It's Mueller Time - New Canaan 3rd Grade Black Stuns Wilton 3rd Grade Blue

“I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.” - Former Saints RB George Rogers

WILTON - Trailing Wilton Blue 12-7 and facing a fourth-and-10 with only 2:39 left in the game, it looked as though the New Canaan 3rd Grade Black team was about to lose their first game of the season.

But Eoin Mueller had other plans.

Taking a direct snap around the left side of the line and sprung by a sensational “two-birds, one-stone” block from FB Mack Seelert, Mueller raced 58 yards for a TD, sending New Canaan to a dramatic 14-12 win in front of a shocked Wilton crowd at Fujitani Field.

“Our boys should all be proud of themselves,” said head coach Jason Milligan. “It was a hard fought game. They never gave up and they finished the game strong.”

A strong finish was needed against a tough Wilton team that came into the game at 4-1, their one loss coming at the hands of New Canaan back in Week 2. Since then, Wilton had won three consecutive games, outscoring their opponents 46-18.

Wilton seemed poised to strike first on the opening possession of the game. Behind strong runs from Christopher “Don’t Call Me Al” Capone and Spencer “Don’t Call Me Sonny” Liston, Wilton drove to the New Canaan 5-yard line. The Black 3 defense would not break, however, as strong tackling from Andrew Nolan, Tommy Goetz, Peter Cieszko and Seelert prevented Wilton from reaching the end zone, causing a turnover on downs.

Despite solid gains from Henry Garrity, Ty Groff and Mueller, the Black offense could not capitalize in the first half. Wilton took advantage of good field position to score on a 10-yard Alexander Petrides run with 5:36 left in the 2nd quarter. The Black 3’s were, however, able to stymie the extra point attempt…something that would loom large later in the game.

New Canaan moved the ball well again on their next possession. Textbook blocking from Beckett Beatman, Johnny Maechling, Joshua Mun and Flynn Coffey opened up holes for backs Mueller, Seelert, Caeden Bowling and Groff as New Canaan moved to the Wilton 12 yard-line. And once again, Colin Perkins was flawless with his snaps from Center. The drive, however, would stall there as Wilton’s defense tightened up, and the teams went into the half with the Blue 3’s up 6-0.

Wilton came out of the intermission refreshed, and despite the defensive play of Tucker Milligan, Dominic "The Dominator" Rasso, Devon Christian and R.J. DeCamillo, they were able to score on a 8-yard TD run by Liston. New Canaan was again able to stop the conversion attempt, and with 3:24 left in the 3rd quarter, Wilton had a 12-0 lead.

The Black 3’s wasted little time answering with a 7-play scoring drive of their own. Behind runs from Seelert, Garrity and Mueller, highlighted by a 25-yard pass from Groff to Mueller, New Canaan punched it in with a 4-yard Mueller TD run. After Seelert pounded in the extra point, NC trailed 12-7 as time wound down in the 3rd quarter.

Now it was the defense’s turn to step up.

After seemingly stopping Wilton on the ensuing possession, the Blue 3’s coaches made a gutsy call that seemed to seal the game, going for it on fourth-and-five. A pitch to the right was seemingly stopped, but the Wilton RB cut against the grain, and was headed for the end zone. Instead, a spectacular, TD-saving, shoestring tackle by Tommy Goetz turned it into a 10-yard run, but Wilton did have a new set of downs at midfield.

That was as far as they got.

Clutch tackles by Rasso, Christian and Seelert forced a fourth-and-two. This time, Wilton inexplicably chose to punt, giving New Canaan the ball with less than 5 minutes to play.

The questionable choice seemed to backfire immediately. On second down, Seelert ran the ball 35 yards to the Wilton 17-yard line. A holding penalty negated the run, however, and New Canaan was backed up to its own 16. After two short gains, the Black 3’s were faced with a fourth-and-ten from their own 22-yard line. 

With defeat staring them in the face, New Canaan turned to Mueller.

Following Seelert, who blocked two Wilton defenders to clear the way, Mueller turned the corner, broke a tackle and tiptoed along the sideline to the end zone. The 58-yard TD run electrified the New Canaan contingent who travelled to Fujitani Field and stunned the Wilton side. After Seelert took the direct snap in for the 1-pt. conversion, New Canaan led 14-12 with just over 2:30 left in the game.

The Blue 3’s had one last chance to mount a drive.

Aided by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, Wilton was at midfield with 1 minute left in the game. Fittingly, three consecutive tackles for losses by Mueller and Seelert set up a fourth-and-20, and when “Mack the Sack” dropped Liston for yet another loss, the game was over. New Canaan went to Wilton’s “house” and escaped with an emotional 14-12 win.

-Terry Dinan

                                 1            2            3           4           TOT

NEW CANAAN            0            0            7            7           14

WILTON                    0            6            6            0           12

W – Petrides 10-yd. run (conversion failed)

W – Liston 8-yd. run (conversion failed)

NC – Mueller 4-yd. run (conversion good)

NC – Mueller 58-yd. run (conversion good)

The NC Black 3’s close out their regular season with a matchup this Saturday against the 1-5 Wilton White 3’s. Kickoff is at 9am at Dunning Field.