Ben Beaulieu’s inside screen run on the first snap of the fourth quarter turned the tide in Southington’s 38-14 victory over Maloney at Falcon Field on Friday night. The junior running back sprinted 45 yards in reverse-field fashion to put the Blue Knights ahead 24-14, sparking a 31-point surge that vaulted Southington to the top of the CIAC Class LL playoff rankings.
Southington’s win marked a strong response after last week’s loss to New Britain. The Blue Knights improved to 8-1, while Maloney slipped to 6-3 and No. 10 in Class L. The game was tight through three quarters, with Maloney holding a brief second-quarter lead of 14-7 after two long touchdown passes from quarterback Eli Showerda connected with Jameir Diaz and Cayden Simonds Gaskin.
Before the fourth quarter, Southington’s offense and defense both made key plays. The Blue Knights tied the game at 14-14 with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Roman to senior Nick Andrews. Defensive back Andrew Vecchio intercepted a Maloney pass late in the second quarter, setting up a 45-yard field goal by Jacob Carrier that gave Southington a 17-14 halftime lead.
Maloney had a chance to shift momentum early in the second half. On a fourth-and-2 inside Southington’s 20-yard line, the Spartans failed to convert. They drove deep into Blue Knights territory soon after but were stopped when linebacker Tyler Tortora sacked Showerda for a 9-yard loss on third down. Maloney’s kicker Eli Osei missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, leaving the score unchanged.
The opening play of the fourth quarter changed everything. Beaulieu’s electrifying run put Southington ahead, and five minutes later he broke free again with a 61-yard touchdown run. Nick Andrews added a 37-yard touchdown run soon after, turning the game into a clear Southington advantage as the Blue Knights scored 31 unanswered points.
Beaulieu finished with three touchdowns, including a two-yard run early in the first quarter that gave Southington the initial 7-0 lead. He also contributed defensively, breaking up a Maloney pass in the end zone. His late-night text to coach Rob Levesque offering to play defense if needed foreshadowed his impact on both sides of the ball.
Levesque praised his team’s resolve after the game. “I said to you last week about how we were going to suck every ounce of learning out of that (New Britain) game, and (our players) were committed to that as soon as we started Saturday morning at 8 a.m. in the weight room. They wanted to fix us and we had to fix us … We had kids step up tonight and that's a program win,” he said.
The scoring summary showed Southington’s balanced attack with two passing touchdowns from Jacoby Roman, one to Nick Andrews and one to Beaulieu, alongside Carrier’s field goal and multiple successful extra points. Maloney’s points came from two long touchdown passes and their initial touchdown run by Jameir Diaz.
The Blue Knights’ defense held firm in the final quarter, preventing Maloney from scoring and sealing the victory. Southington’s ability to respond after trailing in the second quarter and then dominate the final period will be a factor as they head into the playoffs.
With Staples’ 28-7 loss to Fairfield Ludlowe on the same night, Southington moved up to No. 1 in the Class LL rankings. The Blue Knights will look to maintain their momentum as they pursue a deep playoff run. This story will be updated.
According to Yahoo Sports.
