with an overall record of 0-6 and a mark of 0-2 in SCC Tier 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport.