Hall Keeps Mayor's Cup With 35-7 Victory Over Conard

The Hall High football team scored on its first play from scrimmage and never looked back, defeating rival Conard High 35-7 on Friday night at Robert J. McKee Stadium.

About 3,000 people packed the stadium to watch the first-ever Mayor’s Cup played under the newly installed lights at Conard High.

The victory sealed Hall’s spot in the state Class LL playoffs, as the Warrior’s improved to 9-1 on the year. It was the ninth consecutive victory for Hall, which lost its opening game to Glastonbury. 

Conard ended the season at 4-6.

The game’s tone was set when Hall High quarterback Tom Honyotski (9-20, 249 yards, 3 TDs, INT) hooked up with receiver Neil Kelley for a 65-yard touchdown strike on the game’s first play.

Honyotski said that the play was called because Kelley won a raffle over the summer that allowed him to call the Conard game’s first play. Kelley called his own number, a fly pattern down the right side of the field, which went for the touchdown.

Hall doubled its advantage in the second quarter when Javonne Bellamy rushed 18 yards for the first of his two touchdowns on the evening to make it 14-0 with 6:46 left in the half.

Conard, for its part, had trouble moving the ball on Hall’s defense, which was outstanding for the entire evening.

Any hope of a comeback was stifled when Hall recovered a Conard fumble on the second half’s opening kickoff. Hall didn’t capitalize on the ensuing drive, but any momentum the Chieftains had dissipated.

“That right there changed the game entirely,” Hall High head coach Frank Robinson III said.

Hall scored on its next possession when Bellamy (15 carries, 122 yards, 2 TDs) capped a 6-play, 62-yard drive with a 3-yard plunge to make it 21-0.

“He was the workhorse tonight - he got the yards we needed,” Honyotski said of Bellamy, who earned tough yards on the ground all game.

After Conard’s next drive stalled, Hall scored again as Honyotski connected with Rob Parra, who scampered 64 yards down the right sideline on a screen pass from Honyotski to make it 28-0 with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

“We started off well, but I struggled a lot in the second quarter,” Honyotski said. “But we came back as a team in the second half.”

Jordan Bell capped the scoring for Hall by taking a shovel pass from Honyotski 23 yards into the end zone with 10:19 left in the game.

Conard got on the scoreboard when quarterback Ryan Bell (16-34, 107 yards, TD) connected with Cole Stabnick for a 6-yard touchdown strike with 1:48 left. Running back Deron Johnson (9 carries, 93 yards) rushed for 62 yards on the drive to put the Chieftains inside the 10-yard line for the first time in the game.

Robinson credited his defense, particularly his front three, for playing a great game.

“Defensively, we played well,” Robinson. “It definitely was one of those things that kept us in the game in the first half, because we were only up 14-0, and that’s tight.”

Conard head coach Rob Cersosimo, who has compiled a 186-118-3 record in 29 years at the helm of the Chieftains’ program, said that he was proud of the way his team played, but that the Warriors were the better team Friday.

“They played hard, they never quit,” Cersosimo said of his team. “They did the very best job they possibly do. ...

“Hall played a great game; our kids tried valiantly. [Hall] deserves the position they’re in.”

Mayor Scott Slifka, a Hall alum, presented the Mayor’s Cup to the Warriors after the game. It’s Hall’s third consecutive win in the rivalry, though Conard still leads the series 32-22-3.

Hall 35, Conard 7

At Robert J. McKee Stadium

Hall (9-1)                      7  7  14  7 – 35

Conard (4-6)                 0  0    0  7 –   7

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

H – Neil Kelley 65 pass from Tom Honyotski (Honyotski kick), 11:46

Second Quarter

H – Javonne Bellamy 18 run (Honyotski kick), 6:46

Third Quarter

H – Bellamy 3 run (Honyotski kick), 6:14

H – Rob Parra 64 pass from Honyotski (Honyotski kick), 3:24

Fourth Quarter

H – Jordan Bell 23 pass from Honyotski (Honyotski kick), 10:19

C – Cole Stabnick 6 pass from Ryan Bell (Caleb LaRosa kick), 1:48

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Hall (33-193): Bellamy 15-122, Bell 10-33, Devon Hightower 5-41, Honyotski 1-2, David van Doren 1-4, Tyler Stickling 1-2, Team 2-(-11). Conard: (24-135): Deron Johnson 9-93, R. Bell 9-29, Nate Richam 5-12, Devon Pencz 1-1.

PASSING – Hall (20-249): Honyotski 9-20-1, 249 yds. Conard (34-107): R. Bell 16-34-2, 107 yds.

RECEIVING – Hall: Parra 2-82, Kelley 2-77, J. Bell 2-56, Octovio Thomas 2-19, Qu’ran Richards 1-15. Conard: Stabnick 6-37, Karon Golding 5-31, Richam 2-10, Alex Whtie 2-19, Josh Pavano 1-10.