By KEN LIPSHEZ
Sports Editor

SIMSBURY — Kaiuway Boima scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to erase a five-point Simsbury lead Friday night as New Britain knocked the Trojans from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 40-25 win in a rain-drenched CCC Division 1 game at Simsbury High School.

Boima, who had three touchdowns and ran for 125 yards on 22 carries, scored on runs of one and 19. A 27-yard touchdown strike from Rafal Garcarz to Tebucky Jones Jr. accounted for New Britain’s third score between the Boima runs. The Hurricanes scored 20 points in the final eight minutes.

New Britain coach Paul Morrell was soaked to the skin but enjoying every minute.

"Friday night lights," he said, looking up into the steady rain. "We’re still banged up but we had a lot of soldiers come out here tonight and leave it all on the field for their brothers. … We’re back. Don’t count us out."

He praised his restructured offensive line, which punched holes in the Simsbury front to the tune of 82 yards on 12 carries, two of them touchdowns.

"[Junior guard Sal Lopez] out there hobbling on two bad ankles did a great job," Morrell said. "Binly [Siriphongsavath] is a linebacker. He played o-line as a sophomore, blew out his knee, missed a year, dropped about 40 pounds and moved to linebacker. Because we were down to what would have been our third-string center, he gracefully moved over. He went from a kid who didn’t play at all last week to a kid who went both ways and was on almost every special team."

Tackle Martin Pomykala, Artur Kaminski and tight end Kian Downes also received high grades.

New Britain (3-3) took the opening kickoff and methodically marched 65 yards in 15 plays.

Boima scored on fourth down from the 1 but it was the rushing and passing of Garcarz that paved the way. The nimble senior quarterback rushed for 44 yards on two carries and connected on three of his four passes for 30 more.

Simsbury (5-1) responded with equal authority.

On their 12th straight running play, the Trojans scored on a one-yard run by quarterback Kyle Decker on the first play of the second quarter.

Garcarz’s elusiveness was the key to the next New Britain drive. While Simsbury contained his scrambling, he was able to bide enough time, frustrate the Trojans rush and find receivers downfield.

Two passes to Tebucky Jones Jr. covered 29 yards but the touchdown strike had a classic college look. Garcarz zipped a seed to Kain Downes between two defenders from 16 yards out on fourth-and-5. Garcarz hit Jones on the two-point conversion to make up for the missed placement on the first score.

A 48-yard kickoff return by Colby Vanderbeck set up Simsbury’s next touchdown — a 39-yard jaunt down the left sideline by Decker behind superb blocking.

The defenses finally restored some order through the middle of the second quarter with both teams forced to punt.

But Garcarz (19-for-26, 234 yards, 2 TDs) went back to bamboozling the Simsbury defense on the next possession.

His Fran Tarkenton act freed the sure-handed Downes for a 21-yard gain after a penalty handed Garcarz second-and-15. A series of short, low-risk passes to Tarik Hightower and Chris Linares led to Garcarz’s five-yard touchdown run through a gauntlet of Simsbury defenders.

"He managed the game better than he’s done all year," Morrell said. "He did a super job. He played within the system."

Only 32 seconds remained in the half. New Britain held a 20-13 lead.

The defense had done a credible job with Simsbury’s vaunted triple option and the offense controlled the ball effectively. The Trojans possessed the ball just four times, the fourth coming with just 32 seconds left and Decker taking a knee.

The Trojans turned the tables quickly in the third quarter with penalties again undermining New Britain. They dominated the line of scrimmage on the first drive, covering 65 yards in seven plays. Fullback Connely Cummings plowed in from the 5.

After a holding penalty nullified a 48-yard return by Jones, Simsbury forced a fumble on New Britain’s first play from scrimmage. Cummings again banged it in after a halfback option from Kevin Kucinskas to James Poggio erased a second-and-25.

Simsbury held a 25-20 lead after three and had the ball but an interception by Linares set up the resilient Hurricanes at the Trojan 46. With the Trojan defense thinking pass, Boima took center stage. He carried on six of the drive’s seven plays and scored from the 1, giving New Britain a one-point edge with 8:03 left.

With the rain pouring down, Simsbury had some pitch problems and the New Britain defense forced a punt.

A 27-yard strike from Garcarz to Jones and Garcarz’s run for two points made it a two-possession game with 2:47 left. Garcarz completed nine of his 10 passes in the second half for 100 yards.

A Simsbury fumble recovered by sophomore defensive tackle Jose Gonzalez sealed the win.