South Windsor Panthers B Team Routs Glastonbury for CTYFL Title

Things looked rather bleak for the South Windsor Panthers B team (11-12 year olds) in the early going of its Connecticut Youth Football League championship game against Glastonbury on Sunday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

Indeed, the offense sputtered on the game’s opening drive, going three and out. To make matters worse, Glastonbury, on the ensuing drive, took just four plays to march 47 yards - 35 of which came on Ryan Kapur's scoring run - to open an 8-0 lead on the Panthers.

That’s when South Windsor dug in and responded with 34 unanswered points en route to a 34-8 victory to earn the title and cap a perfect 10-0 season.

It was a total team effort.

On offense, quarterback Connor Kapisak threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns, while running back Gavin Duff rushed for nearly 100 yards on just six carries.

Receiver Michael Bazzano caught two touchdown passes, while Jacque Bouquot and Will Pineo each caught one.

Bazzano opened the Panthers' account with 6:35 left in the first quarter, catching a 50-yard touchdown strike from Kapisak to level the game at 8-8.

Kapisak then found Bouquot down the left sideline after a gorgeous pump fake for a 31-yard touchdown with 14:38 left in the second quarter to give the Panthers a 14-8 lead. They never looked back after that.

Quarterback Jake Klemba eventually capped the scoring with a sneak for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The offensive line was terrific, as Glastonbury’s defense never laid a hand on South Windsor’s quarterbacks in the backfield all afternoon.

The defense had a similarly great day, with Colin Ryan and Matt Smith each having interceptions, while Michael Gore had a key sack in the fourth quarter.

Guard Dylan Hodge and linebacker Will Nowak also had great games, as South Windsor romped to the title.

“It was six years in the making,” Coach Steve Harz said of the game. “The players were unbelievable.”

Harz credited head coach Dave Hodge for the team’s success, noting that Hodge has won two state titles at the high school level.

“The offense we run is as or more complex than most high schools,” Harz said.

The outcome was no fluke. The Panthers allowed just 36 points in 10 games, with 22 of them coming in a taut 23-22 victory over Glastonbury in the regular season a month ago. There was no such drama on Sunday, as the outcome was pretty much sealed by the third quarter.

Every player - all 23 of them - participated in the victory, Harz said. The secret - if there is one - to the Panthers’ success is that they stick together both on and off the field.

“They’re amazing kids,” Harz said. “It’s just phenomenal group. They’re all really tight on the football field, on the basketball court and in the classroom.”