New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Hamden collects first win over Prep since 2009
FRIDAY HAMDEN 42 FAIRFIELD PREP 27
HAMDEN — The naysayers questioned Hamden’s schedule. Sure, the Green Dragons were unbeaten in three outings, but they hadn’t played a high quality team yet.
Those doubters were quieted bigtime Friday night as Hamden dominated from the start and knocked off Fairfield Prep, 42-27, in a Southern Connecticut Conference inter-tier football contest. It was the first time the Green Dragons have beaten the Jesuits since 2009.
“Everyone was killing us that we haven’t played anybody and haven’t done anything,” Hamden coach Tom Dyer said. “These kids took it to heart and played a heck of a game tonight. We don’t look at the past, but we’re writing our own story here.”
Hamden (4-0) was the big play team all night as it took advantage of a bunch of missed tackles and turnovers by visiting Fairfield Prep.
It started all with a huge play that set the tone in the first quarter. With their backs to the wall on their own three-yard line after a Fairfield Prep punt, Hamden
got on the board just five minutes into the game.
The Green Dragons offensive line opened a huge hole for Camren Kemp (29 carries for 193 yards) and he blasted right through it for a 97-yard touchdown run.
“I loved it,” Kemp said. “That’s what I like to see.”
Dyer said Kemp took the
running game on his shoulders as the Green Dragons were without two running backs in Tyshaun Davender and Shawn Mills with injuries.
“We think we have three really special backs,” Dyer said. “We just didn’t have two of them tonight.”
After that, the teams exchanged touchdowns through the first 1:14 of the third quarter when Wally Wuchiski raced 32 yards to tie things at 14-14.
After that, Hamden took over for good. Kemp scooted 19 yards for his second touchdown of the night.
The Green Dragons then took advantage of the two Travion Singleton interceptions and J.J. Gibson (9for-12 passing for 207 yards and four touchdowns) connected with Singleton for a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Hamden a 28-14 lead.
Fairfield Prep started to move the move the ball but the turnover bug bit the Jesuits again as William McCormack caught a pass from quarterback Tyler Smith (23-for-35 passing for 306 yards), but he fumbled after a 33-yard gain and Hamden’s Anthony Bolden II pounced on the football.
“Turnovers are crushing us,” Fairfield Prep coach Keith Hellstern said. “It’s not something we aren’t trying to fix, but we’re having a hard time getting it done on game night.”
Four plays later, Gibson hooked up with Cameron Covington for a 10-yard touchdown pass to give the Green Dragons a 35-14 lead with 1:52 remaining in the third quarter.
It seemed as if Hamden was home free, but Fairfield Prep didn’t go away.
Smith connected with Finbar Malloy for a sevenyard touchdown pass to close Fairfield Prep within 35-20 with 8:44 to play. The Jesuits then surprised Hamden with an onside kick to take possession at midfield. Four plays later, Malachi Mercer-Robinson scored from a yard out to make it 35-27 with 8:01 remaining.
And things became even more interesting when Fairfield Prep executed another onside kick it recovered.
“I made a mistake not putting out my hands team,” Dyer said. “I put my kids in a bad situation there, but our defense bailed us out there.”