Pomperaug’s late comeback effort fell just short against Masuk in a Week 7 showdown that featured two undefeated SWC teams.
Masuk (6-0) escaped with a 42-37 victory over Pomperaug (5-1), largely behind Aaron Champagne’s three passing and three rushing touchdowns. The last was a one-yard punch-in that retook the lead for good.
In a game that saw five lead changes, Pomperaug rushed for over 300 yards, with senior Dom Creaco leading the way with 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Trailing by as much as 14 points in the second half, Pomperaug cut the lead to one score with a Creaco 5-yard rushing touchdown. It was his second time finding the end zone, and it came after Pomperaug lost senior Gavin Lynch to a foot injury in the second quarter. Lynch had 66 yards on 11 carries before exiting the game.
Masuk would answer with a 26-yard Champagne touchdown pass to Walker to see the lead grow back to 14 as part of a drive that extended into the fourth quarter.
It would take a boost from Pomperaug’s special teams unit to get back into the game. Dougie Mottola took the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown, and a two-point conversion made it 36-30. The home team then recovered an onside kick, and senior Jack Guinipero powered in for the go-ahead touchdown and extra point, lifting Pomperaug to a 37-36 lead with just over five minutes left in the game.
Guinipero ran for 76 yards and a score on seven carries, giving him eight rushing touchdowns on the year. He added two catches for 48 yards as a receiver. On defense, he led the team in tackles with 10.
With a 14-point lead vanishing quickly on the visitors’ sideline, Masuk head coach Chris Pace would be told by one of his senior captains, Alexander Tiago, that “they left too much time for us” before beginning the team’s game-winning drive.
Masuk needed six plays to cover the distance. A 55-yard completion to Nico Convertito put the ball at the Pomperaug 1-yard line, and Champagne punched it in to make it 42-37 with three minutes to go.
Pomperaug’s final chance ended with a turnover on downs, resulting in their first loss of the season.
Pomperaug head coach Tony Pereira praised his team after the game, despite not getting the result they wanted.
“I told them, this is kind of the next step in getting better as a football team,” Pereira said. “We played from behind tonight, we came back, and we took the lead. There are things that we can gain from tonight.”
“Obviously, it’s not the result we wanted, but we’re going to be better for it,” he added.
For Masuk to hold off Pomperaug’s comeback attempt, Pace said his team never flinched when faced with an opportunity to make a big and timely play.
“We made some big plays when it mattered,” Pace said.
Masuk will face Harding next, while Pomperaug returns home to host Joel Barlow.
By Evan Triantafilidis
