By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — If this game were the football version of a Thanksgiving feast, then the first half was the appetizer, while the second half was a feast with all the trimmings.

The Staples Wreckers and Greenwich Cardinals stuffed the scoreboard Thursday, pouring on more than 50 combined third- and fourth-quarter points with the hosting Westporters prevailing, 39-38.

With the win, Staples finishes the season 9-1 and clinches a first-round Class LL state playoff game against Fairfield Prep set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at home.

Greenwich led 13-7 at the half. Caleb Smith connected with Tyler Clark to score the first Staples TD.

After the break, however, both teams went back and forth.

Smith’s 5-yard TD run and Jack McColl’s point after made it 14-13 Wreckers with 6:24 left in the third.

Staples’ defense forced its second straight three and out and punt to begin the half and Sam Petrosino’s 21-yard TD catch helped push the Wreckers’ lead to 21-13 with 3:55 to go in the third.

A Greenwich kick return for a score and 2-point play knotted the score. 

The Cardinals then went ahead 23-21 thanks to a safety in the final two minutes of the quarter.

The Wreckers answered early in the fourth when Smith hit Petrosino for a 6-yard score. The 2-point play was a pass to Clark to make it 29-23 Wreckers with 10:36 left. The scoring drive included a key reception by Shane Sandrew.

A great leaping catch by Leo Sequenzia helped set up a 20-yard McColl field goal for a 32-23 Staples advantage with 5:39 left.

Greenwich pulled to within 32-30 with 2:33 left and, after forcing a punt, reclaimed the lead with a TD and 2-point play with 1:49 to go.

Clark had a big kick return to the Staples 46 and the Wreckers capitalized on the strong field position. Smith threw to Will Holleman for an 11-yard scoring play with 1:06 left. McColl’s point after was the 39-38 difference.

GHS staged a late drive into Staples territory, but couldn’t come though on fourth down. The Wreckers took over with 27 seconds to go and ran out the clock.

“That’s one of the best teams in the state. They’ve got talent across the board,” Staples Coach Adam Behrends said of Greenwich. “I’m proud of our guys.”

The Wreckers handled adversity well, Behrends added. “We knew it was going to be a game that had ups and downs. It was cool to see the kids stick with the game plan.”

That included using a variety of formations to offset Greenwich’s attempts to slow Staples’ offense, led by Clark.

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s. Learn more about us here.