Greenwich gets its payback against Staples

Westport,Conn- In a record-setting span of three hours Thursday, the Greenwich football team defended its FCIAC title, secured a state playoff home game and got its long-awaited payback.

Highly motivated by two seasons worth of shutouts at the hands of Staples, Greenwich took care of business in a big way, putting on a performance for the ages in the 42nd FCIAC Championship at jam-packed Staples Field.

The Cardinals' 37-0 rout of the rival Wreckers was the most lopsided score in the history of the league final. The convincing win gives Greenwich three FCIAC crowns in four years, and 12 overall — tops in the FCIAC.

Previously unbeaten Staples (8-1) had outscored Greenwich (9-1) by a combined 30-0 the past two seasons, but was no match for the state's No. 2 ranked team on this day.

Greenwich's defense set the tone, forcing Staples to go three-and-out on the first series of the much-anticipated contest. All the Cardinals did on their first possession was march 98 yards on just four plays, punctuated by John Kavanagh's 40-yard run into the end zone.

Four more touchdowns and one field goal later, the Cardinals celebrated their statement victory on live TV (MSG) with friends, family members and former teammates.

Never has coach Rich Albonizio's Thanksgiving Day turkey tasted so good.

"We've been stuffed the last two years, so it feels great to knock the stuffing out of us," said Albonizio, still wet from a Gatorade shower during the final minute of the fourth quarter. "There was a lot riding on this game, but really it was all about Staples. We wanted this one, and the way we won makes it all the more satisfying. We did it on both sides of the ball and dominated the game. You couldn't ask for anything more."

To top off the day, the Cardinals soared to the top spot in the Class LL playoff rankings, setting up a state semifinal showdown at home against No. 4 Central on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Defending LL champion Greenwich opened the season with a 21-12 victory over Central in Bridgeport.

A blow to their pride, the loss nearly cost the Wreckers a state tournament spot as well. Staples fell to No. 4 in the Class L rankings and will battle unbeaten and No. 1 rated Bunnell in the semifinals in Stratford.

"Fortunately for us, it's a short turnaround," Staples coach Marce Petroccio said. "This is a tough one to take, but my hat's off to Greenwich. We're not used to losing by 37 points. They did a great job of executing and we just couldn't stop them. I feel bad for the seniors, but we've had a great season and its not over yet. We just have to put this one behind us in a hurry."

The Cardinals rushed 43 times for a FCIAC championship record 435 yards, including 323 in the first half to take a 20-0 lead into the intermission. The old mark was 383, set by Greenwich in a 42-7 victory over Darien 20 years ago.

Senior quad-captain Jonathan Meyers was among the beneficiaries of Greenwich's strong offensive line play. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound blue-chip prospect gashed the Wreckers for 152 yards on 13 carries, highlighted by touchdowns runs of 13 and 4 yards in the first half.

Meyers earned MVP honors, an award that could have been given to any number of Cardinals.