Windham rallies to slip past New London 14-13
New London — Windham's efficient running game eventually wore down the New London High School football team on Friday night.
Cullan Contos rushed for 205 yards on 18 carries while fullback Seiji Arzuaga added 135 tough yards on 29 carries with a pair of touchdowns as the Whippets overcame a 13-0 deficit to defeat the Whalers 14-13 in the final game at Cannamela Field for New London's seniors.
"I feel awful for them," coach Duane Maranda,"Their last football game on Cannamela Field is a loss ... and a tough one. These young men are learning how to deal with adversity, but they fought every step along the way.
“We're a better team than we were a month ago, but it's just been one of those years where we can't seem to catch a break."
The Whalers (2-7) had just taken a 13-0 lead on Jacob Commander's 44-yard touchdown run just 2:07 into the second half when the Whippets (6-2), running out of the Wing T, went on a six-play, 59 yard drive — highlighted by a 37-yard run by Contos — to pull within 13-7 on Arzuaga's 3-yard run.
"Their second series of the second half was definitely the turning point," Maranda said. "We had them on our heels. We just had to get them off the football field and get our offensive back on ... but that's how quickly momentum can switch. They took control and kept it for the rest of the game."
Windham's next drive was an eight-play, 87-yard masterpiece that began in the third quarter and ended with Arzuga's 18-yard TD burst just 1:19 into the fourth quarter.
Brody Labbe's extra point gave the Whips a lead they would never relingquish.
Melquan Gomez, who scored New London's first TD on a 2-yard run in the second quarter, completed 16 of 28 passes for 193 yards while Commander rushed for 74 yards on 11 carries and Alejaundro Paulino had eight receptions for 68 yards. In other games: • Hunter Floyd had a touchdown run and picked off a pair of passes, leading Stonington to a 21-15 win over Plainfield in an ECC Small Division game.
Floyd's touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Bears (2-6, 2-4) a 21-7 lead.
Tyler Ballard's second touchdown run of the game, and his conversion run, pulled Plainfield (3-5, 1-4) to within 21-15 midway through the fourth quarter. Floyd, a defensive back, sealed the win with his second interception of the game with 1:38 left.
Liam Wallace and Nick Turrisi had touchdown runs for Stonington, which rushed for 221 yards on 55 carries. Tyler Burnside had 15 carries for 68 yards and Floyd rushed for 65 yards on eight carries.
• Cole Mileski ran for one touchdown and passed for another while Jacob Slowik added a pair of field goals in Griswold's 20-7 victory over Montville in the ECC Small.
After the Indians (4-3, 1-1) had taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Cody Calash's 1-yard touchdown run, Mileski ran 45 yards for a score in the second quarter to tie the game a 7-7 before the Wolverines (4-3, 2-2) dominated the second half.
Mileski threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Yeaton to make it 14-7 before Slowik added field goals of 30 and 26 yards. Mileski passed for 128 yards and rushed for 60 while Yeaton had the one reception for 59 yards and Jordan Baker caught four passes for 58.
Tyler Price had 18 carries for 44 yards for Montville.