SOUTHINGTON – Lost to injury last season but not forgotten during the Southington football team’s surprising run to the Class LL state title game, senior running back Nick Andrews showed why this year’s Blue Knights have yet another weapon at their disposal.
Andrews, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 last year, started Thursday night in the No. 3 Blue Knights’ backfield and ran for a pair of touchdowns. He nearly scored a third time on a kickoff return as he accounted for nearly 200 all-purpose yards in the No. 3 Blue Knights’ 52-6 CCC win over Bristol Central at Fontana Field.
“Coming back from injury, I was low-key a little nervous. There were some butterflies in my stomach,” Andrews said. “But then we hit warm-ups and I cracked a little smile. I just love football.
“Last year, getting injured was really tough. I went through a ton of mixed emotions. But looking back (now), I can’t look at myself as a wimp. I got to stand up. I just went to work 24-7.”
The player who stepped in for Andrews a season ago and scored 21 touchdowns, junior Ben Beaulieu, also scored twice in the Blue Knights’ opening-night rout.
Another player who replaced a starter under center a year ago was junior quarterback Jacoby Roman, who threw for three TDs.
One of those touchdowns went to leading receiver Walker Mierzejewski. The senior caught six passes for 106 yards.
As Thursday showed, Andrews is just another weapon for Southington head coach Rob Levesque.
“Nick’s been waiting (for tonight),” Levesque said. “He was voted team captain and is a true leader. He’s hungry.”
“Our offensive coordinator is really creative,” said Levesque of lining both Andrews and Beaulieu up in the Southington offense. “They are interchangeable depending on the play call.”
Along with the duo of backs, wideout Mierzejewski showed why he can be among the top pass catchers in the state. Mierzejewski hauled in a 54-yard TD midway through the second quarter and had a second long TD called back in a first half dominated by Southington.
With the Blue Knights scoring at will, Bristol Central couldn’t get anything going in gaining just 16 total yards. The Rams didn’t cross midfield in the first half and punted five times. Its other two first-half possessions ended with a fumble and with the first half ending.
But as dominating as the defense was, Southington’s array of offensive weapons, and specifically the return of Andrews, shined.
Andrews started in the backfield, while Beaulieu started in the slot. The pair seemed to take turns scoring.
A blocked punt after BC’s opening possession set up Southington at the Bristol Central 30. After two runs by Andrews for 17 yards (he finished with 81 yards on nine carries), Beaulieu (21 touchdowns as a sophomore) hauled in the first of Roman’s three TDs from 16 yards out for a 7-0 Southington lead.
Andrews then capped off the Blue Knights’ next possession with a 2-yard TD run out of the Wildcat formation. Southington led 14-0 after one quarter.
A Jacob Carrier field goal and Mierzejewski’s TD put Southington up 23-0 with 6:23 left in the first half.
The Blue Knights led 32-0 at halftime after a safety and Roman’s third TD of the first half – a 12-yarder to Thomas Carr with 1:05 left in the first half.
The second half started with a 52-yard kickoff return by Andrews, who was shoved out of bounds by the BC kicker at the Rams’ 40.
On the next play, Beaulieu scampered 40 yards for his second touchdown and a 38-0 lead.
With the CIAC-mandated running clock now in play, the Rams not only got their first first down of the game and crossed midfield, they finally got on the board.
Bristol Central avoided a shutout when Gabriel Ouellette found Reinaldo Soto in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard TD with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
Southington’s defense tacked on the final touchdown when Dustin Lunn returned an interception 27 yards for a score.
Player of the game
Nick Andrews, Southington: The senior running back scored twice and nearly a third time on a kickoff return. He accounted for nearly 200 all-purpose yards.
Quotable
“It was a great night, a fun night. Playing with my boys, my family. This is a brotherhood. I love this field, fans, family. I love it here.”
– Nick Andrews, Southington senior running back.
Southington 52, Bristol Central 6
BRISTOL CENTRAL 0 0 6 0 – 6
SOUTHINGTON 14 18 13 7 -52
S-Ben Beaulieu 16 pass from Jacoby Roman (Jacob Carrier kick)
S-Nick Andrews 2 run (Carrier kick)
S-Carrier 21 FG
S-Walker Mierzejewski 54 pass from Roman (kick failed)
S-Safety, punt snapped through end zone
S-Thomas Carr 3 pass from Roman (Carrier kick)
S-Beaulieu 40 run (kick failed)
BC-Reinaldo Soto 12 pass from Gabriel Ouellette (kick failed)
S-Andrews 50 run (Carrier kick)
S-Dustin Lunn 27 interception return (Carrier kick)
Team records: Bristol Central 0-1, Southington 1-0.
This article originally published at No. 3 Southington rolls past Bristol Central as Nick Andrews scores twice in return from injury.
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