North Branford football rolls past Granby/Canton as Criscuolo, Sigel score three TDs each

North Branford's Billy Criscuolo had three rushing touchdowns, two of which were 60 yards or more in a 42-0 win over Granby-Canton on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Granby. (Jared Tofil/For Hearst Connecticut Media) GRANBY - The North Branford football team used a dominant defense and a 28-point fourth quarter to roll over Granby/Canton 42-0 on Friday, despite losing starting quarterback Matteo Anderson to a leg injury at the end of the first quarter.In his absence, running the wildcat, wide receiver Billy Criscuolo and running back Jack Sigel stepped up and scored three touchdowns each as the Thunderbirds improved to 7-0. Jack Sigel had two rushing touchdowns and an interception while Billy Criscuolo ran for three touchdowns for North Branford #cthsfb #connecticut #highschoolfootball (Jared Tofil) Both teams started slowly. No points were scored until the final minute of the first half, when sophomore Criscuolo broke off a 60-yard rushing score down the sideline to give the Thunderbirds a 7-0 lead.Anderson was hurt on a QB sneak to end the first quarter, and his leg injury ruled him out the rest of the game.North Branford head coach Anthony Salvati knew his team would be ready to respond after seeing its signal caller hurt."We tell the guys all the time we have the mentality of the next man up. Unfortunately, in the past, we have lost guys and team morale has gone down. This team is different. We know we have guys who can make plays. They are a brotherhood who pick each other up," Salvati said.And pick each other up they did.The Thunderbirds dominated the second half, putting up 35 points. Criscuolo ran for a 61-yard touchdown to extend the lead in the third quarter, and with 5:52 left in the game, he claimed his third score of the day on a 30-yard run.The junior Sigel also excelled as he scored all three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs of 47, 30 and 3 yards, respectively. His 30-yard touchdown run came after he intercepted a ball on defense.Salvati summed up the second half."We had a few mistakes up front and missed a couple blocks, back ran a little bit wide (in the first half), so it was actually just a few minor adjustments that made the difference in the game."It wasn't just the offense thriving. The defense also came out firing in the final two quarters, bringing the pressure and recording four turnovers, including Sigel's interception.Senior Craig Miller Jr. also had an interception and a fumble recovery, and sophomore Gianni Dibenedetto also recovered a fumble."Honestly, it's just our team being a brotherhood and hitting the weight room. Our brother goes down, and we all picked it up," said Criscuolo after the win.North Branford will look to continue its perfect start next Friday at Ellington at 6 p.m. Granby/Canton, which fell to 5-2, hosts Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby at 6:30 p.m.Players of the GameBilly Criscuolo, North Branford: The sophomore wide receiver had three rushing touchdowns, two of which were 60 yards or more.Jack Sigel, North Branford: The junior running back also ran for three touchdowns and added an interception on defense.Quotable"We tell the guys all the time we have the mentality of the next man up," - North Branford head coach Anthony Salvati on responding to injuries.North Branford 42, Granby/Canton 0NORTH BRANFORD 0 7 7 28-42GRANBY/CANTON 0 0 0 0- 0A-Billy Criscuolo 60 run (Owen Brustman kick)A-Criscuolo 61 run (Brustman kick)A-Jack Sigel 47 run (Brustman kick)A-Sigel 30 run (Brustman kick)A-Criscuolo 30 run (Brustman kick)A-Sigel 3 run (Brustman kick)Records:North Branford 7-0; Granby/Canton 5-2.Sign up for the Connecticut Briefing from CT Insider. Get the biggest headlines of the day from our network of journalists around the state.This article originally published at North Branford football rolls past Granby/Canton as Criscuolo, Sigel score three TDs each.