By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns propelled the host Staples football team to a thrilling 14-10 win over Class L runner-up Cheshire in a battle of 3-0 teams on a warm Friday night.

Down 10-0 through three quarters, Staples found itself in unfamiliar territory–trailing–but finally got its offense going against a tough Ram defense.

Actually, things started to turn in the Wreckers’ favor late in the third; the first scoring drive carried over into the fourth. Quarterback Grant Bozeman connected with Lucas Kuliga on a 15-yard scoring play on the first play of the final quarter, getting the Wreckers on the board and within striking distance.

After the Wreckers forced a punt they got the ball back. Noah Sandrew had a clutch catch for a first down. He impressively held onto the ball despite taking a hard hit on the play, came out of the game briefly, but returned and scored a game-deciding TD on the same drive.

Sandrew caught a short pass from Bozeman and turned it into a 23-yard TD scamper, getting to the outside and diving just inside the right pylon with 5:39 to play.

“One of our mottos is ‘gotta have it,'” Sandrew said.

And the Wreckers found a way to get it done thanks, in large part, to Sandrew’s determination.

“At the end of the day sometimes it comes down to heart and guts,” Staples Coach Matty Jacowleff said of Sandrew shaking off that hit and getting the clutch go-ahead TD.

The Rams had two late-game possessions with a chance to get into field goal range or the end zone, one thwarted by a Finn Edwards interception and the second of which fizzled out on a waning-seconds turnover on downs at the Wrecker 32.

Edwards had pinned the Rams at their own six yard line on a perfect punt, Cheshire escaped the shadows of its end zone on a reverse.

“To battle and find a way to win, that’s how you build the mettle of a champion,” Jacowleff said.

Staples competed hard throughout the contest. Nick Triscari had a key reception on Staples’ first scoring drive and Hunter Pallai had an important catch on the second scoring drive.

Levi Belzer had a clutch catch in traffic, took a hit and helped move the chains and Parker Toohey had a big reception on a third-quarter drive that ended with no points. Staples, on that possession, got it to first and goal and settled for a field goal try. A penalty backed what would have been a 21-yard attempt to a 26-yarder that missed. The Wreckers, who scored 63, 46 and 23 points in their first three matchups, remained without a point with 12 minutes to play but never gave up.

“We knew we would be able to come back,” said Sandrew, adding that Jacowleff encouraged the team to stay positive.

Bozeman completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 229 yards and Sandrew finished with 11 receptions for 112 yards.

On defense, Triscari had 17 tackles, Toohey had nine tackles, Connor Cohen and Edwards seven apiece, Luke Moneyhon had six, and Beau Carroll and Nate Maurillo both had five tackles. Toohey had three and a half tackles for loss.

Cohen, Carroll, Toohey and J. Parker Wetnitsky each had a half quarterback sack to combine on a pair of team sacks.

Staples visits Danbury Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

Andy Hutchison

^{_{Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories, since the 1990s. He is the sports editor at the Newtown Bee. He writes for the Monroe Sun. He was director of communications and radio color commentator for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers hockey team. He has won numerous writing awards, including regional and national first-place honors.}}