New Britain delivered an absolute stunner on Thursday night, taking down Southington, the last unbeaten team in Class LL, 28-27 in a CCC Tier 1 showdown. This wasn’t just another game; it was a gritty, nail-biting fight at Fontana Field that saw the No. 6-ranked squad in the GametimeCT poll finally taste defeat.
The “Slay the Kings” Mantra Is BACK!
Seriously, after earlier losses to reigning state champs Greenwich and New Canaan, New Britain’s “slay the kings” mantra had kinda faded. Well, folks, it is officially dusted off and shining bright again! This victory against an undefeated, phenomenal program like Southington, who Coach Isaiah Boddie even called “the cream of the crop here in the CCC,” feels like a conference championship win. And you know what? Defensive end Zion Calvin nailed it: “It was a ginormous win for us.” New Britain now sits at a solid 6-2, staying locked in the top four of Class LL alongside Greenwich, Staples, and yeah, even Southington at 7-1. Talk about a statement game!
The Unsung Hero Who Changed Everything
You want to know what makes this win even more incredible? It wasn’t one of the usual big names, even though this game had plenty of massive plays. This one came down to a New Britain scout player, Javier Zenquis. Yeah, a scout player! This dude fought his way onto special teams with such relentless work in practice it reportedly even “angered his teammates” sometimes. But Thursday? That dogged work paid off. Zenquis came off the edge to swat down a PAT attempt after Ben Beaulieu’s second touchdown of the third quarter had narrowed the gap to 28-27. At the time, with 4:50 still left in the third and both teams trading four touchdowns each, it didn’t seem like *the* game-changer. Both squads had been lighting up the scoreboard, so who figured that single point would loom so large?
But it did. No more points were scored. Both defenses absolutely buckled down in the fourth quarter, delivering critical fourth-down stops. Southington’s last shot, a fourth-and-6 pass at midfield with just two minutes on the clock, fell incomplete. That’s it. Game over. The New Britain Golden Hurricanes never actually trailed in this one, but Southington was like a shadow they just couldn’t shake. New Britain quarterback Billy Seymour got things going with a 7-yard TD run, set up by a Southington fumble. Southington answered immediately with a 10-yard Jacoby Roman pass to Nick Andrews. Then came the explosive plays: Jaden Benitez ripping off a 60-yard TD run, followed by Southington’s Leif Renehan turning a short Roman pass into an 87-yard breakaway. New Britain grabbed a 21-14 lead on a 1-yard plunge by Benitez, but Southington drove deep, looking to tie it up again. Instead, NB linebacker Julius Mendez picked off a Roman pass in the end zone. And then, just before the half, Seymour finally connected with Zhyair Brown on a massive 70-yard mortar that sent NB into the break up 28-14. Every single one of those plays mattered, but that blocked PAT? That was the dagger.
This win marks the third straight year New Britain has knocked off Southington. It’s a huge win, not just for the bragging rights, but for their standing in Class LL. What a statement, proving they absolutely belong in that top tier. You know both these teams will be pushing hard as the season continues, with every game having massive implications for those Class LL standings!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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