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Gilbert/NWR 35, SMSA/University 0
Rashod Cauley (12) gets into the end zone with the first points of the season on a 13-yard TD pass from Wilfredo Alicea.
Too many mistakes for Tigerhawks in defeat
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Hartford Football Online
WINSTED, Oct. 5 – The game had long been decided when SMSA/University’s game with Gilbert/Northwestern ended Friday night at Van Why Field early in the fourth quarter with the host Yellowjackets leading 35-0.
With 10:07 left in the fourth quarter, the game was stopped and the players, spectators and officials were ordered to clear the field because Life Star, the helicopter that transfers critically injured patients to Hartford Hospital would be landing on the field shortly.
Away from the hundreds of fans surrounding the field, a young boy tried to commit suicide on the Gilbert campus. Word spread fast among the crowd. A festive atmosphere for the only night game of the season at Van Why Field and a impending big win disappeared quickly.
Life Star didn’t use the field, landing at the nearby Winsted Health Center but it was decided to end the game after a 30-minute delay. “To continue wouldn’t have served any purpose. There are bigger things in life than football,” Gilbert/ Northwestern coach Scott Salus said. “Some (of the Gilbert players) were emotionally distressed so to put them on the field wouldn’t have been appropriate.”
SMSA/University coach Graham Martin gathered his players near midfield to explain the decision to end the contest. Gilbert players joined the group and Martin led the group in a prayer. “It was the right thing to do,” Martin said of ending the game.
The boy, identified in a story from the Republican American as a student from Northwestern, was in critical but stable condition on Saturday at the Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.
Gilbert/Northwestern (2-2) took advantage of numerous Tigerhawk mistakes to quickly take control of the game in the first half. Twice, Gilbert completed big pass plays to receivers who got behind the SMSA secondary.
On Gilbert’s initial drive of the game, Gilbert QB John Lippincott completed a 27-yard pass to Thomas Casey on its first offensive play. Four players later, the Yellowjacets were facing fourth down and nine from the SMSA 36-yard line. Lippincott completed a 17-yard pass to the 19-yard line and a first down. Gilbert eventually capped off its 11-play, 61-yard drive with a nine-yard TD run from Lippincott.
On its second possession, it took Gilbert took just two plays to extend its lead to 14 points. Lippincott found John Ambrozaitis behind the secondary and launched a 55-yard bomb for the second TD of the game.
The frustrating thing for SMSA/University was they were able to move the ball. They just couldn’t finish.
Trailing 14-0, SMSA took over on its own 35-yard line and behind some nice running from QB Wilfredo Alicea, the Tigerhawks marched to the Gilbert 16-yard line. But on consecutive plays, Gilbert defenders swatted passes away to end the drive.
Gilbert took a 21-0 lead on a eight-play, 84-yard drive sparked by Tony Ortiz, who rambled for 37 yards. Seth Dayton scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Lippincott.
Again, SMSA drove down the field. On 13 plays, SMSA/University marched to the Gilbert 3-yard line, converting twice on separate third down and two plays to keep the drive alive.
But on fourth down and goal from its own four-yard line, Alicea tried to run the ball into the end zone. Before he could cross the goal line, he tossed the ball to a teammate in the end zone. Shocked, Alicea’s teammate didn’t react quickly enough and Ambrozaitis scooped up the loose ball and rambled with the football to SMSA’s 38-yard line.
“We made too many mistakes and they were self-inflicted. You have to come to play and you have to be a player. Some of our players just don’t understand that yet,” Martin said.
SMSA coughed up the ball on its second play of the third quarter. Gilbert responded with a short 26-yard drive with Tony Ortiz scoring on a 9-yard run for a 28-0 lead. On a 54-yard run, Lippincott ran hard to get the touchdown for the Falcons and a 35-0 lead.
Ortiz led all rushers with 114 yards on 14 carries while Lippincott ran for 72 yards on seven carries. The best offensive threat for the Tigerhawks was QB Wilfredo Alicea, who ran for 83 yards on 10 carries.
SMSA’s best drive was probably its final one. The Tigerhawks completed a 24-yard pass from Alicea to Kayron Macon and two plays later, Alicea completed a 22-yard reception to Macon to the Gilbert 26-yard line. After a seven-yard run from Alicea and a three-yard run by Macon to the Gilbert 16, the game was suspended.
Gilbert/Northwestern 35, SMSA/University 0
At Winsted
SMSA/Univ. (0-3) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Gilbert/NWR (2-2) 14 7 14 0 -- 35
First quarter
G: John Lippincott 9 run (John Ambrozaitis kick), 6:49
G: Ambrozaitis 55 pass from Lippincott (Ambrozaitis kick), 3:52
Second quarter
G: Seth Dayton 31 pass from Lippincott (Ambrozaitis kick), 6:59
Third quarter
G: Anthony Ortiz 9 run (Ambrozaitis kick), 9:24
G: Lippincott 46 run (Ambrozaitis kick), 4:35
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Gilbert – John Lippincott 7-72, Tony Ortiz 14-114, Matthew Nieves 1-5, Sean Dayton 2-15; SMSA/U – Kayron Macon 9-21, Wilfredo Alicea 10-83, Ezequiel Ortiz 11-33
PASSING: Gilbert – Lippincott 6-10-0, 158; SMSA/U. – Alicea 5-13-1, 66
RECEIVING: Gilbert – Thomas Casey 3-51, John Ambrozaitis 1-11; Seth Dayton 1-31, Nick Pedrolini 2-21; SMSA/Unv. – Kayron Macon 4-68, Patrick Richards 1-minus 2.
More game coverage
Gilbert's Nick Sullivan (16), Jack Weber (ground) and Tony Ortiz (7) look to tackle SMSA/University QB Wilfredo Alicea in Friday night's Pequot Conference game in Winsted. Below, SMSA coach Graham Martin leads both teams in a prayer for the young man was taken to the hospital.
