|
|
|
SportingNewsCT.com to broadcast American Legion Baseball this Summer !!!
|
|
Week 3 - Curren's Weekly SCC Football Report |
|
|
|
He had talked the talk, he had walked the walk, but Ryan Nolan probably wishes he could have about one second of his football career back after last Friday’s showdown with Shelton.
It was the actually soft-spoken Nolan who said after beating up on Jonathan Law two weeks ago, “Shelton should be afraid of us because we have the best team in the SCC and can’t wait to prove it.”
A week later, his Prep team clinging to a 21-20 lead - largely because of his heroics - and just over 1 minute remaining before approximately 6,000 people at Finn Stadium, Shelton star Geoff Shultz took a handoff and saw nothing but defenders in front of him. He bounced it to the outside where there was only one white Prep jersey in his path - No. 1, Ryan Nolan.
Shultz, who later said he didn’t know it was Nolan in his way, juked left, Nolan grabbed for his legs, but Shultz was too strong, running right through the tackle for the winning touchdown in a 26-21 Shelton win, a contest that will be tough to top for the SCC Game of the Year.
And when you have the potential SCC Game of the Year, there’s only one thing a columnist can do. Why, a running diary, of course: 6:30 - Pulling into Finn Stadium, there isn’t a parking spot to be had. I actually wish I could have arrived earlier, but the soccer game ran late. Still, I had time to get a hamburger and get a good spot on the sidelines. By the way, the Shelton concession stand, one of the best in the SCC, must have made a killing in this game.
7:07 - Shelton goes three-and-out on their first possession. That wasn’t in the script.
7:18 - This wasn’t, either. Prep storms down the field with a bruising 14-play, 81-yard drive, eight of those plays carries by Nolan, who finishes it off with a 1-yard run. 6-0 Prep.
7:26 - Shelton is stopped again, and the Prep student section starts a “We play de-fense” chant. Prep hasn’t allowed a point this season.
7:30 - On the first play of the second quarter, Prep QB Mike Autore, regarded by some as a weak link on the Jesuit offense, throws an absolutely perfect deep ball to Ward Gruppo for a 5-yard touchdown. He hits Connor Kelly with the conversion, underdog Prep (no one in the Elm City picks took the Jesuits) is up 14-0 and Finn Stadium - at least the home side - is stunned.
7:31 - Shelton PA announcer Ed Marocco mentions that this is the MSG Game of the Week. If the score doesn’t change, most of the crowd here might not want to watch.
7:35 - The Shelton crowd tried to counter with a “We’ve got cheer-lead-ers” chant, which is technically true, but down 14-0, it smells of desperation.
7:42 - Shelton responds with nine-play scoring drive, the first against the Prep defense. Andre Henderson, who doesn’t get the press Shultz does, has the two biggest plays, 13 and 23-yard runs. 14-7 Prep.
7:51 - It’s all Shelton now., this time Henderson - after a dazzling 15-yard run - takes it in from a yard out with 4:21 left in the half. 14-14 tie, and it looks like the Gaels may be taking over.
8:00 - Henderson is flattened by Kabongo on a 3rd-and-12 draw play, but Kabongo gets flagged for a celebration penalty, mostly due to kicking the air after the tackle. Referee Mike Barbaro’s crew had a tremendous night, but I think they missed this one.
8:05 - Prep gets the ball back after a 24-yard grounding penalty on Phil Konopka, but Autore is intercepted by Paul Piccirillo. The game will go to half, 14-14.
8:20 - If you had 50-50 number, 641949, you just won almost $600. Hopefully, the Booster Club spends their half of the $600 wisely.
8:48 - The defenses hold serve, until it’s that guy Nolan again, with a 52-yard bruising run. Prep is in two plays later, they lead 21-14, and don’t appear to be going anywhere.
8:54 - Kabongo leaves, for the first time, with cramps. Shelton puts together a decent drive, but Kabongo returns and the drive stalls.
9:00 - Nolan’s 6-yard run puts him over 100 yards, but he has to leave with cramps. Marocco says - as he says with every injured player: “Let’s have a big hand for Ryan Nolan.” Let’s just say there weren’t too many cheers.
9:06 - Nolan returns on defense, but Kabongo goes out again with cramps, this time having to limp all the way around the field.
9:10 - Paul Finlay’s interception (10:39 left in the game) appears to give Prep the momentum they might need to pull the upset, but on the next play, Shelton’s Alex Benedito forces a fumble and Piccirillo pounces on it.
9:13 - The Shelton crowd comes back with a much better “Not in our house” chant, and Konopka connects with Greg Sulik twice for 58 yards to put the Gaels in business.
9:19 - Henderson’s 6-yard run makes it 21-20 Prep.
9:20 - But Nolan, of all people, comes through the middle untouched to block the extra point and preserve the lead. Overheard on the Shelton sideline, “we can’t let it end like this.”
9:24 - Nolan gets the ball five straight times, but the conservative play-calling backfires, the drive stalls and Shelton is smelling blood.
9:31 - Shultz carries twice for 49 yards, and the ball sits at the Prep 2-yard line, first and goal. A go-ahead score looks inevitable.
9:32 - But the prep defense stands tall on two straight plays, 3rd-and-goal from the 1. Under two minutes left.
9:33 - The play we started with. Nolan might still have been bothered by the cramps and Shultz got away from him rather easily. Nolan has to be helped off the field as the Gaels take their first lead of the contest with 1:20 left.
9:41 - Prep gets a couple of runs from Autore, but they don’t have enough time and the clock runs out. Shelton’s student section storms the field in what could have been a dangerous situation, but both teams handle the postgame with class.
9:44 - Nolan, at the end of the Prep handshake line, makes the long walk through. The scoreboard might not have gone his way, but he was right, Shelton did have to be afraid, Prep is a very good football team, and gave the Gaels everything they could handle in a hostile environment. And Nolan was probably the best player on the field for either team. But, alas, the scoreboard does not lie: Shelton 26, Prep 21. We can only hope they meet again in the Class LL playoffs.
9:50 - Postgame. First, Prep coach Rich Magdon, “I thought we did a good enough job stopping the run to win the game. I thought the pass is what we had the most trouble with, especially in key situations.”
On Nolan: “He played very, very well. He made a comment earlier in the week that obviously became a big deal. But I think they have a lot of respect for him on the other side after this game.”
9:55 - Shelton coach Jeff Roy breaks away from the MSG crew: “Our kids were ready, but I think we were too hyped up at the beginning of the game. We were real hyped up, too hyped up. Once we settled down, we were much better.”
10:00 - Henderson is done with MSG: “It’s the happiest moment of my life right now. We all know talk is cheap, and we thought that comment was very disrespectful toward us. But give him credit, he (Nolan) ran hard all night and he’s a good football player.”
10:10 - Finally, Schultz can talk to the newspapers:, saying bluntly: “Look, we aren’t afraid of anybody.” But he adds, “I have a whole lot of respect for Prep. They play tough, but I think we were stronger in the fourth quarter. All that work in the summer definitely helped us.”
10:30 - Traffic is still brutal in the Finn Stadium parking lot, but with some deft maneuvers, I escape the parking lot and into the night. An absolute classic from start to finish and everything good that high school football has to offer.
EXTRA POINTS: Jawan Hagans may have gone to the Ryan Nolan quote school after Wilbur Cross‘ 15-14 upset of West Haven, the first SCC win for coach John Acquavita and the first win for the Governors over the Westies since 1984. “We don‘t want the season to be over. We are going to be 8-2 and we are going to make the playoffs.” To do that, they’ll have to win at the Surf Club in Madison this Friday. Meanwhile, West Haven must contend with crosstown rival Notre Dame to avoid a 1-3 start …
Amity coach Mike Devito won’t be around for the latest Amity-Shelton showdown as he was ejected in Amity’s 27-20 win over Guilford last week. Devito argued a call in the first half and was penalized and then was penalized again on the way into the locker room at halftime …
Hillhouse actually trailed Lyman Hall early in the second half at Bowen Field before scoring four unanswered touchdowns and pulling away for a 42-16 victory. Remember, this week’s game against Guilford will be played at Bowen Field Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. because Guilford’s Kavanaugh Field is not ready after installing artificial turf and some other additions …
Three turnovers in the first quarter are not a way to start a game as Branford found out the hard way last week, as they trailed Jonathan Law 34-0 at halftime before falling 34-14 …
Haven, however, overcame a sluggish start to beat Sheehan 26-12. After one quarter, the Indians trailed 12-0. North Haven faces a showdown with Cheshire this week …
Hand held off Cheshire, but Mark Ecke’s bold move to put sophomore Todd Heritage in the game paid dividends. Quarterback Billy Ragone went from QB to receiver and caught a touchdown pass, but Hand still prevailed 23-16 …
It didn’t make the papers, but Xavier beat up on Hamden 35-6 Saturday night at Palmer Field.
GAME OF THE WEEK Shelton at Amity OR Xavier at Fairfield Prep, Friday, 7 p.m. -- Can you say “letdown“? Shelton and Prep played a great game last week, but there is no rest for the weary in the SCC‘s Division I, and both the Gaels and Jesuits will be tested this week. Shelton has to go to rival Amity, who is 3-0, and may be able to look at the playoffs with a win. Meanwhile, Prep lost to Xavier last season, and the Falcons have looked very good after digging themselves a 31-0 hole in the season opener at Hand. Expect one or the other to be in some trouble late Friday night.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK Ryan Nolan, Fairfield Prep - It was a losing effort, but with the pressure he was under and the game he had, he‘s the choice. Nolan rushed for 116 yards on 19 carries, but he was everywhere: returning punts, making big tackles, and blocking what could have been the tying extra point. As we said, he talked the talk, but he definitely backed it up.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS 23
Number of years it had been since Wilbur Cross had beaten West Haven before the Governors‘ 15-14 victory last Friday. And it‘s not like they hadn‘t seen each other: West Haven and Cross met every year in the District League, even when there were only four teams in it. The Governors had been close before, and they could be dangerous the rest of the season.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Shelton (3-0, Last Week 1) -- This week‘s matchup might not be much easier for them, either.
2) Fairfield Prep (2-1, LW 2) -- Can‘t move them down for a gutsy effort Friday night.
3) Hand (3-0, LW 3) -- We‘ll know more about them after the next few weeks of action.
4) Amity (3-0, LW 5) -- Might be catching Shelton at the perfect time, but we‘ll see.
5) Xavier (2-1, LW 6) -- Anyone have a tape of the first half of that Hand debacle in Week 1?
6) Hillhouse (2-1, LW 7) -- Sleepwalking through the first half won‘t work every week.
7) West Haven (1-2, LW 4) -- One more loss may see them with a dramatic drop down.
8) Guilford (1-1-1, LW 9) -- Not a bad performance, playoff life might be on line Friday.
9) Notre Dame (2-1, LW 11) -- The Division II portion of the schedule is officially complete.
10) Hamden (1-1-1, LW 8) -- Must come up with a big performance against Law for confidence.
11) Cheshire (1-2, LW 10) -- Not a bad effort, but they must get better in a hurry in Division I.
12) Jonathan Law (2-1, LW 13) -- Some people thought Branford might have a shot against them.
13) North Haven (2-1, LW 12) -- Not many monsters in the way if they can get by Cheshire.
14) Wilbur Cross (1-2, LW 14) -- Governors still have some tough games ahead of them.
15) Branford (0-2-1, LW 15) -- Haven‘t seen the team struggle this much since Gravina got there.
16) Sheehan (0-2-1, LW 16) -- Good first quarter, but not much after that for the Titans.
17) Lyman Hall (1-2, LW 17) -- Respectable effort, but Trojans must build on them vs. Branford.
18) Derby (1-2, LW 18) -- Took care of business, but game never made any of the newspapers.
19) Foran (0-3, LW 19) -- Should be very hungry going to Derby on Friday night.
20) East Haven (0-3, LW 20) -- Got on the board, but still lots of work to do for the Easties.
|
|
|
