BRIDGEPORT – The Harding High School football team knew they were in for a rough night before visiting Daniel Hand High of Madison got off the bus.
But they had no idea how rough.
“The last couple of weeks we got off to a slow start so it was good to see them answer my challenge,” Hand coach Dave Mastroianni said after his defending Class L state championship team’s 51-12 victory at John Lewis Field.
The coach’s challenge was only half of the motivation.
“It’s a tradition at Hand,” Mastroianni continued. “Our kids know what they’re supposed to live up to and don’t want to lay an egg. We want to be up there with New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich and other great programs. Great programs don’t slow down.”
The Week 4 Football Scoreboard
The undefeated Tigers certainly did not treat this as a game in which they were probably a five- or six touchdown favorite. Led by quarterback Phoenix Billings, they scored 45 points in the first 15 minutes and 14 seconds of the game. That was six touchdowns on 16 plays from scrimmage.
“That’s a great team,” Harding coach Eddie Santiago said. “We knew what they could do but we’ve got to slow that down.”
“We score in bunches, that’s our deal,” Mastroianni added.
Hand (4-0), has now outscored its four opponents 182-30. Billings had to have a perfect quarterback rating as he completed all eight of his pass attempts for 204 yards (25.5 per attempt), three for touchdowns with no interceptions.
“We felt with Harding’s size on the defensive front, that we needed to throw the ball more tonight,” Mastroianni said. “I think (Billings) did a good job.”
Billings hit Chris Bartosic for 45 yards on the first play of the game and then found Ethan Haberman from 35 yards for a score. It took the Tigers three plays on their next possession, a 16-yard toss from Billings to Ian Butler, and five the next time they had the ball (Bartosic 15-yard run).
Before the quarter had ended Jesse Lutz had run in from 14 yards out and on the first play of the second period, it was Billings to Haberman again from nine yards to make it 38-0.
Finally, with 8:46 remaining in the first half, Billings and Butler hooked up from 21 yards.
“I don’t think our defense came to play tonight,” Santiago said. “I know Hand is a great team but we’ve got to do a better job than that.”
After taking the 45-0 lead Mastroianni called off the dogs. Their final score came on a 20-yard fumble return by Jack Hughes in the final seconds of the third quarter.
To Harding’s credit, the Presidents, led by quarterback Kevin Bednarz and receiver Marcell Robinson, became the first Hand opponent to score two touchdowns. Yes, both came against the second-team defense, but it was a positive, regardless of how minor.
Bednarz (14 for 24 for 159 yards) broke the shutout with a 30-yard pass to Robinson (seven receptions for 101 yards). Bednarz then found Isaiah Hanley from 18 yards out to close out the scoring.
HAND 51, HARDING 12
DANIEL HAND 31 14 6 0 — 51
HARDING 0 0 0 12 —12
DH — Ethan Haberman, 35 pass from Phoenix Billings (William Cosgriff pass from Isaiah McNeilly)
DH — Ian Butler, 16 pass from Billings (McNeilly run)
DH — Chris Bartosic, 15 run (McNeilly run)
DH — Jesse Lutz, 14 run (McNeilly kick)
DH — Shaun Henneberry, 9 pass from Billings (McNeilly kick)
DH — Colin McCabe, 21 run (McNeilly kick).
DH — Jack Hughes, 20 fumble return (kick blocked)
H — Marcell Robinson, 30 pass from Kevin Bednarz (run failed)
H — Isaiah Hanley, 18 pass from Bednarz (run failed)
Thank god, Hand finally plays a team that can compete with them that being West Haven. I’ve seen them play and truly think they are one of the best teams in the state, however their schedule is pathetic.
To be honest – with what we’ve seen from some of the SCC Tier 1 teams [Xavier, Cheshire, N.D. & Prep] – not sure they could slow down Hand either.
Hand is one of a small handful of very good teams in Ct. They are fast and physical and fun to watch. Their schedule is not challenging mainly because Hand is real good and their opponents are far from good. For what it’s worth, the SCC is mediocre football this year. Hand is best team in league, Shelton wins ugly, Prep is their typical big, slow, plodding selves who beat the teams they are supposed to beat and lose to the teams they are supposed to lose to, North Haven is real solid but if they get behind they struggle to win, Sheehan had their chance last night to get in the conversation, East Haven has a long way to go to be mentioned in any conversation, Xavier is in a sad place, NDWH is in a sad place, Cheshire is in a sad place, West Haven should be so much better than they ever are with all that skill and size. The SCC is probably the third best league in CT behind the FCIAC and the SWC (Newtown beats any SCC team, Brookfield is as good as any SCC.
Get real or just stop with the bad jokes… Hand would beat Newtown by atleast 3 TDs. SCC is down this year but let’s leave it at that and not get carried away lol
I’d like to see Newtown Vs. Hand. That would be a slugfest. I bleed Black and Gold but this schedule is ridiculous. It so boring and hard to watch these games that over before the 1st Qtr. Hand must move back up to Tier 1 next year and schedule teams like Newtown not New Fairfield and Harding.
Glory Days, I believe you’re giving Brookfield way too much credit, much like it was given to Sheehan.
I guess we’ll find out in two weeks when they play North Haven. Are you basing that opinion on their win over 0-4 Hillhouse? I mean just saying the SWC is a better league talent wise than the SCC is ridiculous. After Newtown who do they really have that would compete in SCC Tier 1?
Shelton vs Hand is a game that would have been great to see. And yes, the SCC is down. FYI, Hand scrimmaged Newtown. Newtown struggled with Hand’s team speed. Hand wins in a true game by 14+ points.
Glory Days – A little too early to start comparing leagues. As an observation – Newtown isn’t exactly playing ‘Murderer’s Row’ with their schedule. Newtown is 4-0 against teams that are a combined 2-14
the box score doesn’t match the article. article says Haberman had 9 yd touchdown but box score says it was Shaun Henneberry. Also the 21 yd td late is Ian Butler in the article but Colin McCabe in the box score.
Do you know which ones are correct?
thanks!
Shaun did not have a touchdown
Shaun Henneberry did not have a touchdown, dhhs had a great game and although the favorite treated it as a regular game and came to play as so. It’s easy to easy to see that coach M has good control over the team and prepares his players as so. There next game should be a great especially with them coming off bye week. Hats off to the day of great football for hand is back I haven’t seen hand like this since 2011-2012