Prep hands No. 10 Cheshire first loss

FAIRFIELD — To say Fairfield Prep’s football season was in dire straits heading into Friday night was not an exaggeration.

The Jesuits stood at 1-3, on the brink of having their playoff chances be finished by mid-October. Must-win? Without a doubt, Prep had to win at home against Cheshire.

Accomplishing that feat — a 33-10 win — wasn’t a shock, even though Cheshire came in undefeated and ranked 10th in the latest GameTimeCT Top 10 poll. How it ended up unfolding was different than one might’ve expected.

A fumble return for a touchdown, a blocked field goal return for a touchdown and another touchdown set up by a muffed Cheshire punt not only turned momentum — it led to 33 unanswered points by Prep (2-3).

“We struggled the past few weeks. We really needed that. I think it will help us going into the rest of the season at this point,” Fairfield Prep senior Brice Muller said.

Said Cheshire coach Don Drust: “Turnovers and special teams, you’ve got to win those phases and we did not do that.”

Cheshire (4-1) led 10-0 and had just held on Prep’s 4th-down-and-1 attempt. But three plays later, Prep forced a fumble. JaVere Cannonier picked up the ball and went 64 yards for the touchdown late in the first quarter.

“Emotional momentum,” Prep coach Keith Hellstern said.

Malchi Mercer-Robinson scored the first of his two touchdowns (2-yard run) to cap a 12-play drive and give Fairfield Prep the lead in the second quarter.

It was the final play of the first half that ended up being the back breaker for the Rams.

Micah Gallozza lined up for a 44-yard field goal attempt. The Rams had just been pushed back 5 yards due to a penalty. The 6foot-6 Muller, a senior playing his first season of football, got his left hand on the kick.

“I was able to step over it (the block), got 2 yards deep, (the kicker) kicked it, got my (left) hand on it, watched the ball hit my hand,” Muller said.

Teammate Mason Frey did the rest. He picked up the ball and went 80 yards for the touchdown to increase Prep’s lead to 21-10.

“Brice with the great block and some great blocking down the field. I really just ran a straight line. I didn’t have to do a whole lot,” Frey said.

Said Hellstern: “That throws you into the half, and it throws them into the half in two opposite directions. To have it go our way like that was a big deal.”

Cheshire’s first possession of the second half ended up with a bad snap on a punt attempt and Prep taking over possession at the Rams’ 31-yard line. Mercer-Robinson scored his second touchdown four plays later.

“We made a lot of mistakes. I believes some were self-inflicted and some were inflicted by a good football team,” Drust said.

Things got worse for Cheshire when starting quarterback Matt Jeffery went out of the game in the third quarter with an injury. His right (throwing) arm was in a sling after the game.

“Don’t really know yet,” Drust said about Jeffery. “I would say this on any level of football, from youth football all the way to the pros. When your quarterback goes out, you are going to have to figure some things out.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Brice Muller, Fairfield Prep: Plenty of big plays made by Prep’s defense and special teams, none bigger than Muller’s blocked field goal attempt on the final play of the first half, leading to Mason Frey’s 80-yard return for a touchdown.

QUOTABLE

“The team was dead when we were down 10 points. Once we got the (fumble return) from Javi, it lit up the team. After that, it was touchdown after touchdown.” — Prep senior Brice Muller.