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11/10/2019 11:00 PMGirls’ Swimming and Diving
The Branford girls’ swimming and diving team scored 304 points to finish in 11th place at the SCC Championship at Southern Connecticut State University on Nov. 4. The Hornets are competing in the Class M State Championship this week.
Sophomore Erika Barone finished in the top 12 of two individual events for Branford at the SCC meet. In the 100 backstroke, Barone came in 11th place by recording a time of 1:03.02. Barone also swam to a 12th-place performance in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:16.73.
Senior Gabrielle Gillis posted a pair of top-15 finishes for the Hornets. Gillis took 14th place in the 100 freestyle with a 57.17 and finished 15th in the 50 freestyle at 26.30.
Branford’s 200 medley relay of junior Melissa Juliano, Barone, senior Cordelia Keberle, and Gillis finished in 11th place behind a time of 2:00.46. The 400 freestyle relay of Juliano, Gillis, Keberle, and Barone took 13th place with a mark of 3:56.43. In the 200 freestyle relay, the Hornets’ quartet of sophomore Rory Jacobson, senior Adrienne Dillon, junior Nicola Colossale, and junior Katherine Parsell finished 15th with a time of 1:54.73.
Juliano took 16th place in the 100 backstroke (1:05.41) and finished 23rd in the 100 freestyle (59.16) for the Hornets. Dillon finished 20th in the 200 freestyle (2:11.03) and placed 22nd for the 100 backstroke (1:06.69). Keberle finished in 21st place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:11.22. Parsell finished 30th in the 100 breaststroke (1:18.91) and Jacobson came in 31st place in the 100 butterfly (1:08.35).
Sophomore Marina Giammattei finished in 16th place for Branford at the SCC Diving Championship. Giammattei scored a total of 254.35 points when the SCC diving meet took place at Sheehan High School on Nov. 1.
Branford is competing at the Class M State Championship that began with the Diving Championship at Bulkeley High School on Nov. 13 (after press time). The Swimming Qualifying will take place at East Hartford High School at 5:55 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, and the Class M Swimming Championship is at Southern Connecticut State University on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. After the Class M meet, the State Open gets underway with the Diving Championship at Middletown High School on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m. and finishes with the Swimming Championship at Yale University on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.
Football
Branford evened its record at 4-4 after earning a 35-6 road victory against Bassick at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport on Nov. 8. It was the final road game of the season for the Hornets, who scored all 35 of their points in the second half on their way to defeating Bassick in an SCC Tier 3 matchup. Branford improved to 2-1 in SCC Tier 3 play with the win.
Junior Kamryn Holmes ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries for the Hornets. Holmes scored on a 50-yard touchdown run to give Branford the lead just 25 seconds into the game. Senior Jake Bodner kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.
Later in the quarter, junior Justin Osler rushed for an 18-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 14-0. The Hornets went up 21-0 when senior captain Sean Kelly tossed a 26-yard touchdown to junior Nick Chieffo.
Just 55 seconds into the second quarter, Holmes ran for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 28-0. Bassick (1-7, 0-3) returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD to cut the deficit to 28-7. With five minutes remaining until halftime, Kelly broke off a 16-yard run and fumbled the ball, but Osler recovered it in the end zone for another Branford touchdown. Bodner’s fifth extra point of the game made it 35-6, which held up as the final score.
The Hornets recorded three interceptions on defense in the victory. Senior Austin Bui, junior Peyton Tracy, and junior Luke Volpe each picked off a pass for Branford. Bui also recovered a fumble. Volpe had seven tackles, and Bui made six tackles in the game.
Following a bye week, Branford’s next contest will be a home game versus SCC Tier 3 opponent Foran on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. The Lions come into the game with an overall record of 4-3 and are 2-2 in SCC Tier 3.
Field Hockey
Branford took a 3-1 defeat at Amity in the semifinals of the SCC Tournament on Nov. 5. The Hornets, who were the No. 3 seed in the tournament, moved to 11-6-0-1 overall as they get ready to play in states this week. Amity, which was the No. 2 seed, went on to take a 1-0 loss to Guilford in the SCC final.
Branford is the No. 5 seed in the Class M State Tournament and hosted No. 12 Masuk for a first-round game on Nov. 12 (after press time). With a win, the Hornets would face the winner of No. 4 Pomperaug and No. 13 Sheehan in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Nov. 14. The semifinals are on either Tuesday, Nov. 19 or Wednesday, Nov. 20, and the Class M state final will take place at Wethersfield High School on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Boys’ Soccer
Branford opened play in the Class L State Tournament this week. The Hornets (7-7-2), who are the No. 23 seed, played a first-round game at No. 10 seed Wilton on Nov. 11 (after press time). If Branford wins that game, it faced the winner of No. 7 Ellis Tech and No. 26 Maloney in the second round on Nov. 13 (after press time). The quarterfinals are on Friday, Nov. 15; the semis take place on either Monday, Nov. 18 or Tuesday, Nov. 20; and the championship game is on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Girls’ Soccer
The Hornets are the No. 25 seed in the Class L State Tournament and began the draw by playing at No. 8 Sheehan in the first round on Nov. 12 (after press time). If Branford (5-7-4) wins, it will play either No. 9 Killingly or No. 24 Sacred Heart Academy in a second-round matchup on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. The quarterfinals will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16; the semifinals are on either Tuesday, Nov. 19 or Wednesday, Nov. 20; and the Class L final will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23.