Short-handed Norwalk still answered the bell

NORWALK — This was a game the Norwalk football team badly wanted. After beating Cheshire two weeks ago and off to a 4-0 start for the first time in a decade, the Bears had set their sights on New Canaan.

New Canaan is a brand name in Connecticut high school football, a legacy program that chases a state title every year. Under Lou Marinelli, the Rams have chased down 12 of those state championships and, sure enough, are 5-0 again.

If you beat New Canaan and you scream you belong among Connecticut’s best, no one screams back that you are a pretender.

So here we were Sunday afternoon at Testa Field, with No. 6 Norwalk facing No. 3 New Canaan, both hungry to stake a lofty place at the halfway mark of a wildly unpredictable season.

And wouldn’t you know it? COVID-19 stepped in and made sure no one forgets it remains a destructive force.

COVID won the 2020 state football title in all four classes and clearly will not go down easily in 2021.

The Bears played their hearts out Sunday without 15 players, including four who see considerable playing time, and a couple of coaches, including firstyear head coach Pat Miller, because of COVID protocols. Norwalk had barely 30 players in pads. That’s Class S, not FCIAC Class LL.

Assistant coaches split duties, filled in areas where they were needed and everyone gave it their best. The bye week was supposed to be a time for rest, not quarantine.

“We can’t complain,” running back Cam Edwards said after Norwalk’s 17-14 loss. “We played the game as hard as we could. It’s sad we couldn’t come out with a W. We’ll get our full team on Monday and we’ll be back at it. This one game is not going to affect us as far as our eyes on the playoffs. We are a very confident team. We were low players, but I was very happy with the team we had today. I don’t doubt any of my teammates.”

Edwards gave it his best on both sides of the ball and then he gave some more. Banged up a few times, he’d go off for a play and jump right back into play. He was a force in the defensive backfield, rushing in to make a number of wicked tackles. He was the returner on special teams. He carried the ball 25 times for 160 yards.

“I try to keep my body right for games like this,” he said.

Cam Edwards has to be the state’s top player at the midseason pole.

After carrying the ball seven times on a 70-yard third-quarter drive, Edwards carried it an eighth time on fourth-and-2 for a 12-yard touchdown that screamed one part power, one part grace and five parts determination. It also tied the game at 7.

“All I saw was one big old hole,” Edwards said, “and I pushed my lineman (George Torres) toward the end zone (knocking down two New Canaan defenders) and I dove (over a third). When I want something bad, I’ll get it.”

Still, it wasn’t quite enough. Two long passes by New Canaan’s Henry Cunney to Jack McPhillips made an enormous impact. One was a 35-yard TD pass to an open McPhillips to make it 7-0 and the other was a 43-yard pass play that set up New Canaan’s second touchdown. The Rams mostly stayed away from Edwards’ side. Mysonne Pollard, one of Norwalk’s top players, was out because of COVID protocols. Justin Oliver hadn’t played safety this season and the Rams appeared to take advantage of it.

To his credit, Oliver pulled in a 49-yard touchdown pass from Shawn Brown with 5:18 left to make it 17-14.

“The kids have played their tails off all year, so I wasn’t expecting anything different,” said Norwalk line coach Mike LaRusso. “I wouldn’t want to coach another group of guys. They do everything the right way.”

LaRusso said Miller was on the phone before the game. He called at halftime. Watching the game on Local Live, Michael called athletic director Doug Marchetti during the third quarter to point out something.

“He was in tune,” LaRusso said. “I’m sure he was itching to be here. We never like moral victories. I know we played well, but at the same time we would have liked a little better outcome. With the guys we have, full strength and ready to roll — as long was we keep our nose to the grindstone — we can play with anybody.”

It was fascinating watching the assistants, including former UConn and NFL receiver Marcus Easley, speak to the players in the postgame huddle. They may have lost by three points, but the team did not fracture an inch.

“I feel like when we have our whole team, we can play with anybody in the state,” Edwards said. “But no excuses today.”

Miller had exhibited COVID symptoms, Marchetti said. When the two spoke Saturday, Marchetti said Miller sound much better.

“Given the circumstances, with still a half season to play, it was a burden for our kids, our family, as well as New Canaan’s program to try to find a perfect date,” Marchetti said. “Is it ideal? No. But I appreciate everything New Canaan did in working with us. We did get a great day weatherwise.”

Amid the hullabaloo of postponements, cancellations and rescheduling the most underrated aspect of the COVID-recovery season is teams playing on without a full roster in a particular week. It has happened to a number of schools and the truth is it is difficult to absolutely quantify the impact on that team’s performance. It can’t be good.

Certainly, COVID-19 had an impact Sunday.

“The biggest concern everyone has, I’d say CIAC included, is the concern that you want the games to be played so you don’t have questions at the end of the year,” Marchetti said. “What games weren’t played? What opponents weren’t played? Impact games that potentially weren’t played that may affect the playoffs.

“I think everyone is going to do everything in their power to play the games as quickly as they can and try to stave off issues at the end of the year. The bye week is essentially gone. You have a bye week left right before Thanksgiving. No one really wants to touch that now. Once you used it, you can’t use it again.”

Norwalk has Wilton on Nov. 12 and McMahon on Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Day). New Canaan has Warde on Nov. 12 and No. 1 Darien in the Turkey Bowl. With so much on the line, you think New Canaan wanted to squeeze Norwalk in on Nov. 19?

And what happens if the teams are involved in another postponement? With one date open and two games left, it would be a nightmare deciding which game is played and which one isn’t. That’s a potential scenario for so many schools. And depending on who you play and who you don’t, the playoff point system is skewed. COVID cares not a whit.

So New Canaan and Norwalk played Sunday to make sure the game happened. COVID-19 had its say, but certainly not its final say.