GameTime CT

Connecticut's premier high school sports website

  • GIRLS SPORTS
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Field Hockey
    • Golf
    • Gymnastics
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
  • BOYS SPORTS
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Indoor Track
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    • Wrestling
  • Schools
  • Newspapers
    • CT Post
    • The Danbury News-Times
    • Greenwich Time
    • The Middletown Press
    • New Haven Register
    • The Norwalk Hour
    • The Register Citizen
    • The Stamford Advocate
  • Polls
    • Baseball Top 10
    • Boys Basketball Top 10
    • Girls Basketball Top 10
    • Football Top 10
    • Hockey Top 10
    • Boys Lacrosse Top 10
    • Softball Top 10
    • Other Polls
  • Scores & Stats
Football

Menders, Waterford shut down Granby/Canton in 2nd half, reach M semifinals with first playoff victory

Joe Morelli | December 4, 2019

  • 12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Granby/Canton's Jackson Rome (10) races for yardage with Waterford's Thomas Pitasi (58) in pursuit in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019.
  • 12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Jackson Harshberger (44) tackles Granby/Canton's Sam Schock (31) in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019.   (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
  • 12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Sam Menders breaks up the potential interception by Granby/Canton's Sam Schock in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019.   (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
  • WAT GRANBY CIAC FOOTBALL
  • WAT GRANBY CIAC FOOTBALL
  • WAT GRANBY CIAC FOOTBALL
        Photo: Sean D. Elliot/The Day / Sean D. Elliot
        Image 1of/3

        Caption

        Close

        Image 1 of 3
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Granby/Canton's Jackson Rome (10) races for yardage with Waterford's Thomas Pitasi (58) in pursuit in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019. less
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Granby/Canton's Jackson Rome (10) races for yardage with Waterford's Thomas Pitasi (58) in pursuit in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, ... more
        Photo: Sean D. Elliot/The Day / Sean D. Elliot
        Image 2 of 3
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Jackson Harshberger (44) tackles Granby/Canton's Sam Schock (31) in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day) less
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Jackson Harshberger (44) tackles Granby/Canton's Sam Schock (31) in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019. (Sean D. Elliot/The ... more
        Photo: Sean D. Elliot/The Day / Sean D. Elliot
        Image 3 of 3
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Sam Menders breaks up the potential interception by Granby/Canton's Sam Schock in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day) less
        12/4/19 :: SPORTS :: DIMAURO :: Waterford's Sam Menders breaks up the potential interception by Granby/Canton's Sam Schock in CIAC Class M football quarterfinal action Wednesday, December 4, 2019. (Sean D. ... more
        Photo: Sean D. Elliot/The Day / Sean D. Elliot
        Menders, Waterford shut down Granby/Canton in 2nd half, reach M semifinals with first playoff victory
        1 / 3
        Back to Gallery

        Photo gallery courtesy of The Day of New London

        WATERFORD – How often do you see a high school football team put together two 17-play drives in the same game – or better yet, in the same postseason game?

        Waterford managed to do it twice on Wednesday night in its Class M state quarterfinal. The first drive amounted to nothing. The second put the Lancers in position to clinch their first postseason victory.

        Sam Menders’ field goal capped that second long drive and Waterford’s defense held up on Granby/Canton’s final possession, allowing No. 2 seed Waterford to celebrate the 10-6 victory at home.

        “We knew it would be tough and we were expecting it to be close,” junior Jackson Harshberger said.

        2019 CIAC FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD / SCHEDULE

        The Lancers (10-1) shut out No. 7 Granby/Canton (8-3) in the second half. Waterford will now host No. 3 Killingly Monday in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m.

        “We will celebrate this, come back and start working for Killingly,” Waterford coach John Streckner said.

        Said Menders: “We knew we could count on our defense to stop them.”

        After Granby/Canton, both schools seeking its first taste of postseason victory before becoming a co-op this season, didn’t convert a first down on the opening play of the fourth quarter, the Bears punted. Thus began the second 17-play drive for Waterford.

        Harshberger converted the first fourth-down play and Trey Brennan the second in order to keep the lengthy drive alive. 

        “Hopefully we could run the clock out and score a touchdown,” Strecker said. “We ran the ball better than we expected. Generally, we are a throw-the-ball-first team, but not tonight.”

        Granby/Canton was finally able to push back Waterford, enabling Menders to kick his career-long of 35 yards to make it 10-6 with 3:44 left.

        “Kicking is so routine. I spend every day here kicking,” Menders said. “Blocking out (the crowd noise) is something you have to be able to do.”

        Sam Menders with the career-long 35 yard field goal for Waterford. #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/MqMzxqQzyh

        — Joe Morelli (@nhrJoeMorelli) December 5, 2019

        Said Strecker: “His distance tonight in warmups was like 10 yards longer than usual.”

        Granby/Canton quickly moved the ball into Waterford territory with just under 2 minutes left. But a penalty,  sack and consecutive pass incompletions and that ended Granby/Canton’s hopes.

        “We knew it would be a close game. Everyone is here for a reason,” Granby/Canton coach Eric Shortell said. “There are no gimme games when you get into the playoffs. We knew it would be a battle, it just didn’t roll our way.”

        Here is the fumble recovered by I believe Dontel William’s for Granby/Canton. #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/dQhAl0CqQc

        — Joe Morelli (@nhrJoeMorelli) December 5, 2019

        Granby/Canton opened the scoring in the second quarter. Samuel Attianese went 41 yards for the touchdown, but the Bears missed the extra point. On its ensuing possession, Waterford went 66 yards in in nine plays, capped by Brennan’s 17-yard run. 

        It was Menders’ extra point that put Waterford up 7-6.

        PLAYER OF THE GAME

        Sam Menders, Waterford: Kicker had the deciding extra point, then added a 35-yard field goal to put the Lancers up by four with 3:44 left.

        QUOTABLE

        “We played (Killingly) the last two years. This group was 0-10 (in 2017) and Killingly whooped up on us. Last year, they were 3-7 and Killingly whooped up on us.” — Waterford coach John Strecker

        WATERFORD 10, GRANBY/CANTON 6

        GRANBY/CANTON   0 6 0 0 – 6
        WATERFORD             0 7 0 3 – 10
        GC – Samuel Attianese 41 run (kick failed)
        W- Trey Brennan 17 run (Sam Menders kick)
        W-Menders FG 35
        Records: GC 8-3; W 10-1.

        About Joe Morelli

        Joe Morelli is the schools sports editor for New Haven Register and GameTimeCT. Email him at jmorelli@nhregister.com

        Newsletter Signup

        Don't strike out on CT high school sports news. Sign up for The Whistle newsletter from GametimeCT

        You agree to our Terms of Use. Your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.

        Spring Sports Quick Links

        Spring Sports Quick Links

        BASEBALL 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO SEE
        SOFTBALL 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO SEE
        BOYS LACROSSE 2021: PRESEASON TOP 10 | PLAYERS TO WATCH | GAMES TO WATCH
        Spring Sports Schedules

        Winter 2021 Preview Links

        Winter Sports 2021 Links

        2021 ALL-STATE TEAMS

        CHSCA: GIRLS BASKETBALL | GYMNASTICS | BOYS HOCKEY | CHSGHA: GIRLS HOCKEY

        ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

        BERKSHIRE | CCC | CRAL | CTC | ECC | FCIAC | NCCC | NVL | SCC | SHORELINE | SWC

        TeamPlayer Scores and Stats search

        Scores and Stats

        Video

        Podcasts

        Fall Sports Quick Links

        Fall Sports Quick Links

        2021 FOOTBALL COLLEGE RECRUITING LIST
        2020 GAMETIMECT ALL-STATE TEAMS
        BOYS SOCCER
        GIRLS SOCCER
        FIELD HOCKEY
        GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
        BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
        GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
        2020 LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:
        Central Connecticut
        Fairfield County
        Shoreline Conference
        Southern Connecticut
        South-West Conference

        Twitter

        Tweets

        Polls

        Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
        Follow Us
        © Copyright 2017 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC