VIDEO: East Haven Football Wins Historic 4-Overtime Thriller

By Amber Kountz

EAST HAVEN — The Hamden football team battled all night long but ended up on the wrong side of history Friday, dropping a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to East Haven in four overtimes at Crisafi Field.

East Haven freshman Evan Damian kicked a 27-yard field goal to lift the Yellowjackets to victory in the longest game in SCC history.

With the game tied at 31 in the fourth overtime, Hamden (0-2) went for it on fourth-and-long and were stopped by East Haven senior star defensive player Austin Thornberg on a running play.

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The stop set the Yellowjackets (2-0) up for the win and they wasted no time lining up for the field goal on first-and-10.

“I do not regret the decision (of going for it on fourth down),” Hamden coach Todd Dowty said. “The boys played very hard. But because of where we were on the field, going for fourth down was a better decision than kicking it.”

The Green Dragons had the ball first for each of the four overtimes and East Haven matched Hamden’s scores each time.

The game was tied at 14 at the end of regulation.

Kwadir Delgado-Mcibtyre had two touchdown runs to provide the scoring for Hamden.

In overtime, Hamden quarterback Stanley Arrington Jr. dropped back in the pocket then ran for a touchdown.

Both teams recorded field goals in the second overtime to make the score 24-24.

Arrington threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mekhi Henderson in the third overtime and East Haven responded with a score of its own to make it a 31-31 game and to set up the dramatic finish in the fourth overtime.