By Steven Sellers, Courier Assistant
Sports Editor:
Connecticut celebrated Thanksgiving as early as 1639 and
the Guilford colony, settled in 1641, included
East Guilford—now known as Madison.
The two towns separated long ago, but they still join once a year to give
thanks and have some fun in the process. Thanksgiving was more fun for Madison than Guilford
this time, as the Tigers handed the Indians a 37-17 defeat on Nov. 27, claiming
colonial bragging rights for one more year.
Guilford (4-8) has had an up-and-down season under
first-year Head Coach Tom Unger. The Indians have played with heart, but
injuries have taken a toll, along with a vulnerability to pass-oriented
offenses. But a 41-6 rout of East Haven on Nov. 14, coupled with the extra rest
of a bye week, gave Guilford
a bounce for its last game of the season against the favored Tigers.
Hand (8-4) started
the season with two losses but gained strength as the season progressed,
including a decisive 31-14 rout of Class LL Shelton on Nov. 14. In contention
for a Class MM tournament berth, the Tigers needed a big win against the
Indians, as well as some other chips to fall in place, for that to happen.
The usual
Thanksgiving football ingredients were there: typical Long Island Sound chill;
fans ringing Strong Field from end to end; and dueling school bands blaring at
each other across the gridiron. All that was needed was a good game—and it was
for awhile.
Guilford came out
with confidence. Senior quarterback Jon Criscuolo connected with Carl Jeppeson
and Stewart Lamberton for big gains, setting the stage for kicker Adam Dear,
who nailed a 21-yard field goal at 7:23—his first of the year. Guilford’s
defense hurried Hand’s Nick Merullo, a mobile and precise quarterback, and
capitalized with Lamberton’s sack at 5:09. The Indians recovered the ensuing
fumble and used three plays to drive to the Hand 10-yard line, ending with
Lamberton’s TD reception at 4:17. The quarter ended with Guilford leading 10-0,
but no one at Strong Field expected Hand—a team that has scored 69 points in
its last two games—to go quietly into the night.
Merullo’s roll-outs
and tailback Mike Davis’s speed sliced through Guilford’s secondary in the
second quarter, stunning the Indians with 17 unanswered points. The perfect
complement was Rich Krupp, a German exchange student with a strong and accurate
foot, who kicked a 13-yard field goal at 10:27. Davis broke for a 53-yard
touchdown reception at 8:15 to tie the game at 10-10, while Hand’s defense
stymied Criscuolo, who threw the first of four interceptions at 6:37. Davis
then took a two-yard pass from Merullo at 4:37 to give the Tigers a 20-10 lead
at the intermission.
Hand soared through
the second half. Although Guilford contained the Tigers’ ground game—senior
Brian Duggan constantly dogged Merullo—Davis and Brendan Maghini were the
critical link, giving Merullo throwing options he exploited at will. In the
third quarter, Maghini took a four-yard TD pass and Merullo himself scored on a
three-yard keeper. Guilford got on the board again late in the fourth quarter
on Criscuolo’s eight-yard run, but that was all.
“We had a solid game
plan going in and things were falling our way a little bit,” Unger said of the
Indians’ strong start. “Our kicker, Adam Dear, had his first field goal of the
year and I’m so proud of that. But when you’ve got guys playing both ways, you
get worn down a little bit. It was tough having our defense on the field as
much as they were, but I’m very proud of them all.”
Team Notes: Hand
holds a 30-5-1 advantage in the annual Thanksgiving game. Guilford last won in
2006 at Strong Field. Hand failed to qualify for the CIAC Class MM playoffs;
Weaver (8-3), New Canaan (11-0), Darien (10-1), and Hillhouse (11-0) vie for
the state championship.
Game at a Glance
Nov. 27: Daniel Hand
37, Guilford 17 (at Madison)
Key Performances
• Nick Merullo (DH):
14-for-21, 222 yards, 3 TDs
• Jon Criscuolo (G):
15-for-31, 167 yards, 2 TDs
• Mike Davis (DH): 2
TDs
• Stew Lamberton
(G): TD
• Brendan Maghini
(DH): TD
Pictured: Guilford’s
Brian Duggan (left) and Carl Jeppeson (right) close in on Daniel Hand
quarterback Nick Merullo.
Jon Criscuolo takes to the air against Daniel Hand in
Thanksgiving football action on Nov. 27.
Photos by Matthew Lucas