“I think it’s going to be a great game,” Golden Tornadoes head coach Joe Martillotti said. “I can’t see either team putting up the kind of points we saw last year. As long as we score one more than they do, that’s the main thing.”

Capobianco, who a week earlier established a new county record for touchdown passes in a season, extended his new high-water mark to 37 by halftime as Lawrence built an insurmountable 42-7 cushion against the Red Devils. He drilled a 23-yard pass down the middle to sophomore Simon Jones with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter to make it 14-0, and senior Mike Fragner made a leaping grab for a 17-yard touchdown late in the second for a 28-7 lead. In between touchdown passes, Capobianco rumbled 25 yards for a score.

“His decision-making is incredible,” Martillotti said of Capobianco. “He sees the field so well, and he can make any throw there is.”

Fragner’s touchdown was the first of three in a span of 2:39 to close the first half, as Fredericks scored on runs of 50 and 30 yards to cap possessions that took only 13 and 26 seconds, respectively. Defensively, Lawrence had five sacks. Junior Elijah Jones, who also had a 29-yard touchdown run, had 10 tackles and a sack. Simon Jones had two sacks. 

“Winning the county championship is great, but we’ve had our sights set on the LIC ever since last year ended,” Fredericks said. “We just have to do what we’ve done every week so far. Our defense is a lot better, and if we can get two or three stops, hopefully it’ll be enough.”