Ridgefield holds off rival Wilton, extends unbeaten streak against Warriors to 21

WILTON — The Ridgefield High School football team’s defense had its back against the wall on two separate occasions in the fourth quarter Saturday against rival Wilton. Both times — with no margin for error — the Tigers came up big in preserving a thrilling 21-6 victory.

“We’re really proud,” Ridgefield senior Kurt Monahan. “Every year for Ridgefield, the defense is always resilient, and we always have a lot of heart. We work really hard, and it shows on the field.”

Monahan made a game-saving play less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Wilton’s Kyle Phillips scored on a 3-yard run to cut Ridgefield’s lead to 7-6. Rather than kick the extra point and tie the game, the Warriors decided to go for two, but Monahan had other plans.

Wilton quarterback James O’Brien faked a handoff, rolled to his left, and spotted a receiver wide open in the end zone. Monahan, however, read the play perfectly and batted down O’Brien’s pass to protect the lead.

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“On that play, I just had the edge, so I was making sure that no run came out,” Monahan said. “When the receiver went behind me, I believed I had a cornerback covering him, so I came forward and was just trying to get to the quarterback. As soon as I saw him pulling his arm back, I jumped and put my hands up.”

Couple plays later. Wilton’s Matt Graham picks it back off #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/54efhYDJ52

— Pete Paguaga (@PetePaguaga) October 20, 2018

Wilton coach E.J. DiNunzio didn’t regret the gutsy call, and he certainly couldn’t fault his team’s execution — they had the receiver open in the end zone. Monahan just made a tremendous play.

“In the locker room (at halftime) I said to them, ‘If we score, what do you want to do? Do you want to go for the tie or do you want to go for the win?’” DiNunzio said. “Everyone, to a man, said to go for the win. And I have to be honest, he was wide open. Their defensive end made a heck of a play, put his hand up and batted it down.”

On its ensuing possession, Ridgefield extended its lead to 14-6 when Owen Matthews hooked up with Gianni Gorham on a 26-yard touchdown pass, the pair’s second scoring connection of the game. The Tigers drove 80 yards on five plays on that drive, thanks in large part to completions of 29 and 13 yards to Evan Wein along the way.

Matthews hooks up with Gorham for a 26-yard TD and Ridgefield extends lead over Wilton to 14-6 with 10 mins left #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/Fl428hMuh3

— Pete Paguaga (@PetePaguaga) October 20, 2018

IT AIN’T OVER YET

Even after they opened some much-needed breathing room on Gorham’s second touchdown grab, the Tigers were not yet out of the woods.

Far from it.

Wilton regained possession with 5:10 remaining following a Ridgefield punt, and Reilly Bingaman’s 15-yard return of that punt gave the Warriors the ball at the Ridgefield 43-yard line to start.

A pass interference call against Ridgefield, followed by a 19-yard completion from O’Brien to Dean DiNanno, moved the ball to the Ridgefield 9.

That, however, was as close as the Warriors came. On third-and-goal from the 11, O’Brien was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Nicholas Hall. Then on fourth down, O’Brien’s pass into the end zone fell incomplete. Once again, the Tigers defense rose to the challenge.

“Our defense played well, especially in the big moments,” Ridgefield coach Kevin Callahan said. “I thought they did some really good things. We only returned three starters, so we’re young, but after a game like this, some of those young guys got a little bit older.”

Ridgefield then took over on downs with 2:53 to go and marched 80 yards on seven plays for the decisive touchdown, a 7-yard scamper by Jack Englert. That drive was kept alive by a 21-yard run by Ben Seward on third-and-1 from the Ridgefield 45.

Wilton finally gets on the board as Kyle Phillips scores from 3 yards out with 1109 left #cthsfb

Wilton’s 2pt try fails

Ridgefield leads Wilton 7-6 pic.twitter.com/Vsxfrtfu2D

— Pete Paguaga (@PetePaguaga) October 20, 2018

THE RIVALRY

The Ridgefield-Wilton rivalry dates back generations, and the Tigers are 20-0-1 against Wilton dating back to their winless 1993 season.

“We had a responsibility to win this game, so we came here and did our job,” Monahan said. “All you hear is ‘You have to beat Wilton.’ That’s known around our town. That’s what we had to do. We came in and did it.”

The Warriors came awfully close to ending Ridgefield’s unbeaten streak Saturday in what was a one-possession game until Englert’s touchdown with 1:10 remaining.

“We played this game with probably four guys who were less than 50 percent,” DiNunzio said. “They said ‘Coach, we’re not staying out of the game.’ They played and they went as hard as they could. They played like true warriors. All the credit in the world goes to Ridgefield. They’re a good football team, there’s no doubt about it. But the guys I have in that locker room, I wouldn’t trade them for any other team in the state.”

Ridgefield 21, Wilton 6

R: Gianni Gorham 33 pass from Owen Matthews (Sebastian Gasparo kick)
W: Kyle Phillips 3 run (pass failed)
R: Gianni Gorham 26 pass from Owen Matthews (Sebastian Gasparo kick)
R: Jack Englert 7 run (Sebastian Gasparo kick)

Records: Ridgefield 3-3; Wilton 3-3.