Frawley, Branford hold off Law
BRANFORD — Compiling close to 400 yards of offense and five touchdowns through three quarters of play, all the talk for Branford was expected to be about its offense. Football is a funny game.
A late Law rally, then a key defensive stand from the Milford team had Law in position to tie what looked to be a sure Branford win in the closing minutes.
Branford flipped the script, causing a fumble which was recovered by senior John Frawley inside the Branford 20 with 2 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the game. The Hornets kept their postseason hopes alive with a 35-28 victory over Jonathan Law in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division III contest at Branford High School Thursday evening.
“I just have to do my job,” Frawley said. “Every week we prepare. We just have to do our jobs, every single one of us.”
When Branford took 9:03 off the clock, using 15 plays to march 82 yards for a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Zachary Turbert, Branford led 35-14 with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter.
“We had a lot of unsung heroes tonight,” Branford coach John Limone said after his team improved to 7-2. “A lot of different kids stepped up. There were a lot of great performances out there. We have one more to go. Next week (East Haven) will be tough. It is always a battle.”
Law refused to quit. A ridiculous 10-yard touchdown connection from John Neider to Matt Hagerty in which Hagerty caught the ball behind his helmet, cut the deficit to 35-21 with 9:25 to go.
Branford needed a first down to just about seal the game, but Law held and forced Branford to punt. Neider then scampered in from four yards out with 4:58 remaining to get Law within a touchdown.
“These kids don’t quit,” Law coach Chris Haley said after his team fell to 5-4. “That is not an option. We made endless adjustments there. We have some different fronts and we executed. The kids did a great job there.”
The Hornets tried to seal the game on their next possession, but Turbert was sacked on fourth down, giving Law possession at the Branford 34 with just under three minutes to go.
Neider ran for 14 yards, but was hit hard, forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Frawley at the Branford 17 with 2:26 remaining. Chieffo ran 35 yards to get inside the Law 45, before three more runs by the Branford junior helped ice the game, keeping Branford’s playoff hopes alive.
“Without the line, nothing is possible,” Chieffo said after rushing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. “All of my success is because of them. The offensive line was the key for us.”
The first half was an offensive explosion as the two teams combined for 391 yards of offense and five touchdowns, with four coming in the second quarter.
After neither team scored on the first three possessions of the contest, the next five were nothing but touchdowns.
Branford sophomore Cole Snider, who ran for 84 yards in the opening 24 minutes, got the Hornets on the scoreboard when he capped a 9-play, 70-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:47 to go in the opening quarter.
The second quarter saw
nothing but answers as the two teams matched scores on consecutive possessions.
Law marched 96 yards in 12 plays, capped with a 6-yard run by Neider to even the game at 7 just 1:13 into the second quarter. Neider also had runs of 34 and 21 yards on the drive.
“He is the definition of a leader,” Haley said of Neider. “He understands what it takes to execute at this level. He welcomes the opportunities. He is all grit and heart. He is the epitome of what we want wearing this logo.”
Branford needed just 5:29 to respond as a 61-yard drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Chieffo. Turbert completed three passes on the drive for 28 yards.
Law then used its special teams to help even the game. Spencer Hannon returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Branford 28, where five plays later, Neider hit Sam Costantini with an 8-yard scoring strike with 3:46 left in the opening half to even the game at 14.
Branford had one more response in the half. The Hornets went 66 yards in 6 plays, capped when Turbert hit Dylan Dupre with a 6-yard scoring strike and a 21-14 lead with 48 seconds to go in the opening 24 minutes.
The drive saw Snider take off on a 32-yard drive to start the possession, and Frawley run for 21 more.
Neider ran for 176 yards and threw for 147 in the loss.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Nathan Chieffo and John Frawley: Branford standouts refused to let the Hornets be eliminated from postseason contention. Chieffo ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns, while Frawley had a brilliant catch on offense and made several big defensive plays, including a key fumble recovery late in the game.