FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield Giants Mitey Mites completed their season with a 18-12 victory over Shelton in the Mitey Mite Jamboree championship at Sullivan Field.
Shelton marched to the Fairfield 5-yard line on its opening drive before the Giants held. The Giants went right back the other way, moving 75 yards in five plays to the Shelton 20 behind the strong running of Calvin Caoine, Nick Morris, Mike Innaimo and Finn Doneland. Innaimo raced 20 yards raced up the middle for a touchdown for a quick 6-0 lead.
Shelton came right back, tying the game with a time-consuming drive. The Giants took the lead for good on T.J. O'Connell's 50-yard touchdown run, taking a 12-6 halftime lead.
Fairfield marched 60 yards in seven plays on its first drive of the second half to go up 18-6. Caione ran 10 yards for the touchdown. "It was incredible to watch the lineman open up these massive holes for our backs to run through", Fairfield coach Mark Innaimo said. "They just blocked and blocked until the whistle blew, a fundamental skill you do not really see at such a young age."
The Giants linemen included Max Spies, Peter Strang, Brendan Dunleavy, Gavin Toth, Charlie Wilcox, Terrence Falvey, Owen Miller, Alex Joliet, Arron Sepot, Josh Pastore, Jack Melbourne, Charlie Scholl, Jaden Cherry and Max Curren.Shelton scored in the fourth quarter to get within a touchdown. The Giants held them there to win the title.
The defense was led by Caione, O'Connell, Morris, Dunleavy, Luke Martucci and R.J. Ihlefeld.
Pee Wee Division
Park City Panthers 8, Fairfield Giants 6: Park City nipped the Giants in a game played in Danbury.
After going 7-1 in the regular season, including a convincing win over Park City earlier in the year, the Giants came up short in a hard-hitting game. Each team scored one touchdown, with Fairfield's score coming late in the first half on a run by Tyler Llewellyn. Park City recorded a safety and those 2 points in the end made up the difference.
Llewellyn, Jack Price, Dylan Mirabile and Ryan Sullivan ran hard all afternoon. Gabe Reale, Robbie Farruggio and Blake Gottlieb played well on defense.
In a Junior Midget Division game, the New Haven Steelers defeated the Giants, 30-0.
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