TRUMBULL— Teddy Williams said that before every game he visualizes himself making big plays.
In the CIAC Class S championship game on Saturday in Trumbull, Williams exceeded even his own imagination.
The senior scored all three Cromwell/Portland touchdowns, recovered two fumbles and had an interception return of 66 yards for a touchdown as the Panthers defeated Bloomfield 21-6 to win the state title.
“For the whole bus ride up here I was just visualizing me making plays, which is what I do before every game,” Williams said. “I run them through in my head over and over. When I catch a pass, what am I going to do? What I am going to do on defense. All of it. I have really been dreaming about this since our 2-8 season (2019). I had been visualizing all the moments in my head, me scoring, everything.”
This was the first appearance in the finals and first win for Cromwell/Portland as a co-op.
Williams first score found him in the right place at the right time, aided by a friendly bouncing ball. Driving deep in Bloomfield territory, Cromwell/Portland quarterback Cole Brisson hit Ben Fagan in stride but as Fagan crossed the 10-yard line, the ball was knocked out of his arms, bouncing into the end zone where Williams was there to pounce on it for a touchdown with 9:30 left in the first quarter.
Williams would strike again in the second quarter, turning a screen pass into a 46-yard touchdown catch from Brisson, making it 14-0.
Later, Williams also recovered fumble in the second quarter after a sack by Emeka Yearwood.
The Panthers threatened for more but Bloomfield’s Jose Feliciano intercepted a pass bound for Williams in the back corner of the end zone with :09 left in the half.
In the third quarter, Bloomfield got on the board with 3:28 left when quarterback Darrien Foster kept the ball for a 16-yard touchdown run. With the 2-point pass falling short, Bloomfield trailed 14-6, but had momentum.
After forcing a punt to start the fourth quarter, Bloomfield again began marching down field.
But Williams was there again, this time picking off a pass and returning it 66 yards for a touchdown.
“Teddy has been that guy all year,” Cromwell/Portland coach Randell Bennett said. “He has been lights out all year. He has gone up against the best, he has dominated against the best and has been a dominant player in every facet of the game. One of the refs told me he thought he was the best player in the state and they work in the FCIAC, so you tell me. He can do it all. He’s Teddy Ballgame.”
Bloomfield could not slow down the Cromwell/Portland attack early on, though the defense largely held the Panthers in check in the second half.
Bloomfield had chances in the fourth quarter, but along with Williams interception, the Warhawks were twice stopped inside the red zone. First on an interception by Jack Nolan on the 2-yard line with 8:33 left. The Panthers then held on a 4th and goal from the 5-yard line with just under 5 minutes to play.
“We had a couple of injuries in the first half and we were trying to patch it together,” Bloomfield coach Ty Outlaw said. “We came out in the second half and felt like we got it together. Cromwell played a great game and they figured us out. We could not punch it in in the red zone.”
Bloomfield was playing in its third-straight state final
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Teddy Williams, Cromwell, Sr, WR: Williams scored two offensive touchdowns and found room to run on jet sweeps especially in the first half in addition to hauling in several passes.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Teddy Williams, Cromwell, Sr. DB: Williams had a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown and recovered a Bloomfield fumble.
QUOTABLE
“On those jet sweeps the offensive line was opening up big holes,” Williams said. “I just had to make one guy miss and break one tackle to get big gains on those. We knew they would pinch and the linebackers would shoot the ‘A’ Gap so we tried to get outside. We got the reach block by the tackle and we knew we’d be able to run for big yards.”
Sericson@stamfordadvocate.com; @EricsonSports
CROMWELL/PORTLAND 21 BLOOMFIELD 6
CROMWELL/PORTLAND 7 7 0 7 — 21
BLOOMFIELD 0 0 6 0 — 6
- CP—Ted Williams fumble recovery in end zone (Aleen Cohen kick)
- CP—Williams 46 pass Cole Brisson (Cohen kick)
- B-- Darrien Foster 16 run (pass failed)
- CP—Williams 66 interception return (Cohen kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Cromwell/Portland -- Alex Hair 18-62; Teddy Williams 8-63; Owen Brunk 2-4; Cole Brisson 2-(-7). Bloomfield -- Dallas Rose 16-65, Conellius Patrick 6-53, Darrien Foster 3-6, Zyon Hymes 1-5.
PASSING — Cromwell/Portland -- Cole Brisson 10-17-1-162. Bloomfield -- Darrien Foster 14-25-2-109.
RECEIVING — Cromwell/Portland -- Teddy Williams 5-97, Ben Fagan 2-43, Daevyon Lovelace 1-15, Owen Brunk 1-7, Emeka Yearwood 1-0. Bloomfield -- Robert Dunkley 7-73, Trey Ortiz 6-34, Connellius Patrick 1-2.
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Cromwell/Portland football beats Bloomfield for Class S title behind dominating performance from Teddy Williams - CT Insider
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