Quinebaug Valley blanks Thames River, evens Thanksgiving football rivalry
It's not one of the oldest Thanksgiving football rivalries in the state, but emotions still run high when Quinebaug Valley and Thames River meet on the gridiron.
The Crusaders capped a perfect regular reason by walloping the Pride a year ago at Grasso Tech. On Wednesday night, Quinebaug exacted some revenge.
Drew Giselson and Devon Lamothe scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half and the Pride’s defense, led by Aidan DeFilippo, Travis Fredette, and Gavin Coomey, pitched a shutout as Quinebaug Valley defeated Thames River, 14-0, at the St. Marie Greenhalgh Complex in Putnam.
“We came into this game knowing it was going to be a dogfight and that’s what it was,” Lamothe said. “We scored early and kept the lead. Our defense played amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The Pride (5-5), who were coming off a tough loss against Wilcox/Kaynor Tech just five days ago, evened the series at 3-3. The first Thanksgiving game between the Connecticut Technical Conference rivals was played in 2017.
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“Our defense has been our strongest point all year,” DeFilippo said. “We really showed up today.”
The Crusaders (6-4) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
“We were 24-6 in three years and I can’t complain about that,” Thames River coach Craig Sylvester said. “We beat them up last year and they got us this year.”
The Pride scored on the game’s opening possession. Led by Giselson, a sophomore who was pressed into action at quarterback this season due to injuries, Quinebaug went 68 yards on eight plays.
After Lamothe rushed 15 yards to the 1-yard line, Giselson scored on a plunge up the middle. Lamothe’s extra point kick made it 7-0.
Lamothe added a 20-yard touchdown run with just 2:53 left in the first half and the Pride had a 14-0 lead at intermission.
The Pride’s defense kept the Crusaders at bay by forcing three turnovers (a fumble and two interceptions). Jackson Santos intercepted a pass at midfield late in the first half. Lamothe sealed things by intercepting a pass near the goal line with three and a half minutes remaining.
“I knew it was going to (Xavier Jackson),” Lamothe said. “He’s their target guy and I just got there. It’s a great feeling to get that interception to end the game.”
Anthony Santacroce rushed for 104 on 11 carries, while Jayden Millette gained 74 yards on 13 carries for the Crusaders. Millette also had two receptions for 34 yards.
Lamothe finished with 100 yards rushing on 23 carries. Giselson gained 25 yards on five carries and also found Lyric Teevan (2 catches, 28 yards) with two key pass completions.
Teevan also made two terrific punts in the second half that pinned the Crusaders inside their own 20 yard line.
“It seemed like the bigger the pressure the more we responded,” Quinebaug Valley coach Joe Asermelly said. “We say it a thousand times a week that the most important play is the next one. That’s the mantra that we carried. We understood it was an up and down season but we just kept slugging. We just keep fighting back no matter the circumstances. These boys gave us their very best and that’s why I love this team so much.”
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Quinebaug Valley holds off Thames River in Thanksgiving Eve football
