There is so much that goes into being a champion. If you put in the work and dedicate yourself every day to getting better it doesn’t always guarantee you’ll end up the last team standing in the end. There is also a level of fate that factor into every season. It’s what makes winning in football euphoric and losing so terribly excruciating. The closer you get to that ultimate goal the more intense those emotions become. This is what makes a game that is about 85% preparation and 15% participation so unique.
Darien Blue Wave (11-1) and Newtown Nighthawks (12-0) have been on a collision course since last season’s Quarterfinals. In 2018 Newtown defeated Darien 26-16 ending their chance at winning their 4th straight state championship. Both teams are built around their tremendous defenses and tireless work ethic. Newtown has closed the season strong only giving up 10 points in the last 6 games and pitching two shutouts in the playoffs going into the championship game. Darien boasts the most relentless pass rush in the state with 49.5 sacks. As far as work ethic goes both programs are second to none. Whether it’s a weight lifting competition, a linemen challenge, or a passing tournament neither team has ever saw a competitive situation they didn’t want a part of. Both programs have spent decades building a culture through their youth programs and in their communities. Truly showing the state, if you want to be a successful program here is the “blue”print. Pun intended.
My day started on Friday afternoon. Since I haven’t figured out a way yet to monetize this blog yet I still have to pick up overtime at work where I can get it. I came home after a night shift to pick up my daughter for basketball practice and an hour nap afterwards. No way was I missing this state championship game. I made myself a nice quest list for championship Saturday. Allison taking the trip was more by necessity and not by her choice. She was promised wings if she came along which became the ultimate selling point. The second quest was friend and Coach Tom Farrell. Tommy and I coached at New Milford High School for 3 years and had a ton of fun working together on the defensive staff; Tom was an all-state in football, wrestling, and track & field during his time in high school. He now coaches Defensive Line at Wilton High School. Before the game we met up for my last wing review of the football season.
The three of us walked into “The Sitting Duck Tavern” in Trumbull Connecticut. The appearance on the outside wasn’t much to look at. It’s in the middle of a strip mall with no real eye-catching features. However, when you walk in you’re brought into a very country southern feel to the restaurant. The actually term is industrial chic but since I don’t use words like chic, we will stick to country southern. The tables bar, and furniture are all made from dark woods. The bar was circular and is the centerpiece for the whole restaurant with dangling Christmas lights and small TVs wrapped around the above bar rack. The kitchen is open which always adds a showman like quality to the atmosphere. Like watching a star player warm up before a big game. The menu was your typical American fare with some trending items such as crispy brussels sprouts with bacon, crab tater kegs (larger stuffed tots), and double mac and cheese. They have basically taken foods you ate at 10 years old and made them bigger and with bacon. The 48 hour marinated beef tips were recommended by friend before but today’s trip was all about wings. Allison ordered the BBQ wings, her personal favorite. Tom order spicy Carolina sauce a smooth golden tangy flavor that he prefers. I ordered the mild buffalo as has been my M.O. since the start. I also ordered the “Duck Wings” with a sweet chili glaze witch I was intrigue by immediately when doing my weekly wing scouting report.
The strengths of the wings were in the sauces. The buffalo was spicy and had good bite to them. The duck wings sauce was a thicker sweet sauce with hints of chili flakes giving it some medium heat. The weakness was in the inconsistent sizes of the wings. The size of the drums and flats were all over the place which led to some of the wings being over cooked. These wings are 3-star recruit. They are an FBS (former D1 AA) recruit who definitely has some skills but their deficiencies won’t allow them to play for a power 5 conference team. Overall a place I want to revisit to try some of their other menu items.
The parking lot was packed as we arrived at McDougall Stadium. I met up with my third quest David James who just finished up a fantastic senior season at QB for Western Connecticut State University. DJ was the first Varsity quarterback at Abbott Tech and has been living his football dream to be a starting QB ever since. DJ completed a great group of people to watch State Championship football with. We walked through the rain soaked parking lot observing Darien fans tailgating and Newtown alumni in their lettermen jackets. It didn’t come to me until later on, but both student sections had green t-shirts on. This was in remembrance of the tragic day in Sandy Hook 7 years ago. It was a nice tribute by both communities. We made our way to the Darien side of the field and climbed to the top corner of the stands, scoreboard side. I feel this is usually the best view to see the game. Little did I know for the 2nd and 3rd quarters that would not matter. Both fan bases were out in full force however, as the game began there was a difference in the roar from one sideline to another. The excitement on the Newtown side seemed to be a little louder coming from getting to this point for the first time since 1992.
The first quarter went as most do when you have two relentless defenses. Newtown came out aggressive with their blitz game. They were led by the pressure of All-State seniors Jared Dunn and James Knox. A QB pressure by Dunn caused the game’s first turnover an interception by fellow senior defensive back Jack Zingaro. The first quarter ended in a 0-0 stalemate as the heavy fog rolled in and changed the dynamics of the game.
The light mist and warmer temperatures made for a thicker fog that took over the second quarter. As a coach your strategy has to be adjusted to when visibility is limited. This is time where you rely on your players, especially offensively, to let you know what they can see and what they can’t. On 3rd and goal from the 9 yard line Darien’s QB Paul Graham could clearly see Ryan Mulliken in the back of the end zone. Darien finally broke through to go ahead 7-0. Darien’s defense shutdown Newtown’s offense for the rest of the second quarter led by senior defensive end Will Bothwell and junior defensive tackle Teddy Christensen. The half time score was 7-0 and both coaches looking to figure out the elements and how to grab that state championship in the last 24 minutes.
There was no change in the fog going into the third quarter. Any plays made on the opposite sideline I had to listen to the roar of the crowd to see if a ball was caught or fumbled. Both teams exchanged punts back and forth for most of the third quarter. Toward the end of the third quarter Jared Dunn came up big once again. He intercepted a Darien pass that shutdown another Blue Wave drive. This set up for a big finish going into the fourth quarter.
One play can make for an unforgettable moment but one play never truly wins a game. The fourth quarter of this class LL state championship had a series of plays that helped decide who would be declared the victor. The fog began to lift and Darien began to move the ball. Behind the tough running of Will Kirby (24 carries 114 yards) Darien moved into Newtown territory a couple times in the 4th quarter. The Newtown defense held strong on Darien’s first attempt and stopped them on a 4th and 16. Newtown Junior QB Jack Street on the next possession found Senior Wideout Reilly Ward in the flat. Ward turned on the jets for a 75-yard touchdown that knotted the game at 7-7. After both teams had exchanged punts, they each had 1 more crack at winning the football game.
Darien drove the football down to the Nighthawk 32-yard line. On a 4th and 1 with 1:01 to go in the game, Newtown’s defense, like it has done all season, made the stop, stuffing a jet sweep in the back field. This huge play gave Newtown one more chance with the ball in regulation to make history. After two clutch Street to Ward 3rd down conversions Newtown lined up with 3.3 second left at the Darien 36-yard line. After a timeout the ball was snapped. The Newtown offensive line gave Street excellent protection verse the best defensive line in the state. Street stepped up in the pocket and tossed a perfect spiral to Wards out stretched arms at the final buzzer. An imperfect game ended with a perfect final play. I looked at Tom and DJ and our jaws dropped. The roar of the crowd was deafening. 27 years of emotion let out. On such somber day in this town’s history each year that hopefully can bring a light to this tight knit community.
It wasn’t the greatest game I have ever seen but what made the game beautiful from both teams was the struggle. Two teams fighting all night through the thick fog, squeezing out every bit of energy, and using every single second of the clock to decide the victor. Any good program believes they are going to win but nobody ever thinks you’ll win in that fashion. It’s the kind of moment you draw up in the back yard playing football with your friends. This was the kind of moment that happens once in a life time.
After the game winning catch, Reilly Ward ran around the field in stunned disbelief. All of his teammates and coaching staff embraced each other. The music that started playing wasn’t the typical Queen “We are the Champions”. They instead played a Whitney Houston’s song “one moment in time”. There is a line in the song that I feel perfectly describes the end of this football game.
“You’re a winner for a lifetime…If you seize that one moment in time ….Make it shine.”
The moment never shined brighter than it did on that foggy Saturday night.
WEEK 15 : ONE MOMENT IN TIME
