Hornets Notch First Football Win, But Now Prepare for North Haven

By Ryan Connell The Branford High School Football team captured their first win in over a year this past Friday October 10th at Guilford. With a 26-0 shutout win, the Hornets broke a 14 game losing streak which began at the beginning of last season. After a winless season last year, the Hornets stayed focus and hungry for success. They were rewarded for their hard work with a shutout over the Guilford Indians, in the Border War. The Border War is the rivalry between Branford and Guilford who border town lines and are also SCC Division 2 West opponents. “I’ve been around long enough to know that it was going to come,” said head coach John Limone, who earned his first career win. “For the kids it was about hard work, staying the course, and keeping the belief that their hard work meant something.” In the three games prior to Guilford, they were outscored 121-7 giving up over 40 points per game. The Hornets continue their 2014 campaign this Friday night against North Haven at North Haven high school. North Haven enters 4-1 with a tough SCC Division 1 West schedule. They are a team who poses a tough game for a Hornets team who is just starting to find themselves. The New Haven Register picks North Haven to win. Branford’s success last week against Guilford was led by their defense. Junior safety Noah DeGoursey returned an interception for a touchdown, made three tackles, and caused a fumble. Senior safety Carl Williams had 10 tackles, junior lineman Russell Morales had 9 tackles, and senior linebacker Colin Tracy had 8 tackles. Being a previous defensive coordinator it was very rewarding to have a shutout for Limone, he said. A defensive effort was also complimented with a successful offensive attack. The Hornets rushed 54 times for 235 yards and 3 touchdowns. The rushing attack was headed by Williams, who rushed 29 times for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. Morales also added the other touchdown for Branford. Junior quarterback Zach DeGoursey completed 7 passes for 77 yards. DeGoursey did his job in making key 3rd down conversions with nice short passes. He assumed the role as a game managing quarterback who had a good running game around him, but he also stepped up and delivered completions when called upon. The rest of this season looks to hold some more very winnable and competitive games for Branford. Look for them to finish with a few more wins and be very competitive the rest of the season.