Aspetuck 6th-Graders Fall to Norwalk

WESTON, Conn. – The Aspetuck Wildcats sixth-grade football team drove inside the Norwalk 5-yard line four times during Sunday's game. Unfortunately, the Wildcats came away with only two touchdowns in a 27-14 setback in a Colonial Youth Football game at Weston High School.

Daniel Santa Maria scored both touchdowns for the Wildcats, made up of players from Weston, Easton and Redding. Christopher Duffy threw for a touchdown.

The critical moment for Aspetuck occurred early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 14-6, the Wildcats marched to the Norwalk 4-yard line before a fumble ended the threat. Norwalk scored on its next possession. On Aspetuck’s final drive of the game, the clock expired with the Wildcats on the Norwalk 3-yard line.

"That's all I can ask, for them to play hard to the end of the game,'' Aspetuck coach Jeff Gombos said. "We were able to do that. A couple of big plays were the difference."

Aspetuck had trouble stopping speedy Norwalk runners Jeremiah Harris (three touchdowns) and Sharod Blackwell (one TD). The Wildcats, however, moved the ball effectively through the efforts of quarterback Patrick Stack, Santa Maria and running backs Duffy, Ryan Gombos and Aidan Connolly.

Norwalk grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter before Aspetuck climbed back on a 5-yard run by Santa Maria with 30 seconds left in the first half. Stack's 20-yard completion to Jimmy Stablein set Aspetuck up at the Norwalk 9.

After Norwalk went up 20-6 with 3:52 left in the game, Duffy hit Santa Maria on a nicely disguised 59-yard halfback option pass for a touchdown. Santa Maria shook off two tacklers to reach the end zone. Santa Maria kicked the conversion, and Aspetuck trailed 20-14 with 2:33 left.

Norwalk recovered the onsides kick and added a final score with 2:01 remaining. Aspetuck drove again behind the passing of Duffy to get deep into Norwalk territory before time expired.

Duffy also had an interception for Aspetuck, and Gombos recovered an onsides kick to give the Wildcats momentum in the third quarter. 

Aspetuck plays Newtown at Weston High Sunday at 10 a.m. One new addition to home games this year is a Booster Barn that is open throughout the games to offer refreshments to fans.

Send recaps and pictures of your child's game to trenner@mainstreetconnect.us.

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