The Red Raiders were trying to put an end to a three game skid with one quarter to play in Waterbury on Saturday. Derby was in a 7 – 7 deadlock with Wilby but the Red Raiders managed just three offensive plays in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Wilby (5 – 3) won its fourth in a row, grinding out two substantial drives, holding on for a 13 – 7 win, dropping the Red Raiders to 3 – 5 on the season.
Jacob Tomczak (2 catches, 45 yards) hauled in a 30 yard touchdown strike from quarterback Ray Krieger ( 4 of 9 passing for 89 yards) with 3:19 left in the third quarter and Luis Casco booted the extra point to tie the game at 7 – 7.
The way the Derby defense had been playing it looked like the turning point for the Red Raiders. Wilby had managed just four first downs and 140 yards of offense through three quarters until some crucial penalties aided the Wildcats cause, as they ran for 100 yards and seven first downs in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Wilby simply ran out the clock on the Red Raiders, going on a 15-play drive that took almost seven minutes off the clock. The Cats picked up four first downs, converting three third down plays and one fourth down play with Devon Pruden carrying the rock 11 times in the drive.
Pruden (37 carries for 216 yards, two touchdowns) was a workhorse for the Cats. Wilby ran 26 plays in the fourth quarter with the game on the line and Pruden did more than his share taking 20 of those handoffs.
With 8:34 left in the game Pruden bulled his way in from four yards out to put Wilby back on top 13 – 7. Derby had excellent field position when D’Ron Conyers returned the kick off 40 yards but one of four 15 yard penalties in the quarter stalled the Red Raiders.
Wilby got the ball back after a punt and the Cats just handed off to Pruden converting a third down and two fourth downs to run out the final 7:17 on the clock.
Derby had every opportunity to put the game away early. Mark McCormick (11 carries for 70 yards) and Conyers (2 catches, 44 yards) had the Red Raiders moving the chains. But when they got inside the red zone the drives stalled.
Derby lost the ball on downs on its first three possessions inside the Wilby 20 yard line. Conyers recovered a fumble to give Derby another shot but the Red Raiders couldn’t get that one play to break the plane of the end zone.
Linbert Cousley and Mark Cameron picked up some tough yardage behind Angelo DiSorbo, Enis Bukala and Jessie Gilbert. In spite of nine first downs, 137 yards rushing and 89 yards passing Derby was held off the scoreboard in the first half.
Wilby wasn’t having it any better as they were held to a loss of downs, two punts, a fumble in four possessions. Then with 4:39 left in the half Pruden blasted through a hole up front and sprinted 43 yards into the end zone for a 7 – 0 Wilby lead.
Rich Gonzales, Richard Bartone and Zach Salazar were making their presence felt on defense but Wilby kept handing it off to Pruden who continued to pick up positive yards.
The first two drives of the second half stalled for Derby one on a fumble and the other on a punt. But the Cats weren’t going anywhere as the Red Raiders defense stopped a fake punt and sent the Cats to three and out on the next series.
It was time for something to happen as Derby took over at its own 45 yard line with five minutes left in the third quarter. Cameron barreled ahead for two yards and Krieger hooked up with Conyers over the middle for a 23 yard pass play.
Wilby was looking inside to stop the run but Tomczak got behind his man down the sidelines and Krieger lofted a pass over the shoulder for a 30 yard touchdown strike.
Luis Casco split the uprights to tie the game at 7 – 7 with 3:19 left in the quarter. The Derby offense would get to run off just three more plays for the remainder of the game as Wilby ran away with the clock and the game.
Derby will travel back to Waterbury on Friday to take on Crosby before taking a week off prior to the Thanksgiving match up with Shelton.
