Coginchaug Football Wins Big Over Cromwell on Senior Day
Coginchaug and Cromwell took the field on Nov.16. This would be the last time the seniors got to play on their home field. Senior day honors the seniors of football and cheerleading. Senior captain Alex Case was part of this group, as well as Riggs Ryer. The senior cheerleaders are Gabby Caporossi, Kaitlyn Gribko, and McKayla Murphy. Seniors from East Hampton and Hale Ray were also honored shortly before kickoff.
After a turnover on the Blue Devils’ first possession, Cromwell was able to score on their first play which looked like a huge momentum shift for Cromwell. It didn’t last for long as the Blue Devils scored right back. With three minutes left to play in the first half, junior and quarterback Aaron Faiella was able to hit both Jackson Moore and Evan Faiella (both juniors) to score 18 unanswered points.
On Aaron’s pass to Evan, he broke the school record for most passing yards in a season. He finished the game with 232 passing yards and five touchdowns. That gave him a season total of 1,671 yards, which passed 2019 graduate Elijah Rivera’s 1,591 yards in 2017. While the receivers deserve the credit, some of it has to be given to the o-line for providing protection. Moore led the receiving attack by catching seven passes for 124 yards with three touchdowns, while Case rushed for 74 yards on just six carries before leaving the game with an injury.
The Coginchaug defense also had a great game. The Devils’ d-line was able to shut down Cromwell’s running attack after the first possession while both Moore and E. Faiella had interceptions. In the beginning of the second half, East Hampton’s Dean Fontano blocked a punt in the endzone which resulted in two points to Coginchaug. After that, it was all Coginchaug to end the game. Jeremy Mangiameli and Terrence Murphy led the team in tackles with seven each.
This event marked the homestretch for a long season that is coming to an end. Coginchaug beat Cromwell 32-14. They will travel to Ellington on Friday night and then play North Branford away on Thanksgiving Eve.
