Southington Wins Overtime Thriller Against Maloney
- Nolan Rich
- Nov 15
- 3 min read
Southington’s head coach, Rob Levesque, was standing outside the end zone where his team had just pulled off a thrilling 35-34 overtime win. It was another chapter in what has become an exciting rivalry with Maloney. “We always have great games with them," he said. "Maloney and Southington, we are going to get after it no matter what our records are.”
It was a roller coaster of a game, bookmarked at both start and finish with plays by Southington’s William Cumberlidge. With just under eight minutes left in the opening quarter, Maloney lined up for a punt when Cumberlidge shot through the offensive line to block it, giving the Blue Knights excellent field position. A minute later, Southington took an early 7-0 lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Roman, who found Leif Renehan out of the backfield.
Aggressive special teams play has been an emphasis for Southington, Leveque said after the game. “It’s been an area we have been working on. The kids have bought into special teams and we are getting better every single week.”
From there the teams went back and forth throughout regulation. Maloney tied the game at seven early in the second quarter with Savion Lamb’s 12-yard touchdown run. Southington’s offense moved the ball in the quarter, converting on three fourth-down attempts, but left two drives without points after a pair of missed field goals.
In the third quarter, Maloney would take the lead after a short 5-yard run by Devan Bacote on a drive that began with a 55-yard kickoff return. From that point on, the Southington offense leaned on the run game behind sophomore sensation Benjamin Beaulieu. Beaulieu would be the Blue Knights' closer, churning out tough yards and finishing the game with four rushing touchdowns.
After the game, Beaulieu was quick to credit his teammates, especially his linemen. “Thank my o-lineman! Did you see the holes I was running through? You could fit the Titanic through there!” he exclaimed.
As the clock ran out on regulation, both teams were tied at 28. Overtime followed; each team would get the ball on the ten and have four chances to score a touchdown. Maloney had the first crack at it. After two run stuffs by the Blue Knights defense, it was 3rd and a long eight yards to score for Maloney. Eli Showerda pulled a play-action pass and found wideout Joel Lopez Jr. in the corner of the end zone to give the Spartans a six-point lead. For a moment, as the special teams units trotted out, it felt like the air had been sucked out of Fontana Field.
As Cumberlidge took his position on the turf, he was determined to make lightning strike twice. “I told myself I was getting through this gap no matter what,” he said later. Cumberlidge burst through the line and blocked the extra point attempt, bringing the energy back into the stadium. Moments later, Beaulieu would find himself in the end zone for his fourth rushing touchdown of the night, and Southington would convert on their point after for the win. Fans stormed the field to embrace the seniors on their night.
Despite the win, which all but ensured that Southington would clinch a playoff birth, the team is still taking the same approach. According to Levesque, “It’s 1-and-0 every week, tunnel vision, and we’re moving on to Cheshire for a big rivalry game.”
After a rocky start, the team is moving forward, its aspirations bright as the regular season winds down. Southington’s recent string of wins is something fans won’t forget for a long time – and for the class of 2026, it is something they won’t forget for a lifetime.
