Xavier (Class LL), Hand (Class L), Hillhouse (Class M) and Ansonia (Class S) are your 2012 state champions. Below are stories from this weekend's championship games.

FOOTBALL: Hillhouse runs away from Berlin for Class M title

A DAY IN THE LIFE: Hillhouse state champion Andre Anderson

 FOOTBALL: Hand whips Windsor to win back-to-back Class L titles

 FOOTBALL: Ansonia dominates North Branford to win Class S title

 

NOTEBOOK: Ansonia's defense stiffens when it mattered most

 

PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Rentschler Field as No. 1 Hand wins the Class L title.

PHOTOS: Check out some photos from Andre Anderson's day on Saturday.

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Rentschler Field as Hillhouse wins the Class M title.

PHOTOS: Check out the scenes from Ansonia's Class S state championship victory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darryn Horner made two interceptions, including one he returned 97 yards for a touchdown, to lead fourth-seeded Hillhouse to a 34-14 victory over No. 5 St. Joseph in a Class M quarterfinal contest held Tuesday at East Haven High.

Horner's interception return gave the Academics (9-2) a 28-6 lead just before halftime. Horner also intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

Hillhouse will face either No. 1 Wolcott or No. 8 Montville in Sunday's semifinals. That game was postponed and will be held on Wednesday.

Andre Anderson rushed 15 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns for the Academics. Facinete Haderia and Je'Vaughn Moore also had rushing touchdowns in the win. Moore also picked off a pass.

Jason Pelletier scored on a 92-yard kickoff return, and Jordan Vazzano rushed for a 13-yard touchdown for the Cadets (8-3).

HAMDEN HALL KNOCKS OFF RIVAL HOPKINS

HAMDEN — T.J. Linta was well aware of the task at hand.

If his Hamden Hall football team was going to beat rival Hopkins for the first time since 2001, the Hornets would need to capitalize on their scoring opportunities and keep the Hilltoppers’ offense off the field.

Linta and his teammates were up to the challenge. The junior quarterback threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, ran for another score, and the Hamden Hall offense used time-consuming drives to defeat Hopkins 37-20 in a Fairchester League contest at the Beckerman Athletic Complex.

PHOTOS: Hamden Hall beats Hopkins

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SATURDAY'S ROUNDUP: Hillhouse, Cheshire earn wins

Andre Anderson rushed 10 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns for the host Hillhouse football team in a 45-7 Southern Connecticut Conference Division II victory over Sheehan Saturday at Bowen Field in New Haven.

Anderson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season and 3,000 total yards in his career.

Cheshire 33, Hamden 0: Sam Pascale rushed 16 times for 132 yards and a touchdown to lead the visiting Rams to this SCC Division I win at Hamden.

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  FRIDAY'S ROUNDUP: Notre Dame-West Haven stuns Fairfield Prep 

Chris Perry caught a fourth-quarter 27-yard touchdown pass from Blake Rice and then caught the two-point conversion to help the Notre Dame-West Haven football team upset Fairfield Prep 21-14 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division I game in Fairfield on Friday.

The Green Knights (3-5) led 13-0 at the half after a Cameron Tucker nine-yard touchdown run and Jaime Raymond recovered a fumble and ran it back 45 yards.

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 NO. 1 HAND rolls past Shelton

 

NEW HAVEN — DeAngelo Berry scored on a 1-yard run, and then ran in the successful two-point conversion with 51 seconds remaining, as visiting Xavier, ranked fourth in the Register Poll, rallied for a 50-49 Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision victory Friday afternoon at Bowen Field.

The Falcons (6-1) scored 29 unanswered points in fourth quarter to erase a 28-point deficit. Xavier also trailed by 21 points on three separate occasions in the contest.

Senior quarterback Tim Boyle connected with junior Joe Carbone on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 6:12 left to cut the Hillhouse (5-2) lead to 49-42.

On the ensuing drive, Chidi Broderick recovered a fumble to give the Falcons the ball at the Academics' 27-yard line which set up the winning score.

Berry rushed 17 times for 90 yards and scored three times. Boyle gained 39 yards on six carries and scored twice. Junior Andrew Meoli carried nine times for 106 yards and one score for Xavier.

Junior Harold Cooper rushed 20 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Je'Vaughn Moore, James Moore and Andre Anderson also had rushing touchdowns. Je'Vaughn Moore threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Darryn Horner.

Fairfield Prep blitzes Shelton 

By Mary Albl, Register Staff
malbl@journalregister.com / Twitter: @MaryAlbl

Shelton's Mark Piccirillo looks for room through the Fairfield Prep's defense during the first quarter of Prep's 42-3 win. Photo Peter Casolino/New Haven Register.

FAIRFIELD — All season long Fairfield Prep football head coach Tom Shea has preached the message of beating an elite opponent. Last Saturday, the Jesuits hopes of doing that were crushed in a 35-14 loss to top-ranked Xavier.

Friday night at Alumni Field, Prep answered the call with a dominant 42-3 Southern Connecticut Conference victory over Shelton to move to 3-1.

“Listen, they’re (Shelton) an outstanding program with a great tradition,” Shea said. “You cannot be a good team unless you’re able to play with, compete with and beat a team like that. For us, we hope it’s a step forward.”

Masuk runs wild over Bunnell

STRATFORD — At tradition-rich programs like Masuk, where there’s usually an abundance of talent, most players must wait their turn until they’re seniors to play full-time.

 Andy Fredeen is one of those players. Fredeen played sparingly last season when the Panthers advanced to the Class L state semifinals.

Fredeen returned the game’s opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown against rival Bunnell, helping the Panthers cruise to a 63-14 South-West Conference victory Friday.

“He’s a senior who’s been waiting for his time,” Masuk coach John Murphy said. “He stepped up tonight when we needed him. (Had a) big one on the opening kickoff to get us going. I thought Andy had a great game.”

PHOTOS: Masuk runs past Bunnell

ROUNDUP: Hillhouse shuts out Law

Andre Anderson ran for 135 yards, scored three touchdowns, had an interception and eight tackles and JeVaughn Moore ran for 85 yards one seven carries and a touchdown as the Hillhouse football team routed Law 47-0 in New Haven on Friday afternoon in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division II game.

Cheshire 48, Notre Dame-West Haven 13: Vin Sansone threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more amassing 175 total yards and Sam Pascale had two rushing touchdowns as Cheshire won the SCC Division I East game.

Jack Cunningham had five tackles, two interceptions, a blocked PAT and on offense, six rushes for 69 yards for Cheshire (3-1) in the win over Notre Dame-West Haven (1-3).

No. 3 Hand 49, Wilbur Cross 14: Seven different players scored for Hand in a SCC Division I East game at New Haven.


Hillhouse's Andre Anderson and North Haven's Jalon White have been nominated for FRIDAY'S STAR. VOTE!

Ian O'Toole rushed 23 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Sullivan added 139 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown to lead the visiting Tigers to this SCC interdivision win on Friday afternoon at Bowen Field.

Brendan Bilcheck threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Anderson and Bilcheck also scored on a 3-yard run for Hand (2-0), which is ranked third in the Register Top 10 Poll.

Tyler Phan kicked a 24-yard field goal for the Tigers.

Andre Anderson (seven carries, 82 yards) scored twice, while Je'Vaughn Moore had a 66-yard touchdown run for the No. 7 Academics (1-1).