Quarterback Ray Krieger went straight up the gut behind center John Pacietto to score the game winning touchdown to hand Derby an overtime 20 – 14 win over Naugatuck on Friday night (see video).
It marked the second straight edge-of-your-seat victory in the final moments as the Red Raiders have arrived in the NVL.
Last week Derby shocked Sacred Heart when Luis Casco booted a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock.
No one hardly expected that kind of finish against the Naugatuck Greyhounds, but Derby left Veterans Field with something few teams get — a ‘W’.
The Derby sidelines erupted when the referee signaled the touchdown on just the second play in the Kansas City overtime session.
The Red Raiders stopped Naugatuck on the Greyhounds first possession when Zach Salazar came up huge with a fumble recovery. On the first Derby play D’Ron Conyers took it around the corner for a nine yard burst. That set up Derby inches from the goal line for the game winning score.
“Not a lot of people gave us a chance when we joined this league but these kids have really stepped up,” said Derby head coach Carmen DiCenso.
“This is a huge win for our program. We were a little nervous, down 14 – 0 but the kids just wouldn’t quit and we came storming back.”
Naugatuck broke out on top on its first series when Erich Broadrick fired a 12-yard touchdown to Tyler Conklin for a 6 – 0 advantage. Dashawn Wingate with a 15-yard burst and Jake Yourison on a 32-yard scamper had the Greyhounds knocking at the door.
With 5:57 left in the first quarter Andrew Cirino broke the plane from a yard out to put the Hounds in front 12 – 0. Dashawn Wingate set up the score ripping off a 23-yard run after Marquan Williams intercepted a pass from Krieger.
Broadrick threw a two point conversion pass to Cirino to open up a 14 – 0 margin and Derby needed to get something started. Krieger engineered a 17-play drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock moving it from their own 38 yard line to the Naugatuck two yard line.
Krieger ( 5 of 15 passing for 103 yards) hit Conyers for a 13 yard hook up converting a fourth and seven. Linbert Cousley carried seven times for 28 yards in the drive but it stalled at the two with Naugatuck taking over.
The Greyhounds went on an 11 play drive losing the ball on downs at the Derby 40 yard line. As time was running out in the half Derby was stopped inside the red zone for the second time and headed to the locker room looking for answers.
On the Greyhounds opening drive of the third quarter Naugatuck drove to the Derby ten yard line and stalled turning it over on downs. On the first play from scrimmage Conyers (143 yards rushing) took a pitch out and sprinted down the sidelines 90 yards for a touchdown as the Derby faithful exploded in the stands.
That lit a fire in the Red Raiders and any doubt they had quickly vanished. Naugatuck tried to regroup and gain the momentum only to have Jacob Tomczak come up and bat away a third down pass forcing a punt.
After the teams traded punts the Greyhounds were stopped again on fourth down turning it over on the Derby 19 yard line. With 4:53 left in the game Krieger hit Tomczak in stride for a 79 yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 – 14 after Casco’s second extra point kick. The Red Raider defense led by C.J. McEliot (interception), Jessie Gilbert, Mike Elliot and Rich Gonzales shut down Naugatuck forcing the fourth punt of the second half.
Derby took over with 1:44 left in regulation at its own 35yard line but the drive stalled and the Greyhounds had one last shot at it. Naugatuck was moving and getting deep into Derby territory but on the last play before the clock expired Broadrich was chased out of bounds (see video).
That set up the wild finish where for the second week in a row the Red Raiders have pulled victory from the jaws of defeat.
