Windsor's Aaron Berardino caught two touchdown passes from Xavier's Pat D'Amato as Connecticut escaped with a 14-8 victory over Rhode Island in the 14th Governors' Cup game before an estimated 3,000 Saturday at Rentschler Field.

Berardino (five catches, 87 yards) caught TD passes of 34 and 13 yards from D'Amato and was named CT's offensive MVP.

New London's Jevan Elmore made three interceptions and was named CT's defensive MVP. Bunnell's Jawad Chisholm also had an INT.

Connecticut has won 10 straight meetings and leads the series 11-3.

Connecticut has won nine straight meetings over Rhode Island in the Governors' Cup football series. The 14th edition takes place Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. (Tickets are $8).

Not only has CT won the last nine games, but it hasn't been close. CT has won by an average of 24 points, and has scored more than 40 points four times. CT leads the series 10-3.

It's a trend that CT is hoping continues.

"We not only want to win the game, but we're trying to dominate the game," Xavier linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox said. "We think we have one of the best teams CT's ever had."

The CT roster is certainly an impressive group and includes 12 that made the Register All-State team and four more that made the All-Area team.

Five are headed to Ivy League schools, including Cheshire's Sebastian Little (Yale) and Notre Dame-West Haven's Ludovic Richardson (Brown), and four more are headed to NESCAC schools.

"I think we go under the radar a lot," said Santos-Knox, who will play at UMass. "I think a lot more people can go to bigger schools, but we get overlooked because we're from Connecticut. As you can see, we get some players that go to some big-time schools. We get our names out there."

The reason?

"We just do it the hard way," Santos-Knox said. "We come out and we play physical. There's no excuses. We work hard all the time."

CT coach Harry Bellucci admitted this year's roster is impressive in several ways.

"Not only are they great players, but they're just really good kids," Bellucci said. "When we discuss these kids we may make a call to a coach asking what kind of kid he is. You can't have a team full of problem kids because we have 10 days to get ready for a football game. These kids are such great character kids. That's why they're here.

"They're all-state kids for a reason. They take to coaching, they listen, they hustle, and they try to get better every day. They compete hard against each other, and there's a great little window for them to see what football's going to look like at the next level."

Here's some information about the 14th Governors' Cup football game:

♦What: Pits graduated seniors from Connecticut against their counterparts from Rhode Island

♦When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

♦Where: Rentschler Field, East Hartford

♦Tickets: $8

Read more here.

SERIES HISTORY

1999 Connecticut 28, Rhode Island 16
2000 Rhode Island 13, Connecticut 7
2001 Rhode Island 28, Connecticut 7
2002 Rhode Island 50, Connecticut 22
2003 Connecticut 41, Rhode Island 16
2004 Connecticut 52, Rhode Island 14
2005 Connecticut 24, Rhode Island 10
2006 Connecticut 40, Rhode Island 21
2007 Connecticut 59, Rhode Island 27
2008 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 10
2009 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 13
2010 Connecticut 29, Rhode Island 7
2011 Connecticut 37, Rhode Island 6
Connecticut leads series 10-3

No. Name Height Weight Pos. School College
1 Jason Piontkowski 5-10 170 WR Masuk Salve Regina
2 Pat D’Amato 6-2 200 QB Xavier Stony Brook
3 Ian Dugger 6-0 180 WR Hall Trinity
4 Kyle McKinnon 5-11 195 RB New London Kent
5 Ryan Lumpkin 5-10 165 WR Windsor Dean
6 Henry Foye 6-2 190 QB Hand Trinity
7 Vance Giarratana 6-1 205 S Hand Trinity
8 Sebastian Little 6-1 205 WR Cheshire Yale
9 Jovan Santos-Knox 6-3 235 LB Xavier UMass
10 Devon O’Reilly 5-10 175 CB Glastonbury Albany
11 Michael Antonio 6-3 185 WR Cromwell Assumption
12 Anthony Morales 6-3 170 QB Cromwell Yale
13 Chandler Foster 6-0 195 S Stamford Central Conn.
14 Brandon Martin 5-10 190 CB Notre Dame-W.H. Southern Conn.
15 Jevan Elmore 5-10 190 CB New London West Point
16 Genois Nelson 6-5 235 DL Maloney New Mexico Military Institute
17 Adrian Sahinovic 6-6 205 P New Milford Cornell
18 Daniel Palmer 6-1 220 LB Hartford Public Hyde Prep
19 Aaron Berardino 5-10 175 WR Windsor Central Conn.
20 Tommy Undercuffler 6-1 195 S Berlin Yale
22 Leon Gordon 5-11 190 RB Brookfield Worcester Academy
23 Jawad Chisholm 6-0 175 S Bunnell Bridgton Academy
24 Brendan Lytton 5-11 190 RB Torrington Milford Academy
25 A.J. Pascuzzo 5-9 165 WR Sheehan Western New England
26 Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn 5-10 175 CB Valley Regional/Old Lyme Amherst
29 Matt Paola 5-9 170 K Pomperaug Endicott
30 Brett Director 5-10 170 WR Cromwell Assumption
36 Brandon Birdsall 5-10 215 LB Bethel Central Conn.
38 Jonathan Ware 6-2 230 LB RHAM Maine Maritime
40 Dallas Smith 6-1 215 LB Ledyard Plymouth State
41 Matt Duignan 5-10 215 LB Masuk Catholic University
45 Billy Weyrauch 5-10 215 LB Cheshire Stonehill
49 Isaiah Thomasson 5-11 225 LB Maloney New Mexico Military Institute
51 Nicholas Colasante 6-1 250 OL Glastonbury Western New England
52 Jamar Johnson 6-1 215 DL Bloomfield Central Conn.
55 Maleek Riley 6-1 275 OL Northwest Catholic Western Conn.
56 Giovanni Viven 5-11 225 LB New Britain Tunxis CC
57 Emir Kuljancic 6-2 290 DL Wethersfield Cushing
58 Shaun Bowman 6-2 280 OL Cheshire Sacred Heart
59 Wesley Hopkins 6-2 265 DL Northwest Catholic UConn
61 David DiGiorgi 5-6 195 LB Holy Cross Gunnery
64 Khamil Rangolam 6-5 300 OL Hillhouse Dean
66 Sean Marinan 6-0 260 DL Xavier UConn
67 Evan Foster 6-4 295 OL Bunnell Kings
71 Timothy Farina 5-9 275 OL East Lyme Becker
72 Hakeem Martin 5-11 265 OL Ansonia Western Conn.
73 Zach Voytek 6-5 295 OL Trumbull New Haven
75 Ludovic Richardson 6-2 285 DL Notre Dame-W.H. Brown
77 Dylan Vano 6-5 285 OL Ansonia Southern Conn.
85 Ben Compton 6-3 215 LB Windsor Undecided
88 Tyler Wood 5-11 180 LB Ansonia Undecided
93 Jose Forestier 6-2 210 DL Bulkeley Undecided
94 Robert Rose 6-2 235 LB Shelton Western New England
99 Austin Wezenski 6-3 270 DL Xavier Central Conn.

Sheehan coach John Ferrazzi will be the head coach for Team Connecticut for the 15th Governor's Cup game against Rhode Island next year.

Ferrazzi will serve as offensive coordinator for this year's game, which takes place at 4:30 p.m. on June 30 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Connecticut has won the last nine meetings and holds a 10-3 series lead. Hartford Public coach Harry Bellucci is the head coach for Team CT this year.

"I'm fortunate to work under Harry this year, and even more fortunate to get the head job for next year," Ferrazzi said.

This year marks Ferrazzi's ninth year as an assistant for Connecticut.

"I'm excited," Ferrazzi said. "This is my first year on the offensive side of the ball. I've been on the defensive side of the ball for eight years in this game. Now, I finally made the transition to the other side. It's a new found motivation, to turn over a new leaf on the other side of the ball."

The 14th Governor's Cup football game will take place on June 30 at 4:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The game pits graduating seniors from CT against their counterparts from Rhode Island.

Below is the roster for Team Connecticut:

Name School Height Weight Position

Michael Antonio Cromwell 6-3 185 WR
Aaron Berardino Windsor 5-10 175 WR
Brian Birdsell Bethel 5-10 215 LB
Shaun Bowman Cheshire 6-2 280 OL
Jawad Chisholm Bunnell 6-0 175 S
Nicholas Colasante Glastonbury 6-1 250 OL
Ben Compton Windsor 6-3 215 LB
Matt Corcoran Stamford 5-10 195 LB
Pat D’Amato Xavier 6-2 200 QB
Brett Director Cromwell 5-10 170 WR
Ian Dugger Hall 6-0 180 WR
Matt Duignan Masuk 5-10 215 LB
Jevon Elmore New London 5-10 190 CB
Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn Valley Regional 5-10 175 CB
Timothy Farina East Lyme 5-9 275 OL
Jose Forestier Bulkeley 6-2 210 DL
Evan Foster Bunnell 6-4 295 OL
Chandler Foster Stamford 6-0 195 S
Henry Foye Hand 6-2 190 QB
Vance Giarratana Hand 6-1 205 S
Leaon Gordon Brookfield 5-11 190 RB
Wesley Hopkins Northwest Catholic 6-2 265 DL
Jamar Johnson Bloomfield 6-1 215 DL
Emir Kuljancic Wethersfield 6-2 290 DL
Sebastian Little Cheshire 6-1 205 WR
Ryan Lumpkin Windsor 5-10 165 WR
Brenden Lytton Torrington 5-11 190 RB
Sean Marinan Xavier 6-0 260 DL
Brandon Martin Notre Dame-West Haven 5-10 190 CB
Hakeem Martin Ansonia 5-11 265 OL
Kyle McKinnon New London 5-11 195 RB
Anthony Morales Cromwell 6-3 170 QB
Genois Nelson Maloney 6-5 235 DL
Devon O’Reilly Glastonbury 5-10 175 CB
Daniel Palmer Hartford Public 6-1 220 LB
Matt Paola Pomperaug 5-9 170 K
A.J. Pascuzzo Sheehan 5-9 165 WR
Jason Piontkowski Masuk 5-10 170 WR
Khamil Rangolam Hillhouse 6-5 300 OL
Ludovic Richardson Notre Dame-West Haven 6-2 285 DL
Maleek Riley Northwest Catholic 6-1 275 OL
Robert Rose Shelton 6-2 235 LB
Adrian Sahinovic New Fairfield 6-6 2-5 P
Jovan Santos-Knox Xavier 6-3 235 LB
Dallas Smith Ledyard 6-1 215 LB
Isaiah Thomasson Maloney 5-11 225 LB
Tommy Undercuffler Berlin 6-1 195 S
Dylan Vano Ansonia 6-5 285 OL
Giovanni Viven New Britain 5-11 225 LB
Zach Voytek Trumbull 6-5 295 OL
Jonathan Ware RHAM 6-2 230 LB
Billy Weyrauch Cheshire 5-10 215 LB
Austin Wezenski Xavier 6-3 270 DL
Brandon Williams Bassick 6-3 242 DL
Tyler Wood Ansonia 5-11 180 LB

The 14th Governor's Cup football game will take place on June 30 at 4:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The game pits graduating seniors from CT against their counterparts from Rhode Island.

There will be a youth clinic prior to the game for up to 200 participants. The clinic runs on a first-come, first-serve basis.


CT has won the past nine meetings.
Below is the year-by-year series history:

1999 Connecticut 28, Rhode Island 16
2000 Rhode Island 13, Connecticut 7
2001 Rhode Island 28, Connecticut 7
2002 Rhode Island 50, Connecticut 22
2003 Connecticut 41, Rhode Island 16
2004 Connecticut 52, Rhode Island 14
2005 Connecticut 24, Rhode Island 10
2006 Connecticut 40, Rhode Island 21
2007 Connecticut 59, Rhode Island 27
2008 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 10
2009 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 13
2010 Connecticut 29, Rhode Island 7
2011 Connecticut 37, Rhode Island 6
Connecticut leads series 10-3

NEW HAVEN — Hand’s Henry Foye spent Sunday afternoon throwing passes to some of the best wide receivers in the state, including Windsor’s Aaron Berardino.

The two formed quite the quarterback-receiver combination, one that could become a reality if both are selected to play in the 14th Governor’s Cup football game on June 30.

Around 150 athletes tried out during a combine at the Floyd Little Athletic Center.

The game pits graduating seniors from this state against their counterparts from Rhode Island. Connecticut has won the past nine meetings, and leads the series 10-3.

“It’s really great because everybody you get to throw to is good,” Foye said. “Everybody’s the best in the state, so you know everyone’s going to run the right routes; everyone’s going to make the right cuts.”

Read more here.

Ansonia's Montrell Dobbs rushed 8 times for 90 yards and scored one touchdown to lead Connecticut past Rhode Island 37-6 at the 13th Governors' Cup game Saturday at Southington High.

Dobbs was named CT's MVP. Read the game story here.

Connecticut defeated Rhode Island 37-6 in the 13th Governors' Cup football game Saturday at Southington High.

Connecticut has won nine straight meetings and holds a 10-3 edge in the series.

Connecticut Summary
Passing
Joe DellaVecchia, St. Joseph: 2 of 6, 115 yards, 2 TDs
Erich Berzinskas, Morgan: 3 of 5, 26 yards
Kyle Nolan, Branford: 6 of 12, 57 yards, 1 TD

Rushing
Montrell Dobbs, Ansonia: 8 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD
Max DeLorenzo, Berlin: 7 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD
Jon Esposito, Conard: 6 carries, 31 yards

Receiving
Brian Kelly Brookfield: 3 catches, 70 yards, 2 TDs
Nainy Bah, Morgan: 1 catch, 59 yards, 1 TD
Tirrell Young, ND-W.H.: 2 catches, 24 yards

Kicking
Matthew Cassidy, Manchester: 4 XPs, 33-yard field goal, 7 points

The 13th Governors' Cup football game between Connecticut and Rhode Island will take place Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Southington High. Below is the series history.

1999 Connecticut 28, Rhode Island 16
2000 Rhode Island 13, Connecticut 7
2001 Rhode Island 28, Connecticut 7
2002 Rhode Island 50, Connecticut 22
2003 Connecticut 41, Rhode Island 16
2004 Connecticut 52, Rhode Island 14
2005 Connecticut 24, Rhode Island 10
2006 Connecticut 40, Rhode Island 21
2007 Connecticut 59, Rhode Island 27
2008 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 10
2009 Connecticut 31, Rhode Island 13
2010 Connecticut 29, Rhode Island 7
Connecticut leads series 9-3

Masuk's John Murphy, the Team CT coach for the 13th Governors Cup (June 25, 4:30 p.m. at Southington High) was impressed with several New Haven area standouts on the roster.

Murphy on Ansonia RB Montrell Dobbs, the 2010 Register State and Area MVP:

"I saw him play a bunch of times and the kid's quite the talent. He really showed himself at the combine (held March 27 at the New Haven Athletic Center). You could just see his motor. The things he did on the field, sometimes kids don't bring that to the combine but he did. He had a great attitude about being there and working out and all that. It was exciting."

Murphy on Woodland safety Jack DeBiase

"I've got to see him for the last few years. He's been in our passing league in the summer. We knew what kind of talented kid he was. He has great cover skills. His coverage skills were excellent that day."

The 13th Governors' Cup football game is normally contested at UConn's Rentschler Field in East Hartford. However, this year's game (June 25, 4:30 p.m.) will be played at Southington High because new sod is being laid down at the Rent. John Fontana, the executive director of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, says the game is expected to return to the Rent next year. Fontana says they tried to use Willowbrook Park in New Britain, a field the game used in the past, but the New Britain Rock Cats have a home stand that weekend. If they moved the game up or back a week, it would interfere with school graduations. They attempted to play at the Coast Guard in New London, but that site has insufficient parking. Central Conn. State University was another option, but that site will be unavailable due to various construction projects scheduled. The game has made a commitment not to interfere with the Hall of Fame Classic, pitting New Haven County against Fairfield County, and didn't want to push the game back into July. They also decided they wouldn't play at a site further south than Cheshire. So Southington it is. Southington can hold about 4,000 fans. 3,000 attended last year when Connecticut won 29-7. Connecticut has won eight straight games and holds a 9-3 series edge.

Click here to see a video clip of Masuk's John Murphy, the Team CT coach, speak during Thursday's press conference for the 13th Governors' Cup football game.