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Shanika Mitchell, mother of NiShawn Tolliver, is surrounded by players after coach Jamar Greene awarded her the game ball to honoring her son after Stamford defeated Staples 14-13 in their season opener in FCIAC football at Boyle Stadium in Stamford, Connecticut on Sept. 13, 2019. Tolliver lost his life, along with Ky-Mani Antoine-Pollack in a car crash in Stamford in August 2019.
lessPhoto: Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut MediaShanika Mitchell, mother of NiShawn Tolliver, is surrounded by players after coach Jamar Greene awarded her the game ball to honoring her son after Stamford defeated Staples 14-13 in their season opener in
... more
Shanika Mitchell, mother of NiShawn Tolliver, is surrounded by players after coach Jamar Greene awarded her the game ball to honoring her son after Stamford defeated Staples 14-13 in their season opener in FCIAC football at Boyle Stadium in Stamford, Connecticut on Sept. 13, 2019. Tolliver lost his life, along with Ky-Mani Antoine-Pollack in a car crash in Stamford in August 2019.
lessShanika Mitchell, mother of NiShawn Tolliver, is surrounded by players after coach Jamar Greene awarded her the game ball to honoring her son after Stamford defeated Staples 14-13 in their season opener in
... moreSTAMFORD — With angels on their shoulders, the Stamford football team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory for the program.
Three weeks after the passing of former football player Ky-Mani Antoine-Pollack, 19, a recent graduate of Stamford schools, and NiShawn Tolliver, 18, who would have entered his senior year at Stamford High this fall, the Stamford football team delivered one night of joy for a community desperately in need of it.
WEEK 1 SCOREBOARD / SCHEDULE
The Black Knights scored with 6:27 left to get within one point of Staples and opted to go for the two-point conversion and the win.
Quarterback Isaiah Johnson dove in with the 2-pointer, the defense held down the stretch and the most cathartic celebration in the long history of Boyle Stadium was under way with Stamford defeating Staples 14-13.
Johnson runs in 2 point conversion. Ref gets run over. 14-13 Stamford 6:27 left #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/EjWNtm9dhX
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) September 14, 2019
“This is amazing, bro. I did this for my guy who passed recently,” Stamford senior Tyriq Deveaux said as tears flowed down his face. “This is all for him. All of it. And it’s going to keep going. I promise that.”
Deveaux scored both Stamford touchdowns on passes from Johnson.
In the first quarter the pair hooked up on a 37-yard score.
Tyriq Deveaux who scored 2 touchdowns tonight talks about the emotions of playing for his deceased friends #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/6uOT9iEisf
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) September 14, 2019
In the fourth, trailing by 7, they connected again, this time on a 28-yard pass down the sideline, putting Stamford within one.
There was no doubt in Stamford coach Jamar Greene’s mind, they would try to win it.
“I’m at a loss for words, right now,” Greene said. “I always believed in our guys and I felt we had a team that could surprise them. They might be bigger, they might be stronger but we stuck to our game plan and we went after them. We had a shot to kick for the tie or go for the win. How many opportunities are we going to have to win this type of game? Let’s go for two. This is very special.”
Unreal. Stamford 14 Staples 13. Incredible emotion here #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/SUOYDevUxs
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) September 14, 2019
Stamford led 6-0 at the half.
Staples finally broke through the stout Stamford defense on a 7-yard run by Robenson Hall with 4:37 left in the third, but a missed extra point left the game tied 6-6.
The next Stamford possession, Staples defensive back Tadeo Messenger intercepted a Stamford pass, running it back 20 yards for a touchdown to put Staples in the lead 13-6 with 2:35 left in the quarter.
Staples Hall 7 yard TD to tie it 6-6. Extra point missed 4:38 left in third #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/ZJnlIDG4PB
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) September 14, 2019
After a Stamford punt with just under eight minutes to play, Stamford got the break it needed, recovering a fumble on Staples first running play from scrimmage to set themselves up for the winning score.
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“I have to do a better job as a coach preparing the guys,” Staples coach Adam Behrends said. “We need to get back to work and hammer the fundamentals and the technique and that starts with me. I need to do a better job of that.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Tyriq Deveaux, Stamford. Two touchdown catches on the night and a whole lot of emotion after the game.
Stamford AD Chris Passamano pays tribute to those killed in August car crash prior to kickoff #cthsfb pic.twitter.com/OyDyXiOvIa
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) September 13, 2019
