EAST HARTFORD — Hayden Allard rushed for 267 yards and scored five touchdowns as Killingly completed an undefeated season and outlasted Sheehan-Wallingford, 48-33, in a wild shootout for the CIAC Class SS championship Friday night at Rentschler Field.
Allard, a junior, carried 36 times, scoring on runs of 18, 3, 57 and 13 yards from scrimmage, and on an 81-yard kickoff return. His twin brother, Hunter, contributed
13-0) beat Sheehan 32-26 on Sept. 27, its only victory by single digits during the season. It was the program’s fifth state title.
As the game surged back and forth, Sheehan was driving toward a potential tying touchdown when Killingly forced a fumble, recovered by Payton Wallace at 6-yard line. Then Killingly marched 94 yards to finally ice the game on quarterback Quinn Sumner’s 1-yard sneak with 1:21 to play.
After an interception by Richard Van Dyke provided Sheehan with field position, Joshua Durant finished the drive with a 1-yard run.
Killingly responded with a 9-play, 61 yard drive, all of it runs between the tackles. Hayden Allard broke free for 18 yards and the touchdown, but after a missed extra point, Sheehan still led 7-6.
The Titans marched again with the ensuring kickoff, and finished their 65-yard drive wen quarterback Jake O’Brien scored on a 1-yard keeper, diving over the left pilon early in the second quarter.
But this game was destined to be a wild one. Allard returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for the TD, making it 14-13.
After getting a stop, Killingly and Allard struck again, a 57-yard run, to take the lead for the first time, 20-14, with 5:54 left in the half.
Back came the Titans, regaining the lead with another sustained drive, finished with captain Jack Grant’s 11-yard run.
Hunter Allard caught a long pass from Quinn Sumner to position Killingly for another score, and Hayden Allard took it in from 3 yards out, his fourth TD.
The half ended with Sheehan at the Killingly 20, but both offensive units resumed their slugging with the start of the second half, Everton Brown scoring on a 40-yard run to provide some separation for Killingly, 34-21, then Sheehan scored on Grant’s 8-yard sweep, capping a 60-yard drive to make it 34-27.
Van Dyke returned a fumbled 49 yards to position Sheehan again, and Durant scored on a 1-yard run. However, a second missed PAT kept the Titans one point behind.
Killingly started moving again, with another pass to Hunter Allard igniting the drive, and a 13-yard run by Hayden Allard, his fifth TD, to finish the drive. Killingly led by eight with 11:07 left. He finished the season with 1,791 yards rushing.