The following article was written by Pat Pickens, sports editor of The Fairfield Citizen-News. The Mustangs dropped their second straight Thanksgiving Day clash against the Falcons and trail the modern-day version of the series, 3-2. Overall, the Warde Eagles/Mustangs lead the series with the Ludlowe Tigers/Falcons, 9 to 6.As he watched teammate Rob Ferrara take a knee on the game's last play, Fairfield Ludlowe running back Nate Ryan knew what he and his team had accomplished.
The Falcons clinched their first winning season since the school re-opened in 2005 behind Ryan's 164 rushing yards and a pair of defensive scores as Ludlowe beat crosstown rival Fairfield Warde 24-14 in front of 3,500 at Taft Field.
"It means everything," Ryan said. "All of the hard work from August to now has paid off."
Ryan was named Ludlowe's MVP of the game. Warde junior running back Alex Delaney, seen defending Ludlowe's Nate Ryan below, had 110 all-purpose yards and was named the Mustangs' MVP.
The game turned in the second quarter when the opportunistic Falcons scored 17 points in a span of 1:35 with little help from its offense. Warde was in the midst of a 10- minute drive and had moved the ball to the Ludlowe 19-yard line when Mustangs quarterback Eric Burns had his pass tipped and then intercepted by Nick Rossomando, seen defending a pass below. The senior defensive back ran 90 yards to put the Falcons up 7-0.
"We were going in to score," Warde head coach Duncan DellaVolpe said. "I probably called the wrong play."On Warde's next offensive play from scrimmage, Mustangs fullback Tommy McNamara fumbled and senior Steve Gasper took the ball 40 yards to the end zone to put the Falcons ahead 14-0. Ludlowe's two touchdowns came just 13 seconds apart. Warde muffed the ensuing kickoff and Ludlowe took over at the Warde 10.
The Falcons moved the ball to the Warde 4-yard line when kicker Zach Garoffolo blasted a 21-yard field goal to put Ludlowe ahead 17-0.
"It was definitely the turning point of the game," Ludlowe head coach Matt McCloskey said of the three straight scores. "Our defense has been stellar all year."
"The game changed in three minutes," DellaVolpe said.
Warde cut into the lead with a pair of second-half touchdowns, one by Delaney who went 30 yards on a screen pass from Burns to trim Ludlowe's lead to 17-7. Mike Jacob scored a fourth-quarter touchdown after the Mustangs recovered a fumble at the Ludlowe 13-yard line to pull Warde within 17-14.
"When you give up 17 points in three minutes, a lot of teams would pack up the tent," DellaVolpe said. "Our guys didn't."
But Ludlowe responded behind Ryan and the Falcons' offensive line. The junior running back took a sweep and bolted 72 yards for a touchdown to seal the Falcons' second consecutive win over its rival.
"I told the line, 'hold your blocks for a half more second and I'll pop one," Ryan said. "They blocked perfectly ... and it was all I needed."
McCloskey was proud of the depths his team had come from. The Falcons were 1-9 two years ago and since McCloskey has taken over at the start of the 2008 season, Ludlowe has a respectable 10-11 record. Ludlowe's four losses this season were to Central, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Staples. Those four teams have a combined record of 38-4.
"The program is starting to turn," McCloskey said. "In two years, to have a winning season, it means that they believe in the system and they're willing to work."
Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.
Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.
Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".
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