New Britian, CT — Masuk might have shocked the Connecticut high school football world on Friday night. The Panthers didn’t shock themselves, though. Junior Jackson Zylick kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal with four seconds left as sixth-seeded Masuk took down the No. 1 team in the state, Windsor, 24-21 in the CIAC Class MM final at Central Connecticut's Arute Field. It was the fourth CIAC title for the Panthers (10-3) and their first since 2010. “It’s amazing, man,” Masuk senior Shane Walker said. “We knew we could hang with the big teams. Just because we lost to Brookfield and Newtown (to end the regular season), we knew who we are. “It’s a Cinderella story.” It was also a fitting end for outgoing Masuk head coach Steve Christy. He was suspended all last season due to a lengthy investigation which started in July. Monroe's Board of Education voted in January to approve a settlement agreement to bring Christy back. “This is for all the guys that stuck with it and could have gone the other way,” Christy said. “I’m just a placeholder, man. I’m just a placeholder.” Walker said, “It was Christy’s last game, and we just knew we had to bring (a title) home.” The top-seeded Warriors finished 12-1. They had been No. 1 in the GameTimeCT media poll most of the season. It was the second time this season that the Panthers knocked off one of the top-ranked teams in the GameTimeCT Top 10 media poll. Masuk went to two-time defending CIAC Class L champion New Canaan and won 14-0 on Sept. 27. The Rams are ranked third in the GameTimeCT poll headed into Saturday’s Class L championship game against rival Darien. Second-ranked Hand lost in the Class M semifinals. The game had a wild, and lengthy, sequence in the final seconds when Zylick came on to kick what would’ve been a 38-yard field goal. Windsor called timeout just before Zylick kicked the ball to ice him. Zylick’s kick fell just short after the timeout, but the Warriors were called for roughing the kicker to move the ball up to the latter’s 10. Zylick nailed the field goal on his next chance. “I was a little nervous, but Christy talks to me and he’s behind me all the way,” Zylick said. “I knew with him behind me that I could do it.” The Warriors disagreed with the penalty. “I hate to see a game end like that,” Windsor head coach Rob Fleeting said. “I feel it’s a bad call, but I don’t want to harp on that too much. “The kids played great. The kids on both sides of the ball played great. It was a great game.” Walker shined for Masuk. He had nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, with 106 of those yards in the first half. He also returned kicks and deflected a few passes at defensive back. Sophomore Aaron Champagne completed 14-of-25 passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns for the Panthers. Senior John Manning literally carried the Windsor offense as he took direct snaps on most his carries out of his team’s “Hammer” formation — an alignment with seven offensive linemen and three extra blockers in the backfield. Manning ran 40 times for 225 yards with two touchdowns. Add in two catches and Manning touched the ball on 42 of the Warriors’ 57 plays. “We thought that was the way to go for us today,” Fleeting said about using Manning out of the Hammer. “(Bowling Green-bound senior receiver Cashmire) Lewis wasn’t feeling too good. He had a sore hip from the last game (Sunday’s 50-0 win over Newington).” Junior AJ Robinson threw a 64-yard touchdown to senior Jaden Langford for Windsor. Masuk started its final drive at its own 45-yard line with 4 minutes, 40 seconds remaining and began having senior Gavin Walker take direct snaps. The Panthers had fourth-and-inches at the Windsor 46 and opted to go for it. Senior Tariq Al-Hameedi ran for a 2-yard gain to keep the drive alive. “I’m a gambler, baby,” Christy grinned about going for it. “(If) we can’t make a yard, we can’t get a ring.” Walker ran three more times for 22 yards down to the Windsor 22-yard line. Al-Hameedi followed with a 1-yard run and, after a Masuk timeout, Zylick came out to kick the field goal. “My freshman year (I kicked a game-winner) versus Bunnell, a 37-yarder,” Zylick said, referencing a 31-28 win on Oct. 14, 2022. “So I had a little experience, but it’s different when it’s the state finals.” Windsor trailed most the game when Lewis’ interception gave it the ball at the Masuk 10. Manning ran for a touchdown on the next play, then ran for a conversion, to tie the game at 21 with 4:28 left in the third quarter. The Panthers led 14-13 at the half and extended their lead when Al-Hameedi scored on a 1-yard run with 6:41 remaining in the third quarter. Zylick’s extra point put Masuk ahead, 21-13. Masuk scored on the game’s opening drive with Walker finishing it by catching a 26-yard touchdown pass from Champagne. Zylick’s extra point gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead just 3:16 into the game. Manning scored on an 8-yard run with 10:56 seconds left in the first half. Sophomore Matthew Nesheiwat’s extra point tied the game at 7. Walker continued his first-half show with a 56-yard catch from Champagne down the Panthers’ sideline to the Windsor 5-yard line. Walker's catch set up a 5-yard touchdown pass from Champagne to junior Steven Curtin, and Zylick’s extra point put Masuk back ahead 14-7 with 7:56 remaining in the half. Senior Jaden Langford caught a 64-yard touchdown pass from Robinson with 59 seconds left in the half. The extra point failed, and the Panthers took a 14-13 lead into halftime. Player of the Game Shane Walker, Masuk — The senior did everything Masuk could’ve asked and more. Quotable “We came here as an underdog. No one thought we could win. All we needed was each other.” — Gavin Walker, Masuk. CIAC Class MM championship Masuk 24, Windsor 21 (At Arute Field, New Britain) MASUK 7 7 7 3 — 24 WINDSOR 0 13 8 0 — 21 M—Shane Walker 26 pass from Aaron Champagne (Jackson Zylick kick) W—John Manning 8 run (Matthew Nesheiwat kick) M—Steven Curtin 5 pass from Champagne (Zylick kick) W—Jaden Langford 64 pass from AJ Manning (kick failed) M—Tariq Al-Hameedi 1 run (Zylick kick) W—Manning 10 run (Manning run) M—Zylick 27 FG Records: M 10-3; W 12-1. https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/football/article/masuk-windsor-ciac-football-playoff-championship-19979458.php