Westhill can’t stop Taft, Danbury in FCIAC tilt

STAMFORD — Danbury football coach Augie Tieri said running back Artez Taft carried them Saturday against Westhill.

On a few runs, including one in the second quarter where he shed tackle after tackle, he seemed to carry the entire Westhill team with him as well.

Taft scored twice as Danbury rallied from an early deficit, controlling the second half and beating Westhill 26-10 at J. Walter Kennedy Stadium.

“I thought we had a good game plan and we were able to establish the run early on,” Tieri said. “The offensive line did a fantastic job and obviously Artez was great. We know what type of player he is and he really put he team on his back and had a heck of a performance. You might underestimate him because of his size but he runs so powerfully and is so explosive.”

It was Westhill jumping out to the early lead with the first two scores of the game.

Kicker Alex Salzar nailed a 35-yard field goal on Westhill’s opening drive of the game.

The Vikings would go up 10-0 on a 4-yard run by Kevin Laba.

Westhill had good field position beginning the second drive after defensive linemen Wendy Dalencourt intercepted a pass at the line, giving Westhill the ball on the 14-yard line ahead of Laba’s score.

Danbury answered in the second quarter.

First it was Nick Smith diving in on a 4-yard run,

cutting the lead to 10-8 after a two-point conversion.

Then Taft took over, running through a big hole created by the offensive line and shaking tacklers before stiff-arming the final defender into the end zone with him, capping a 43-yard touchdown run.

Danbury completely controlled the second half on the ground.

First John Bardin ran a touchdown in from 19 yards out and then Taft closed the scoring in the fourth quarter on a 62-yard touchdown run.

Danbury could have had more but had four touchdowns called back on penalties in the second half.

For Westhill, the growing pains continue for the young team.

“Our defense gives good effort and we are usually in the right spots but Danbury just has amazing athletes,” Westhill coach Aland Joseph said. “We have to get kids on the ground. Our tackling wasn’t great today. We have guys in the right spot and they know what they are doing but it’s a weight room issue that we have to fix.”

Danbury moves to 2-4 with a home contest against Bridgeport Central next Friday at 7 p.m.

Westhill falls to 0-5 with a game at 1-4 McMahon Friday at 7 p.m.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Artez Taft, Danbury, RB, Sr: Taft ran for well over 100 yards, with many of those yards coming after first contact.

QUOTABLE

“It feels good to come out with a win today,” Taft said. “Our offensive line played great today. I wouldn’t have done anything without them. Big shoutout to them and big shoutout to the whole team. It was a great ‘W’ today.”