HIGH-SCHOOL

Killingly football heads to Class MM championship game, after epic, close win over Masuk

Jimmy Zanor
The Bulletin

KILLINGLY - There have been so many great games and exciting finishes during Killingly High School football’s amazing seven-year playoff run. 

But the team's epic shootout victory against Masuk High School on Sunday might have topped them all.

Killingly earned its third consecutive trip to the state championship with a wild 54-51 win over the Panthers in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class MM semifinal at Morgan Field.

“We’ve had some good games here but this is right up there, if not the best,” Killingly coach Chad Neal said. “This was a physical, long game and these kids gave it all on this field. You can see it. They're just gassed and exhausted. They played hurt. They played with the heart of a champion.”

Killingly senior quarterback Thomas Dreibholz threw five TD passes in Killingly's 54-51 win against Masuk on Sunday at Morgan Field.

No. 3 Killingly (11-1) will meet No. 5 North Haven (10-2) on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Class MM final at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. North Haven defeated No. 8 Wilton, 14-7, in the other semifinal.

Killingly built leads of 20-0, 27-7, 34-21 (at halftime) and 40-21 before holding off the No. 7 Panthers (8-4) down the stretch with two fourth quarter defensive stops.

Killingly junior running back Soren Rief gave Killingly a 54-44 lead on his second touchdown run with 4:24 left to play.

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After Killingly made a big defensive stop, Masuk recovered a fumble and answered with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Jackson to Shane Walker to make it 54-51 with 2:41 remaining.

Masuk then recovered the onside kick. On fourth-and-23 from their own 36, Jackson hit Robert Klein near the first down marker but Killingly senior Noah Colangelo tackled Klein two yards short of the first down.

Killingly then ran the clock out.

“It was a gutsy performance," Neal said. “We made plays when we needed to make plays offensively and defensively, we had two stops at the end when we couldn't stop them really in the second and third quarter and part of the fourth.”     

Killingly senior quarterback Thomas Dreibholz threw five touchdown passes and ran for one. 

“The passing game was working beautifully,” Dreibholz said. “Our receivers just got open. The play action worked and they got one-on-ones.”

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Dreibholz found senior Ben Jax for TD scores of 77 and 57 yards. He also tossed 57 and 55 yard TD passes to senior Noah Colangelo and a 30-yard scoring toss to senior Alex Potapskiy. 

“We talked about that all year,” Neal said. “You might stop us in the run but we feel we have a strong enough passing game to beat you. With Ben and Noah when you go one-on-one coverage with them, we like our shots a lot of times.” 

“We have to have confidence in ourselves,” Jax added. “They’re going to have big plays. It’s just how we respond.

What It Means

This is defending state champion Killingly’s third straight trip to the state finals and fourth championship game appearance in five years. Killingly won Class M titles in 2017 and 2021.

“I told the kids there is nothing like a state championship game,” Neal said. “There is nothing like the week of a state championship. It's so special. We’ll enjoy every moment of this.” 

Killingly senior Terrence Allen makes the tackle against Masuk's Gavin Walker during the CIAC Class MM semifinal Sunday at Morgan Field.

Key Play

Leading 54-51 with 1:22 left to play, Killingly faced a fourth-and-inches from the Masuk 47-yard line. The Panthers had no timeouts. Rief took a pitch and bulldozed past a pair of defenders for a three-yard gain and a game-ending first down.

“When the play clock is running down they're going to time it up and come full bore,” Neal said. “So we thought let’s run it. We had them in the defensive set we wanted. We thought they'd be gearing up the inside and coming which they did the previous play so we thought let’s get it in our best running backs hands and have him make a play. And he found a gap and got the first down."

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By The Numbers

Killingly outgained Masuk, 603-593. 

Dreibholz completed 9-of-16 passes for 345 yards with one interception. He also ran for 68 yards on nine attempts.

Rief rushed for 152 yards on 33 carries and scored two touchdowns.

Jax caught five passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Masuk senior quarterback Dylan Jackson completed 21-of-34 passes for 380 yards with three TDs and one interception. 

Panther junior running back Jason Champagne gained 179 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns.  

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They Said It

“We talked at halftime and I said we might have to score 55 to win this game today, guys,” Neal said. 

Killingly senior Ben Jax leaps up and makes the catch against Masuk's Tariq Al-Hameedi on Sunday at Morgan Field.

What’s Next

No. 3 Killingly (11-1) will try to win back-to-back state titles against North Haven on Dec. 10 at Rentschler Field.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” Dreibholz said. “That was the goal at the beginning of the season. Now we’re there. Now we just have to finish the job.”

Box Score

1 2 3 4 Final

Masuk - 0     -   21   -   23    -     7         51

Killingly - 13   -   21   -   13    -     7         54

First quarter

K - Colangelo 57 yd pass from Dreibholz (kick failed) 

K- Rief 4 yd run (Dreibholz kick)   

Second quarter

K - Dreibholz 16 yd run (Dreibholz kick)

M - Beckett 1 yd run (Zylick kick)

K - Jax 77 yd pass from Dreibholz (Dreibholz kick) 

M - Beckett 3 yd run (Zylick kick)

M - Champagne 18 yd run (Zylick kick)  

K - Jax 57 yd pass from Dreibholz (Dreibholz kick) 

Third quarter

K - Potapisky 30 yd pass from Dreibholz (kick failed)

M - Champagne 43 yd run (Beckett run)

M - Klein 63 yd pass from Jackson (Fedeli run)

K - Colangelo 55 yd pass from Dreibholz (Dreibholz kick) 

M - Klein 31 yd pass from Jackson (Zylick kick)

Fourth quarter

K- Rief 20 yd run (Dreibholz kick) 

M - Walker 53 yd pass from Jackson (Zylick kick)