Sports

Berlin Football team holds off New Britain to win 32-28

Redcoats finish the season 9-1 and await state playoff opponent.

 

Berlin senior Justin Gombotz has made a lot of big plays this season for the Redcoats on the football team and he made several of them Wednesday night when they played New Britain.

The biggest play of the game, however, came with just 1:30 left in the game. New Britain had closed to within 32-28 with 3:09 left in the game and Berlin needed to kill the clock. The Redcoats were able to get one first down on an offside penalty but needed one more on third down as the Hurricanes were out of timeouts.

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Berlin junior quarterback Mitch Williams rolled to his right and found senior Tyler Bouchard for a first down and the Redcoats were able to run out the clock and hold on the win, their ninth in 10 games.

"That was the play of the game," Berlin coach John Capodice said. "We have confidence in Mitch throwing the ball and Tyler catching the ball and that was it. That was a case of players making plays and we found a way to win."

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Berlin took a 14-0 lead on a 42-yard touchdown run by Gombotz and a 4-yard run by Wotjus Zak. Pat Lomaglio knocked in the extra points on both touchdown runs.

New Britain came back to close the game to 14-8 when the Hurricanes impressive quarterback Malique Jones hit Fitz Ingram for a 46-yard touchdown pass. Jones hit Bryan Gray for the conversion.

Berlin's Scott McLeod scored less than a minute later on a 25-yard touchdown run with Zak adding the conversion. New Britain made it interesting before halftime when they drove for a Lamar Bowsky touchdown with three minutes left. Berlin led 22-14 at halftime.

New Britain had trouble handling the kicks of Lomaglio all game long and the start of the third period was no different. Two different Hurricanes had a chance to recover the pooch kick and Berlin recovered. The Redcoats didn't get a first down but a Lomaglio field goal made it 25-14.

It looked like it was over when Gombotz broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the third quarter to make it 32-14. But on the last play of the fourth quarter, New Britain's Juan Usuga bobbled the ensuing kick-off but made one move and beat the Berlin kick-off team to the end zone, covering 75 yards. Just like that it was 32-20.

The team traded punts in the fourth quarter before the Hurricanes found their footing. Jones was able to find several receivers in leading New Britain down the field. Jones plunged in from a yard out and then threw a pretty conversion pass to Daequone Clark with 3:09 left. Clark went high in the air and battled McLeod for the ball and was able to pull it in.

From there, the Redcoats held onto the ball and watched the clock run out.

"There were no surprises here," Capodice said. "Those were two good teams going at it for 48 minutes."

Capodice told his team this was the kind of game you throw the records out and you have to find a way to win and they did that.

He also praised Gombotz' game.

"He's a tough kid," Capodice said of his running back who ran for 173 yards. "The offensive line did a good job, especially in the first half of giving him some creases to get through and he runs it hard when he gets a chance.

"It was a good, hard-fought football game and I'm proud of the kids to come out on top."

Dante Vasi and Mike Tirinzoni recovered fumbles for the Redcoats while Paul Mariano intercepted a Jones pass.

Berlin will now await its opponent for the state playoffs. The Redcoats will host a game at Scalise Field on Tuesday night. Berlin may be without standout lineman Chris Meucci, who re-injured his shoulder during the game.

New Britain       0   14     6   8   -   28
Berlin               14     8    10  0   -   32

First Quarter
B-Justin Gombotz 42 run (Pat Lomaglio kick)
B-Wotjus Zak 2 run (Lomaglio kick)

Second Quarter
NB-Fitz Ingram 46 pass from Malique Jones (Bryan Gray pass from Jones)
B-Scott McLeod 25 run (Zak run)
NB-Lamar Bowsky 4 run (conversion failed)

Third Quarter
B-Lomaglio 25 field goal
B-Gombotz 40 run (Lomaglio kick)
NB-Juan Usuga 72 kick return (conversion failed)

Fourth Quarter
NB-Jones 1 run (Daequone Clark pass from Jones)


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