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12/05/2022 12:57 PMThe North Haven football team is on to the state final for the first time since 2015 after defeating Wilton 14-7 in a semifinal game at North Haven Middle School on Dec. 4. The Nighthawks will face Killingly for the Class MM title.
North Haven made the most of its first possession against Wilton, capping it off with a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior Jeff Karavas to senior Daniel-Mark Thomas to grab the early lead. Senior Declan Finkle kicked the extra point to put the Nighthawks up 7-0 just 2:09 into the matchup.
North Haven made the most of its first possession against Wilton, capping it off with a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior Jeff Karavas to senior Daniel-Mark Thomas to grab the early lead. Senior Declan Finkle kicked the extra point to put the Nighthawks up 7-0 just 2:09 into the matchup.
Both teams squandered scoring opportunities in the second quarter and neither was able to crack the scoreboard. North Haven took a 7-0 lead into halftime.
With 6:26 left in the third quarter, Wilton got on the board and tied the game with a 6-yard rushing touchdown. Neither would score for the remainder of the third and they headed to the fourth knotted at 7.
With 8:41 remaining in the game, North Haven faced a 4th-and-inches situation at the goal line. Trusting their strong running game as they have all season, Nighthawks’ junior Cam Thompson secured the touchdown on 1-yard rush, giving North Haven a lead that it would not relinquish. Finkle hit the extra point, and 5th-seeded North Haven ultimately prevailed by a 14-7 score over No. 8 seed Wilton.
Junior Adam Pandolfi had 13 carries for 103 yards to go with 2 catches for 16 yards in the victory. Karavas completed 4 passes for 61 yards and also added 32 yards on the ground. Senior Sal DeMaio grabbed a 10-yard reception.
Junior Jake McCreven and junior Connor Rapuano each had an interception for the Nighthawks on defense. Senior Chayse Mangino recorded 3 sacks, while senior Michael Masto and junior Brendan Ryan had 1 sack apiece. Masto and junior Nick Harkins both made 6 tackles in the game. Karavas and Rapuano each had 2 pass deflections.
In the opening round of the Class MM Playoffs, North Haven defeated 4th-seeded and previously unbeaten Thames River by a score of 50-0. The game took place at Grasso Tech High School in Groton on Nov. 29 and propelled the Nighthawks into the semifinal round.
The Nighthawks opened the scoring on special teams with a blocked punt, resulting in a safety. Later in the first quarter, Karavas ran in a 1-yard touchdown. North Haven led 9-0 after one quarter of play.
Pandolfi broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run to open the second quarter. Thompson punched in a one-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the first half, and North Haven took a 23-0 lead into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, junior Trysten Dos and senior Brian Lastomirsky scored rushing touchdowns as the Nighthawks extended their lead to 37-0 heading into the final frame. Thomas and sophomore Chris Cretella each scored in the fourth quarter to cap off a decisive 50-0 victory for North Haven.
Seven different players scored for the Nighthawks in the contest, and Finkle converted 6 of his 7 PAT attempts.
Powering the running game were Lastomirsky with 7 carries for 115 yards, Pandolfi with 7 carries for 86 yards, Karavas with 17 carries for 78 yards, and Dos with 5 attempts for 55 yards. McCreven completed a 23-yard pass to junior Ryan Bernardo in the game.
On defense, junior Brendan Ryan led the way with 9 tackles and 2 sacks. Thompson had 7 tackles, and Lastomirsky and Karavas each added 6 tackles.
Up next for North Haven is a trip to the Class MM championship and a matchup with Killingly (11-1), the No. 3 seed. The state final will take place on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.