Platt’s Standish Leads 49-13 Rout to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
A senior quarterback’s five-touchdown game propelled the Panthers to a decisive victory over South Windsor, securing their position in the CIAC Class MM rankings.
By Scott Marshall ·
Austen Standish threw four touchdowns and ran for a fifth on Friday night to lead the Platt Panthers to a 49-13 victory over South Windsor. The win improved Platt’s record to 5-2 and kept the team within the top eight in CIAC Class MM. The Panthers had two losses going into the game, a deficit that head coach Jason Bruenn described as leaving no room for further mistakes.
The offense produced 49 points on five touchdowns. Standish completed 11 of 18 passes for 199 yards and added 50 yards on the ground. Maurice Christie caught three of those passes for touchdowns of 12, 40, and 42 yards. Standish also carried the ball for a 12-yard score and caught a pass on the team’s first drive.
The Panthers scored on all four possessions in the first half. They led 35-7 at the break after Amari Bowman returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown with 1:05 left in the second quarter. Bowman, a 14-year-old sophomore, also ran for a 12-yard touchdown earlier in the half to extend the lead. The final score saw Platt add two more touchdowns in the second half, including a 40-yard pass to Christie and an 8-yard strike to Adam Roberts.
South Windsor, now 2-5, scored seven points in the first half on a 6-yard run by Colton Kyle Flaherty. The Bobcats added a 4-yard touchdown run by Jalil Montgomery in the fourth quarter. Montgomery finished with 37 rushing yards on the night. The game featured a running clock for the majority of the second half after a third quick score by Platt.
Standish had sat out the team’s two previous losses to Windsor and Sheehan earlier in the season. He has played varsity football for four years and was part of the Panthers’ last playoff team in 2023. He described the team’s approach as an effort to dominate from the start, noting that previous games had seen them come out flat.
Christie said the team focused on discipline and aggression from Monday practice. He credited the coaches for telling the players to buy in and clock in. The team’s performance moved them into a position where they must control their own destiny in the crowded Class MM standings.
Platt is now 5-0 in games where Standish has played this season. The Panthers’ next challenge will come as they attempt to maintain their rank among the top eight teams in the class. The result was a clear statement of intent from a squad that knows the margin for error in their division is thin.
The final score was Platt 49, South Windsor 13. The Panthers’ defense held the Bobcats to 13 points, while the offense capitalized on opportunities to build a large halftime lead. The performance solidified Standish’s role as the central figure in the Platt offense this year.
