Ortiz's Pick-6 Spurs Hall over Glastonbury

WEST HARTFORD – The fourth quarter was almost at its midway point and Glastonbury was in its comfort zone.

had just turned it over. Leading by a touchdown and pounding the Warriors’ defensive front with their big offensive line, the Tomahawks were poised for the kind of sustained drive that would chew up the clock the way they did in the first and third quarters.

Glastonbury was facing a rare passing situation on third down when Hall strong safety Devin Ortiz applied his perception.

Ortiz jumped a short route and returned the interception for a 28-yard touchdown Saturday, setting the stage for a two-yard touchdown run by Jesse Maltz in the waning seconds that gave the Warriors a 21-14 win in an interdivisional CCC clash at Chalmers Stadium.

Hall (8-1) finished the day fifth in the Class LL playoff race in which the top eight teams qualify. The Warriors face undefeated Saturday in a 1:30 p.m. game at McKee Stadium with both a postseason berth and a share of the CCC Division I West title at stake.

Glastonbury, which at 6-2 will now need a lot of help to reach the three-tiered LL showcase, took its first lead of the game at 14-7 with 18.2 seconds left in the third quarter on a three-yard run by quarterback Ben Berey.

Hall, spurred by Ian Dugger’s 50-yard kickoff return, began to drive in quest of the counterpunch. Behind the bruising runs of Christian Bohn, the Warriors faced third-and-inches at the Glastonbury 10 when a miscommunication in their tight double wing set resulted in a turnover.

The Tomahawks faced a third-and-5 at the 25 when Ortiz cut in front of Devin O’Reilly, made sure he watched the ball into his hands and sprinted down the sideline for the touchdown that cut the Glastonbury lead to a point.

“I knew from the start of the game that the quarterback took a while to throw the ball,” Ortiz said. “Once I read [Devin O’Reilly’s pattern], I knew the play so I just went after the ball.”

Hall still had some work to do but first-year Glastonbury coach Scott Daniels knew his team had taken a serious body blow.

“That was a momentum swing – the game-changing play right there,” he said. “They made the play and we didn’t.”

The rejuvenated Hall defense slammed the door quickly on Glastonbury’s ensuing possession. Dugger stopped Berey for no gain on first down and blew up a short pass to Tyler Janssen for just two yards on third-and-9. After Glastonbury’s punt, the game’s decisive sequence began at the Hall 29.

Quarterback George Lund, who had missed on his previous six second-half passes, regained his touch at the right time. He hit L.T. Nembhard for eight yards and Ortiz for three to gain one first down. A 20-yard strike to Ortiz accounted for another.

Dugger snared a six-yard pass and Bohn ran for six to the Glastonbury 35.

With 1:14 to go, Hall faced a fourth-and-inches at the Tomahawks’ 21 and coach Frank Robinson used his first timeout. Maltz blasted through the line for four yards.

Only 27.4 ticks remained when Robinson faced another fourth-and-short at the 8. He went to Ortiz out of the double wing and the nimble senior toted it to the 2 for another first down. Maltz took care of the rest on the next play and tacked on the two-point conversion after a Glastonbury penalty for illegal substitution shortened the task.

“We weren’t sure what they were going to do on the short yardage plays, especially those fourth downs, so it affects your play calling, even when you get in a tight set,” Robinson said. “The fact that we can run up the middle and can go outside is really big.”

Bohn did the brunt of the groundwork but Maltz got the calls at the end.

“We were just rotating them because they were both playing defense, too,” Robinson said. “It’s an easy position to rotate on offense and we trust both of them very much.”

Maltz, who also had a 17-yard sack in the second quarter from his linebacker slot, paid tribute to his linemen. Center Zach Duzan, tackles Keye Frank and Tobi Lichtenstein and guards Josh Wheeler and Cole Souza made the push against Glastonbury’s able defensive front.

“I can’t do it alone,” Maltz said. “I knew my team would block for me. You have to pretty much run straight up the middle and follow the blocks. Everybody blocked down and helped me.”

Glastonbury took the game’s opening kickoff and used 7 ½ minutes to drive 54 yards on 13 plays, but the Hall defense held on downs at the 5.

“That first drive might have been the difference in the game because we were bending an awful lot,” Robinson said.

Hall answered with an 18-play, 95-yard excursion that Bohn consummated with a two-yard run less than two minutes into the second quarter.

“[Stopping Glastonbury’s drive] set the momentum, especially when our offense went 95 yards to score,” Robinson said. “We didn’t just get better field position. We went down and scored, which is a great answer against a great defense.”

The Tomahawks dominated the third quarter.

An interception and 31-yard return by Berey set up a short field at the Hall 17. Kevin Jack scored on a nine-yard run moments later.

The Tomahawks moved ahead when Berey scampered in from the 3 to cap a 15-play drive that covered 82 yards.

Hall has now won four straight since sustaining its lone loss at New Britain.

Hall 21, Glastonbury 14

Glastonbury (6-2)    0  0  14    0 – 14

Hall (8-1)                 0  7    0  14 – 21

SCORING SUMMARY

Second Quarter

H – Christian Bohn 2 run (George Lund kick), 10:06

Third Quarter

G – Kevin Jack 9 run (kick failed), 10:15

G – Ben Berey 3 run (Robert Volle pass from Devin O’Reilly), :18.2

Fourth Quarter

H – Devin Ortiz 28 interception return (kick failed), 6:42

H – Jesse Maltz 2 run (Maltz run), :24.2

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Glastonbury: Jack 16-97, Tyler Janssen 8-30, Berey 10-28, O’Reilly 4-14, Volle 1-4, Max Anthony 1-5, Charles Wooding 1-3. Hall: Bohn 21-79, Maltz 4-12, Ortiz 4-15, Lund 4-1

PASSING – Glastonbury: Berey 7-8-1, 59 yds. Hall: Lund 16-28-1, 129 yds.

RECEIVING – Glastonbury: Janssen 3-14, Grant Lewis 2-22, O’Reilly 1-17, Bobby Solecki 1-6. Hall: L.T. Nembhard 5-40, Ortiz 3-40, Ian Dugger 3-26, Ernie Green 2-27, Bohn 3-(-4).