By Tim Parry

Last night I did something subconsciously while writing the Ridgefield-Staples game story up for The Advocate.I did not include the successive words “Matt White.”

Sure, Matt White started at quarterback as he has for the past two seasons. But for what may have been the first time since 2006, Matt White was not the story for Ridgefield.

And no matter how you slice it, that could be a good thing for Ridgefield. And that’s not a knock against Matt White. It’s a complement to the team.

All too many times, it’s appeared Ridgefield has relied on White to get the job done. Whether it’s with some athletic move or form of magic, his teammates have always seemed tentative to get the job done themselves.

You don’t believe me? Look at White’s coming out party two years ago at New Canaan, when he guided the Tigers to its first win in that town in ages. Or last season at McMahon, when White took matters into his own hands to lead a fourth-quarter comeback.

After jumping out to a 16-0 lead just four minutes into the game, White’s teammates allowed him to just be an emotional leader, and a manager of the game.

So why is this a good thing? It helps develop a program. It lets the league know there’s no I in team, It let the FCIAC know that Drew Arcoleo is a game-breaker, and Charlie Gravitte can chase the quarterback down. Or that when Ridgefield wants to kill the clock, it can rely on Michael McKnight to hold on to the ball. Or that Jimmy O’Dea has gone from being one of the best kickers into the league to a threat on both sides of the ball.

It means Ridgefield is more than a one-dimensional team. And that White as a spiritual leader can keep his team fired up for four quarters.

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By Tim Parry

If there’s anything Ridgefield head coach hates, it’s orange jerseys. But a few hours before his team kicked off to Staples last night, he had a box of them for his team.

Now Callahan said his team was focused on Staples this week, but just maybe the new threads gave Ridgefield the final bit of motivation it needed to beat Staples for the first time in his coaching career.

Ridgefield didn’t just defeat the Wreckers. Ridgefield dominated the Wreckers 37-6.

“We walk into the equipment room two hours before the game and Coach Callahan pulls out a surprise,” Ridgefield quarterback Matt White said. “And we figure we better get a win with these new jerseys.”

Heck, Ridgefield stormed out of the gate. Ridgefield got a safety, and then a 65-yard touchdown on the ensuing free kick by Drew Arcoleo. Arcoleo then scored on a 40-yard touchdown run on Ridgefield’s first offensive play, giving the Tigers a 16-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

“You can’t spot a team like that a 16-0 lead like that four minutes into the game,” Staples head coach Marce Petroccio said. “You have to give Ridgefield all the credit in the world, but we just made every mistake you can possibly make on both sides of the ball.”

White, for the record, completed just three of nine passes for 31 yards. But with Ridgefield getting the big lead and Arcoleo getting off to the strong start, White said he was fine with keeping the ball on the ground.

“He’s getting the job done, you’ve got to keep feeding him,” White said.

Arcoleo finished with 69 yards on 12 carries, and fullback Michael McKnight had 105 on 13.

The Ridgefield defense did most of the damage. They forced five Staples turnovers, including two fumbles that were recovered by Jimmy O’Dea.

Now it wasn’t all Ridgefield in this one. Brandon Pacilio hit Brendan Rankowitz on a 47-yard bomb. And Pacilio was able to find wide-open receivers downfield. Midway through the second quarter, Staples could have pulled within a touchdown, but a wide-open Matt Kelly couldn’t hang on to a Pacilio pass in the end zone.

Rankowitz finished with five catched for 93 yards.

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