By Tim Parry

Another Staples-New Canaan epic is in the books, and again, the road team prevails. New Canaan escaped with a 21-20 win, the result of a Staples extra point that sailed wide left.

So New Canaan improves to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the FCIAC, and is in the driver’s seat for a championship game berth.

But Staples, at 5-2 and 3-2 in the FCIAC, seems to be the team to beat now. In my opinion, the Wreckers were the better team, and had that extra point been a success, had a legitimate shot to win in overtime.

The reason? Staples figured out the Rams defense, which is something other teams haven’t yet this season. It’s diverse rushing attack kept New Canaan on its heals most of the game: Tae Dangerfield and Robert Toole pounded the ball up the middle, Josh Henry and Tyler Healy on the outside, and quarterback Brandon Pacilio with the keepers. And the run set up the pass, which was tough to do on a windy day.

Now New Canaan’s offense was all Nate Quinn. He ran for 76 of the Rams 104 rushing yards, and fought windy conditions to complete 20 of 32 for 213 yards.

The turning point: Early in the fourth quarter, tied at 14, Staples sends Kevin Clark out for a 27-yard field goal attempt into the wind. New Canaan calls time out, and Staples instead decides to go for in on fourth down. Pacilio fumbled the snap, and New Canaan linebacker Brandon Leeming recovers. New Canaan then went 85 yards on the game-winning drive.

“I’ve got to be proud of the way our kids played,” Petroccio said. “Nobody, and I mean nobody, gives us any credit around here. That’s the number-two team in the State of Connecticut, and we’re just lowly Staples, and we did a great job against them.”

Staples is on the rise. Now they have slight hopes left for an FCIAC playoff berth, but can also play the spoiler role. If they play against Darien in two weeks like they did yesterday against New Canaan, maybe the FCIAC standings get shaken up a bit (though Darien may still hold enough tie-breakers to get into the championship game).

Now I don’t see New Canaan losing to Bassick this Friday, and the Rams should, on paper, defeat Trinity Catholic and Wilton to clinch a championship game berth. But that’s the problem with on-paper. The Rams barely survived Staples, so who is to say the Crusaders or Warriors don’t catch New Canaan sleepwalking?

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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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By Tim Parry

What a difference one player made for Staples in its opening night win at McMahon.

Tae Dangerfield didn’t have a touch until the second half, after McMahon took an 18-6 lead.

But the first time he touched the ball, a fourth-and-three in Staples territory, he ran 52 yards for a touchdown.

“When he did that, we realized we better give him the ball some more,” Staples head coach Marce Petroccio said.

Dangerfield accounted for all three of Staples’ second-half touchdowns. In addition to the 52-yarder, he also scored from five and six yards out.

“I was dying to do anything out there to help my team win,” Dangerfield said. “Whether it was me getting the ball or not, whatever we needed to get this win for us.”

Don’t get me wrong – Staples had to fight for this win, and credit must go to Pertocco’s coaching staff, which made the right adjustments at the half.

And that meant going away from the option offense, which featured Brandon Pacilio pitching out to Tyler Healy and running the smaller Jack Ambrose up the middle.

But Dangerfield, who has five inches and 45 pounds on Ambrose, proved to be more than a battering ram for Staples. He went through the tired Senators defense like a runaway freight train.

On the McMahon offense, senior quarterback Nick Blosio certainly came into his own. Stats are not yet available, but he played a near-perfect game. Blosio seemed comfortable and in sync with tight end Nice Ceme and wide receivers Mike Graham, Zach Ruther, Shadram Thelusca and Zaire Reiph.

And Graham stole the show. He showed his 10.8 speed (in the 100 meter this past spring) and acted like a human pinball on the kickoff return to open the second half. Expect him to be a part of many big plays this season.

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