Wolcott football had about as bad a first half as a team could have on Senior Night in front of the home fans Saturday.
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| Wolcott overcame a rough first half against Torrington to win 28-19 and clinch the NVL Iron Division title outright. The Eagles finish with a perfect record in the Iron, and their Class M playoff hopes are still alive (7-2, No. 6 ranking). |
After that rough half, the Eagles turned it around and defeated the Torrington Red Raiders 28-19 in front of a great crowd at Joe Monroe Field. Wolcott improved to 7-2 overall, clinched the NVL Iron Division outright, and kept its Class M playoff hopes alive.
The Eagles had trouble with the offensive and defensive lines of the visiting Red Raiders. Wolcott was able to make some things happen on offense, but then it hurt itself with turnovers — several of them.
Fumbles were the name of the game in the first half. There was also an athletic interception by the Red Raiders. Luckily for Wolcott, Torrington was only able to muster 12 points in the first half.
The Eagles got their lone score of the first half when senior outside linebacker Dylan Prescott stepped in front of a short pass, picked it off and took it back for a touchdown. Prescott missed the extra point, but Wolcott had tied the game at 6-6 with 5:36 left in the first half.
Torrington was able to move the ball on the ground, however, and scored on a two-yard run with 40 seconds left for a 12-6 lead.
Quarterback Mike Polzella broke off a couple nice runs on the final Wolcott possession, but the Eagles couldn’t get close enough to put points on the board.
Whatever adjustments Wolcott made in the lockerroom at halftime must have worked. The Eagles avoided what would have been a painful loss on Senior Night. Wolcott is ranked No. 6 in Class M, and the top eight teams make the postseason.
The Eagles travel to Alumni Field on Oronoke Road on Thanksgiving morning to play the rival Holy Cross Crusaders. Holy Cross would love nothing better than to keep its rival out of the playoffs, and Wolcott would obviously like to see things go its way. The game kicks off at 10 a.m.
