What a difference a day makes.
The Ansonia Chargers topped the Woodland Hawks Friday by a final score of 41 – 36 in a game, thanks to the weather, that took two days to finish.
The game began Thursday at Woodland, but was called after the first half. Ansonia was trailing, 21 – 19.
It was a different story Friday, when the second half got underway, as Hurricane Dobbs rolled into town.
Ansonia’s Montrell Dobbs rushed for 213 yards and three touchdowns to give the Chargers win, 41 – 36.
“Mont was an absolute warrior today,” Ansonia head coach Tom Brockett said.
“I just felt bad how it went yesterday. I just felt like I didn’t do what I had to do.”, Dobbs said. “I came here with a grudge today. I hardly slept and couldn’t wait to get out here today.”
The Chargers received the second half kickoff.
They would run four plays on the drive, all runs to Dobbs, and found themselves in the end zone 71 yards later. Ansonia regained the lead, 25 – 21 early in the third
quarter. Their offensive line began getting a push.
The Hawks would fight back as Jack DeBiase scampered into the end zone from three yards out midway through the quarter.
“it’s very difficult to prepare, especially with a very young team,” Brockett said.
Dobbs would get another chance. This time, taking a hand-off 79 yards down the Ansonia sideline for the TD. Not so fast – holding was called on Ansonia. The young Chargers would not panic and later found the end zone.
Junior QB Elliot Chudwick engineered the 13-play drive by first connecting with sophomore Andrew Matos on a 14-yard pass play and finally capping the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass over the middle to freshman Arkeel Newsome.
Woodland QB DeBiase had been taking snaps out of the shotgun all game in somewhat of a crouched position.
It would come back to haunt him and his Hawks. On a 4th down at the Ansonia 4‑yard line, when it appeared Woodland would score with 9 minutes remaining in the game, DeBiase fielded a low snap and his knee hit the ground, causing the turnover on downs.
Ansonia took advantage by culminating a 14-play drive that shaved six minutes and thirty-three seconds off of the clock, highlighted by a 28 yard floater from Chudwick to Jake LaRovera on a third and long deep in their own territory.
Dobbs, once again, carried the Chargers on his back during the drive, running over two Woodland defenders on the very next play.
The adrenaline did not stop flowing.
The Ansonia line, led by junior lineman Tyler Williams, got the push Dobbs needed to keep the drive alive on a 4th and 1 deep in Woodland territory, where Dobbs battled for a good four-yard gain.
On the next play, Dobbs hit pay dirt from five yards out to put Ansonia up for good — 41 – 28 at the 2:21 mark of the 4th quarter.
Woodland made it interesting near the end, but the clock was now a huge factor.
DeBiase would toss another TD to close the gap to 41 – 36. But Ansonia would recover the onside kick and take a knee to end a thriller.
Both defenses had trouble stopping the opposing offenses all game long.
DeBiase had been giving the Chargers grief all game, both on the ground and through the air, accounting for 192 total yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
The Chargers (1 – 0, 0 – 0) will travel to Waterbury to face Crosby on Sept 24 at 7 p.m.
