By Andy Hutchison

TRUMBULL — Staples football team overcame a final-minute, three-point deficit and two turnovers in the last two minutes to stun St. Joseph 14-10 on Saturday.

Staples quarterback Nick Weil, whose fumble with just 1:20 left, ended a drive that appeared to be the Wreckers’ last hope at a comeback, came through with a final-minute touchdown pass to Shane Sandrew for the difference in the game. 

A thrilling finish for Staples and a difficult defeat for the hosting Cadets.

“It feels good. We talk about facing adversity and responding,” said Staples Coach Adam Behrends, adding that the coaches talk to the players about how lessons of overcoming challenges translates to life experience off the gridiron. “We’ve got a bunch of warriors on this team.”

Staples improved to 7-1 overall and is ranked third in the Class LL State rankings and St. Joe’s fell to 5-3 and sits in sixth in the Class M standings.

The game was even 7-7 at the half as Kody Goldman scored a second-quarter touchdown on three-yard run after Justin Halky recovered a fumble at the St. Joe’s 16.

The teams traded late opening-half turnovers. 

Staples’ Jake McGeehan intercepted a pass thanks to Davis Crandall’s quarterback pressure. Two plays later, a St. Joe’s interception set the Cadets up a last-second 48-yard field goal try that was blocked by Amire Williams.

In the third quarter, a Staples fumble set up the Cadets’ go-ahead field goal, a 35-yarder with 6:19 left in the stanza. The Wreckers fumbled the ball away again late in the third and the score remained 10-7 heading to the fourth.

The team swapped punts with Staples kicker Josh Marcus repeatedly putting a big boot on the ball to help Staples in the field position battle.

One play after a clutch completion to Nathan Smith that moved the chains on third down the Wreckers gave the ball away on an interception with 5:39 left in regulation.

The Staples defense again made a stand and the Wreckers again lost possession on an interception that followed a dropped pass, this one with 1:51 showing on the scoreboard clock.

That was the start of a wild final couple minutes of action. Wreckers got the ball right back when Crandall recovered a fumble at the Staples’ 47 with 1:40 left.

Weil broke free on a long run inside the Cadet red zone, but lost the ball and the Cadets took over at their own 10 with 1:20 to play. 

Down but not out the Wreckers relied on their stout defense to again rise to the occasion and it did, forcing a three and out. Staples used two of its three timeouts in that series and St. Joe’s went for an all-or-nothing pass attempt to move the chains that fell incomplete. 

That resulted in a punt with just under a minute to play, setting the stage for the Weil-to-Sandrew heroics.

The Staples QB rolled right, took advantage of the offensive line’s protection, and found Sandrew open over the middle on a 42-yard bomb for the lead with 47 seconds left.

Another fumble, what else, sealed things as Goldman pounced on a loose ball in the waning seconds.

“We were given an opportunity with a minute to go. The boys never gave up,” Weil said.

The six turnovers might have undone some teams, but not the Wreckers. “It’s a lot to overcome, but all we needed was one play. Shane was wide open right there. He ran a great route,” the quarterback said.

Weil completed 13 of 29 pass attempts for 130 yards and carried the ball six times for 42 yards.

Anthony Armentano rushed eight times for 33 yards. Smith had three catches for 38 and Sandrew four receptions for 57.

Staples visits Trumbull at 7 p.m. Friday. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest updates.)

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