The Derby Red Raiders were so close to starting the season on a winning note Friday.
But exhaustion from having to play so many players on both sides of the ball caught up with them. As did the St. Paul Falcons.
After a sluggish first half, St. Paul scored 14 points in the second half, highlighted by a 2‑yard run by quarterback Tanner Bachand and a pivotal 2‑point conversion by running back Chris Bachand to give St. Paul a 14 – 13 win over Derby at DeFilippo Field.
Derby and St. Paul, both new this season to the Naugatuck Valley League, played even for most of the first half, with each team failing to score early on.
The Red Raiders struck first toward the end of the first half, capping a 67-yard drive with a 5‑yard touchdown run by running back D’Ron Conyers.
Derby added to its lead midway through the third quarter when Conyers scored on a 2‑yard scramble to close a 55-yard drive with 6:26 remaining in that stanza.
However, Derby would fail to convert the extra point, which would prove costly.
St. Paul recorded its first points with 6.5 seconds left in the third with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tanner Bachand to receiver Justin Gonzalez in the far right corner of the end zone. A 2‑point conversion try failed.
St. Paul found better success on its 2‑pointers after the second touchdown, giving the ball back to Chris Bachand to run straight up the middle to give the Falcons a lead they would not relinquish.
Derby Head Coach Carmen DiCenso said the loss will be tough on the team, which had to cope with some players getting tired and suffering cramps after playing both ways for most of the game.
“It’s a very tough loss. Defensively, we knew we were going to have a tough time,” DiCenso said. “[St. Paul Head Coach Jude] Kelly is famous for his spread offense and high-scoring games. To hold them to two touchdowns, we’re really proud of our kids.”
DiCenso said the team’s inability to get key first downs late in the game and a lacking passing game were key in the Raiders’ inability to close out the game.
“We’ve got to be able to throw the ball a little better,” he said.
Kelly credited his defense for making “key, key stops for us” in the first half, allowing the offense to finally get some points on the board. He was also happy to win his first NVL game at DeFilippo Field, home to great Derby teams of the past.
“Just stepping on this field for me put chills in my body, it really did,” he said. “To play on this field here and then to have our kids play so well and consistent and to get a win out of this is tremendous.”
Click replay to read the Valley Indy’s live blog of the game
