With just 32 seconds left on the clock, Lyman Hall’s Kolby Ryerson stopped Guilford’s Shane Connelly two yards short of a crucial first down to seal a 20-13 victory at Fitzgerald Field in Wallingford on Friday night. The defensive lineman’s tackle on fourth-and-2 at midfield ended Guilford’s final drive and handed the Trojans a win that had eluded them against this rival for years.
Lyman Hall’s six-game winning streak remains intact as the Trojans, led by coach C.J. Monroe, kept their place atop the CIAC Class M playoff rankings. The victory snapped a four-year run of heavy losses to Guilford and moved Lyman Hall closer to its first postseason appearance since 2010. Guilford, now 5-1, fought back late but couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
The first half belonged firmly to Lyman Hall. Brent Michaud opened the scoring with a 21-yard reverse run after catching a 28-yard pass late in the first quarter. Quarterback Ryan Casey then took over, capping a seven-play, 76-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown run just before halftime. The Trojans led 14-0 at the break, bolstered by a defense that shut down Guilford’s four possessions in the half and intercepted two passes in Lyman Hall territory.
Guilford’s response came after halftime, sparked by sophomore quarterback Ryan Lynch and junior running back Connelly. Lynch found Ben Mennone for an 8-yard touchdown pass just before the third quarter ended, putting the Grizzlies on the board. Lynch then led an 82-yard drive, finished by Connelly’s 3-yard touchdown run with 4:55 left, narrowing the gap to 20-13.
Lyman Hall survived a fumble by Casey at their own 33-yard line but stopped Guilford on fourth-and-11 at the 19 with just over two minutes remaining. The Trojans’ defense held strong again after a punt put Guilford near midfield with under a minute to play. Lynch completed a short pass on first down, but defensive end Douglas Trauner deflected the next throw at the line, and the following attempt fell incomplete.
On the decisive fourth down, Guilford turned to Connelly, who had rushed for 157 yards on 30 carries. Ryerson’s tackle prevented the first down and ended the game. “I pushed through,” Ryerson said. “I had a feeling they were going to try and get that first down (on the ground).”
Casey had a mixed night statistically but was the standout player for Lyman Hall. He threw for 79 yards, ran for 105 yards, and scored twice on the ground. Coach Monroe expressed confidence in his quarterback’s leadership, saying, “There was not one snap, one play toward the end of that game where I didn’t want the ball in Ryan Casey’s hands.”
The Trojans’ defense was equally important. Christian Rivera recorded a sack that pushed Guilford back nine yards in the first quarter and intercepted a pass at the goal line late in the second. These defensive plays stopped Guilford when they looked set to respond.
This win marked Lyman Hall’s first over Guilford since 2019, breaking a streak where the Grizzlies had won 11 of the last 12 encounters, including a 48-8 victory last year. It also ended a run of lopsided losses that had defined recent meetings.
After the game, Casey reflected on the significance of the victory. “I love this environment, I love this atmosphere, I love everything about Lyman Hall,” he said. “What this means to this program, to me and this team is unimaginable.”
The final score read Lyman Hall 20, Guilford 13, with the scoring breakdown showing Michaud’s and Casey’s rushing touchdowns and the Grizzlies’ two late scores from Mennone and Connelly. Lyman Hall improved to 6-0, while Guilford dropped to 5-1.
Coach Monroe and his Trojans celebrated a hard-fought win that night at Fitzgerald Field, a result that could define their season and playoff hopes.
According to Yahoo Sports.
