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Girls Sports

Carbone rallies Xavier past Shelton in final seconds

Jim Bransfield | November 9, 2013

Senior captain Will Garrity celebrates after catching a pass from senior quarterback Joe Carbone scoring the final touchdown of the game with 9 seconds left on the clock. Xavier defeated Shelton 15-12 at Palmer Field. Catherine Avalone - The Middletown Press

Senior captain Will Garrity celebrates after catching a pass from senior quarterback Joe Carbone scoring the final touchdown of the game with 9 seconds left on the clock. Xavier defeated Shelton 15-12 at Palmer Field. Catherine Avalone – The Middletown Press

Xavier senior quarterback Joe Carbone busts through Shelton defense Friday night at Palmer Field. The Xavier Falcons defeated the Shelton Gaels 15-12 in the final seconds of the game. Catherine Avalone - The Middletown Press

Xavier senior quarterback Joe Carbone busts through Shelton defense Friday night at Palmer Field. The Xavier Falcons defeated the Shelton Gaels 15-12 in the final seconds of the game. Catherine Avalone – The Middletown Press

MIDDLETOWN >> There have been storied comeback victories in Xavier’s football history. The miracle win at Hillhouse last season and the great comeback against Notre Dame in 2009 immediately come to mind.

But considering what was on the line Friday night, those might have to take a back seat to what happened at Palmer Field when the Falcons came back from the dead to stun Shelton 15-12, scoring the winning touchdown with 9 seconds left in the game.

After three quarters, Xavier didn’t have a point on the board and the Gaels were up 12-0. The Falcons were dead in the water. The fourth quarter began with Xavier quarterback Joe Carbone getting intercepted for the second time, and it looked like ‘Wait ‘til Next Year’ was going to be the mantra for coach Sean Marinan’s postgame chat with the media.

Put next year on hold.

After forcing a three-and-out after the second interception, Xavier began to march. Led by the running of Carbone, the Falcons moved 67 yards in nine plays with Carbone scoring from the 1-yard line. With Rickey Verre’s extra point, Xavier trailed 12-7 with 7:28 left in regulation.

But Shelton (6-3) picked up two first downs on its next possession and, when the Falcons’ defense finally forced a punt, the ball rolled dead on the Xavier 2-yard line, 98 yards away from The Promised Land — and the Falcons had no timeouts.

That’s when Carbone made himself a high school hero.

Xavier marched those 98 yards in 13 plays and Carbone led the way.“The kids came up big on that drive,” said Marinan.

“Carbone showed great poise and maturity. He hit a big pass to Kaleb (Lutton for 37 yards), knew when to run and was smart enough to run out of bounds when he had to. And he made that big fourth-down pass to (Andrew) Meoli.”

It was on second down that Carbone hit Lutton for 37 yards to give the Falcons a chance. He ran the ball three times for 35 yards, then on 4th and 8 from the 17, hit Meoli for 13 yards after scrambling to keep the play alive.

Xavier sophomore Noah Cruz fights off Shelton senior Michael Ortoli Friday night at Palmer Field. Xavier won, 15-12. Catherine Avalone - The Middletown Press

Xavier sophomore Noah Cruz fights off Shelton senior Michael Ortoli Friday night at Palmer Field. Xavier won, 15-12. Catherine Avalone – The Middletown Press

With the place in an uproar, Carbone threw two incomplete passes and saw his team get hit with a 5-yard illegal substitution penalty. Then, on 3rd and goal from the 9, he ran around the left end and dived into the end zone with nine seconds left in the game. The two-point conversion pass from Carbone to Meoli gave the Falcons the 3-point lead.

“That was way too close for my comfort,” said Marinan. “All I was thinking on that last drive was call plays, get first downs. We were flat, but the kids kept fighting, kept playing and we began to click on offense in the fourth quarter.”

Shelton took a 6-0 lead on a 46-yard run by Jason Thompson (17 carries, 72 yards) at 8:48 of the first quarter. The Gaels held Xavier to just 125 yards offense in the first half.

The Gaels built the lead to 12-0 in the third quarter when quarterback Mark Piccirillo (26 carries, 88 yards) scored from a yard out. Both times Shelton’s conversions — one a kick, the other a pass — failed.

“Xavier has too many weapons,” said Shelton coach Jeff Roy, whose team lost Thompson for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. “We just couldn’t stop them when we had to.”

Carbone finished with 124 yards on 24 carries and completed 6 of 19 passes for 95 yards. Meoli ran for 110 yards on 17 carries. The Falcons finished with 329 yards of offense to Shelton’s 253, but the big stat was the 98 yards on the game-wininng drive.

“I was thinking, ‘Just one play a time,’” said Carbone. “I know we have a great offense and our offensive line is so good. It was do or die and now I’m looking forward to next week.”

Xavier (7-2) plays at Fairfield Prep next Saturday at 7 p.m. in what amounts to yet another Class LL state tournament qualifying game.

SHELTON 6 0 6 0 — 12
XAVIER 0 0 0 15 — 15
S–Jason Thompson 46 run (kick failed)
S–Mark Piccirillo 1 run (pass failed)
X–Joe Carbone 1 run (Ricky Verre kick)
X–Carbone 9 run (Andrew Meoli pass Carbone)
Records: Shelton 6-3, Xavier 7-2

About Jim Bransfield

Old Comments

  1. RAY BROWN says

    November 9, 2013 at 11:52 AM

    note to shelton———-basketball starts nov 29th

    • Westie says

      November 9, 2013 at 12:35 PM

      Play Shelton’s schedule and then maybe you can comment.

    • Just Sayin says

      November 9, 2013 at 6:10 PM

      Notice how SCC teams are playing games that MEAN something.
      That’s what makes the games so good. I’m sure Shelton would rather play those types of games.
      By the way you are now RAY-TED B FOR BORING.
      Find something else to say wouldja?

  2. Jesus Q says

    November 9, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    Ray sorry to disappoint. We all can’t play sacred heart and Watertown.

  3. RAY BROWN says

    November 9, 2013 at 8:01 PM

    yeah but you won yale summer camp—–asnd you can still fit east haven ,branford and law in.even pequot league gets a piece of red hot lyman hall lmao

  4. RAY BROWN says

    November 9, 2013 at 8:04 PM

    just—-what do you want me to say?the powerful 20 team scc might send two teams to expanded playoffs? mediocrity at its best

    • Westie says

      November 9, 2013 at 9:15 PM

      Ansonia was looking past Seymour towards their huge showdown with Crosby. Play one real team, please.

    • GO NOLES!! says

      November 10, 2013 at 9:16 AM

      RAY is a great fisherman. He drops the bait and all the fish on the blog swallow it whole.
      Have at it gentlemen! ;)

    • Just Sayin says

      November 10, 2013 at 6:28 AM

      North Haven/Darien, West Haven/Shelton, Xavier/ Fairfield Prep,
      Foran/Guilford this week in the SCC. Or Ansonia/Crosby…
      Which one to go to??
      The only people interested in that last one live in Ansonia.
      Is this the Ansonia blog or CT High School Football?
      Give it a rest.

  5. RAY BROWN says

    November 10, 2013 at 12:53 PM

    foran–guilford? lol—-crosby would beat east haven and branford i know that

    • Just Sayin says

      November 10, 2013 at 5:06 PM

      But again, who cares who Crosby would beat.

  6. SCC says

    November 10, 2013 at 10:08 PM

    Did Federici #9, for Shelton get ejected from the game??? What the heck is going on, that’s two weeks in a row if true. Was this a “Palmer Special”????

  7. RAY BROWN says

    November 11, 2013 at 7:46 AM

    didnt know palmer field played defense.

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