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With Berlin (5-0, 4-0 Nutmeg) leading 6-0, Hartunian took a handoff from quarterback P.J. Sanzo and encountered nothing but open space for 58 yards. Hartunian suitably gave credit to his blockers, who cleared a pathway wide enough for a full-size SUV.
"It was an excellent job of blocking, particularly by (running backs) Alex Barwikowski and Matt Powell," Hartunian said.
Late in the third quarter, Hartunian picked off quarterback Todd Manjuck's pass and wasn't touched en route to a 45-yard TD ramble.
"They don't pass a lot (3 attempts), so on the first two steps I read the quarterback's eyes and he looked right up at the receiver," Hartunian said. "Usually in high school football, when he looks to one side he's going to throw it. (The receiver) took one step to the inside and I fell in right behind him."
The interception was the eighth of Hartunian's career -- a school record.
"He's a good athlete," Berlin coach Al Pelligrinelli said. "He's got good size, good speed and a good nose for the ball. He's done a great job for us this year. I'm glad he plays for us."
Powell, Berlin's leading rusher, got the Redcoats rolling late in the first quarter. With the Redcoats facing a fourth-and-2, he burst off right tackle and barreled into the end zone from 19 yards out.
After Hartunian's first score, Dan Putnam got in the act by breaking off a 54-yard touchdown. Sanzo notched the two-point conversion on a well-executed bootleg to give Berlin a 20-0 halftime lead.
Vinal/Coginchaug (0-5, 0-5) managed just 24 yards from scrimmage in the first half and didn't make any first downs. But in the second half, the Hawks showed that their solid showing against Farmington the week before was no fluke.
After Hartunian's pick increased the lead to 26 points, a personal foul against the Redcoats gave V/C its deepest penetration to the Berlin 35. Sophomore back Jason Santiago found some open space and left the Redcoats' secondary in his wake.
Santiago tacked on an 87-yard touchdown run with 6:27 left to reduce Berlin's margin of victory to a more respectable 20 points. But respectable isn't what head coach Bob McNamara and his players are looking for. The program, in just its second season with a full varsity schedule, is still searching for that elusive first win.
"At this stage of our program, our kids are just trying to get better and I think they're doing that," McNamara said. "They're hitting and they're getting better every week but (Berlin) has some weapons. If you stop Powell, (Hartunian) runs around the end and they can throw the ball."
Berlin's final touchdown -- a 10-yard pass from Sanzo to tight end Mike Miller -- came with 8:32 left in the game. Miller, who doubles as a linebacker, made some big plays behind the line. Linebacker Sam Boccia also had a big night on defense, recovering a fumble and recording a sack.
Berlin stretched its winning streak to 14, the longest in the state. The Redcoats haven't lost since their 2001 opener against Maloney.
Ken Lipshez can be reached at Klipshez@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 222.
