The Branford football team made its way into the state playoffs for the first time in 17 years this season. When the Hornets competed in the Class M bracket last week, they relied on their strong defense, a solid run game, and a team-first mentality to advance to the semifinal round.

Branford started off the Class M State Playoffs by claiming a 7-6 victory at Avon in a quarterfinal game on Nov. 30. Then on Dec. 5, the Hornets hit the road to face top-seeded Killingly for a semifinal matchup and lost the contest by the final score of 13-12. Head Coach John Limone’s team finished the season with an overall record of 9-3.

Branford had qualified for the playoffs by earning a 33-0 road win against East Haven on Thanksgiving Day, sending the Hornets into postseason play for the first time since 2005. Coach Limone said that victory was celebrated by Branford’s players, coaches, and everyone in the Hornets’ football community.

“It meant a tremendous amount to our kids, our coaches, and our community,” Limone said. “We’ve had such great support all year from our school and our town. It meant a lot to punch that ticket.”

As the No. 5 seed, Branford took on 4th-seeded Avon on the road in the quarterfinals of the Class M State Playoffs. Branford had earned a 21-7 win at Avon during the regular season, but now facing the Falcons for the second time in a month, Coach Limone knew that the Hornets were in for a hard-fought battle in their postseason rematch.

“Seeing a team that we had already played, we knew it was going to be a difficult task,” said Limone. “With this group of guys, we just had to do the things that we had done all year and do them a little bit better.”

Avon struck first by scoring on a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:29 remaining in the first quarter, but missed the extra point. Junior Nathan Chieffo got Branford on the board by rushing for a 33-yard touchdown with 6:46 to play in the second quarter. Sophomore Joseph Robinson hit the extra point to give the Hornets a 7-6 lead heading into halftime.

That score ended up being the difference maker as both teams went scoreless in the second half. Avon had a chance to take the lead on its last drive of the night, getting into Hornets’ territory in the final minute of the game. However, Branford turned the Falcons over on downs and held on for the 7-6 victory to move on to the semifinals.

Chieffo led the Hornets with 15 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in the win. Senior captain Cam Paleski had 10 carries for 43 yards for Branford, which ran the ball 30 times for 120 yards as a squad. Junior quarterback Zachary Turbert completed a 14-yard pass to senior John Frawley in the contest.

Senior William Pera had 11 total tackles and a sack for Branford on defense. Senior captain David McDonald also made 11 tackles to help Coach Limone’s squad prevail.

“That game was really hard-fought. We played really well on defense. We made plays when we had to,” Limone said. “It wasn’t the way we drew it up. We’ve been gritty and tough all year. That game was no different.”

Five days after defeating Avon, Branford was back on the road to face No. 1 seed Killingly in the Class M semifinals. Killingly used a 2-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead with 1:42 left in the first quarter and led by that same score at halftime.

On its first possession of the second half, Branford answered back with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Turbert to Frawley. Branford missed the extra point and trailed 7-6 with 5:49 left in the third quarter.

Later in the period, Chieffo (17 carries, 119 yards) broke off a 39-yard run down to the Killingly 1-yard line. Sophomore Cole Snider then scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Hornets a 12-7 lead with 2:40 to go in the quarter. However, Branford was unable to score on the 2-point conversion pass.

With 6:54 left in the game, Killingly scored on a 15-yard TD pass on 4th-and-4 to take a 13-12 advantage. That touchdown proved the final score of the game as Killingly held on for the one-point win to advance to face Rockville in the Class M final.

“We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game. We had some opportunities that we didn’t cash in on,” said Coach Limone. “We could have used the ball bouncing our way a couple more times than it did. But these kids battled. They fought for everything they got this year. They earned everything. These guys are incredible. They willed themselves all the way to the semifinals.”

Coach Limone said that the Hornets got strong play out of their offensive line, ran the ball well, and didn’t turn the ball over on their road to the state semis. Limone added that his team’s mentality was truly what made Branford a force to be reckoned with this season. Limone felt proud to see that his players were always ready to compete and get better every single day.

“They bought in pretty early to what we were preaching as a staff. They have been very steady. They never got too high, they never got too low. They came back to work every time, whether we won or lost,” Limone said. “If you were in our meeting room on Mondays, if you weren’t at the game, you wouldn’t have known if we won or lost. It’s a testament to the kids and their belief in one another.”

Limone credited that mentality to the efforts of this year’s senior class. Branford was led by three senior captains in McDonald, Paleski, and Nate Mathis, along with fellow seniors Frawley, Pera, Kevin Lee, Anthony D’Elia, Ricardo Rojas, Lukas Rhoden, Dylan Dupre, Robert Miller, Brenden Veroneau, Matthew Esposito, Dylan Torre, Deniz Iljazi, and Joseph Fanelli.

Mathis earned All-SCC Tier 3 accolades as an offensive tackle for Branford this season, joining McDonald (defensive line), Paleski (linebacker), Frawley (defensive back), Chieffo (running back), and sophomore Nate Florio (defensive back) as All-Conference honorees.

Through practices and games, Coach Limone said that Branford’s seniors always displayed a strong work ethic as they continued to build the foundation of the program. Limone felt that the seniors did an excellent job of helping everyone on the team realize they were part of something special.

“Losing their junior year was difficult. They were the only bridge we had to our previous season in 2019. They took the ball and ran with it. Their leadership, their work ethic, the culture they created in the locker room was just outstanding,” said Limone, who was named the SCC Tier 3 Coach of the Year. “They did a great job, and everybody felt a part of it. Every single kid on our team knew they were a part of something special. Our seniors really drove that home.”

Coach Limone said that Branford had to come together as a squad in order to achieve its goal of making the playoffs. When the Hornets stepped on the field this season, they were teammates. By the time they walked off the gridiron, they had become a family.

“These kids consider each other family. They want to do right by their teammates,” Limone said. “There were no egos this year. It’s a family.”