BROOKFIELD – For the past two years, Brookfield has had every right to celebrate.
The Bobcats had outscored the Panthers of Pomperaug 88-14 in their last two matchups and made appearances in the last two Class M Championship games.
But in the 2026 season opener, Pomperaug controlled every aspect of the Southwest Conference matchup, shutting out Brookfield 47-0.
Pomperaug’s stock has been trending upward all offseason, from competing in and winning weightlifting competitions to returning a core group of seniors, while Brookfield is welcoming in a new head coach, Louie D’Arcangelo, and reloading a program that went 10-3 last year.
Pomperaug’s Tony Pereira enters his eighth season as head coach of the Panthers and knows that respect is earned between the white lines of the gridiron. The gritty and hard-nosed style of play the Panthers are known for reflects a steady, but also evolving, program.
“At the end, I told them that the respect tank is getting a little bit filled,” Pereira said following the shutout victory, adding that there’s still a whole season left to play to earn the respect the team deserves.
Much like how its run-first offense opts to read and react to what the defense throws at them, Pomperaug has continued to embrace a team-first mindset and adapt accordingly when the time comes. That means 6 a.m. weightlifting sessions, a more solidified pipeline with the youth Pomperaug Warriors program, and the occasional trick play.
It took only two plays for Pomperaug to get on the scoreboard Thursday night, with Caleb McKee catching a 62-yard touchdown pass on a trick play that set the tone for the night.
After forcing a Brookfield punt on defense and on the first play of their second offensive drive, the Panthers were back to putting up points. Jack Guinipero took a toss play to the right side of the field, marching 64 yards to the end zone. It was quickly 12-0 with just over three minutes played in the game.
“It’s everything we’ve been waiting for all offseason,” Guinipero said. “We’ve worked so hard ever since freshman year.”
“We’ve had this game circled since they beat us 40-7 last year,” he added. “It feels great to have all that hard work pay off.”
On defense, pressure was applied all game by Marco Russomanno and Bryan Vidal, aided by a pair of timely sacks on third-down plays from McKee.
Senior captains for this year include McKee, Guinipero, Russomanno, and Gavin Lynch.
Lynch, playing both running back and linebacker, didn’t have to wait long to leave his mark on the game, either. He momentarily exited the game to be checked by the trainers, but shrugged it off to return the next offensive drive, adding a 28-yard run once he checked back in.
Lynch and senior quarterback Josh Coughlin spearheaded the early second-quarter drive, leading to a Coughlin rushing score from 1 yard out, and Lynch punching in the 2-point conversion to make it 20-0.
Brookfield was forced to punt again on its next drive, allowing Pomperaug’s special teams to shine. Doug Mottola fielded the punt, followed his blockers, and brought it back to the end zone. A penalty flag was picked up, allowing the score to stand. Albeit an interrupted celebration, the rout continued in Pomperaug’s favor, now leading 27-0.
Another Brookfield drive went backward, and Pomperaug fielded another punt in positive field position.
Lynch followed with a 13-yard carry, a 15-yard run on a crucial third down, and a seven-yard rushing touchdown of his own to put the Panthers up 34-0.
Brookfield’s best chance at scoring points came in the final seconds of the first half, but the Bobcats were stifled by Guinipero’s interception in the end zone.
As the second half kicked off, Brookfield still hadn’t found momentum that didn’t come from Pomperaug committing penalties. But even in a lengthier drive to start the third quarter, it was Pomperaug’s Jaden D’Amico and Vidal who stopped Brookfield in its tracks again. The defensive stop on fourth down inside the red zone prevented the Bobcats from ever getting that close to scoring for the remainder of the game.
Three plays later, Guinipero was in the end zone again — this time on a 67-yard counter run play midway through the third quarter.
40-0.
Brookfield’s new head coach didn’t get the start he wanted but let his team know not to take anything for granted and to remember the feeling of getting shut out on their home field.
Asked what his team needed to work on the most, D’Arcangelo responded with one word: “Toughness.”
Pomperaug put the finishing touches on the road victory with a Dom Creaco rushing score from two yards out. The Panthers finished the game having not punted once and putting on an all-around performance that Pereira praised after the game.
“They played just like we trained them to,” Pereira said. “They played for each other. It was great to see.”
Pereira’s other message to the team was to remind them that this is only week one.
“You’re going to show up to school tomorrow with your head high, but you’re not going to be sticking your chest out because it’s one game,” Pereira said.
Pomperaug will play their next game at home on Thursday, September 17, in a non-conference game against Wethersfield High School, out of the Central Connecticut Conference.
By Evan Triantafilidis
The Southbury Record 