The post-game celebration seemed like it was going to last forever. There was an award presentation for the game’s biggest stars and then Quinebaug Valley head coach Joe Asermelly lifted the Victory Cup over his head and handed the gleaming trophy to his jubilant players.
By then, Asermelly’s son, Rocco, a seventh-grader who will be playing under the Friday Night lights soon, had made his way from the stands to midfield where he shared a long embrace with his dad.
Yes, it was a special night for the Golden Eagles.
Quinebaug Valley captured its seventh consecutive win with a 26-10 victory over Thames River on Wednesday night at Grasso Tech.
The Golden Eagles took a 4-3 Thanksgiving Eve series lead over their Connecticut Technical Conference rivals. More importantly, the Ellis Tech-Putnam-Tourtellotte cooperative program kept alive their Class M state playoff hopes. Quinebaug moved to No. 7 in the rankings (the top eight qualify for the playoffs) following the win over the Crusaders and will spend Thanksgiving Day scoreboard watching.
“There’s a lot of (playoff) scenarios but we’ll be eating turkey and watching all the websites,” Asermelly said. “But to win seven in a row, I’m just extremely proud of this group of young men. They showed a ton of resiliency.”
Quinebaug Valley (7-3) started the season with three straight losses. They had early leads in all three games against Eastern Connecticut Conference opponents Plainfield and Class S playoff contender Stonington, and CTC power and Class MM playoff contender Northwest United.
“We knew how close we were in those losses,” Asermelly said. “We knew we had already been battle tested by the time we got to October. We lost some heartbreakers early but these guys showed how much grit and determination they have. My coaching staff came together and these seniors, this big group of seniors, poured it all out tonight.”
Golden Eagles senior running back Deven Lamothe scored two touchdowns, including the game’s first score on a sensational 86 yard run, and was named his teams’ most outstanding player.
“It feels great,” Lamothe said. “We have a 50/50 chance right now (to make the playoffs). Hopefully, our cards play out right. It’s going to be an amazing experience for us.”
Quinebaug Valley senior quarterback Jackson Santos tossed a touchdown pass to junior Quintin Zevetchin late in the first half to give the Golden Eagles a 12-0 lead at intermission.
The Golden Eagles defense, which had numerous goal line stands during their seven-game winning streak, was spearheaded by senior linemen Gavin Coomey, Elmer Hebert, Dacoda Schlough, and Davin Downey, who was awarded his team’s Heart of a Champion award, senior linebacker Aiden Riley, who had an interception at the end of the first half.
Early in the first quarter, Thames River had possession inside the Quinebaug Valley 20-yard line thanks to a pair of blocked punts but the Golden Eagles kept them out of the end zone both time.
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Lamothe’s second touchdown, a 9-yard run with 3:31 left in the third quarter, gave the Golden Eagles a 20-0 advantage.
Thames River (4-6), which came into the game with a spirited four game winning streak, responded.
Crusaders junior Damarr Mangan scored on a 5-yard run on the last play of the third quarter. Senior quarterback Jarrod Franceschi found senior Anthony Santacroce open in the end zone for the 2-point conversion.
Franceschi was named the Crusaders most outstanding player, while Santacroce received the Heart of a Champion award.
Quinebaug’s kicking quotes resurfaced with 9:47 remaining when a bad snap sailed over the punter’s head and into the end zone for a safety.
The Crusaders had closed the gap to 20-10 but this was Quinebaug’s night. Junior Pablo Reyes ran up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown with 4:30 left for a 26-10 lead.
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Reyes’ score was set up when Lamothe caught a Santos pass and raced 65 yards.
“This team just digs deep when the chips are down,” Asermelly said. “There was no additional pressure tonight because it’s always about let’s just win. We’ll let the chips fall where they may, but let’s just win.”
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Quinebaug Valley keeps playoff hopes alive with win over Thames River
