Football

The Hand football squad hosted Bunnell for a non-conference clash at the Surf Club on Oct. 29. The Tigers notched their second-straight victory by earning a 56-13 victory versus the Bulldogs, marking the second week in a row that Hand topped the 50-point mark. The Tigers now have a record of 4-3 on the year.

Senior quarterback Patch Flanagan went 4-of-5 passing for 152 yards and three touchdowns in Hand’s lopsided victory. Flanagan completed all four of his passes to fellow senior Seth Sweitzer, who had four catches for 152 yards and three TDs on the night.

Flanagan also ran six times for 97 yards and three touchdowns as part of his big performance. Senior running back Ethan O’Brien carried the ball 11 times for 89 yards and TD for the Tigers. Sophomore Gavin Wagner also had a rushing touchdown in the rout. Senior kicker Mario Mazzarella went 8-for-8 on his extra-point attempts.

Hand is hosting North Haven for an SCC Tier 1 game at the Surf Club on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. North Haven has an overall record of 3-4 and 0-2 in its SCC Tier 1 games. Hand is also 0-2 in Tier 1 action.

Girls’ Volleyball

The Hand girls’ volleyball team won its last three matches of the regular season and then claimed victory in its SCC Tournament opener last week. The Tigers improved to 16-5 overall as they advanced into the quarterfinals of the SCC bracket.

On Oct. 25, the Tigers played a road match versus East Haven and came away with a 3-0 victory. Then on Oct. 28, Hand took a 3-0 home loss to Haddam-Killingworth. The following day, the Tigers scored a 3-1 road victory over Norwich Free Academy.

On Oct. 30, No. 5 seed Hand opened play in the SCC Tournament by playing a first-round home match against No. 12 Foran. The Tigers swept the Lions by a 3-0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-16) score to move on to the quarterfinal round.

Hand played at No. 4 seed Branford in the SCC quarterfinals on Nov. 2 (after press time). With a win, the Tigers would face the winner of No. 1 Cheshire and No. 8 Guilford in the semis on Thursday, Nov. 4. The SCC final is at West Haven High School on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.

After SCCs, Hand will take part in the Class L State Tournament. The tourney begins on Monday, Nov. 8 and finishes with the title match at East Haven High School on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Field Hockey

The Hand field hockey team finished its regular season with a win and then took a loss the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament last week. The Tigers have a record of 8-7-1-1 as they get ready to play in states.

On Oct. 25, the Tigers played a home versus North Haven and prevailed by a 6-0 score. Then on Oct. 30, No. 5 seed Hand hit the road to face No. 4 Branford in the SCC quarterfinals and took a 2-1 loss in the contest.

Hand will be participating in the Class M State Tournament, which begins on Monday, Nov. 8 and runs through the championship at Wethersfield High School on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Boys’ Soccer

The Hand boys’ soccer team concluded its regular season and then opened play in the SCC Tournament last week. The Tigers earned a tie against Cheshire in their regular-season finale and then lost to Notre Dame-West Haven in the SCC quarterfinals to move to 12-2-3 on the year.

On Oct. 25, the Tigers played Cheshire to a 1-1 draw in a road game. Then on Oct. 30, No. 3 seed hosted No. 6 Notre Dame-West Haven for a SCC Tournament quarterfinal game. Hand took a 3-2 loss against the Green Knights in the contest.

Hand is competing in the Class L State Tournament that begins on Saturday, Nov. 6 and finishes with the championship game at Dillon Stadium in Hartford on either Saturday, Nov. 20 or Sunday, Nov. 21.

Girls’ Soccer

The Hand girls’ soccer team took a defeat in its final regular-season game and finished with a record of 9-4-3 for that portion of the campaign. On Oct. 25, the Tigers hosted Sacred Heart Academy and lost the contest by a 5-1 score.

Next up for Hand is the Class L State Tournament that starts on Saturday, Nov. 6 and culminates with the final on either Saturday, Nov. 20 or Sunday, Nov. 21 at Dillon Stadium in Hartford.