NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/new-canaan-footballs-fifth-grade-black-tops-weston-improves-to-5-1-32490)
Cooper Dinan (#88) and Ryan Connelly (#11) with a tackle. Credit: Diane Rasso
Jacob Dowdle (#59), Jack Buttine (#67) and Dom Rasso (#76) in pursuit. Credit: Diane Rasso
Ty Groff (#12) boots a PAT. Credit: Diane Rasso
Caden Bowling scores a TD. Credit: Diane Rasso
Dominic Rasso (#76) with a sack. Credit: Diane Rasso
Coming into Saturday, the New Canaan 5th Grade Black team had won three straight contests and were facing a Weston squad still seeking its first victory of season. In other words, it had all the earmarks of a trap game.
Luckily for New Canaan, head coach Jason Milligan has played and seen enough football to recognize any potential pitfalls, as the well-prepared Black 5’s took out the Trojans 24-6 at Dunning Field.
New Canaan was led by quarterback Ty Groff who completed eight passes for 100 yards and added 24 yards rushing, including the game’s first score on a one-yard plunge. Groff—who was also three-for-three on extra point kicks—did a tremendous job of spreading out the wealth, hitting six different receivers in the game. Caden Bowling and Cooper Dinan were the recipients of two of Groff’s passes, with Beckett Beatman, Brendan Hagan, Colin Perkins and Andrew Rittenberry pulling down the other four.
New Canaan’s defense was led by Peter Cieszko who had four tackles, a fumble recovery and two sacks. Teddy Rosen also had a standout game with four tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery, and “Mean” Jack Buttine added seven tackles and multiple quarterback hurries.
Weston did not go down without a fight. After turning the ball over on the first play from scrimmage on a spectacular one-handed interception by Hagan, the New Canaan offense drove down to the Weston two-yard line. The Trojans, however, were able to come down with an interception in the end zone off a tipped pass, returning it to the New Canaan 48.
New Canaan’s defense got the ball right back as Groff recovered a fumble caused by an errant hand off. The Black 5’s drove 30 yards to the Weston 22 as solid blocks from Ryan Connelly, Charlie Harrison and Zach Manna opened up huge holes for Bowling, Groff and Beatman. Ultimately, the Weston defense buckled down, ending the drive—and the first quarter—with a turnover on downs and a 0-0 deadlock.
New Canaan’s defense would respond on the ensuing Weston drive, as tackles from Holden Busby, Dominic “The Dominator” Rasso and Buttine forced a Trojan three-and-out. More importantly, it gave New Canaan’s offense tremendous field position, as the Black 5’s started the resulting offensive possession on the Weston 48, setting up the game’s first score.
Behind the blocks of Reese Hanrattie, Dinan and Perkins, New Canaan’s “Killer B’s”—Beatman and Bowling picked up big gains, setting the Black 5’s up at the Weston 1. Groff followed Perkins into the end zone from there, and after the PAT, New Canaan led 8-0 with 8:42 left in the half.
New Canaan’s opportunistic defense got the ball back almost immediately as Rosen dove on a muffed Weston toss for a fumble recovery at the Trojans’ 31-yard line. Three consecutive runs by Beatman set New Canaan up at the Weston 16, where Caden Bowling took it to the house for a touchdown and a 16-0 Black 5 lead with 3:40 to play in the second quarter.
On the ensuing Weston drive, Tucker Milligan had a sack and a tackle to help force a turnover on downs, giving New Canaan the ball at the Weston 32. Three plays later Beatman ran it in from four yards out with 37.1 seconds left in the half, stretching New Canaan’s lead to 24-0.
New Canaan’s defense controlled much of the game in the second half, as Darian Murray, R.J. DeCamillo, Will Larson and Sean Jones each made multiple tackles to keep Weston out of the end zone for much of the third quarter. Jacob Dowdle had a remarkable sequence, running across the field on consecutive plays to make touchdown-saving tackles.
Weston was able to score once in the second half to make it 24-6 New Canaan, but that was as close the Trojans would get.
With the win, New Canaan improved to 5-1 on the season, setting up a huge showdown with first-place Wilton White (6-0) on Sunday for the regular season finale. The winner of that contest will clinch first place in the 5th Grade AFC Division as the league begins the playoffs the following week.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| New Canaan | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
