Football: O’Brien sharp in Wilton’s win over Fitch
Secondyear Wilton football head coach EJ DiNunzio was serious when he said his team was going to throw the ball more this season.
Just how serious became apparent Friday night as the Warriors defeated Fitch, 3114, in the opener for both teams at Tom Fujitani Field in Wilton.
Quarterback Jimmy O’Brien, who, according to DiNunzio, “throws a good ball and reads defenses well,” did just that. O’Brien displayed pinpoint accuracy while tossing two touchdown passes and running for another. The senior finished the game 19 of 23 for 202 yards.
O’Brien went to work on his team’s first possession, which started at the Wilton 29yard line. He completed seven straight passes — four to tight end Mike Coffey — on a 10play drive that ended with Parker Woodring blasting a 37yard field goal for a 30 lead at 6:59 of the opening quarter.
A holding penalty nullified a wouldbe touchdown on the drive, and an illegalmotion penalty made Woodring’s kick that much more difficult. But the firstyear varsity kicker handled the job like a veteran, splitting the uprights.
An interception by cornerback Reilly Sullivan on Fitch’s first possession gave Wilton the ball back at the Falcon 44. Two O’Brien completions and a sixyard run by Jack DiRocco moved the Warriors to the Fitch 23. But a Wilton penalty on a completion to Kris Hyzy negated a first down and the march stalled.
After Fitch picked up a first down the Wilton defense held, giving the Warriors possession at their own 35. A sevenplay drive — aided by two passinterference calls on Fitch — culminated in Jake Sommer’s sixyard touchdown run, and Woodring’s extra point put Wilton ahead 100 with 7:45 left in the second quarter.
Despite Wilton’s dominance, Fitch stubbornly stayed in the game. An eightyard TD pass from Lashier Edwards to Noah Charron (and Evan Burdy’s PAT) trimmed the Falcons’ deficit to 107 with six minutes left in the half.
But Wooder Thoby returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards, setting up O’Brien’s 11yard touchdown pass to Hyzy with 3:34 left in the second quarter. Drew Phillips’ 14yard run on fourth down had kept the sixplay drive alive.
The Warriors held their 177 lead through the third quarter as neither team’s offense could gain traction. But at the end of the quarter, the Warriors gained good field position at the Falcon 45. Eight plays later, O’Brien found Dom Polito for a 15yard touchdown. The extra point made it 247 and Wilton had some breathing room with 10:31 left in the game.
The Warriors added to their lead after a poor punt gave them the ball at the Fitch 32. A beautiful throw and catch from O’Brien to Hyzy put the ball at the Falcon oneyard line. A falsestart penalty pushed the ball back to the sixyard line, from where O’Brien scored on a bootleg around the left side.
Trailing 317, Fitch got its second touchdown of the night with 4:26 left when James Deichler rumbled in from 20 yards out. Burdy kicked the extra point to end the scoring.