Tyreice Dominique (4 TDs) leads undefeated Rocky Hill past Hartford Public 27-15
Rocky Hill football won just two games in all of 2019. They posted that same victory total the previous year, too.
But in 2021, two years removed from their last 2-8 season, it’s only taken the Terriers two games to meet that same mark.
On Friday night against Hartford Public, they had Tyreice Dominique to thank for that. Rocky Hill’s senior quarterback scored all four Terriers (2-0) touchdowns in a 27-15 win over the Owls.
“A testament to these guys’ hard work these past two years,” Rocky Hill coach Richard Dance said. “We won two games the last two years. This is the bigest win we’ve had in the past four years since we played in that state final against Ansonia in 2017. None of these players on this team have been in a game like this. They say ‘Act like you’ve been there before.’ We haven’t. These guys haven’t. So now we have.”
Despite his four touchdowns on the ground, it was a run that didn’t end in six points that was most impressive for Dominique.
As the final seconds of the first quarter ticked away with Hartford Public up a point, Dominique took the snap, bolted to his right, broke out of the pack and down the sideline for 50 yards as Hartford Public defenders grasped for his speedy legs. Dominique dove for the end zone, hit the pylon, but was called out at the 1-yard line.
No worries, though, for Dominique. With the night he was having the end zone never felt far away. He punched in a 1-yard touchdown run one play later — his second of the four scores — to give the Terriers a 13-7 lead, one they would never let up.
Dominique rushed for 162 yards — 122 in the first half. He had two touchdowns and an interception against East Catholic in Week 1. Friday’s game was Rocky Hill’s first since that victory over the Eagles as its game against Avon last week was postponed.
“I’m just so proud of what Tyreice has been able to do in his three years at Rocky Hill,” Dance said. “This kid has worked his butt off, he’s not even a quarterback. He’s worked on his own, he’s worked with me, he’s worked with receivers. He’s a natural athlete ... he’s the best player on the field. I just tell him, ‘Tyreice, go win the game for us,’ and he does.”
The Terriers opened the scoring in the first quarter with an eight-play drive that took just under five minutes, capped off with a 19-yard touchdown run from Dominique. Hartford Public had almost gotten Rocky Hill off the field, but the Owls (2-1) were called for roughing the passer on a third-down attempt from Dominique that fell incomplete. He scored two plays later. The Terriers missed the extra point.
Hartford Public answered on its next possession with a six-play drive that ended in a 55-yard touchdown pass from senior Tasane Roach to classmate Traiquan Hodge, who was wide open down the left sideline. Senior Quanye Robinson gave the Owls a lead with an extra point kick.
But the Owls’ lead llasted about only two minutes as Dominique’s 50-yard run and ensuing 1-yard score put Rocky Hill back in front. Sophomore M.J. Torres ran in a 2-point conversion to put the Terriers up 14-7.
Dominique scored his third touchdown of the first half with 3:52 left in the second quarter on a 16-yard run to give Rocky Hill a 21-7 lead after Brody Troiano’s extra point kick.
Both sides exchanged punts in a scoreless third quarter, but Rocky Hill scored on their first drive of the fourth quarter, on a 23-yard run from Dominique with 9:10 left in the game. Hartford Public pulled itself back into it late, as senior Christian Garcia ran for a 1-yard touchdown and the 2-point conversion with 6:07 left in the game to make it 27-15
After forcing Rocky Hill into a three-and-out and punt, Hartford Public’s final drive of the game lasted just four plays. On 4th and 17 from their own 30, Garcia attempted a deep pass down field, but Dominique deflected it out of bounds. The Terriers took over on downs and kneeled it out for a win.
“We’ve got a lot of seniors on the team, and they know that we’re good,” said Hartford Public head coach Harry Bellucci, whose team started the year 2-0 for the first time since 2013. “We just have to fix some things in the first half. I think seniors will show good leadership and get us to move on from this, and get back on the right road and get to 3-1 next week.”
Shawn McFarland can be reached at smcfarland@courant.com.
