SEYMOUR, CT-100716JS18-Wolcott’s Steve Urbanski (29) runs for a touchdown after making a catch in front of Seymour’s Alex Massie (17) during their game Friday at Seymour High School.
Jim Shannon Republican American
By KYLE BRENNAN
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
BEACON FALLS — Wolcott High wide receiver Steve Urbanski’s friendship with quarterback Mike Polzella is turning into a beautiful relationship — and it’s helping the Eagles put up points in droves.
Urbanski caught seven passes for 135 yards and four touchdowns as Wolcott beat Woodland, 46-14, on Friday night for the Eagles’ fifth straight victory.
“I think me and him have grown really close this year,” said Urbanski, who’s caught eight touchdown passes through six games. “We’re almost step-by-step in sync. The way he hits me in my routes, I don’t even break stride. He throws it exactly where I need it every game, and today I was able to make it happen.”
Urbanski caught a 43-yard touchdown pass on the Eagles’ first drive. After Bobby Stoeckert recovered a fumble on Woodland’s opening series, Urbanski found the end zone again on a 19-yard pass from Polzella. Wolcott (5-1) held a 14-0 lead midway through the first.
Later in the game, Polzella hit Urbanski for scores of 32 and 22 yards.
“We’re pretty diverse as far as what we’re able to do with our receivers,” Wolcott coach Jason Pace said. “We have confidence in all of them. All four guys can make plays on any given night, and it was Stevie’s turn tonight.”
When the Eagles had the football, it didn’t take them long to score. Five of their six scoring drives spanned less than two minutes, and the Hawks forced only one stop with a turnover on downs midway through the second quarter.
But Woodland (0-6) didn’t give Wolcott a lot of opportunities with the ball. The Hawks’ two scoring drives lasted 6:52 and 8:32, and two other drives that ended in Eagles territory each spanned more than five minutes.
“There was something about it when they came out, we weren’t picking up the guys we needed to,” Urbanski said. “Eventually we found what we needed, started focusing on our one-eleventh and things started happening.”
“I don’t think the intensity was there, especially early on,” Pace said. “I give (Woodland) a lot of credit. They put together some long drives that kept the ball out of our hands. I think they did a great job of tackling, so we had to open it up with our passing game.”
Polzella finished 13-of-18 passing for 205 yards. Ray Iorio added a 40-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Isaac Negron carried 35 times for 182 yards and both touchdowns for the Hawks, who cut a 27-7 halftime deficit into a 27-14 game thanks to a 14-play drive to begin the third quarter.
WOLCOTT 46, WOODLAND 14
Wol 14 13 6 13 — 46
Wood 0 7 7 0 — 14
Scoring summary
Wol—Steve Urbanski 43 pass from Mike Polzella (Dylan Prescott kick)
Wol—Urbanski 19 pass from Polzella (Prescott kick)
Wood—Isaac Negron 4 run (Tom Faryniarz kick)
Wol—Ray Iorio 40 run (Prescott kick)
Wol—Urbanski 32 pass from Polzella (kick failed)
Wood—Negron 15 run (Faryniarz kick)
Wol—Urbanski 22 pass from Polzella (Prescott kick)
Wol—Polzella 15 run (Prescott kick)
Wol—Anthony Ligi 11 run (kick failed)
Individual statistics
Rushing: Wol—Ray Iorio 9-76, Mike Polzella 7-44, Mason Desaulniers 1-15, Anthony Ligi 1-11, Mike Ciarlo 2-7. Wood—Isaac Negron 35-182, Edit Krivca 10-50, Dante DiRubba 6-25, Quincy Koch 4-14, Richie Weishner 3-13, Zach Cochran 1-0. Passing: Wol—Mike Polzella 13-18-205-0. Wood—Quincy Koch 2-5-23-1. Receiving: Wol—Steve Urbanski 7-135, Nick Longo 3-34, Mike Ciarlo 2-27, Matt Amedeo 1-9. Wood—Isaac Negron 2-23. Records: Wol 5-1; Wood 0-6.