WALLINGFORD – It was built as one of the key high school football matchups of the week. The hype needed a second half rally to live up to the billing.
Scoring 25 first half points and holding Platt scoreless in the first 24 minutes, Sheehan held off a late Panther rally and hung on for a 44-27 victory in a Connecticut High School Football Alliance contest at Riccitelli Field at Sheehan High School Friday evening.
Sheehan followed the lead of seniors Zack O’Brien and Tyler Costanzo as O’Brien ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while Costanzo ran for 114 yards and two scores, and also passed for 119 yards and a touchdown.
“To go in with a 25-0 lead at halftime, we knew we couldn’t be comfortable coming out,” Sheehan coach John Ferrazzi said. “We knew we were going to have to play another full 24. They have incredibly dangerous skill players at every position. They exploited us in the second half.”
After Platt quarterback Ignacio Vasquez hit Justice Antunez with an 8-yard scoring strike and Sheehan matched that with a Costanzo to Mike Simlin 28-yard score to give Sheehan a 31-7 lead after three quarters, Platt had a rally left in the tank.
Edwin Vidal and Adam Roberts scored on touchdown runs of 19 and 2 yards to get the Panthers within 31-21 with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Simlin seemed to dim the rally when he returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards for a Sheehan score and a 37-21 lead with 6:11 to go.
Vasquez, starting in place of Austen Standish who Platt coach Jason Bruenn said was unavailable, then connected on a 13-yard scoring strike to Maurice Christie with 4:54 remaining. Vasquez finished with 240 yards passing and two touchdown passes.
Platt’s rally ended there when Sheehan drained the final 4:54, capping the final drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Costanzo with seven seconds left in the game.
“We gave them a chance and they took it,” Ferrazzi said. “Hats off to them because they never gave up. Credit to our guys for just digging in and finishing the game and holding on. A win is a win. Hats off to Platt. Those kids are tough. They didn’t go away on us. That’s for sure.”
The Titans took advantage of a Platt turnover, a key special teams mistake, and totaled 228 first half yards behind the running of O’Brien and the passing combination of Costanzo and Sebastian Rosario. O’Brien ran for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first half, while Costanzo connected with Rosario four times for 68 yards in the opening 24 minutes.
“The first half, we just dominated the line of scrimmage,” O’Brien said after his team improved to 3-1. “Every play, I was having gaps like five yards. I wasn’t getting hit for five yards. On defense, we had big goal line stops. We stopped the run real well today.”
Bouncing back from a loss against Fairfield Prep, the Titans started quickly and never let up. A nine play, 85-yard drive saw a 47-yard completion from Costanzo to Rosario and was capped with a 3-yard score by O’Brien 3:39 in for a 6-0 lead.
After holding Platt on downs at the Sheehan 19, the Titans marched 81 yards with Costanzo capping the drive with a 4-yard score 23 seconds into the second quarter for a 13-0 lead.
Platt was again stopped inside the Sheehan 10, and with Sheehan punting, Platt touched the live ball and Sheehan recovered. Six plays later, O’Brien was in from two yards out for a 19-0 Sheehan lead with 2:07 remaining in the half.
“There is a reason why Sheehan wins state titles,” Platt coach Jason Bruenn said after his team fell to 3-1. “They don’t make mistakes. They are a tough defense. (John) Ferrazzi does an awesome job. If he’s not the poster child for do more with less, I don’t know who is.
“We just don’t finish. It’s been a little bit of our crux inside the red zone. We have to push a little harder. You have to taste that end zone, and you have to get in it.”
The Titans then dealt the backbreaker in the final seconds, forcing a Platt fumble which was scooped up by Isaiah Forbs and returned 60 yards for a touchdown and a 25-0 lead with three seconds remaining in the half.
Player of the Game
Zack O’Brien, Sheehan: Senior ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans won their third game of the year.
Quotable
“This was a must-win game. We prepared really hard for this. We got the job done.” – Sheehan’s Zack O’Brien on responding to the team’s first loss last week.
Sheehan 44, Platt 27
PLATT 0 0 7 20 – 27
SHEEHAN 6 19 6 13 – 44
S – Zack O’Brien 3 run (Kick failed)
S – Tyler Costanzo 4 run (Connor Woolard kick)
S – O’Brien 2 run (Kick failed)
S – Isaiah Forbs 60 fumble return (Run failed)
P – Justice Antunez 8 pass from Ignacio Vasquez (Vasquez kick)
S – Mike Simlin 28 pass from Costanzo (Kick failed)
P – Edwin Vidal 19 run (Vasquez kick)
P – Adam Roberts 2 run (Vasquez kick)
S – Simlin 50 kick return (Run failed)
P – Maurice Christie 13 pass from Vasquez (Pass failed)
S – Costanzo 2 run (Woolard kick)
Records: P 3-1; S 3-1
This article originally published at Sheehan football builds 25-point halftime lead, then holds off Platt rally for win.
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