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10/18/2021 12:00 AMAfter losing its season opener, the Branford football team has responded in a big-time way by winning four-consecutive games. Last week, the Hornets saw five different players score touchdowns and rode a strong defensive effort to 34-0 home victory over Lyman Hall on Oct. 15.
Branford improved its record to 4-1 on the year by defeating Lyman Hall. The Hornets led 21-0 at halftime and then added two scores in the second half to come away with the win.
Junior Jermaine Smalls scored the first touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, sophomore Cole Snider scored on an 8-yard rush for the Hornets, after which junior quarterback Zachary Turburt hit senior John Frawley on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a three-score lead at the break.
On the opening kickoff of the second half, junior Nathan Chieffo returned the ball 98 yards for another Hornets’ touchdown. Later in the third quarter, Turburt found senior Kevin Lee on a 9-yard strike for Branford’s fifth TD of the night. Sophomore Nathan Florio kicked his fourth extra point of the game to cap off the 34-0 victory.
Chieffo ran the 16 times for 102 yards to go with his kickoff return for a touchdown in the win. Smalls had 17 carries for 70 yard and a touchdown for Head Coach John Limone’s squad.
“I thought we played well. We were able to run the ball pretty effectively,” said Limone. “Offensively, we scored five touchdowns by all different people. It was really good for the whole team and the offense in general to get contributions from a lot of different places.”
Turburt finished the game 9-of-11 passing for 105 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Throughout the game, Turburt was able to extend plays and convert 4th-down opportunities to help the Hornets increase their lead. Coach Limone said that Turburt is developing nicely as Branford’s starting quarterback and has become a crucial part of the offense.
“He has been awesome. He is getting better every week. He is a tough kid, and he is learning on the fly,” Limone said of Turburt. “He has improvised a lot of plays with his feet. He played with a lot of poise against Lyman Hall. He was able to keep the chains moving and, once we got settled in, he was able to make some great reads.”
In addition to Turburt, Coach Limone has been impressed with the offensive play of Snider, who plays fullback; Frawley, who had five catches for 68 yards and a TD against Lyman Hall; as well as senior lineman Nathan Mathis and senior captain David McDonald, who plays tight end. Limone said that all four athletes are playing pivotal roles and have become catalysts of a Hornets’ offense that has scored 30-plus points the past two weeks.
Following a year away from the field, Coach Limone felt that it took a while for Branford to adapt to its game-plan this season. However, as the season goes on, Limone is seeing the Hornets find their stride as they lean on one another in order to get the job done.
“We got a new system this year, and there was a learning curve. We have gotten better up front each week, and the guys understand what we’re trying to do,” said Limone. “This is a bunch of guys who didn’t get to play last year. The year before, they were freshmen and sophomores. But they play as a team. It’s the secret sauce. They play together and hold each other accountable. They want to get better every week.”
Smalls recorded an interception in the Lyman Hall game, while Snider blocked a punt for Branford. Since their Week 1 loss to Amity, the Hornets haven’t allowed more than 12 points in a game and have outscored their opponents 97-19 along the way. Branford has now posted shutouts in each of its last two victories during its four-game win streak. Coach Limone credits the defensive success to his squad’s ability to stuff the run and the fact that every player understands his role and how to execute in that role.
“We have played really well on defense all year. They do a great job of understanding what their assignment is and not trying to do too much. They’re a bunch of guys who are always looking to get better,” Limone said. “We did a great job stopping the run against Lyman Hall. You stop the run, you put yourself in a really great spot. We play a lot of guys, and they’re all making contributions.”
Coach Limone knows that Branford’s success isn’t the result of just a few select players. Limone said that everyone on the team is contributing as the Hornets play an ego-free brand of football.
“They’re just a gritty group of guys. They play really hard. They prepare well during the week,” said Limone. “We don’t have any superstars, which isn’t to say that we aren’t talented. It can be anybody’s night. Guys are doing their job and taking a lot of pride in that. There’s no egos. They’re just a bunch of kids who really like to play.”
Branford will finish its out-of-conference schedule with games against Brookfield and Avon before ending the regular season with SCC matchups versus Guilford, Jonathan Law, and East Haven. In order to finish the year strong, Limone wants to see the Hornets keep adhering to their style on the gridiron and refuse to let any setbacks get in their way.
“The biggest thing for them is just to say the course. Keep coming to practice, keep making sure to clean up the mistakes. But don’t lose that ability to play through mistakes,” Limone said. “They don’t let things get them down. They’ve done a great job. If we continue to do that, we’ll be OK. It’s a tough road we’re getting ready to travel. We just have to keep grinding and doing our part.”