Fifth Grade Football: Wilton White 6 - Fairfield Black 0

On the strength of a smothering defense, Wilton 5 White overcame three turnovers and a raft of penalties, including two that nullified long touchdown runs by Blake Pagano-Walley and Everett Andersen, to defeat Fairfield Black 6-0 in FCFL action on Saturday.

On the initial series of the game, Fairfield got their first taste of the swarming Warrior defense when Jimmy McKiernan sacked the quarterback for an eight yard loss on third down, forcing a punt. 

With great field position at the Fairfield 47, the Warrior offensive line of Jack Baker, Evan Kauh, Aidan Shannon, Ryan Siegel, Josh White, Ashton Argento and Brendan Sullivan went to work opening holes for Sean Sullivan and Pagano-Walley.   However, after a 26 yard run by Sullivan, the Warriors fumbled the ball away.

On the next series, in what was a recurring theme all afternoon, the Warriors stopped Fairfield three consecutive times for a loss.  Matt Gulbin and Michael Coffey combined on the first two tackles and Coffey, who with a dozen tackles was a force on the field all day, sacked the quarterback on third down forcing another punt.

After Trevor Martines recovered a Wildcat fumble, the Warriors drove to the three, but fumbled away a great scoring opportunity and the half ended with no score.

The Warriors were perhaps even more dominant on defense in the second half, as Wilton defenders Austin Cameron, Jack Tinnen, Quinn Wiseman, Chip Hulse and Davis Cote made hit after hit on Fairfield ball carriers.

Pagano-Walley ran wild behind the offensive line of Cameron, Brian Cipri, Coffey, Gulbin, Charlie Hastings, Jack Tinnen and McKiernan in the second half, and although one of his touchdown runs was called back for holding, he later scored on a 27 yard scamper early in the fourth quarter to put the Warriors up 6-0.

The Warrior defense including Ryan Witty, Ryan Johnson, Connor Healey and Aidan Jasinski, delivered again as McKiernan’s hit on the quarterback resulted in a fumble recovery by Cameron.  The Wildcat defense stiffened, but on fourth down from the 25, Everett Andersen ran a bootleg 25 yards for an apparent touchdown that was called back by a holding call away from the play.

Fairfield showed some life on their last possession completing a screen pass to a swift running back who raced thirty yards down the sideline where Quinn Wiseman made a game saving tackle.  Two final passes fell harmlessly to the turf, sealing the (lopsided) 6-0 victory for Wilton.