GUILFORD — Guilford senior captain Aiden Ruotolo was well aware of how important Friday evening’s matchup against Lyman Hall was. Both teams came into the game ranked in the top four of the CIAC Class M standings, with Guilford third and Lyman Hall fourth.
Ruotolo made sure his team did not drop in the standings.
Rushing for 183 yards and four touchdowns on his 18th birthday, Ruotolo powered Guilford to a 48-8 Southern Connecticut Conference victory over the Trojans at Guilford High.
“Our preparation was great this week,” Ruotolo said. “I am super proud of my O-line, my coaches. We did a great job preparing. We are ready for what’s ahead.
“I think we are the first Guilford team since 1993 to make the playoffs. I am super proud of that, but the job is not finished.”
The game ended in silence for both teams when it was stopped with just over four minutes to play after a Lyman Hall player suffered an injury which required him to be taken off the field by ambulance. The extent and nature of the injury were not disclosed.
Prior to the solemn ending, Guilford asserted its physical style of play, gaining 370 yards on offense, including 191 in a decisive third quarter in which the Grizzlies outscored Lyman Hall 21-0 and held the Trojans to just 23 yards of offense.
“I think, just watching the kids play, this is a game they really wanted,” Guilford coach Brian White said after his team improved to 8-1. “Our history here hasn’t been the greatest, so getting a chance to get into the postseason and really controlling our own destiny was a big focus of what the kids wanted today.”
Lyman Hall was held to 200 yards of offense as the Guilford defense flew to the ball all night, holding Lyman Hall quarterback Ryan Casey to 46 yards rushing, and just 71 yards in the air on 9-of-24 passing.
“I think we are one of the best defenses in the state,” Ruotolo said. “I think tonight showed that.”
With the loss, Lyman Hall fell to 7-2 and tentatively dropped to sixth in the Class M standings with a final game against rival Sheehan awaiting.
“Our defense has been a strength all season for us,” White said. “They have some incredibly talented players. We knew they were going to be challenging. In the beginning, obviously, a couple of things didn’t go their way. We played physical and got to the ball and did a great job.”
Trailing by 12 points at the half, Lyman Hall needed a quick start to the second half. That never happened as Guilford scored on the second play of the third quarter for a 27-8 lead when Ruotolo raced in from 46 yards out for his second touchdown of the game.
After forcing a Lyman Hall punt, Guilford quickly put the game away when Ruotolo needed one play to scamper 65 yards and extend the lead to 34-8 with 7:15 to go in the third quarter.
“They are a bunch of dogs,” Ruotolo said of the offensive line. “I am just so proud of my guys.”
When Guilford quarterback Alex Tafro connected with Reed Hovick on a 31-yard touchdown pass, the Grizzlies were cruising with a 41-8 lead with 2:17 left in the third. Ruotolo’s fourth touchdown of the game, a 5-yard run with 9:43 remaining in the fourth quarter set off the running clock for the remainder of the contest.
The first half saw a dominant effort from Guilford, but a late score by Lyman Hall kept it in the game.
A 6-play, 65-yard drive by the Trojans ended with a Najae Hamilton 28-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left in the second quarter to get the Trojans within 20-8 after a Logan Michaels to Brandon LaPlante pass on the conversion.
Prior to that drive, it was all Guilford on both sides of the ball and special teams as well. It was the Guilford special teams which forced a bad snap, and gave the Grizzlies possession at the Lyman Hall 7-yard line to set up a 35-yard field goal by Ares Vasillou for a 3-0 lead.
After the Guilford defense held Lyman Hall once again, the Grizzlies needed just four plays to march 42 yards, capped with a 23-yard touchdown run by Ruotolo.
The Grizzlies continued to pressure the Trojans on both sides of the ball, forcing Lyman Hall’s third punt of the game.
Guilford then needed just three plays to find the end zone, which included an elusive Tafro to Ruotolo pass for 3 yards that avoided a 15-yard loss. The drive ended with a 43-yard touchdown run by Tafro on the next play for a 17-0 lead with 9:21 left in the first half.
Guilford’s final points of the half came with 2:24 left on a 32-yard field goal by Vasillou.
Tafro ran for 116 yards and a touchdown to go along with his touchdown pass.
Player of the Game
Aiden Ruotolo: Guilford senior ran for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries in the 40-point victory.
Quotable
“They are definitely our workhorses. We know we can lean on them when we need to.” — Guilford coach Brian White on Alex Tafro and Aiden Ruotolo
Guilford 48, Lyman Hall 8
LYMAN HALL 0 8 0 0— 8GUILFORD 10 10 21 7—48
G—Ares Vasillou 35 yard FG 4:07G—Aiden Ruotolo 23 run (Vasillou kick) 0:15 G—Alexander Tafro 43 run (Vasillou kick) 9:21G—Vasillou 32 yard FG 2:24L—Najae Hamilton 28 run (Brandon LaPlante pass from Logan Michaels) 1:09G—Ruotolo 46 run (Vasillou kick) 11:16G—Ruotolo 65 run (Vasillou kick) 7:15G—Reed Hovick 31 pass from Tafro (Vasillou kick) 2:17G—Ruotolo 5 run (Vasillou kick) 9:43Records: L 7-2, G 8-1