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The punt return covered 70 yards and gave Farmington a 35-28 win over the injury-riddled Redcoats Saturday afternoon in a Nutmeg League game on the mud at Scalise Field.
The Indians have won four of their last five games while Berlin has dropped three straight. The victory over Berlin was Farmington’s first since 1999 and the first for Indians four-year coach Jeff Bemis.
"We felt it was something that needed to be done, not to take anything away from (Berlin coach Al Pelligrinelli)," Bemis said. "He’s the highest regarded coach around here, as far as I’m concerned. He gave me my first shot as a coach, he believed in me and I learned an awful lot from him. I only hope our program can be as good as his."
Berlin (5-3, 4-2 Nutmeg), which had seven two-way players out of action, rallied twice from 14-point deficits. With under 9 minutes to go, Gerhart traversed the sideline virtually untouched before resorting to a little deception to put Farmington (5-3, 5-2) ahead for good.
"I just followed my blocks and got behind whoever was there," said Gerhart, a junior who also leads the Indians in pass receiving. "I saw the end zone and saw myself going for it."
Berlin’s Joel Hartunian did everything except get grass to grow in the center of Scalise Field. He returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns, caught a TD pass from quarterback P.J. Sanzo, picked off the 23rd aerial of his career and changed the game’s momentum in the second quarter with a booming punt.
Farmington held a 14-0 lead when Hartunian’s 47-yard punt backed the Indians up at their own 7. When the Indians punted four plays later, he burst up the middle and broke tackles for a 37-yard TD run. On Farmington’s next play from scrimmage, he snagged a deflected pass just inches from the turf. Twelve plays later on fourth-and-10 from the 11, he gathered in Sanzo’s pass to tie the game.
One-yard runs by workhorse Nick Bliss and quarterback Steve Harrington early in the second half staked Farmington to a 28-14 lead. Hartunian then raced 97 yards with a kickoff. He caught two passes on the next drive setting the stage for Chris Laroche to tie the game again with a short run.
"(Hartunian’s) a real good player," Pelligrinelli said. "I’m glad he plays for Berlin."
Farmington started the game with a wide-open attack that gobbled up 75 yards in under 2 minutes. Jermaine Baskerville caught three passes from Harrington on the drive including a 23-yarder that gave Farmington the early lead.
"We saw what happened when Middletown stretched out Berlin’s ‘D,’" Bemis said. "They’re very tough up front against the run. If we can spread them out with the three threats we have (Baskerville, Gerhart and Martin Jones) plus a quarterback who can throw, they’d have to cover everybody. And we have a back (Bliss) they have to think about."
Gerhart’s interception and subsequent 30-yard return sprung by a vicious Nick Frechette block set up Farmington on the Berlin 9 early in the second quarter. Harrington’s option run gave Farmington a two-touchdown lead 9 minutes before halftime.
Berlin had three possessions in the fourth quarter but Farmington’s defense held fast. Sacks by Ryan Martin and Baskerville forced the punt that Gerhart ran back. A sack by blitzing linebacker Sean Garvey and a batted pass by nose tackle Shaun Murray choked off the Redcoats’ last gasp.
Pelligrinelli would not use Berlin’s injured list as an excuse.
"We still had 11 guys on the field and so did they," he said. "We worked hard and I thought we’d get a better ending to the game. We came back twice but didn’t get enough when we needed it at the end."
Placekicker Garvey converted all five of his PATs and Robert Dornfried went 4-for-4 for the Redcoats.
Ken Lipshez can be reached at klipshez@newbritainherald.com
