SOUTH WINDSOR OUTLASTS GLASTONBURY IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE

Bobcats football had its offense shut down for most of Saturday’s morning home game against Glastonbury. However, they made a few big plays when needed, and the defense carried the squad the rest of the way. South Windsor (2-0) outlasted Glastonbury (0-2) in a defensive battle, earning a 14-9 win and moving to 2-0 on the season. Senior quarterback Connor Kapisak threw a touchdown and ran for another, while the defense recovered a fumble and constantly put pressure on Tomahawks junior QB Drew Daniels. The Bobcats have allowed just 23 points in their two wins. “I can’t say enough about the defensive effort today, they played great all day,” South Windsor head coach Dave Hodge said. “They were able to stop a very good Glastonbury offense that runs a lot of different formations and creative plays. Holding them to 3 points for most of the day is really special.” After Glastonbury was unsuccessful on the game’s opening drive, the Bobcats scored their first touchdown on a big pass play. With his team backed up on their side of the field, Kapisak took advantage of the defense having 10 men in the box. He lofted a long pass downfield to senior Colin Ryan, who took it 63 yards for a score with 5:36 on the clock. From this point on, both defenses controlled the line of scrimmage for the remainder of the first half, with the Tomahawks kicking a lone field goal in the second quarter. South Windsor and Glastonbury’s linebackers were consistently able to invade the backfield and quickly tackle running backs for losses or short gains. They also pressured the quarterbacks well, with South Windsor doing an especially strong job of getting to Daniels and obtaining sacks or forcing him out of bounds. When Daniels and Kapisak did attempt throws, receivers were frequently well-defended and unable to get open. The quarterbacks also struggled with their accuracy, overthrowing passes or causing them to go wide. The Tomahawks cut the deficit to 7-3 midway through the second. The defense forced a fumble and recovered the ball at the Bobcats 14-yard line. South Windsor stepped up on third down, pressuring Daniels and causing his lob pass to go wide. Ryan Smith nailed the kick to get GHS on the board. “Our defense stayed strong and helped pick up the offense,” senior Patrick Wilson said. “We knew that they had a good running quarterback, and we were able to contain him throughout the game and limit the plays he made on his feet.” Neither squad scored in the third on long -lasting drives. The Bobcats opening drive stalled at midfield after Glastonbury lineman burst through the line of scrimmage and jumped on Kapisak to force a 12-yard loss, while the Tomahawks were stopped on both third and fourth downs at South Windsor’s 29. “The defensive line looked really strong today. We did a good job of not allowing the quarterback to the edge and our linebackers kept him in check,” Hodge said. Midway through the fourth, the Bobcats took over with the ball at their 21-yard line and wasted no time executing a game-deciding play. Kapisak fired a deep pass along the sidelines to Ryan, who had gotten behind his defender. Ryan proceeded to sprint all the way down to the red zone, where he was finally tackled at the 10. Two plays later, Kapisak ran in a keeper from two yards out with 5:52 remaining, giving his squad a 14-3 lead. “If you put 10 in a box against us, we’re going to take a few shots downfield and try to get big plays,” said Hodge when asked about the team’s touchdowns. “Those pass plays from Connor to Colin were enough to stay in front the whole game and win,” Wilson said. Following Kapisak’s TD run, Glastonbury would not go quietly. The passing offense was finally able to execute a big play, as Daniels found enough space to throw deep downfield, where senior Garrett Frick had gotten free and was waiting. He almost ran the pass into the end zone before being tackled at the one. Daniels pushed the ball into the end zone on the following play, making it 14-9 with 1:14 remaining. On the Tomahawks two-point conversion attempt, senior Carson Mascheck dropped Daniel’s pass in the corner of the end zone. South Windsor recovered the onside kick and ran the clock out, earning a huge win for the program.

SOUTH WINDSOR OUTLASTS GLASTONBURY IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE

Photo Credit: South Windsor High School Athletics

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