T-Birds squash Spartans

BURLINGTON — Visiting North Branford’s football team scored on four big third-quarter plays, turning a close game into a 48-0 rout over Lewis Mills Saturday afternoon.

Despite disparate records — North Branford’s 4-1 (3-1 Pequot Sassacus Division) vs. Lewis Mills’ 0-5 (0-3 Sassacus Division) — the game figured to be much closer on paper.

Mills’ only previous blowout loss (38-0) came in its opener against undefeated Pequot Uncas Division leader Coventry. After that, the Spartans played tough against three opponents, including Sassacus leaders Cromwell (44-20) and Old Saybrook (34-14) for the last two weeks.

“They knew we came to play,” Spartans coach Jose Santana said.

Meanwhile, North Branford’s only loss was a blowout against Cromwell, 44-0.

“We’re a very young team and we haven’t faced the schedule they have,” Thunderbird coach Mark Basil said before Saturday’s game.

The first half played just that way.

North Branford’s defense stuffed the Spartans on four straight opening plays, then marched 54 yards in 13 plays for the first score — a fouryard run by Nick Mancini (11 carries, 69 yards) and point-after kick by Jarrett Cocopardo (6-for-6).

But after another fourand-out series by the Spartans, Mills’ defense stopped the Thunderbirds cold at the Spartan 5-yard line early in the second quarter.

Five first down North Branford passes fell in-

complete in the first quarter. Now the Spartans ramped up against the Thunderbirds’ running game.

“We want to go 60-40 pass-to-run,” Basil said. “When we don’t do that, we face nine men in the box like we did today in the second quarter.”

Down just 7-0, Mills’ defense stopped the running game, then sprang a 38-yard run of their own by senior Chris Romano.

The Spartans couldn’t keep it rolling, stalling out on the Thunderbird 42.

As the seconds ticked off the first half, North Branford quarterback Jeff Jablonski (6-for-11, 132 yards) found his passing game — seven yards to Mancini, 10 to Louis Raffone, 15 to Alex Clinton and a final 16 to Mancini for the score.

“We’ve got 26 freshmen (out of 51 players), so a lot of our guys are two-way players,” Santana said. “They start to struggle as the game wears on.”

Stung by the late secondquarter flurry of Jablonski passes, Mills’ defense had to open up.

Jablonski took advantage with a 25-yard jaunt to the end zone four minutes into the second half. Two minutes later, he hit Sydney Franklin with a 46-yard scoring bomb.

With Mills on its heels, a reverse sprang Brett LeQuire for 83 yards and another touchdown.

Leading 34-0, a Thunderbird interception set up North Branford for one more third-quarter aerial bomb, this one from freshman quarterback Brandon Fratta, 22 yards to freshman receiver Tyler Dinapoli.

North Branford’s final

“We’ve got 26 freshmen (out of 51 players), so a lot of our guys are two-way players. They start to struggle as the game wears on.”

Lewis Mills coach Jose Santana

score came on the ground with 1:33 left in the game — 13 yards by Ray Sobask.

“We just don’t have the depth,” said Santana, who lost starting middle linebacker Hunter Cowger to a concussion in the first quarter.

“We got our swagger back against Morgan (41-2 last week),” Jablonski said. “We want to play Cromwell again next week.”

“It all starts with the line (which includes a freshman and three juniors),” Mancini said.

“You’re growing,” Basil told his team. “You’re better today than you were last week.”