GLASTONBURY – Eli Showerda kept the ball on an option from 1 yard out with 20 seconds remaining to lift the Maloney football team to a 35-28 season-opening victory over Glastonbury on Thursday night.
The senior quarterback did damage through the air, too, throwing two first-half touchdown passes before delivering the game-winning score on the ground.
His first touchdown pass, a 15-yarder to senior running back Devan Bacote, tied the game 14-14 in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Showerda connected with Jayden Soto over the middle for an 83-yard touchdown that gave the Spartans a 21-14 lead.
The game, however, was far from over.
Leading by eight with 4:41 remaining, Maloney watched Glastonbury put together a game-tying drive after Shane Santora returned the kickoff past midfield to give the Guardians excellent field position. Quarterback Matthew Cartwright capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run before Glastonbury converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game 28-28 with 3:31 left.
Maloney answered with a methodical drive built around Bacote, who repeatedly carried the ball to move the Spartans into scoring position while running down the clock.
Showerda finished the drive himself, scoring from a yard out to put Maloney back in front for good.
“Winning is the best feeling in the world, and when you do it with your brothers and create a bond, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Bacote said.
Bacote opened the scoring with a 50-plus-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation in the first quarter. He added a 15-yard touchdown reception and later scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter, finishing with three touchdowns.
“My boys got my back, and I got their back,” Bacote said. “As long as we keep playing together, that’s all that matters. We will keep ending up winning.”
Showerda and Bacote were the catalysts for a Maloney offense that hopes to build on last year’s 6-4 finish under coach Kevin Frederick.
Frederick was pleased to begin the season with a win but knows there is plenty of football left to play.
“Yeah, it’s a long season. We’ve been in this position before. Maloney’s built for the long haul,” Frederick said. “We’ve got a really good football team, and we are going to surprise a lot of people. We will take one game at a time and prepare the best that we can.”
Maloney hosts Ridgefield on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Glastonbury travels to Cheshire that same night for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Players of the Game
Eli Showerda, Maloney: The senior quarterback threw two touchdown passes and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 20 seconds remaining.
Devan Bacote, Maloney: The senior running back accounted for three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, while helping seal the game on the Spartans’ final drive.
Quotable
“My boys got my back, and I got their back. As long as we keep playing together, that’s all that matters. We will keep ending up winning.” – Devan Bacote
Maloney 35, Glastonbury 28
MALONEY 14 7 0 14 – 35
GLASTONBURY 14 0 6 8 – 28
M-Devan Bacote run (Eli Osei kick)
G-Gavin Twilley 13 pass from Matthew Cartwright (Tommy Pingel kick)
G-Shane Santora pass from Matthew Cartwright (Pingel kick)}
M-Devan Bacote 15 pass from Eli Showerda (Eli Osei kick)
M-Jayden Soto 83 pass from Eli Showerda (Eli Osei kick)
G–Dante Casdia 4 run (Kick failed)
M–Devan Bacote 5 run (Eli Osei kick)
G–Matthew Cartwright 20 run (Run)
M–Eli Showerda 1 run (Osei kick)
Records: Maloney 1-0, Glastonbury 0-1
This article originally published at Maloney football scores in final 20 seconds to stun Glastonbury in season opener.
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