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11/26/2016 11:00 PMThe Old Saybrook-Westbrook football team saw its chances of playing in the Class S State Playoffs go by the wayside when Rocky Hill beat Cromwell-Portland on Nov. 23, but that same night also saw the Rams win a classic contest against rival Morgan in the teams’ annual Thanksgiving week showdown.
Old Saybrook edged the Huskies 33-32 in overtime at the Peters Complex to finish the season with the most wins in program history behind a record of 8-2. The Rams claimed victory when senior Chase Cook rushed for the tying touchdown and then kicked the game-winning extra point in OT. Morgan finished its season with a record of 6-4.
“It feels really great and I think two things really applied to that. One, we have a great coaching staff and, two, you can’t do it without great players. I feel like some coaches give themselves too much credit, but if you don’t have the players, you’re going to get the dog kicked out of you,” Old Saybrook-Westbrook Head Coach Mike Marone said. “We had some really good players. We had our horse [Cook], some stallions [juniors Andrew Naccarato and Victor Pascoe], and a couple of hogs [offensive lineman Sloan True, Kevin Morrissey, David McClain, Jameson Long, and Jared Russell, plus tight end Jack Oliveri]. We were lucky to have them and that’s why we won. It was because of those three things.”
Coach Marone felt it was huge for his Rams to battle to an overtime win on the road against their divisional foe. Marone was so happy with the victory that he wasn’t upset about the Rams missing out on the playoffs. The team finished 10th in the Class S rankings, in which the top eight squads qualify for the playoffs.
“I don’t give a damn. It’d be nice to make it, but we were excited about playing and beating our rival Morgan. This is how the kids and coaches feel,” said Marone, whose team finished second in the Pequot Conference Sassacus South Division with a 2-1 record, while Morgan went 1-2. “The finish we had, going into overtime to win that game, I’d take that over a playoff appearance any day. It was the perfect finish to a great season.”
The Rams led for most of the game after taking a 14-6 lead in the first quarter. Through three quarters, Old Saybrook-Westbrook held a 26-18 advantage as Pascoe accounted for three touchdowns and Cook had one. All three of Pascoe’s TDs came in the first half. Pascoe went 4-of-5 for 59 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also rushing 12 times for 77 yards and a score. The passing touchdowns went to Tanner Selmont on a 23-yard strike and Joe Finnegan from 16 yards out. Cook, who rushed for 148 yards on the night, scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter.
“We were able to match up well with them this year. They have a great offensive line and the best nose guard we faced all year. I think [Dashaun James] is their best player on the field, but of course, when you have a good running back and quarterback, you’re tough to stop,” Marone said of Morgan. “When you defend a team, you can be fundamentally sound, but when you add the dimension of a fast quarterback that can run, you have to give something up to keep an eye on him. That’s an added dimension that was very difficult to defend.”
Morgan tied the score late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Madden Ward connected with Harry White (102 receiving yards) for a touchdown, after which Ward squeaked in on the 2-point try to tie the game at 26 and force the extra frame. The Huskies’ tying drive began with 4:18 remaining in regulation and saw them march 80 yards to the end zone.
In overtime, White scored on a 10-yard sweep for Morgan, but a missed extra point had the Rams down by six instead of seven. On the ensuing series, Cook ran in his second touchdown of the game and then nailed the extra point to seal the 33-32 win.
“My heart was up in my throat somewhere. It was exciting, but it got a little scary for us,” said Marone. “Chase was a man on a mission. He came to play and our hogs up front did a great job blocking for him.”
Additionally for the Huskies, Isaac Eriksen finished with 139 yards on the ground, while Madden Ward was 14-of-24 passing for 139 yards to go with 82 rushing yards. Ward scored on a 19-yard run to give Morgan the initial 6-0 lead, after which the Rams scored three-straight touchdowns. He later scampered into the end zone from six yards away to cut the Huskies’ deficit to 26-18 before they tied the game late. Morgan converted six third down attempts and one on fourth down. Hunter Kyhn and Zach McCray had four tackles apiece for Head Coach Peter Nye’s squad.
“This game was one of, if not the most exciting game, I’ve ever been a part of. For the last year or so, Coach Marone and I have discussed our desire to work hard to make this game meaningful for both teams year after year. And I would have to say that everyone at the Peters Complex on Wednesday night got an event worth their money,” said Nye. “I was truly proud to be a part of it and even more proud of how our team literally fought beyond the final seconds of the game. Madden Ward willed his way into the end zone on the conversion. This was really a great event for the shoreline. Even after the loss, I could see the love of the game in the eyes of our players.”