#MIDDLEBURY #SOUTHBURY #@POMP_JUNGLE16 #@POMP_CHEER
Pomperaug senior wide receiver Chris Papallo hangs onto a pass along the sidelines after getting wrapped up by a host of New Fairfield tacklers Nov. 4 in front of a large senior night crowd at Ed Arum Field in Southbury. Pomperaug ran out of time after a last-minute touchdown drive left the Panthers on the short end of a 17-16 final score. (Ken Morse photo)
By Ken Morse – Special to the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer
New Fairfield kicker Liam Ford split the uprights on a 14-yard field goal with 2:52 left in the game and his score provided the deciding points as the Rebels took a 17-8 lead over Pomperaug Nov. 4 at Ed Arum Field in Southbury.
However, teams in the South West Conference are quickly realizing that, even with a 2-6 record, the Panthers are no walk in the park. The 6-2 Rebels had all they could do to hang on as Pomperaug staged a last-minute rally before time ran out.
Quarterback Matt Lenczewski engineered a nine-play drive, completing seven of eight passes, including a 9-yard touchdown strike to Troy Harwell, and Tom Satkowski rumbled into the end zone for the two-point conversion to make it a 17-16 game.
Twenty-nine seconds were still left in the game, and New Fairfield committed a personal foul on the touchdown that cost them a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff. Pomperaug lined up at the Rebels’ 45-yard line and tried to come up with the onsides kick that would have given them one last-ditch attempt.
New Fairfield recovered the ball and breathed a sigh of relief, running out the clock and escaping with the victory. Once again it was the stubborn Pomperaug defense that kept them in the game and gave them a chance to put this game in the win column.
Lenczewski said, “It feels great to be back out there trying to do what I can to help my teammates, my brothers, anyway I can. We just need to stick together and pick each other up.
“The plan was to go out there and march down the field and hopefully come up with the onsides kick. We just have to go back to practice and have a good week and give it all we’ve got again next week.”
The Rebels came out firing at the start of the game with quarterback Matt Palardy (eight of 12 passing for 123 yards) leading the team down the field. New Fairfield lined up for a field goal attempt at the Pomperaug 17-yard line, but a penalty took them out of range.
New Fairfield was knocking on the door again on their next possession until Joe LaCava came up with a fumble recovery at the Panthers’ 11-yard line. The Pomperaug bread-and-butter running game saw flashes with Jake Harwell going for a 26-yard jaunt and Kyle Sheehan breaking one for 20 yards, but for most of the game the running game was held in check.
At 7:33 to go before the half, Palardy led the Rebels on a 12-play drive that was aided by a 15-yard pass interference penalty and a lucky bounce. Chris Sarro took a handoff and headed for a touchdown but was separated from the ball by a strong defensive hit. Anthony Pearl fell on the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, and Will Enright booted the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Mike Muratroyd took the kickoff back 35 yards to get into New Fairfield territory and Lenczewski went to work. Ten-yard passes to Murgatroyd, Chris Papallo and Jake Mendicino got the Panthers inside the Rebels’ 20-yard line.
With 54 seconds left on the clock, Lenczewski hit Troy Harwell on a 17-yard touchdown pass and Harwell then ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-7 Pomperaug lead at the break.
“I was really impressed how our guys stepped up against a very good team,” said Pomperaug head coach James Reed. “Our offensive line protected Matt well and our receivers made some tough catches.”
A short punt by the Panthers to start the second half gave New Fairfield good field position starting at the Pomperaug 39-yard line. Two plays later, Randy Benitez went 23 yards for a touchdown, and Enright booted the extra point to up the lead at 14-8.
New Fairfield looked to have the game well in hand when they lined up for a field goal from 16 yards out with nine minutes remaining in the game, but Matt Hadad and Satkowski rushed the kick and it went wide.
Untimely penalties took Pomperaug out of a few scoring opportunities. A couple of sacks led to another short punt and this time the Rebels cashed in. Starting at the Pomperaug 31-yard line, Ford hit a field goal to put New Fairfield ahead by two scores with time running out on Pomperaug.
Papallo (five catches for 53 yards) and Mendicino (five catches for 55 yards) took turns making catches along the sidelines to stop the clock as the game got inside the two-minute mark.
“Give credit to these kids; they never gave up,” added Reed. “I’m so proud of these kids for playing with the heart they did. There was one drive late in the third quarter where we compounded our mistakes and it cost us an opportunity.”
Pomperaug will be back in action Friday, Nov. 11, at Bethel for a 7 p.m. showdown.
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