Warriors Crushed in Loss to Staples

Wilton has learned this lesson before: if they make mistakes against a strong team, that team will make them pay for it.

Staples them that lesson again on Saturday afternoon in Westport, crushing the Warriors by a score of 37-6 and dropping the team's record to 2-6. Thiry-one of Staples' 37 points came in the first half.

“Against a team like Staples, the margin for error is small,” said WHS head coach Bruce Cunningham. “This was a bad game to make mistakes.”

Staples took advantage of Wilton’s shortcomings less than three minutes into the first half when Staples’ senior running back Matt Kelly rushed 75 yards down the field and scored the game’s first touchdown.

“On the first touchdown of the game, we were out of position,” admitted Cunningham. “We got caught inside and could not get to the outside to prevent Staples from scoring.”

As if that didn't hurt enough, WHS gave the ball right back when senior quarterback Jackson Wilbur’s first pass of the afternoon, the first offensive play of the game, was picked off. Staples capitalized on Wilton’s mistake and scored a touchdown of their own to give themselves a 14-0 lead just six minutes into the game.

“We took a shot early in the game,” said Cunningham. “We thought we had somebody open but unfortunately, it did not turn out that way.”

Just over four minutes later, Staples’ senior quarterback Keith Gelman connected with senior wide receiver Brandon Rankowitz for a 29-yard touchdown pass.

On Wilton’s next offensive position, senior running back Ryan Leddy fumbled the ball and Staples recovered it. Staples would not score a touchdown on that offensive possession but would kick a 6-yard field goal to give themselves a 24-0 lead a few minutes into the second quarter.

When Wilton got the ball back, Wilbur threw his second interception of the afternoon, killing any chance for the team to find their way back into the game.

With less than four minutes to go in the first half, Staples scored another touchdown to make it 31-0, with Gelman once again connecting with Rankowitz, this time with a 37-yard touchdown pass.

Staples would score their last touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter when Burke ran four yards for his second touchdown of the day to give his team a 37-0 lead.

Wilton finally got on the board with less than six minutes to go in the fourth quarter but all in all, Staples proved to be too much for Wilton to handle.

“Anytime we made a mistake in this game, Staples capitalized,” said Cunningham. “They have some great players and are very well-coached.”