Tolland Football Outlasts Platt for Second Straight Win

It’s been a memorable two weeks for Tolland football.

But with the dizzying pace of Saturday’s game against Platt, you could forgive Eagles head coach Andy Bourquin for a bit of momentary amnesia.

“I don’t think I remember half the game. I’m in a daze right now,” he said following Tolland’s 45-44 win over the Panthers at Tolland High School, their second in a row following a .

A frantic first quarter ended with Platt up 30-27. The pace slowed as the game went on, as each team struggled to catch their breath.

Tolland took a 39-38 lead at 8:17 in the fourth quarter on a one-yard keeper by quarterback Chris Byam.  

The Panthers retook the lead moments later, when John Marks (11-of-21, 237 yards, four touchdowns) hit Kristion Neysmith (3-57, two touchdowns) for an 18-yard score. Justin Potts’ two-point run was denied, putting Platt up 44-39 with 6:36 left.

That’s when Tolland went to work, starting at its own 34 yard line and moving to midfield before facing a third-and-18 situation following a bad snap and a negative run on a Matthew Grospitch end around.  

Byam took the snap, rolled the left under pressure and unleashed a long pass down the sideline that Hobey Bryne leapt over a Platt defender to pull the ball in and give Tolland a first down on the Panthers’ 18.

“That was amazing; he brought us back to life,” Bourquin said of the 32-yard catch by Bryne that left both his coach and quarterback in awe.

 “I didn’t see him catch it, I threw it and got hit,” Byam said. “I looked up and saw the official signal [catch].”

Two plays later, Tolland found itself with a first-and-goal and a dilemma. With just under two minutes left, Bourquin said he considered taking a knee to waste time, but decided against it.

“We almost went down too fast,” he said.

Mindful of the clock, Platt head coach Jason Bruenn had his defense back pedal and let Byam (19-168, 4 touchdowns) stroll in for the five-yard score. The two point attempt was denied, giving Tolland a 45-44 lead with 1:42 left.

The Panthers drove down the field and converted a fourth-and-12 when Marks connected with Travaughn Morgan for 20 yards along the sideline.  But his pass in the end zone to Morgan was batted away by Mike Crinity, and two plays later, Steven Koss knifed in for the sack on fourth-and-10 from Tolland’s 29 to end the game.

“I told the defense: ‘This is what you want. This is what you dream about. Hold them and win the game.’ And they did,” Bourquin said.

The first quarter started with a bang as Byam broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The teams traded scores throughout the quarter, with Potts running all over the Eagles defense, accounting for three first quarter touchdowns, (two rushing, one receiving).

“It was a fast paced game,” Byam said. “It was the fastest paced game I’ve ever played in.”

Tolland’s Jamison Boucher scored twice in the opening quarter, once on a 20-yard run highlighted by a Bryne’s open field block, and another on a 40-yard pass off play action, something the Eagles turned to once Platt began bringing a safety in the box to combat Tolland’s triple option attack.

“You can’t simulate this offense,” Bruenn said of Tolland. “It wasn’t a surprise they moved the ball on us; it was a surprise that they continued to move the ball and defensively we couldn’t catch up to them.”   

A two yard touchdown run by Byam at 8:42 marked the only scoring in the second quarter, as Tolland entered the half up 33-30.

The junior co-captain finished 7-of-9 passing for 147 yards and a touchdown, and Boucher had four receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown, while adding 41 on the ground. Jarren Jones (4-82, touchdown) and Tom Day (6-22) also helped key a Tolland rushing attack that finished with 328 yards.

Potts had 263 yards on 23 carries, but only 20 on four carries in the second half. He added 44 more receiving yards, while Morgan had 171 yards on five catches.

Both teams are away Friday. Tolland travels to Rockville at 6:30 p.m. while Platt plays Bloomfield at 7 p.m.