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11/24/2018 11:00 PMThe East Haven football team saw its 2018 campaign come to a close when the Yellowjackets took a 20-3 home loss against crosstown rival Branford in the 77th annual Beehive Bowl on Nov. 23. East Haven needed to win the game to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in program history. With the defeat, the Yellowjackets finished in the No. 12 spot in the Class M State Playoff rankings in which the top eight squads qualified.
This marked the second time in the last four years that East Haven was eliminated from playoff contention by losing to Branford in its regular-season finale. The Yellowjackets finished their year with a record of 7-3, resulting in the program’s second winning season since 2001.
“The bottom line is this: I think programs take time. We struggled down the stretch, and I think that time will take care of that as we become a more stabilized program,” said first-year Head Coach Scott Benoit, who was named the SCC Tier 3 Coach of the Year. “We’ll be better equipped to play in the big games at the end of the season, but overall, I think our kids did a good job.”
Branford got going early when the Yellowjackets and the Hornets squared off in an SCC Tier 3 matchup at East Haven High School on the day after Thanksgiving. Branford (6-4, 2-2) drove 65 yards on four plays for a touchdown on the first drive of the day, using a 2-yard TD run by Jackson Seward to take a 6-0 lead just 1:32 into the game.
East Haven fumbled the ball on its first two possessions of the contest, and Branford capitalized by scoring a touchdown following the second one. The Hornets drove 36 yards on nine plays, taking a 12-0 lead when quarterback Sean Kelly ran 10 yards for a score with 1:23 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Yellowjackets’ offense struggled throughout the first half and was held to just 68 yards. East Haven got on the board with 7:25 to play in second quarter, when senior Evan Damian kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut it to 12-3.
“We’ve struggled offensively since the Wilbur Cross game. I don’t think we’ve had 15 first downs in the last three games,” Benoit said. “Branford is a good team. They’re well-coached, they did a good job on defense, and we knew that coming in.”
Just when it looked like East Haven had some momentum, Branford scored a critical touchdown as time expired in the first half. The Hornets went on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that culminated with Cameron Mills’s 5-yard touchdown rush on a reverse. Kelly ran in the 2-point conversion to put Branford up 20-3 at the break.
“I’ve coached against Branford in the past. They’re always well-coached, they’re physical, and they’re a good team,” said Coach Benoit, whose team went 2-3 in SCC Tier 3 play this year. “We knew that going in. I knew that going in. I’ve competed against these guys for many years, so we knew it was going to be a tough game.”
East Haven received the ball to start the second half and went on a drive, although the Yellowjackets lost a fumble after they got into the Hornets’ red zone. Later in the third quarter, East Haven fumbled the ball around midfield, and Branford recovered it.
“We haven’t had four turnovers all season, and we had four today. That certainly didn’t help us, but we struggled offensively the past three games. We haven’t had a lot of first downs, and that’s really been the issue,” Coach Benoit said. “Our defense did a good job, held them scoreless in the second half. But again, when they’re on the field the whole game, it’s not conducive to winning.”
Neither teams’ offense gained much traction during a second half that featured several penalty flags that stalled potential drives. Eventually, Branford ran out the clock to secure the victory. East Haven’s running game, which was a strength all season, was bottled up by the Hornets’ defense. Junior quarterback Tanner DiVito completed seven passes for 76 yards in the game.
Despite the loss, Coach Benoit is proud of his team for turning things around this year after the Yellowjackets finished with a record of 1-9 last season.
“We won seven games, which is good. We’re not happy with the way it ended, but again, growing pains. I’m sure we’ll be back,” Benoit said. “I’m very proud of them. When I got the job in February, I said our goal is to play in relevant games at the end of the year, and we did that. Now, we have to figure out a way to win them. It takes time for programs to get over that hump. We’ll get there.”
Prior to its game against Branford, East Haven took a 41-17 defeat at Sheehan in an SCC Tier 3 game on Nov. 17. Junior Michael Castellano scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and sophomore Eric Araujo had a 2-yard TD rush for the Yellowjackets. Damian kicked a 34-yard field goal and a pair of extra points for East Haven.
Damian made the All-SCC Tier 3 team as the placekicker this season. Senior captain Steve Mingione made it as an offensive lineman, junior Calvin Nelson made it as a defensive lineman, and senior captains Ryan Cordova and Josh Rao both made the team as linebackers.