Sports

West Hartford Youth Football: Week Three

Game summaries and scores provided by the West Hartford Youth Football League.

The West Hartford Youth Football League (WHYFL) continued their 2012 season on another spectacular fall day of football Sunday afternoon, Sept. 23, at Sterling Field, with a full slate of games at the Mighty Mite (7-8 year olds), Pee Wee (9,10, and 11 year olds), Midget (12 year olds), and Pony (13 year olds) divisions.

 

MIGHTY MITE DIVISION

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Macca Plumbing Cowboys 31 - Spine & Sports Medicine Associates Steelers 6

Jack Kennedy, Nick Urso, and Jack Correia led the Cowboy rushing attack en route to a 31-6 victory over the Steelers Sunday at Sterling Field.

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The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and scored the first touchdown of the game with a 15-yard run by Jack Kennedy. Two more touchdowns were scored by the Cowboys before the end of the first half.  The last one a nice 10-yard run by Nick Urso.

The Steelers received the ball to start the 2nd half and drove the length of the field capped off with a touchdown by Drew Taylor.  The Cowboys responded with two more touchdowns. One punched in by Jack Correia. The other on a long zig-zagging run by Jack Kennedy following a Nick Urso interception.

Steelers standouts were Drew Taylor, Dylan Swift and Jay McNamara.  Cowboys standouts were Jack Correia, Ben Woerlen, Matthew Sampt and Chase Fountain.

Center Orthodontics Browns 20 - Kenneth Namnoum Jets 0

The Center Orthodontics Browns and Kenneth Namnoum Jets met for the first time this season and this time, the Browns came out the victor 20-0.  The teams were evenly matched, both teams played with all their hearts and both teams played with unbelievable determination. The Browns and Jets moved the football with precision and skill.  Three offensive plays and two defensive stances led the Browns.

The next meeting of these two great teams will be nothing less than spectacular.

The Browns received the opening kickoff and the Jets’ defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs as defensive end Tommy LaSpada, linebacker Aidan Dorian, and cornerback Jonny Robinson stopped the Browns’ initial rushing attack.

The Browns later scored on a 12-yard run by Dajuan Banks to push the Browns to a 6-0 lead.  The Jets responded with a methodical ground game behind strong blocking from offensive lineman Sam Rosa, Ben Brockway, Nathan Gallo, and Robinson. The Jets leveraged rushes from quarterback D.J. Romano, halfbacks Wyatt Reid and Aidan Dorian, and LaSpada to convert first down, after first down, only to be stopped on the one yard line by a stingy group of Brown defenders led by defensive end Chuck Blanchard and cornerback John Staunton. 

The Browns started their next drive from their own one yard line, and the Jets’ defense yet again held strong, at one point tackling Browns full back Patrick Schwab in the end zone, only to have him extend the nose of the ball forward to avoid a safety. The teams entered the half with the Browns leading 6-0.

The second half included two more scores from the Browns.   A 30-yard run by Matt Farber and a six-yard run by Eli Salomons.  The Browns finally converted for extra points - a two-point a pass from Jack Brown to Dajuan Banks.  The Jets again moved the ball downfield for most of the half, but were unable to put up points.   Defensively, the Jets completely shut down the Browns inside run, as Dorian continually met Browns’ full back Schwab at the line of scrimmage for minimal gains.

The Browns received strong play from Jack Brown, Eli Salomons, Dajuan Banks. The Jets received strong contributions from Charles Dowd, Joe Sabia Troy Griffith, and Marcus Bjarke.

These two teams meet again in just a few short weeks.  Mark this next meeting as a "Must See"!

 

PEE WEE DIVISION

JT Ghamo 49ers 20 – Edward Connors Insurance Patriots 18

The JT Ghamo 49ers turned away an Edward Connors Insurance Patriots’ two point conversion with no time on the clock to hold on to a hard fought 20-18 win Sunday afternoon at Sterling Field.

It was a perfect day for football, pitting two previously undefeated teams who played a very exciting game that was decided on the last play of the game.  The 49ers started off the scoring on their first possession of the game, capped off by a 7 yard touchdown run by little Jack Tousignant.  The point after was well defended by the Patriots defense resulting in no extra point. 

The two teams fought hard for positive field position and the next 49er points came off of a blocked punt by Zeus Woods, recovered by little Jack Tousignant in the endzone.  The two point conversion was successful on a pass from Todd Cravedi to Gabe Salomons.  The Patriots came back with a vengeance and scored on their possession after a fumble recovery.  The Patriots score was by Dillon Bent on a nifty run into the end zone.  The first half ended with the score 14-6.

The opening of the second half was just as exciting as the first half.  The 49ers scored first on a 13-yard run by Gabe Salomons with great blocking by Mack Phillips and Gideon Botnick, extending the 49ers’ lead to 20-6. 

The Patriots played like a team on a mission by taking the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown to bring the game back within reach.  The extra point attempts for both teams were unsuccessful putting the score at 49ers 20, Patriots 12.

The Patriots would not rest there.  With a back and forth battle between the two Pee Wee teams, the 49ers were unable to score again to seal the game.  The Patriots on the other hand, took full advantage and drove down to score a touchdown on the very last play of regulation by Silas Bridges making the score 20-18.  There was no time left on the clock so the Patriots had one final attempt to score a two point conversion to tie the game.  The play was exploded by Zeus Woods, sacking the quarterback to end a very exciting game dropping the Patriots to 1-1 while the 49ers improve to 2-0.

Brewer Paving Packers 14 – Wealth Management Group of North America, LLC Titans 0

On a fantastic Sunday afternoon the Packers met the Titans for what was expected to be another hard fought game and the boys on both sidelines did not disappoint.  

The Packers started off the game on defense and after allowing a first down and some good yardage by Titan running back Cam Wilson, they took control of the ball with an interception and 15-yard touchdown return by Peter Steinle.  

With the Titans on their heels and dug in, they stopped the Packers who turned the ball over on downs.  While the Titans were proving to be a disciplined defense, the Packers were settling in on defense in their own right thanks to their defensive front lead by Larry Womack, Gabe Hernandez, Myles Sierra, Julian DeCampos, Devonte DeLeon and Hugh Wells.  Other Packers like Nick Mascolo, Marcus Ramsey and Patrick Hemingway also filled in at times to make an impressive impact.  With several tackles behind the line of scrimmage, along with sacks by Nolan Tibball and Wells, the Packers dug in and were biding their time until they could roll on offense.  That time came at the end of the second quarter when the Packers were able to methodically move the ball down field with strong runs by running backs Tibball, Steinle and Pearce Cannon.  The marched all the way to the 2-yard line, only to turn the ball over with a fumble.  With the half soon ending, both teams proved that defense was going to be the deciding factor in the second half. 

In the second half the Packers received the kick, and after good return yardage by Cannon, their offense settled in.  With runs by Tibbal and Steinle and a key catch by Wells from Zack Cohen, the Pack finally broke the tie with a powerful TD run by Tibball.  Wells pulled down a 2-point conversion pass from Cohen to take an 8-point lead on this first series of the second half.  The Packers defense then took over and were successful in stopping the Titans with more strong defensive line play.  Then, on a nice punt return by Tibball the now warmed up Packer offense went to work and powered the ball behind a resurgent offensive line consisting of Jack McHale, Womack, Ean Tyler, DeCampos, DeLeon, Wells and Jack Ledwith.  Tibball scored his second TD of the day behind his big offensive line.  With a failed point after run the Packers took control into the 4th quarter with a 14-0 lead.  

Later in the 4th quarter the Packers defense sealed the game with Steinle's second interception of the afternoon.  The Titans should be commended for their strong play all afternoon by players like Max Leland, Dario Laraia, Aarik Rochester and Joey Lemieux. Neither team gave up and should be commended for their sportsmanship and pride. There were no losers on Field A after the 3:00 game on Sunday.

Walter Hussey Giants 46 - Venora Electric Vikings 39

In a classic duel, on a brilliant fall day, the Walter Hussey Giants prevailed by the skin of their teeth 46-39 over a valiant Venora Electric Viking squad.

Otis Donaldson returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and staked the Giants to a quick 7-0 lead. Sean Clifford quickly responded for the Vikings, narrowing the Giant lead to 7-6.

Donaldson scored on the Giants’ next possession, dashing around the left end for his second score which pushed the Giant lead to 14-6. Alex Dobbins scored on a QB sneak for the Vikings to bring the score to 14-13.

Jeff LaRosa scored the next two touchdowns for the Giants – the first on a long run, followed by an interception return which pushed the Giant lead to 27-13. Clifford later scored to draw the Vikings within 27-19 entering the half.

The Vikings opened the second half with a quick sore as Clifford ran by the Giant defense to cut the score to 27-25. The Giant offense stalled on the ensuing possession, and the Vikings responded with a Clifford dash to give the Vikings their first lead 31-27.

Donaldson later took a screen pass and turned it into a 40-yard TD to push the Giants back on top 34-31. Clifford was determined to respond, later scoring again to push the Vikings back on top 39-34.

LaRosa leveraged the no huddle offense and marched the Giants down field and eventually scored on a brilliant rollout to make it 40-39 Giants.

The Giants defense finally held the Vikings and forced a turnover on downs. LaRosa sealed the game with one last score to account for the 46-39 final.

Sean Clifford's five touchdowns and 200+ yards rushing, and a touchdown from Alex Dobbins and two-point conversion from AJ Guevara accounted for the Viking scoring against a stingy Giants defense. The Vikings received strong play from halfback AJ Guevera who led the way for Clifford with fantastic lead blocking.  Hats off to the offensive line of Tim Cotter, Michael Pollack, Neil Gustufason, Brock Pizzoferratto, Ryan Venora, John Doar and Brennan Ravenberg - who fired-out off the line, stayed with their blocks, and paved the way for big plays in this close game. Tight ends Cooper Silver and Sean Guevara played exceptional with difficult assignments and reeled in catches providing hard fought first downs when needed most.  The Vikings defense played well with Luke Wilson coming up big at safety with great coverage against the Giants deep throwing routes.  Christian St. Juste in his debut at linebacker came up with big tackles against a hard charging Giants offense.

Outstanding players for the Vikings included Clifford, Alex Dobbins, and Tim Cotter. Standing out for the Giants, were Jeff LaRosa and Otis Donaldsson, who were truly a dynamic duo that were unstoppable when it mattered most.

 

MIDGET DIVISION

Sinatro Agency One Wildcats 30 - Eastern Rehabilitation Network Chargers 0

Week three brought the undefeated Wildcats and Chargers together to determine the lead in the WHYFL Midgets standings in a much anticipated contest.

The Chargers received the opening kickoff and were immediately greeted by a stingy Wildcats defense that forced a Charger punt. The Wildcats first drive was stopped as the Chargers showed they too were willing to give no ground. Both teams were stymied as their opponents relented little as the first quarter ended scoreless.

Wildcat quarterback Max Main then led his team on a drive downfield and capped it off with a 17 yard touchdown run by David Torres. Main then converted the extra point on a pass to Griffin Smith.  The Chargers tried to answer but defensive ends John Kirklin and Cullen McCaffery along with cornerbacks Chris Chukwura and Davis Torres of the Wildcats stopped the attack cold. Back came the Cats offense with Main at the helm. This time they converted on a 4 yard dive by Ryan Orlowski and again converted on another pass to Smith for the extra point. The Wildcat lead at the half was 16 - 0.

The Wildcats opened the half on offense first and received the opening kick. Behind linemen Carter Horton and Elijah Henrique's the Cats were able to complete a 40 yard pass to Mohammed Codjo for another score. It was now up to AJ Fair and Spencer Merkel to answer for the Chargers but the Wildcats continued to play tough defense. Charger QB Grant O'Connor tried to convert on a long pass play but Wildcats safety Michael Farley helped break up the play. 

In the fourth quarter, Wildcat center Dominic Mongillo continued his flawless exchanged with QB Main and they converted on the final score of the game on another handoff to Torres, who sprinted 15 yards into the endzone.  Final score wildcats 30 Chargers 0.

It was a good physical game as both teams fought hard till the final seconds. This one went to the Wildcats but the Chargers have an explosive offense which will be looking for revenge in week six.           

West Hartford Firefighters Association Eagles 38 – West Hartford Rotary Club Raiders 13
Dominic Niman rushed for over 200 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the West Hartford Firefighters to a 38-13 win over the West Hartford Rotary Club Raiders Sunday at Sterling Field.

Thomas Cravedi stopped a Raider drive with an interception, leading the Eagle Midgets to their first victory. Also playing well for the Eagles Matt Marino, Aiden Stabnick, and Andrew Nicklas.

 

PONY DIVISION

Wiremold Legrand Chargers 43 – Sinatro Agency One Wildcats 29

Universal Connectivity Raiders 25 - West Hartford Police Association Eagles 14

This meeting of two undefeated teams did not disappoint.  The Raiders bested the Eagles in a very close gridiron match which went down to the wire.  Both teams had to go deep into their playbooks and adjust play by play to determine this outcome. 

The Raiders struck first with a well-thrown pass to Kevin Vaughan who received the pass in full stride and jaunted into the end-zone.  The points after were added by Declan Flaherty rolling out to the right and finding no receiver sprinted past the goal line. 

The Eagles then took over on the ensuing kickoff and systematically marched down the field behind the strong accurate arm of Burke Martindale and his talented receiver corps led by Sam LeFante. 

Andrew Cravedi then took the ball outside and with plenty of defenders in pursuit was able to muscle his way to pay dirt.  The point after attempt was unsuccessful.  The first quarter ended with the Raiders up 7-6. 

The Eagle defense anchored by Brandon Beecher and LJ Luba on the ends forced the Raiders to look elsewhere for yards.  A forced pass drifted high through the air looking like an Eagle kill but it was Raider Joe Morrissey that made an acrobatic catch saving the interception.  However the ball was turned over when the Raiders failed to convert. 

The Eagles were on the move again completing accurately thrown mid yardage passes when Raider Sean Keating came sprinting out of thin air to intercept.  A well-orchestrated execution of plays and good clock management allowed the Raiders to score once more before the half on a 5 yard run by John Lagoy ending the first half score at 13-6. 

The Eagles came soaring back in the second half scoring on an up the middle dive by their fullback #75 followed by a two point pass conversion giving them the lead.  In the fourth another Flaherty to Vaughan corner route moved the Raiders back into the lead and finally an Alex Haggerty off-tackle run finished the scoring.  Both teams played extremely well and are to be congratulated. 

 


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