By Finnegan Courtenay

WESTPORT – In an emotional and must-win game for Staples, the Wreckers took one away from the Ridgefield Tigers Friday on Senior Night, 26-10.

Senior captain Tanner Conners kicked off his good night running the ball, with an eight-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. Ridgefield however, did not have the door shut on them early as they struck back with a touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Keller to Logan Gels from 10 yards out. The Tigers then extended their lead to 10-6 on a Cole Montanaro 26-yard field goal at halftime.

However, the Staples stout defense shut down Ridgefield in the second half and the offense kept rolling.

In an act of focused athleticism that enthralled the home-field crowd, junior receiver Tyler Clark made a tumbling, over-the-head touchdown catch on a fourth-down play in the third quarter to give his team a lead that it would never relinquish.

QB Ryan Thompson had another blemish-free night, with no interceptions and two touchdown passes. In addition to the pass to Clark, Thompson passed for a TD to Miles Scarfo in the fourth. 

Conners rushed for his second touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

At half-time, Wreckers Field was renamed in memory of legendary head coach Paul Lane. The team Coach Lane led for many years notched a 26-10 win and kept their playoff hopes alive.

In a game steeped in Fairfield County tradition, the Wreckers travel to Greenwich on Thanksgiving Day to take on the Cardinals. Tension and excitement surrounding this game are at a fever pitch; with a win over the Cardinals, the Wreckers make the playoffs; with a loss, they don’t.