The Lonesome Polecat: Holy Cross opening eyes, notables and a PSA
Holy Cross quarterback Drew Caouette watched nervously from the sidelines last Thursday as Naugatuck’s quick-strike offense was driving for the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter.
“I was pooping my pants,” Caouette said, “but our defense got it done.”
More specifically, Roehn Maldonado got it done. Again.
Maldonado managed to get a paw on a potential game-winning 24-yard field goal with 14 seconds left to send the ball fluttering into a teammate’s hands as the Crusaders won a wild 21-19 thriller over the defending Naugatuck Valley League champion.
“I’m telling our guys…. ‘We have to get a big play,’” Holy Cross head coach Mike Giampetruzzi said, “and we got two of them tonight from him.”
The win leaves Holy Cross and perennial powerhouse Ansonia as the only unbeaten teams in the NVL (both are 5-0). The two Class S contenders have this week off and will play at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury on Friday, Oct. 21.
The Crusaders fell behind 13-0 on the first play of the second half but slowly got themselves back in the game.
Caouette’s 6-yard run cut the Greyhounds’ lead to 19-14 with 8 minutes, 6 seconds left.
Kevin Matiz booted the ensuing kickoff deep enough to force Naugatuck’s Jaylen Martinez to run backwards to get the ball.
That extra time allowed Maldonado to get downfield and deliver a jarring hit to force a fumble that teammate Carsten Donovan recovered at the Naugy 20-yard line.
“I just saw that he bobbled the ball a little bit,” Maldonado said. “The blockers over-pursued a little bit and didn’t see me coming in. They kind of let me go by and left me open for (the hit).”
The turnover set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Marquis Campbell and Matiz’s extra point gave Holy Cross its first lead with 6:44 remaining.
The Crusaders’ prospects didn’t look good early as the Greyhounds’ defense kept finding a way to get pressure on Caouette, or stopped Thomas Ligi, Holy Cross’ workhorse, for short gains.
Naugatuck’s Vin Ferruci and Jacob Sanchez kept being moved around the formation to bring the heat.
“We knew that was part of their plan,” Giampetruzzi said. “We saw that on film that they bring a lot of pressure. … It’s hard to simulate at practice but once you get a feel for it, I think our guys adjusted and they were able to pick up those blitz packages.”
Holy Cross’ offensive line played big the rest of the game, allowing the Crusaders to end the first half with a 21-play, 90-yard drive that devoured 10:43.
That drive ended with a missed field goal by Matiz but kept the ball away from Naugatuck and most especially Cayden Martin. Martin ran 17 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns for the Greyhounds.
Martin began the second half with a 64-yard touchdown run on a sweet counter play. Dominic DeSousa’s extra point gave Naugatuck a 13-0 lead.
“We were kind of holding our heads down a little bit but our coaches picked us up,” Maldonado said. “We came back. We were ready to go pound back.”
The Crusaders’ offense started to get them back in the game. They went on a 12-play drive that ended with Ligi’s 1-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 13-7 in the third quarter.
Caouette had a big throw to Campbell for a 25-yard gain on third-and-6. Campbell kept finding ways to get open throughout the game.
“He’s a game-changer, Giampetruzzi said about Campbell. “He can make you miss in a phone booth.”
Campbell had 5 catches for 101 yards while Caouette completed 9 of 15 passes for 138 yards. Ligi added 21 carries for 88 yards and a score.
Martin struck again with a 20-yard touchdown run to push Naugy’s lead to 19-7 with 3.2 seconds left in the third.
But Holy Cross was undeterred.
“I’ve talked about it all year (about) these kids,” Giampetruzzi said. “They’ve been playing (together) since they were freshman. A couple of those guys have been starters, and they’ve just been our leaders ever since they became varsity starters and it showed tonight. They didn’t flinch. They just kept on playing.”
• • • •
A few games of note from Week 5:
No. 3 Maloney 28, Newington 23
Joziah Gonzalez scored on a go-ahead 90-yard kickoff return with over 9 minutes left in the game as the Spartans won their 17th straight over winless Newington.
Everyone has a tough day at work sometime.
Gonzalez also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Valentine.
Cromwell/Portland 14, Granby/Canton 7
Emeka Yearwood ran 14 times for 88 yards, including a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, as the defending Class S champion PANTHERLANDERS won their 19th straight game
Ryan Rozich scored on a 4-yard run for Crom/Port (5-0).
Will Migliaccio completed 13 of 17 passes for 94 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass, for the BEAR WARRIORS.
New Britain 38, South Windsor 37
Donavan Campbell completed 14-of-21 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns as the Hurricanes snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cayden Hill had 294 yards offense and two touchdowns, Dameer Bailey had 86 yards receiving and a touchdown and ran for another and Cam Bond rushed for 78 yards and two scores for New Britain.
Ethan Laguardia did all he could do for the Bobcats as he completed 7 of 14 passes for 119 yards with three touchdowns and ran 19 times for 113 yards and two scores. Joey Bemis caught three passes for 58 yards and two scores while Devin Decker had 12 tackles.
Max Nylen strikes again!
Nylen scored twice in under a minute with three minutes remaining to help the RAPTORS rally for a 34-27 win last Friday. He finished with three touchdown runs and tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Ford.
You might remember that Nylen had EIGHT touchdowns in a 69-39 win over Farmington on Oct. 1. He ran 27 times for 375 yards and seven touchdowns and caught a 29-yard touchdown pass in that win, and his eight touchdowns put him in a seven-way tie for the third most in a game, according to the Connecticut High School Football Record Book.
Joseph Vasques threw three touchdown passes and scored on a 10-yard interception return for the Blue Devils.
Ryan Diaz ran for two touchdowns as well as the game-winning 2-point conversion with 49 seconds left as the Falcons scraped past the Eagles last Saturday.
Jeremy Taveras caught both a touchdown and conversion pass, Jack Dennehy had an interception to ice the game and Charlie Aponte also had a pick for the Blessed Birds.
Dereck Ledee ran for two touchdowns for Kennedy.
Wilcox Tech/Kaynor Tech 28, Cheney Tech 21 (OT)
Look who’s off to the best start in program history, y’all.
Brandon Alvarado ran 13 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns and added a strip-and-score fumble return of 30 yards in the Wildcats’ win last Friday. The Meriden and Waterbury collaboration is off to its best start in history (3-2) having finished 1-9 in each of their previous two seasons.
Connor Fletcher added eight tackles, including two sacks, for WT/KT.
• • • •
It was bittersweet and perhaps fitting that Evan Anderson scored Southington’s first two touchdowns in 90 seconds during last Friday’s 40-20 win over East Hartford.
Anderson was playing a day after the tragic death of his father, James, who died at work. He was 52.
Life is a monster.
Condolences to Anderson’s family and friends.
• • • •
BEHOLD, The Day of New London Top 10 state coaches' poll: 1. Southington (5-0, five first-place votes); 2. New Canaan (4-0, three first-place votes); T3. Maloney (5-0, two first-place votes) and St. Joseph (4-1, two first-place votes); 5. West Haven (4-0, one first-place vote); 6. Killingly (4-0); 7. Greenwich (3-1); 8. North Haven (3-1); 9. Shelton (3-1); 10. Hamden (4-0).
• • • •
The GameTimeCT.com/Hearst Monolith Top 10 media poll: 1. Southington (16 first-place votes); 2. New Canaan (five first-place votes); 3. Maloney; 4. Killingly (three first-place votes); 5. Greenwich; 6. St. Joseph; 7. West Haven; 8. Ansonia (5-0); 9. Shelton; 10. Cheshire (4-0).
Ansonia and Cheshire are No. 11 and 12, respectively, in the coaches’ poll.
Hamden is No. 11 and North Haven No. 13 in the media poll.
• • • •
Ned Freeman’s cold, calculating computer rankings for CalPreps and MaxPreps: 1. St. Joseph; 2. West Haven; 3. Southington; 4. North Haven; 5. Maloney; 6. Notre Dame-West Haven (3-1); 7. New Canaan; 8. Cheshire; 9 Shelton; 10. Greenwich.
Killingly and Hamden were ranked No. 12 and 13, respectively, by the computer model.
Notre Dame is No. 16 in the coaches’ poll and ranked 18th by the media.
Notre Dame also supplanted Simsbury as having the state’s toughest schedule. It’s beaten North Haven, Bunnell (3-1) and Xavier (1-3) and lost its season-opener to West Haven.
• • • •
Dig the ballot Polecat HQ filed for the New Haven Register/GameTimeCT media poll:
1. Southington
2. Greenwich: Hosts the next team on this list Friday night. JOY.
3. St. Joseph
4. Maloney
5. West Haven
6. Hamden
7. New Canaan
8. Killingly: Windham visits Friday night in a battle between two of the Eastern Connecticut Conference’s three remaning unbeaten teams (Ledyard is the third).
9. Notre Dame-West Haven
10. North Haven
11. Shelton
12. Staples
13. Newtown
14. Berlin
15. Cheshire
• • • •
NOTABLES~!
Evan and Malik Anderson, CJ DiBenedetto, Will Chapman and Lincoln Cardillo, Southington: Evan Anderson had four catches for 81 yards and two scores in the East Hartford win while Cardillo ran 12 times for 204 yards and two scores. Also, DiBenedetto completed 9 of 23 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns and Malik Anderson and Chapman each had two sacks.
Aiden Avenia and Freddie Camp, Gilbert/Northwestern Regional/Housatonic Regional co-op: Things sexier than a 100-yard rusher — MULTIPLE 100-yard rushers. Camp ran eight times for 132 yards and three touchdowns and threw a 49-yard touchdown pass in last Friday’s 41-7 rout over Oxford. Avenia added 14 carries for 102 yards and a score.
Jordan Brice, Hudson Hollander (ALLITERATION), Simon Levy, Tyler Redden and BODE Smith, Hall: Smith completed 8 of 15 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns as Hall knocked off previously unbeaten Glastonbury last Friday 21-3 for its first win of the season. Brice had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, scored on a run and had eight tackles, Levy had a team-high 12 tackles and Hollander and Redden (nine tackles) each had an interception.
Tate Callender, ORION Inkel and Alex Phipps, Haddam-Killingworth: Inkel ran 23 times for 144 yards and a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 15 yards and two scores in the Cougars’ 28-12 win over Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby win last Saturday. Phipps completed 15 of 21 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns and Callender had nine catches for 85 yards and a score.
David Cassetti, Chris Kaminski, Machi Ingram and Paul Palmer, Ansonia: Kaminski threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns in last Thursday’s 44-6 win over Wolcott. Cassetti ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns, Ingram scored on runs of 19 and 14 yards and Palmer converted on all six of his extra point attempts.
Joey Christian, Hason Greene, Nate Palmer and Brady Ramsdell, Rockville: Ramsdell completed 8 of 19 passes for 181 yards and five touchdowns in last Friday’s 54-14 rout of Morgan. Eight completions and five were for touchdowns. Wild. Greene added four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns and had two interceptions, Christian had three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns and Palmer had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery for the Rams.
VITTORIO CHURCH, Platt: Scored on a 10-yard run, a 60-yard punt return and added three catches for 70 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass, as the Panthers rolled past Avon last Friday, 39-0. In a related note, “Vittorio Church” would be a great name for an Italian tech/death metal band.
Noah Cordone, Tyler Holcomb, Connor Ouellette and Ben Rosenberg, E.O. Smith: Ouellette completed 10 of 13 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns AND ran 10 times for 55 yards and two scores in last Friday’s 39-7 win over Northwest Catholic. Cordone caught two passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns, Holcomb had 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown along with eight tackles and Rosenberg added eight tackles for the Fighting Edwin Oscar Smiths.
Nick Cox, DiAngelo Jean-Pierre and Grady Lacourciere, Valley Regional/Old Lyme: Lacourciere completed 11 of 12 passes (EFFICIENCY) for 152 yards and SIX touchdowns as the WARRIORCATS mashed Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton/Lyman Memorial/All Parts In-between last Saturday, 57-6. Cox caught four touchdowns and Jean-Pierre caught two for VR/OL.
Jack Cushman and Matt Miller, Foran: Cushman completed 17 of 22 passes (to six different dudes) for 280 yards and two touchdowns as the unbeaten Lions topped East Haven last Friday, 42-8. Miller scored on runs of 5, 8 and 6 yards and also ran for a conversion.
Mason DiMauro, Luke Maguder (not McGruber), Lorenzo Miele, Berlin: Miele needed to complete just 8 of 11 passes to attain 133 yards and three touchdowns in last Friday’s 39-6 triumph over Bristol Eastern. Maguder caught five passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns and returned the opening kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown for the Redcoats. DiMauro also scored on an 82-yard interception return and a 16-yard run.
Caden Drezek, Henry Reyes and Michael Rossetti, Seymour: Drezek completed 18 of 26 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another as the Wildcats smushed Watertown 42-0. Rossetti had seven catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns and Reyes was 6-for-6 on extra points.
Conor Dobrowolski and Dante Mangiafico, Ellington: Mangiafico completed 10 of 13 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns and ran six times for 50 yards and a score in last Friday’s 44-6 win over Capital Prep/Achievement First. Dobrowolski had 10 tackles and an interception for the PURPLE KNIGHTS.
Zack Donovan, Stafford/East Windsor/Somers: Ran 25 times for 140 yards and four touchdowns and added four tackles and a sack in last Friday’s 33-12 triumph over Coginchaug/Hale-Ray/East Hampton. That’s a whole lot of backslashes for one football game.
Frank Guerrera, Alex Muniz and MJ Torres, Rocky Hill: Torres had 18 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the Terriers’ 33-18 win over Stonington. Guerrera ran 15 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns and Muniz had nine tackles, three sacks and a pick.
Daniel Hernandez, Sports & Medical Sciences Academy/Bulkeley/Classical Magnet: Dude went all Jalen Hurts in last Friday’s 34-12 victory over North Branford. He ran for 302 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 171 yards and a score for the TIGERHAWKS (5-0).
Jayvionne Hill, Joey Leadke, Noah Miller and Dante Rivera, Abbott Tech/Immaculate: Hill ran 17 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns as ATI took down Bullard-Havens/Kolbe Cathedral last Saturday, 49-6. Miller scored on runs of 14, 15 and 4 yards and Leadke and Rivera each had an interception for THE UNITED.
Davien and Davion (say that five times fast) Kerr, Bloomfield: DAVION had two catches for 49 yards and a touchdown and scored on both a interception and punt return as the WARHAWKS decimated Farmington last Friday, 66-3. DAVIEN, meanwhile, scored on both a kickoff and punt return and had a pick, too.
John Manning, CHILLI White and Bryce Whitehead, Windsor: White had 11 carries for 130 yards as Windsor lumped Bristol Central last Friday, 49-0. Manning ran eight times for 97 yards and two scores and Whitehead was 7-for-7 on extra points.
Christian Morales and Tyler Santiago, Woodland: Morales scored the Hawks’ first three touchdowns and finished with 10 carries for 109 yards and and caught two passes for 40 yards in last Thursday’s 49-0 take down of Wolcott. Santiago had two catches for 45 yards and a touchdown and scored on an 8-yard run.
Peter Reyes, Wilton: Ran for three touchdowns in Saturday’s 49-7 victory over Tolland. MINUTIA — Wilton (5-0) has traveled approximately 350 miles round-trip (if it took the shortest routes) to play both Norwich Free Academy (33-14 win, Sept. 9) and Tolland in non-league games. NO BELLYACHING about those being long drives, though, because this is Connecticut, and everything is within two hours. Ain’t like your driving six hours one-way on the back roads of Texas for a game like Mom did back in the day. Y’all are spoiled nowadays with your highways and cars with Bluetooth and what-not.
James Richards, Wilby: Rushed for 125 yards and four touchdowns and ran in two conversions as the Wildcats blanked Derby last Saturday, 36-0.
Jourdin Rivera, Jermaine Shepherd and LJ Wade, Platt Tech: Rivera completed 9 of 12 passes for 248 yards with four touchdowns and ran for another in the Panthers’ 45-33 win last Saturday. Offense, this game had it. Wade had five catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns and Shepherd added 13 tackles, including a sack.
Brady Rossacci, Sheehan: Ran 31 times for 128 yards and four touchdowns in last Friday’s 40-6 rout of Hillhouse. It was his third straight 100-yard game. And he’s just a freshman. That’s mighty nice for the Titans.
Daniel Sullivan, Simsbury: Kicked field goals of 30 and 28 yards and made both of his extra point attempts in last Friday’s 20-3 win over Conard.
Dasani Yates, Waterbury Career Academy: Scored on both a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 39-yard run in the Spartans 21-0 win over Crosby last Friday.
Northwest United: Limited O’Brien Tech to 39 yards of offense in Sunday’s 26-0 win. Samuel Scott recovered a bad snap in the end zone for a touchdown for the WORKHORSES (4-0) and Janos Kobylarz recovered another fumble.
Oh, SO MANY DUDES from the Thames River co-op: Ryan Outlow ran twice for 45 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 69 yards and two scores in last Friday’s 56-0 thrashing of VG Techs. Oh, wait — there’s more. Jack Philistin completed 3 of 5 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns and scored on a 39-yard run, Seth Cunningham ran five times for 67 yards and two touchdowns, Javion Velez caught a 42-yard touchdown pass and had two interceptions (takes deep breath) AND Jayden Millette recovered two fumbles for the Crusaders (3-0).
NOTE: Coaches, if you believe you have a dude or two who should make this list in the future, then by all means email us at n.griffen@theday.com. Also give us a few minutes back from the several hours we spend on Sundays and Mondays scouring all the state media websites, MaxPreps, Hudl, Twitter, Reddit’s Eyebleach forum, etc.
• • • •
Monday was “World Mental Health Day 2022,” as dubbed by The World Federation for Mental Health.
September was “National Suicide Prevention Month.”
It’s swell that some entities decided to acknowledge suicide prevention.
It’s also crap because suicide doesn’t operate on a timetable and shouldn’t be forgotten after September or Oct. 10 passes.
Going to assume many of you never heard of Scott Pettersen. Neither did I until recently.
Scott was a freaking superhero on the night of Oct. 1, 2017, when a parasite opened fire on a crowd in Las Vegas, killed 58 people and ruining the lives of many, many more.
Scott later told Seattle’s KIRO-TV after the massacre that he believed he treated more than two dozen people.
Scott also said that he ended up being “head to toe in blood that’s not ours.”
Scott killed himself on Jan. 18, 2021.
He was 31.
I’m so beyond done with people killing themselves because of mental illness.
I’m so horrified that someone can be without hope and willing to do whatever it takes to kill themselves.
It’s a punch to the throat watching friends and acquaintances having to deal with the devastation left behind when a loved one kills themselves.
I’m tired of it because I deal with depression every damn day and all the ugliness that comes with it.
And it doesn’t end.
And it won’t end until I’m dead.
If you’re reading this and you’re struggling, then know that there are legions of us who know what you’re going through.
Who know how mental illness can push you to the brink.
Who know how tiring it is to fake being well.
Who have popped the pills in hopes of never waking up.
Who have pushed that razor into their arm and cut away because they’re so desperate for something, anything, to get that endorphin hit that’ll make them feel better, even if for a few seconds.
Who have had the same razor pressing into their wrists and ready to gouge away.
Who want the mental — and physical — horror to end.
It’s become cliché telling folks battling depression that ‘you’re not alone’ to the point that it can sound like a bloody marketing campaign.
I know it can be impossible to believe that there’s help when you’re going through the worst of mental illness, that feeling of loneliness and despair.
It’s the truth, though. There’s at least one person out there willing to help you.
Don’t believe me? Then listen to Eddie Kingston.
Or Sergeant Kevin Briggs, a former California Highway Patrol officer. Kevin, as fate would have it, became all too familiar with suicide having responded to so many calls at the Golden Gate Bridge. The experience made him become active in suicide prevention.
Or Kevin Hines, who miraculously survived jumping from that very same bridge.
Reach out to any of these organizations if you need help:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (for the transgender community).
Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (for LGBTQ youth).
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, Press 1.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org.
Get the help you need to keep going.
Get the help and resources necessary to beat the bastard — and then keep beating it over-and-over because it’s so damn gratifying.
No matter how hard you’ll struggle to do it at times.
No matter how many times you’ll need to do it.
If you know someone you believe is struggling horribly, then reach out to them now.
Better to ask and find out they’re okay than to not ask and later attend their funeral.
Also know this: if they open up to you, then let them talk and LISTEN.
If you don’t know how to talk to someone who is struggling, then CLICK THIS LINK.
Mental illness won’t ever disappear from society. There’ll will always be humans who kill themselves because of it.
One less suicide is better than nothing, though.
• • • •
Thanks for reading.
More soon.
n.griffen@theday.com
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