Staples High avenges 2022 quarterfinal loss, beats Fairfield Prep on Smith touchdowns, Petrosino tackle

Caleb Smith ran for two touchdowns, and Sam Petrosino saved a touchdown with a tackle in the fourth quarter to preserve Staples' lead on the way to a 13-12 win over Fairfield Prep on Tuesday night at Paul Lane Stadium in the CIAC Class LL quarterfinals. The Wreckers' victory avenged last year's 23-22 Fairfield Prep quarterfinal win on the same field. Staples (10-1), newly elevated to No. 1 in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Poll, will host fifth-seeded Southington (7-4) in Sunday's semifinal at 12:30 p.m.  The Wreckers defeated Southington 34-27 on Sept. 22 in the regular season. Staples' last semifinal game was 12 years ago.