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The Terriers' fearsome ground game took it in from there.
Fernando Sanchez scored three touchdowns and was one of three Rocky Hill backs to carry for over 100 yards Friday night as the Terriers rumbled to a 39-27 victory over previously unbeaten SPGT in a key Nutmeg League clash at John McVicar Field.
The balanced running of the speedy Sanchez (205 yds.), workmanlike Mike Mancini (124) and powerful fullback Frank Carlson (129) piled up over 450 yards. SPGT's passing game with Brian Kaczynski at the helm amassed nearly 400 yards through the air.
"They're three different kids," Rocky Hill coach Dave Coyne said about his triple threat in the double wing. "Fernando's quick and elusive, Michael runs hard and fast and Frankie's a bull. Like I told him last year, 'Run like you stole it,' and that's what he always says."
It was Thompson's titanic stick on Aiken behind the line with 3:20 left in the third quarter with Rocky Hill up 26-21 that served as the turning point.
"I knew it was going to Aiken," said Thompson, a senior. "I went all out and put everything into it. I had to beat the outside tackle. I went speed, straight to him."
Said Coyne: "He did that, we turned them away and it was ours."
Mancini applied the backbreaker eight seconds into the fourth quarter with a 26-yard touchdown run.
Thompson was again tantamount in blunting any St. Paul comeback hopes on the next series, slamming Byron Jones to the turf on a pass that went nowhere and knocking down a desperation toss to Jones two plays later.
SPGT (6-1, 4-1 Nutmeg) was visibly spent against the stronger Terriers (6-1, 5-1), who controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half.
Hill's point parade got off to a slow start. Sanchez broke a run for 43 yards to the St. Paul 15 on the Terriers' first drive but they handed it over on downs at the 6. That's when the fireworks started.
Kaczynski (17-for-29, 399 yards) connected with Ryan Moore on a crossing pattern that covered 44 yards.
With the Terriers defense in an all-out rush, a screen pass to Travis Thomas was wide open, resulting in a 46-yard touchdown and a 7-0 St. Paul lead.
Rocky Hill didn't fall short the next time. Another 43-yard scamper by Sanchez set up his five-yard touchdown run four plays later.
But the Falcons torched a prone Hill secondary again with Moore breaking into open space on a hitch-and-go that covered 61 yards.
St. Paul's defense was no more effective against the double wing than Rocky Hill was against the pass.
This time, Carlson was the feature back, grinding for 38 yards on five carries.
On third-and-8 from the 15, quarterback Ty Reed rolled left and found tight end Tyler Cirinna free for an easy touchdown with five seconds left in the first quarter.
Moore made both his conversions for SPGT while the Terriers missed a kick, failed on a two-point try and trailed 14-12.
After forcing St. Paul to punt, the Terriers' offense went back to work.
They stormed to their third consecutive score when Reed hit Sanchez on a 44-yard pass play on a third-and-5.
Three runs by Carlson totaled 24 yards and pushed the ball to the 1 where Sanchez finished.
Hill held an 18-14 halftime lead.
"We weren't able to stop them." SPGT coach Jude Kelly said. "If we made some more stops, I was very confident with our offense. ... They made a couple stops when they had to but we didn't make enough stops on defense."
The Falcons used an interception by Aiken to set up a 22-yard run by Bobby Romano that put them back in the lead but Rocky Hill answered quickly, covering 65 yards in four plays.
Sanchez burst around right end for a 12-yard score. Carlson added the conversion and Hill recaptured the lead for good at 26-21.
