The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Scott, unbeaten Wesleyan ready for test
50 Cardinals visit 50 Middlebury on Saturday
MIDDLETOWN — After engineering the most important drive of his young career, Wesleyan quarterback Ashton Scott was almost lost for words.
“Everyone said, ‘Good game.’ All I had to say was, ‘That was crazy. That was crazy. I can’t believe that actually happened,’” Scott said, recalling the sheer excitement of last week’s 2013 win over Tufts. “I was kind of in shock.”
Scott, in just his fifth collegiate start, orchestrated an eightplay, 80yard drive that was capped by Matthew Simco’s 29yard touchdown grab with six seconds remaining.
That was easily the signature moment to date for the Cardinals, who at 50 are off to their best start since 2013. But will it remain as such?
The Cardinals, of course, are hoping to author more heroics, starting Saturday (1 p.m.) when they visit the only other remaining unbeaten in the NESCAC — 50 Middlebury.
“We lose this week, next week, whatever, the rest doesn’t matter,” defensive back Ben Thaw, a Westport native, said.
Wesleyan has reached this point largely on the strength of the 6foot1, 190pound Scott. After sitting behind former Shelton star Mark Piccirillo, a threeyear starter, as a freshman, Scott won the job this summer over junior Dan Smith.
Coach Dan DiCenzo was careful not to overload Scott early. He made sure the sophomore from Brockport, N.Y., knew he didn’t need to win games by himself and that he instead could rely on those around him.
“We had him in camp when he was a recruit and he was really talented, and then as a freshman he did some things where we were
like, ‘Hey, you’ve just got to keep working,’ ” DiCenzo said. “We knew he had talent. He can run. He can throw. He does everything we need him to do at our level.”
All he’s done since being anointed the starter is throw for 926 yards, 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions, in addition to running for 251 yards. His completion percentage of 62.9 is secondbest in the conference.
“He’s been awesome for us,” Thaw said. “There’s no way we’d be 50 without him and the rest of the offense.”
Scott said the offense hasn’t changed much, even with Piccirillo now at Quinnipiac med school. The scheme is the same and, for the most part, so are the results.
“My job,” Scott said simply, “was just to come in and do my job. Do what they want me to do, and do what I have to do to put my teammates in position to make plays.”
The offense has been humming. They’re averaging 29.2 points (up from 23.2 last season) and 372 yards per game. It’s what DiCenzo had hoped for from the start.
“He’s one of those kids that’s in our office the whole time,” DiCenzo said. “It’s really important to him. He wants to be great.”
Scott’s dramatic touchdown pass to Simco — who leads the Cardinals with 22 receptions for 355 yards — was a milestone, of sorts. A firstyear starter leading a gamewinning drive in the final seconds.
It was the kind of moment, DiCenzo said, that can’t be simulated.
“Those types of experiences, you can’t really go in practice and do that stuff,” he said.
Scott, obviously, is hoping there’s more moments like that to come.