Montrell Dobbs scored six touchdowns and ran for 340 yards to lift the Ansonia Chargers to a 54 – 25 win Friday against the St. Paul Falcons.
The Chargers are now 8 – 0 on the season. They are scheduled to play Woodland Nov. 18 for the NVL championship at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.
Early Lead
The Falcons were a team desperate for a big win — but they ran into an Ansonia team that put on an offensive clinic in the first half, scoring 47 points on a soggy and foggy St. Paul field.
“The offensive line was blowing people off of the ball, so [Dobbs] was able to run,” Ansonia head coach Tom Brockett said.
The star running back finished the day with 22 carries for 340 yards — 293 of those yards coming in the first half on 17 carries. He credited the offensive line.
“They practiced hard all week and came out and displayed it,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs accounted for six of Ansonia’s touchdowns, all before halftime – 5 rushing and the other coming on an 88-yard kick-off return following a St. Paul score.
The senior had touchdown runs of 75, 20, 12, 54, and 45 yards, respectively.
“My line just blocked hard and I ran hard,” Dobbs said.
First Half
Ansonia received the opening kick-off of the game and Dobbs quickly hit pay dirt on the second play from scrimmage, bursting through the St. Paul defense for a 75-yard TD just 45 seconds into the contest.
St. Paul responded two plays later with a 59-yard touchdown pass from freshman QB Logan Marchi to senior WR Travis Thomas to cut Ansonia’s lead to 7 – 6.
The Chargers’ offensive line, anchored by junior center Dylan Vano, had dominated the Falcons early-on, marching 73 yards on just 5 plays. It included a 20-yard touchdown run by Dobbs, where he broke three Falcons’ tackles and dove into the end zone for the score.
The TD gave Ansonia a 14 – 6 lead just two minutes into the game.
Dobbs recorded his third touchdown just four minutes into the contest after Chargers’ sophomore DB, Raeshaun Finney, intercepted a Marchi pass and returned it 52 yards to the Falcons’ 19 yard line. It was then, on second and eight from the 17, when Dobbs took the hand off into the end zone.
The Chargers led 20 – 6 in a heartbeat.
The Ansonia offense wasn’t quite finished. After the Big Blue defense forced a Falcons’ three-and-out, Dobbs took it to the house 52-yards for the score on the first play of the drive. Tyler Lester’s PAT made it 27 – 6, Ansonia, just 7 minutes into the contest. Dobbs followed-up with an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD to lead 34 – 12 at the 8:38 mark of the second quarter.
Ansonia quarterback, Elliot Chudwick (4 – 5, 69 yards, TD), set up Dobbs’ final touchdown of the half by hitting junior Jake LaRovera on a 28-yard pass play. The ensuing hand-off went right into Dobbs’ bread basket and down the sideline he went. 45 yards later, he was in the end zone. Ansonia led 40 – 12.
But the young Falcons’ quarterback hit Justin Gonzalez on a 12-yard pass to cut Ansonia’s lead to 40 – 18.
The quick score allowed the Chargers to march down the field and add to their point total just before halftime.
Chudwick engineered a 7‑play, 70 yard drive by first connecting with Finney on a 21-yard pass play to bring Ansonia to the St. Paul 18 yard line with just three seconds remaining in the half. On its next play, as time expired, Chudwick found sophomore WR Andrew Matos in the end zone to give the Chargers a commanding, 47 – 18 lead going into the half.
Second Half
Dobbs soon came out of the game for Ansonia a couple of minutes into the third quarter.
Junior fullback Dennis Danley contributed to Ansonia’s scoring total with a tough, 3‑yard run into the end zone at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter.
Tyler Wood and Dennis Danley had sacks for Ansonia. Tyler Lester was 7 for 8 on PATs for the Chargers.
“It feels good. We’re the only undefeated team in the league, so it feels good to be on top,” Dobbs said.
The Chargers (8 – 0, 5 – 0) will face the Seymour Wildcats (0 – 8, 0 – 5) in Week 9.
Read the NVL Football blog for news and analysis of this week’s games.
