SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) worked the deep ball for a pair of 40-plus yard touchdowns as the New Haven football team (5-1, 5-0 NE10) scored its fifth straight victory 33-13 over the American International Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Patterson closed out the day with four touchdown passes on 188 passing yards to lead the Blue and Gold.
Overall for the afternoon, Patterson completed half of his 30 pass attempts, relying on seven different receivers. Leading the wide outs was junior AJ Greene (Middle Island, N.Y./Newfield) who collected 85 total yards on four catches, including the longest of the day, a 47-yard haul that resulted in six points, the longest touchdown reception of the season for New Haven.
Following Greene in leading the way was transfer Ju'an Williams (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central) who picked up 60 yards on his season total while also hauling in a touchdown pass, his coming from 41 yards out while all of his scoring catches have come from outside of 30 yards. Rounding out the leaders was Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran) who finished with 25 yards while Ryan McCarthy (Montclair, N.J./Bergen Catholic) and Cole Modestow (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug) each completed touchdown passes.
On the ground, New Haven picked up 75 yards total with McCarthy and Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J./Holy Cross) splitting the work evenly with 39 and 36 yards, respectively. New Haven's final touchdown of the day came on defense as Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) picked up the second pick-six of the season for the Chargers, a 50-yard return on the third interception of the day for the New Haven defense.
Leading the Chargers defense overall was Scott Lavelle (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) who collected 11 tackles, including seven that drove the AIC offense back 28 total yards. Following him was Shawn Tafe (Bronx, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) who collected eight tackles, while Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) added seven. In addition to Clements interception, McPrecia Remy and Tafe also picked off Yellow Jacket passes.
In a first half riddled with dropped passes and turnovers due to unfavorable conditions with light rain in the area, New Haven concluded the first 30 minutes with a 13-7 lead courtesy of a 41-yard touchdown from Patterson to Williams, one of a pair of passing touchdowns in the half.
AIC would strike first following an interception on the Chargers opening drive of the game. Trailing by a touchdown, the Chargers began their first scoring drive courtesy of an interception by Remy as he collected the tipped pass setting the Blue and Gold up with short field at the AIC 30.
McCarthy opened up the scoring drive with a 10-yard pick up on the ground for a quick first down. Facing fourth and 10 on the next set of downs, the Chargers picked up an automatic first down on a roughing the passer call, which set up New Haven inside the five yard line. From there, Patterson made his first scoring connection of the day when he found McCarthy on the option play for a two-yard touchdown.
Following a handful of back-and-forth drives, New Haven began its second scoring drive of the day following a six-yard punt by the Yellow Jackets. The Chargers picked up a quick 31 yards courtesy of a 16-yard pass to Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran) which was followed by a defensive pass interference call deep in the Yellow Jackets territory.
After a short gain, three yards, by Liggio, Patterson went back to the air, finding Williams in the corner as he hauled in the 41-yard touchdown for what was the longest TD catch of the season thus far. Overall, the Chargers drive took just four plays to collect 70 yards and the halftime lead.
Again in the second half, the Yellow Jackets scored first, this time on a 35-yard field goal. After a pair of three-and-out series, one for each squad, the first of two field goals that New Haven limited AIC to came with under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. The two field goals for the home team was the only scoring following the initial touchdown in the first quarter.
New Haven answered that early three points by AIC with the longest TD pass of the season as Patterson completed an three play drive with a 47-yard completion to Greene, extending the Chargers lead to 10, 20-10.
With under two minutes to play in the quarter, New Haven took over on its own 47 yard line to begin the scoring drive. A first down pass for seven yards to Liggio starting things off. Following a one yard loss on the ground, Patterson found Greene in the corner for the 47-yard haul, the double digit touchdown of the day for the senior quarterback.
Following the Yellow Jackets second field goal of the day, New Haven struck again for seven as the Chargers took over at the AIC 12 yard line courtesy of Tafe's first interception of the season in a pass over the middle. Following that interception, the Chargers used a pair of rushes from McCarthy to gain nine yards before Patterson used the option play again to find Modestow from three yards out.
As AIC looked to recover from a 14-point deficit with a drive starting with just shy of two minutes remaining, the New Haven defense would prove spoilers as Clements came up with the second pick six of the season. After the pick at midfield, Clements avoided a pair of tackles before running to his right to the end zone for the 50-yard return which resulted in the final score of the afternoon 33-13.
NEXT ON TAP
For the only time in the month of October, New Haven will return to DellaCamera Stadium for its penultimate home game when they host the Assumption Greyhounds on Saturday, October 20. The game will also serve as the Chargers Breast Cancer Awareness game with all survivors invited to join the Chargers on the field for opening ceremonies. Kick off against Assumption is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
