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Cheshire Academy, Brunswick Display Top-Level Talent in Prep Showdown

It was a bitterly cold November evening on Saturday, November 14 at Simosa Field in Cheshire, Conn. as the Cheshire Academy Fighting Cats (5-3) hosted the Brunswick Bruins (7-2) for the final game of both team's regular seasons.
In a tightly contested battle, Cheshire Academy prevailed 16-9.
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A short-handed Bruins team was without three of its best players on offense, including starting quarterback Nick Henkel, who has turned in a strong showing in his sophomore season. The loss was just the second of the year for Brunswick, which will continue its season with a bowl game against Milton Academy (MA). Their only other loss came against a very good Salisbury team on the road.
In the game, both teams were hitting hard and, with the defenses playing well, the difference ended up being which team made more big plays. Brunswick had its fair share, but Cheshire Academy was the only team to score in the second half when Brandon Sebastian caught a pass from a scrambling CJ Lewis and scampered into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. The game was tied 9-9 at the half.
Lewis finished with 275 passing yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown pass came on a perfectly placed ball on a "go" route to receiver Joey Carter, who caught it cleanly and ran it in for a 65-yard touchdown.
Sebastian and Lewis both hold offers from UConn and interest from many FBS schools. Sebastian also has offers from Temple and Rhode Island with Boston College showing a lot of interest lately.
Brunswick's Cameron Kelly played a great game defensively at cornerback, but also helped his team get on the scoreboard with a remarkable 79-yard kickoff return which set up a touchdown. He would add an interception later in the game. Kelly currently has interest from Boston College, Temple, Yale and Princeton. Teammate Jourdon Delerme stood out as well at defensive back and wide receiver.
Sebastian, who plays a hybrid running back/receiver role on offense, also had a nice day on the other side of the ball, grabbing an interception in the first quarter and making a long return to help Cheshire Academy flip the field. Teammate, C.J. Holmes, played strong defense as well at safety, making a nice over-the-shoulder catch for an interception and similarly returning it for a long gain. Holmes currently holds offers from Boston College, UConn, Temple and also, as of a few weeks ago, from Mississippi State.
Defensive end/linebacker Brandon Ginnetti, a Class of 2015 Syracuse commit doing a post-graduate year at Cheshire Academy, had a great day as well, making tackles all over the field.
Overall it was a great game, one which was indicative of the growing level of talent in Connecticut and its prep schools. Once college coaches start to realize that games up here are played with numerous Division 1-caliber athletes on both sides, including 4-star prospect Tarik Black, a wide receiver for Cheshire Academy with offers from every major FBS conference, they will have no choice but to start making a few more visits to the area.
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