Greenwich, ranked No. 2 in the state, just smacked down No. 6 New Britain 35-7 Friday night, racking up 28 straight points to completely pull away in a total gut-check game. This was a battle of top-six teams, y’all, and it delivered on the hype, showcasing exactly why the Cardinals are two-time defending champs.
Long Ride, Louder Statement: The Champs Are Here
A two-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Greenwich to Veterans Stadium sounds brutal, but that trip home after a dominant win? Miles shorter, I bet. New Britain came into this showdown with a swagger, fresh off slaying reigning Class MM champ Windsor last week with a 28-12 win and their “Slay the Kings” mantra ringing loud. But they ran headfirst into the real kings of Class LL football. Greenwich delivered a cold, hard dose of reality: the road to the championship still runs through their town. New Britain did manage a 40-yard scoring strike early on from Billy Seymour to KJ Willis, answering Greenwich’s ice-breaker. But that was it. The door slammed shut after that.
Tarantino’s Wild Ride, Carroll’s Dominance, and Hurricanes’ Own Goal
Man, talk about a rollercoaster. Junior QB Philip Tarantino threw three picks, including one on the very first play from scrimmage to Damitrie Bishop. But he *still* came up clutch, grinding out a 1-yard TD run and slinging a massive 32-yard scoring pass to Theo Ho early in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal. Sophomore Evan Bellenson did a ton of the ball-carrying work and capped the night with a 12-yard burst. But the real unsung hero has to be senior Justin Carroll. He punched in two short rushing touchdowns, including a 5-yarder on the first play of the second quarter that put Greenwich up for good, and he anchored that stingy defense at linebacker. Seriously, Player of the Game, no question. New Britain shot themselves in the foot too many times, racking up post-play penalties and giving up a blocked punt to Bobby Stanley that directly led to Carroll’s second score. They even had a 35-yard field goal attempt blocked at the end of the first half, trying to close a 21-7 gap. Brutal. They controlled the ball for most of the third quarter, got inside the Greenwich 25 *twice*, and both times came away with nada, turning the ball over on downs. You just can’t do that against a championship squad.
This wasn’t just another regular-season game; these two squads have serious postseason history. They’ve tangled seven times in the playoffs, with New Britain holding a 4-3 edge, including three state championship wins. Greenwich has their own big playoff victories against them, of course. For the first time ever, they clashed in the regular season, and it felt like a playoff preview. Greenwich just served notice that their line of succession isn’t cracking easily. What’s next for these two could easily be another epic playoff battle, and you know both teams will be ready.
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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