The Waterbury Career Academy football team set a single-season record for wins with its 38-14 victory over Gilbert/Northwestern on Tuesday night.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a record of 7-3. The previous season-best win total was five last year, when WCA went 5-5. The Spartans are still in the playoff hunt as of Wednesday morning. WCA is 11th in the Class S state playoff standings, but will need help to reach the postseason.
Senior standout Jalen Gopie ran for three touchdowns while fellow seniors
Julio Toro and Darrell Coombs hooked up for a pair of touchdown passes. Toro also threw a touchdown pass to junior Gerald Council.
On defense, senior Xavior Rivera had two interceptions while senior Josh
Ross Jr. added one interception.
WCA improved its win total by two games in each of the past two seasons.
After slipping to 3-7 in 2017 following a 4-6 mark in their inaugural varsity
season in 2016, the Spartans finished 5-5 in 2018. What followed in 2019 was WCA’s best season to date.
The Spartans defeated Sacred Heart/Kaynor Tech (54-6), Crosby (46-8),
Kennedy (33-6), Torrington (19-17), Oxford (42-7), Wilby (17-12) and Gilbert/Northwestern. WCA’s losses came against undefeated Ansonia (49-12), along with Holy Cross (26-14) and Wolcott (33-6).
Photo caption: Seniors Julio Toro (25) and Jalen Gopie, right, each had
big nights for WCA in its 38-14 victory over Gilbert/Northwestern. The Spartans set a single-season record for wins with seven and finished the regular season
7-3. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
GALLERY
Here are my photos from the first half of Tuesday’s game.
