9/11 Football v. Daniel Hand

Keaton McAuliffe
Sports Editor

This past Wednesday night, on Sept. 11, New Canaan Rams’ football faced the Daniel Hand Tigers for the opening game of the fall 2013 season. The Rams were able to bring home a victory, slamming the Tigers 50-21.

Daniel Hand is the two-time defending State Class L champion, with a former 26-0 winning streak, but they were no match for the Rams on Wednesday. New Canaan was up 43-0 at the end of the first half, and Hand was only able to decrease the point gap with two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game.

The totals for the Rams were record-breaking, running 88 offensive plays for a new NCHS record. The Rams also totaled 492 yards, while Hand was only able to rack up 162.

New Canaan’s domination was credited to standout performances from many of the players. Senior Cole Harris put the first two points on the board for the Rams, tackling the Tigers’ Quarterback in the endzone for a safety. Harris also had an interception that he ran in for a TD, giving the Rams yet another 7 points in the first quarter to give New Canaan a 15-0 lead.

The other 35 points came from senior Morgan Carson and junior Alex LaPolice, who had two touchdowns apiece. Senior Jack Gilio was able to catch one from senior Quarterback Nick Cascione, tallying up 7 points for the Rams. Cascione also ran the ball in for a TD himself, in addition to throwing three touchdowns, completing 18 of 29 passes, and totaling 173 passing yards. Senior Chris Andrews also was able to give the Rams’ their last touchdown of the game, after he single-handedly led a 48-yard drive over seven consecutive plays, finally breaking the plane of the endzone on the last run.

While they didn’t have much time on the field due to the dominating offense, the Rams’ defense also had strong performances. The defense forced three turnovers, with Harris’ interception, a block from senior Mike DiCosmo, and a fumble recovery from senior Brandon Pak.

With the final score of 50-21, the Rams’ set off on the right foot for the rest of the season, with a record so far of 1-0. The Rams will look to continue that success next week, when they face off against Bassick in Bridgeport. Following a streak of away games, the team will return to Dunning on October 4th.

[slider]