Fifth Grade Football Playoffs: Wilton White 22 - Fairfield Black 0

With yet another dominant performance, the Wilton White fifth grade football team recorded its third consecutive shutout and fifth in eight games en route to a 22-0 defeat of Fairfield Black in the second round of the FCFL playoffs Sunday at Wilton’s Fujitani Field.

On just the third play of the game, after a long gain deep into Wilton territory, Matt Gulbin and Michael Coffey sandwiched a Fairfield running back, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Austin Cameron at the Wilton 23.

Employing a ground and pound attack out of the shotgun, and led by the offensive line of Ashton Argento, Jack Baker, Gulbin, Jack Hall, Aidan Shannon, Ryan Siegel, Brendan Sullivan, Jack Tinnen and Ryan Witty, Blake Pagano-Walley, Sean Sullivan and Trevor Martines ran straight at the Fairfield defense.  The Warriors moved the ball but eventually were forced to punt.

Fairfield was completely stymied by a stout Warrior defense led by Cameron, Coffey, Gulbin, Connor Healey, Aidan Jasinski, Ryan Johnson, Evan Kauh and Jimmy McKiernan, which stopped the Wildcats on fourth down to hand the ball to the Wilton offense at the Warrior 48.  Still pounding the ball straight ahead, Pagano- Walley broke off a 33 yard TD run to put the Warriors up 6-0.  The point after was wide left.

Great tackles by Sean Sullivan and Chip Hulse forced a Fairfield punt, giving Wilton the ball with less than a minute left in the half.  A pass interference call against the Wildcats moved the ball to the 29.  Everett Andersen again dropped back to pass, but scrambled left, cut inside a great block by McKiernan and rambled all the way to the end zone.  Andersen kicked the two point conversion to make the score 14-0 at the half.

Wilton moved the ball efficiently to start the second half as Cameron, Brian Cipri, Coffey, Gulbin, Charlie Hastings, Jimmy McKiernan and Jack Tinnen manhandled the Fairfield defensive line, opening massive holes.  On the drive, Pagano-Walley ran for 16 yards, Andersen for 19 and Sean Sullivan for 35, including a 19 yard scamper for the touchdown.  Andersen again added the two point kick to extend the lead to 22-0.

Wilton employed a variety of players at running back for the remainder of the game with Trevor Martines, Charlie Hastings, Josh White, Quinn Wiseman, Michael Coffey and Chip Hulse controlling the clock and gaining ground for the Warriors.

The Warriors' swarming defense kept the Wildcats at bay the rest of the way to preserve the shutout.

Wilton, now 8-0 on the season and the top seed in the playoffs, will take on New Canaan Black at home next weekend in the AFC division final for the right to play for the FCFL championship.