WALLINGFORD, Conn. — For the Wallingford Vikings, a youth football team that has grown together since the second grade, this season was supposed to end with one more win — one more chance to stay perfect.

Instead, their remarkable six-year run concluded with a rare loss. But for players, coaches and families, the scoreboard didn’t tell the full story.

“It hurt tonight to lose — and they haven’t lost,” one parent said from the sidelines. “But oh my God, this is what you want for kids, and this is what a town needs.”

For six seasons, the Vikings built something few programs ever experience: 43 straight wins, three consecutive championships and a genuine brotherhood shaped by dedication, sacrifice and relentless effort. The final game may not have gone their way, but the memories — and

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