• No. 5 Windsor scores four quick touchdowns and NFA is never able to recovers in a 35-7 road loss.
No. 5 Warriors score touchdowns on four of first seven plays
Windsor — Rob Fleeting didn't think his team would be so good so early in Thursday night's game against Norwich Free Academy.
Honestly, an NFL coach wouldn't expect hisr team to execute like the Warriors did in the first half.
Windsor blitzed the Wildcats with a combi- nation of shock-andawe-no. It scored four firsthalf touchdowns on a mere seven plays in its 35-7 rout in a non-conference game at Jack O'Brien Field.
"That's been our struggle the first half of the season is the first half of offense," Fleeting said.
A laugh track would've been apropos after Fleeting's statement.
"A lot of guys are still developing," Fleeting continued. "That's why I wasn't shocked that we struggled early in the season offensively."
The Warriors (9-0) are ranked ranked fifth in The Day's Top 10 state coaches' poll and looked every bit like it and more against NFA. They were ahead, 27-0, with over 10 minutes left in the first half
"I didn't expect us to get up that quick," Fleeting said.
Neither did NFA. It rattled off several plays on its first two possessions, only to watch the Warriors get the ball back and score in a hiccup.
"(We) had a great eight days of practice," Wildcats head coach Jason Bakoulis said. "I just have to do a better job of making that transition from practice to the first snap and finding ways to make sure they're ready to go."
NFA is 5-4. Three of those losses have been out-of-conference, to ninth-ranked West Haven (42-19, Oct. 14) and Cheshire (35-29, Sept. 15).
The Wildcats' other loss was to unbeaten Fitch (46-13, Sept. 29).
Tomasz Johnson, a North Carolina transfer, ran 25 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns for Windsor, last season's CIAC Class L runner-up.
Julian Jackson completed 7-of-9 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Warriors.
Shea McManaway completed 18 of 45 passes for 212 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was on the run for most of the night as the Wildcats couldn't stop Windsor's pass rush.
Shayne Manson was a oneman gang at times for the Warriors and finished with two of their six sacks. Manson, a senior, has attracted interest from FCS schools.
"I think people are sleeping on him," Fleeting grinned.
McManaway said, "As a whole, offensively we just didn't execute."
NFA felt good about itself early as it forced the Warriors to go three-and-out. Its offense drove to midfield before having to punt.
Johnson ripped off a 73-yard touchdown run on Windsor's next play.
It took the Warriors two plays to score on its next possession. Jackson threw a sweet pass over the shoulder of a defender in stride to LJ Wolcott, who raced for a 92-yard touchdown and a 13-0 Windsor lead.
Windsor got the ball back with over two minutes left in the quarter. Johnson scored on a 42-yard touchdown on his team's first play.
Jackson threw a 52-yard touchdown to Gabriel Bryan early in the second quarter.
Jerry Woodard's interception gave Windsor the ball at the NFA 11-yard line late in the first half. Johnson scored on a 1-yard run with 17.4 seconds left, then ran in the two-point conversion to put the Warriors up 35-0.
McManaway threw an 11-yard touchdown to Cameron Belton to open up the second half.
NFA closes its season on Thanksgiving at home against New London in the 156th game of the nation's oldest high school football rivalry. n.griffen@theday.com