Knights can’t slow Cheshire

By KEN LIPSHEZ

CHESHIRE — The Southington defense did its utmost to set the tone.

A perfect punt by Nick Gothberg led to a safety and an early lead, but Cheshire was on a mission. The Rams needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and went after high school football’s ultimate prize with unyielding efficiency.

Cheshire scored on three successive plays midway through the first half Thursday morning to carve out a convincing 24-11 victory in the 14th annual Apple Valley Classic at the David Macalary Athletic Complex.

With the win, Cheshire (9-1) earned the third seed in the Class LL playoffs and the right to meet second-seeded Glastonbury in a semifinal Tuesday night, a rematch of last year’s championship game.

"The kids fought hard. That’s what I’m most proud of them for is not giving up," Southington coach Bill Mella said. "I hope that with every team I have, if they learn nothing else, they’ll learn you never quit. These kids definitely fought all season long and showed tenacity when they needed it. Cheshire was a better team today."

The Knights (5-5) gained a 2-0 lead with four minutes gone in the game when defensive MVP Joe Pesce sacked quarterback Greg Palmer in the end zone with an assist from Ravin Walters.

"I thought that was going to be the beginning of a great momentum push," Mella said. "I think it was. I think it really helped get us going but you’ve got to finish here and there."

Southington couldn’t muster enough offensive momentum to take advantage after the ensuing free kick despite a successful fourth-and-12 gamble.

Gothberg, whose 44-yard punt pinned Cheshire on its 1 to set up the safety, faked a punt and lofted a pass to a wide-open Pesce at the Cheshire 26. On fourth-and-6 from the 22, Knights quarterback Connor Butkiewicz tried a bubble screen to Anthony Florian that backfired.

They went to the play often but the Rams’ defense consistently stuffed it.

"We tried to do what we wanted to do," Mella said. "There are things we see and we try to capitalize on. You don’t change stuff just to change it. We have a game plan and we try to execute it. Just because there’s a dropped ball or a pass isn’t right doesn’t mean you get away from your game plan.

"If ifs and buts were drives and putts, I’d be on the Tour."

Cheshire took the lead for good after marching 75 yards in eight plays. The run-oriented Rams reverted to two third-down pass completions to sustain the drive that culminated with Palmer’s one-yard run for a 6-2 lead.

After the Knights went three and out, Cheshire running back Dan Sweeney, voted the game’s most outstanding player, burst into the open for a 63-yard touchdown gallop with 11 seconds left in the first quarter.

Butkiewicz, successful on just four of nine passes in the first quarter for eight yards, got in rhythm on the next sequence. He completed aerials to Florian, Tyler Dube and Southington offensive MVP Zach Etter to penetrate deep in Cheshire territory.

Etter caught seven passes for 66 yards.

"They’re a really good team," Etter said. "We wanted to come out here and go out on a winning note but we wish them luck in the playoffs. We tried really had but we just couldn’t get it done."

But Cheshire linebacker Evan Gaudio burst through and stuck tailback Dylan Danko with a seven-yard loss on third-and-6 from the Rams’ 10. A fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

On the next play, Palmer went over the top to Brian Havlicek for an 83-yard scoring strike. A conversion pass off a faked kick from holder Paul Tuscano to Sebastian Little gave Cheshire a 21-2 lead.

Butkiewicz hit Dube for two long gainers to push inside the Cheshire 10, but two runs failed and another bubble screen to Florian netted nothing. Danko booted a 20-yard field goal.

Cheshire, which held the Knights to 30 yards rushing on 16 tries, answered quickly just before halftime.

Sweeney had a pair of double-digit gains on key third-down runs, setting up a 24-yard field goal by Kyle Pulek. Cheshire held a 24-5 halftime lead.

Southington scored its lone touchdown after receiving the second-half kickoff.

Butkiewicz began with a 21-yard strike to Florian. Etter was on the receiving end of three passes during the drive that ended with Dube snaring a 15-yard Butkiewicz touchdown pass.

When Cheshire failed to make a first down, the Knights were back in business at their 32. Florian’s catch and run brought it to the Rams’ 38 but Cheshire’s defensive MVP Dylan Baumgardner recovered a fumble.

"I ran by [Florian] and got up real quick to chase him down and get the tackle," Baumgardner said. "Ryan Connolly forced the fumble and I jumped on it. The turnover was real big and got everybody pumped up."

It turned out to be the Knights’ last gasp, although Cheshire’s veteran head coach Mark Ecke didn’t think so at the time. He wasn’t ready to celebrate until the Rams recorded their final first down with the final seconds ticking off.

"Up until that point with the explosiveness that they have offensively, they can score at any point," he said. "Even at the end of the fourth quarter we were playing them soft and they were beating us deep. That’s the kind of team they have. They never stop playing."

Cheshire’s win evens the series at seven apiece.