On Wednesday, November 27th, Torrington High School’s varsity football team claimed victory in the annual “Battle for the Helmet,” defeating Watertown with an intense 55-48 win.
Every year, Torrington and Watertown compete on Thanksgiving for the helmet. This year, however, the game was moved back a day, giving both teams one less day to prepare for the annual game. Despite the shortened prep time, Torrington entered ready to bring their best to the field.
Both teams started off fairly strong, ending the first quarter with a 7-7 tie. By halftime, Torrington was down 14-28, but they were not worried. They knew what they needed to work on: “We faced challenges on defense, struggling to stop them in the first half,” said Quarterback Micheal Ahoua.
During the half-time break, Torrington reflected on their mistakes and returned with renewed energy, dominating the second half and completely shifting the momentum of the game.
“We weren’t worried at all, we knew the mistakes we needed to fix and kept our composure the whole time,” says senior Luis Hernandez.
Torrington opened the second half with a strong offensive drive, scoring immediately and boosting their energy. They followed up with game-changing plays that kept the momentum in their favor and electrified the field.
Ahoua threw a 40 yard pass to Landon Casson, putting Torrington in the position to take the lead during the second half. The 3rd quarter ended with another tie, 35-35.
Senior Patrick Hinman highlighted one of the key moments, a standout performance by senior Kaiden Judson. “[He got a] touchdown pass and then a 2pt conversion catch, they were both such great electric back to back plays and had everyone fired up.”
In a hard-fought, close game, Torrington gave it their all and brought the helmet home with a 55-48 win. The last time Torrington won the helmet was in 2021, when the current seniors were freshmen. “Winning it this year was huge,” said Hinman.
What’s next for Torrington’s varsity football team? The team heads into the playoffs, with their first-round game against Masuk on Tuesday, December 3, at 6:30 pm in Torrington. The team will fight to keep the season alive!
