REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
SEYMOUR — Fourth-and-inches, a shocking upset victory on the line, 50 seconds left on the road. For some, those short increments on the ruler might feel like mile markers along the highway.
Not for Wolcott High senior running back Ray Iorio.
With a chance to ice the game on fourth down from the Seymour 44-yard line, Iorio plunged up the middle for 5 yards with under a minute to play as Wolcott stunned the previously unbeaten Wildcats, 33-30, on Friday night at DeBarber Field.
“I’m thinking that all my brothers are behind me, and we’re all ready to finish the game,” said Iorio, who shouldered a gargantuan load with 32 carries for 155 yards. “Not one of them had a doubt in their heart that we were going to win this game and finish it strong. I just had to get it done.”
Above: Listen to Kyle Brennan’s call of the game’s clinching play from WATR-AM (1320).
Wolcott (4-1) held a 33-14 lead early in the fourth quarter when Mike Polzella threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night to Mike Ciarlo. But Seymour (3-1) chipped away over the final 10 minutes.
Jaylen Kelley led the Wildcats on a 2 ½-minute drive and finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run. His two-point conversion run cut the deficit to 33-22 with 7:55 left.
After Seymour forced a punt on Wolcott’s ensuing series, the ’Cats uncorked a trick play on their first play from scrimmage. Kelley took a snap from the shotgun, tucked to run forward and pulled up to pass. He found a wide-open Lucas Bowen, whose defender bit on Kelley’s fake, deep along the left side for a 69-yard score. Bobby Melms took a pitch for the two-point conversion to make it 33-30 with 4:55 remaining.
That was the last time Seymour touched the football.
“I just told everyone on the sideline, ‘If you have any doubt in your mind, your heart, your whole body, get off the team,’” Iorio said. “Nobody left. Everyone kept on fighting.”
The Eagles mounted an 10-play drive to drain the rest of the clock. It was their third drive that chewed up at least 4:50, and it ended when coach Jason Pace called Iorio’s No. 17.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone more to get the first down,” said Polzella, who had runs of 7, 15 and 3 yards on the drive. He finished 14-of-21 passing for 220 yards and carried 13 times for 76 yards and the game’s opening touchdown.
Wolcott rushed out to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter and a 27-7 advantage at the break. Seymour didn’t score until there was 1:31 left in the first half, when Kelley hit Alex Massie for a 29-yard score on fourth down.
But the Eagles responded with a brilliant two-minute drill, highlighted by Justin Fernandes’ one-handed grab that picked up 34 yards to the Seymour 10. Two plays later, Polzella rewarded Fernandes with a 15-yard touchdown pass on an out route.
“It was crazy. It was such a good play,” Polzella said of the nifty catch. “He deserved (the touchdown).”
Wolcott’s defense dominated the Kelley and the Wildcats for much of the night. Though he accounted for all four of Seymour’s touchdowns, the Eagles limited Kelley to just 26 rushing yards on 20 carries — his lowest career output in games with at least 15 attempts.
“I just think they did a great job of mixing up their fronts and their pressures and keeping us guessing,” Seymour coach Tom Lennon said. “We couldn’t capitalize when we had our opportunities. We had some receivers open and we weren’t able to give (Kelley) the time necessary, or he didn’t get rid of it quickly enough.”
Wolcott’s upset win knocked Seymour from the ranks of the unbeaten and left Ansonia (5-0) as the only perfect team left in the Naugatuck Valley League.
“This probably the best feeling of my life, honestly,” Iorio said. “This is the happiest moment of my life.”
WOLCOTT 33, SEYMOUR 30
Wolcott 13 14 0 6 — 33
Seymour 0 7 7 16 — 30
Scoring summary
W—Mike Polzella 8 run (kick blocked)
W—Mike Ciarlo 8 pass from Polzella (Dylan Prescott kick)
W—Steve Urbanski 67 pass from Polzella (Prescott kick)
S—Alex Massie 29 pass from Jaylen Kelley (Rocco Vertuccio kick)
W—Justin Fernandes 15 pass from Polzella (Prescott kick)
S—Massie 33 pass from Kelley (Vertuccio kick)
W—Ciarlo 9 pass from Polzella (kick failed)
S—Kelley 1 run (Kelley run)
S—Lucas Bowen 69 pass from Kelley (Bobby Melms run)
Individual statistics
Rushing – W: Ray Iorio 32-155, Mike Polzella 13-76. S: Bobby Melms 8-57, Jaylen Kelley 20-26, Alex Massie 1-2.
Passing – W: Mike Polzella 14-21-220-0. S: Jaylen Kelley 8-13-170-1.
Receiving – W: Steve Urbanski 4-100, Justin Fernandes 5-77, Mike Ciarlo 4-35, Nick Longo 1-8. S: Alex Massie 4-91, Lucas Bowen 1-69, Bobby Melms 3-10.
Records: W: 4-1. S: 3-1.