Schools

T-Birds' Football Still Perfect at 7-0

Topping Cromwell and Coginchaug, North Branford has three more regular-season games in 2012.

 

The North Branford football team certainly hasn’t had a problem putting points on the board this season – the T-Birds haven’t had a problem keeping their opponents off the scoreboard either. With two more big wins – 42-7 over Cromwell on Oct. 27 and 41-0 over Coginchaug on Nov. 3 – North Branford remains undefeated at 7-0.

Against Cromwell, North Branford scored first behind Chris Caron’s eight-yard run. But then, the T-Birds found themselves in very foreign territory – behind. Cromwell scored a TD in the second quarter to lead 7-6, though after that, North Branford exploded for 36 unanswered points and another big win.

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Brandan Basil responded to Cromwell’s score with an eight-yard pass to Alex McGuigan. Basil then connected with Caron for the two-point conversion and a 14-7 halftime lead.

The T-Birds scored two touchdowns in each of the final two frames. In the second quarter, Gary Falanga scored on a 25-yard run and Joe Delucia’s 68-yard TD reception was paired up with a Basil-to-Steve Nardini two-point conversion.

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Basil threw for two more TDs in the fourth quarter, first hitting Josh Melaccio for 38 yards and then Dale Hausman for 23 yards.

Basil was 19-for-29 passing for 354 yards to go with 48 rushing yards. Hausman had 18 rushes for 111 yards and three receptions for 37 yards. Delucia tallied three receptions for 98 yards, while McGuigan had three for 79 yards. Caron had 56 receiving yards, Falanga had 43 and Melaccio had 38.

North Branford totaled 81 tackles on defense led by Falanga with 12, Melaccio with 10, Hausman with eight, McGuigan with seven and Dylan Baldino and Nick Whited with six apiece. Christian Sgro (4 tackles) had two sacks, while Falanga, John Burke and Lou Distasio each had one.

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The T-Birds then took on Coginchaug, earning a 41-0 shutout over the Blue Devils. Basil ran the first score in from five yards out before Delucia’s 12-yard run put North Branford up 12-0 after the first quarter.

North Branford scored three in the second quarter as Basil hit Delucia for a five-yard TD pass, Hausman ran in a 25-yard score and Falanga recovered a fumble to give the T-Birds a 35-0 lead heading into halftime.

The T-Birds scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter as Hausman had a 47-yard reception from Basil.

Basil was 18-for-27 passing for 252 yards. Hausman led the T-Birds in rushing with 121 yards on nine rushes.

Defensively, North Branford had 66 tackles. Baldino led the defense with 12 tackles while Falanga added eight, Melaccio had six and Burke had five.

North Branford hosts Nonnewaug on Friday, Nov. 9 at home at 6:30 p.m.


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