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11/28/2021 11:00 PMFor the first time since 2005, the Branford football squad is on its way to the playoffs. The Hornets punched their ticket into the Class M State Playoffs by notching a dominant shutout victory versus rival East Haven in the traditional Beehive Bowl game on Thanksgiving morning.
The Hornets squared off against the Yellowjackets in the 79th edition of the Beehive Bowl at East Haven High School on Nov. 25. With a playoff spot on the line, Branford blanked East Haven by the final score of 33-0 to finish the regular season with a record of 8-2 and earn the No. 5 seed in the Class M bracket. The Hornets increased their all-time lead in the Beehive Bowl series to 42-33-4 with their fourth-straight win over the Yellowjackets.
Branford also posted a divisional record of 4-1 to finish in a tie for first place in the SCC Tier 3 standings with Jonathan Law, which they defeated this year. Head Coach John Limone’s squad opened up the Class M State Playoffs by playing a quarterfinal game at No. 4 seed Avon this week.
“It’s just exciting. To see the kids perform at a level that gets them this opportunity means a lot to the program,” Coach Limone said. “We were on the lip of the cup for a few years and so to get over the hump is huge. We’re excited.”
Branford scored one touchdown in the first quarter and then scored three TDs during the second to take a 27-0 halftime lead over East Haven. Branford put the game away by scoring the final touchdown of the game in the third quarter.
The Hornets ran the ball for 208 yards as a team in the win, getting rushing TDs from three different ballcarriers. Senior John Frawley recorded Branford’s two other scores on the day by returning both a fumble and a punt for touchdowns.
Branford took a quick lead over divisional foe East Haven (1-8, 1-5) by scoring on its first possession of the game. Senior captain Cam Paleski finished off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run for the Hornets, giving them a 6-0 lead 4:21 into the contest. Sophomore Joseph Robinson kicked the extra point to make it 7-0, which was how the score stood after the first quarter.
The Hornets found the end zone again on their second series of the game to take a two-score lead over East Haven. Junior Nate Chieffo ran for a 3-yard touchdown 15 seconds into the second quarter to increase Branford’s lead to 13-0.
Just 26 seconds after that, Frawley recovered a Yellowjackets’ fumble and returned it 43 yards to the house for another Hornets’ score. Robinson’s extra point gave Branford a 20-0 lead early in second.
Later in the frame, Frawley returned a punt for a 70-yard touchdown that made it 26-0 with 5:54 remaining in the opening half. Robinson hit another extra point for a 27-0 lead at the break.
The Hornets scored the final touchdown of the day when freshman Akiel Lomotey took an 11-yard run across the goal line with 55 seconds left in the third quarter, making it 33-0. Branford’s defense kept East Haven off the scoreboard the rest of the way to secure both the shutout and a postseason berth with a commanding victory in a must-win game.
“To see the kids step up to the plate, take care of business, and control their own fate—it’s a cool way to do it. There really hasn’t been any moment that’s too big for them,” said Coach Limone. “This group of guys has done a tremendous job of keeping us together as a team and keeping a real family-type atmosphere. This senior class wanted to leave the program in a better place than they found it and, especially after missing last year, it mattered to them they went out and played as hard and well as they could.”
Lomotey carried the ball 15 times for 72 yards and a touchdown for Branford in the victory. Chieffo had 10 rushes for 57 yards and a touchdown, while Paleski ran eight times for 47 yards and a TD. Junior quarterback Zach Turbert completed two passes for 25 yards on the day.
The 5th-seeded Hornets faced No. 4 Avon (7-2) on the road in the quarterfinal round of the Class M State Playoffs on Nov. 30 (after press time). Branford played at Avon during the regular season and claimed a 21-7 victory against the Falcons on Nov. 5. If Branford wins the rematch in the playoffs, it will play the winner of top-seeded Killingly and No. 8 Gilbert-Northwestern-Housy in the semifinals on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 12:30 p.m. The championship game is on Saturday, Dec. 11.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Rockville played No. 7 Ellington in one Class M quarterfinal matchup, while No. 3 Granby-Canton faced No. 6 Torrington in the other quarterfinal contest. Prior to this year, the last time that Branford had qualified for the playoffs was in 2005, when the Hornets won the Class MM title with a 14-7 victory versus East Lyme in the final.
Also last week, it was announced that several members of the Branford football team have earned All-SCC Tier 3 honors for their performances on the season. Senior Nate Mathis made the All-SCC Tier 3 Team as an offensive lineman, and Chieffo made it as a running back for the Hornets’ selections on offense. For defense, Paleski garnered All-Conference accolades at linebacker, senior captain David McDonald made the team as a defensive lineman, while Frawley and sophomore Nate Florio were selected as defensive backs.
On top of all of these accomplishments, Coach Limone, a Branford football alum, was named the SCC Tier 3 Coach of the Year after leading the Hornets on their path to the playoffs.
“It means a lot to me,” Limone said. “I’ve never kept it a secret how special Branford High is for me and what the football program has done for me personally on the field, so to be able to help the kids accomplish these goals is really special for me. This place is my home, so I’m really happy to get this opportunity with the kids.”