NFA holds off Ledyard for team's first win of the season, after five-game losing streak
LEDYARD - Anyone who calls Norwich Free Academy's 19-14 victory over Ledyard "an upset" isn't paying attention to the state high school football scene.
Bill Parcells' quote "You are what your record says you are" didn't apply to this rare Thursday matchup. NFA entered with an 0-5 record against larger-school playoff contenders with a combined 21-6 record. Ledyard was 5-0 against smaller schools with an aggregate 8-17 mark.
The Wildcats' edge in size and physical play took its toll on the Colonels late after a scoreless first half. NFA used a goal-line stand early in the third quarter to springboard its offense to three long, time-consuming scoring drives. A backfield by committee, led by Jonathan Mercado's 140 yards, helped withstand a 220-yard effort by Ledyard's speedy, 1,200-yard rusher James Green.
NFA led 7-0, embarking on an 86-yard drive after its goal-line stand in the third quarter. Green answered with a 66-yard TD to tie the game, but NFA regained control with scores on consecutive drives to lead 19-7 early in the fourth quarter before holding on.
"The seeds to this victory were planted in our second half effort last week against Shelton," said NFA coach Erik Larka, who enjoyed his first victory as the Wildcats new mentor. "Even a great team like Shelton couldn't stop our Monster, or Double Wing set, and we went to it in the second half. We've played a great schedule and it has battle tested us."
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Mercado scored on TD runs of 8 and 29 yards, sandwiched around Gage Hinkley's 1-yard quarterback sneak. NFA leaned heavily on its ground game with Mercado, Talon Amado, Jr. and Hinkley combining for nearly 300 yards.
What it means
After struggling to beat the likes of playoff contenders such as Wilton, Killingly, Glastonbury and Shelton, NFA rates a chance of finishing strong with a second half slate that includes New Milford (Oct. 28) and ECC opponents East Lyme, Woodstock and New London.
"We've had a tough schedule, much tougher than their first five games," NFA linebacker Jake Kenny said. "Some people might be shocked about this result because of the records, but we knew we could play with them and show the kind of football we've played."
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Key Play
NFA's goal-line stand.
"I was thinking if they score, they would go on to win and if we stopped them, we'd win," Larka said, of the goal-line stand. "That's how big it was."
Powered by Green, who entered with an insane 20-yard rushing average per carry, Ledyard drove to the NFA 1-yard line in the third quarter. A Jackson Poulton quarterback sneak was stopped short, then Kenny stuffed Green on second down. Ledyard was called for a five-yard penalty before Shane Baran threw Green for a three-yard loss on third down.
The Colonels were called for delay of game before Poulton's 4th down pass was thrown errantly.
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By the numbers
The game took just over two hours to play as both teams relied almost solely on the run. NFA passing accounted for 15 of its 305 yards in total offense. Poulton completed a 35-yard pass to Jacob Lenz but kept the ball on the ground, generating over 300 yards rushing with Green accounting for 220-plus.
Unsung heroes
NFA's offensive and defensive lines wore out Ledyard's interior fronts. The blocking of o-linemen DeAndre Ducael (300 pounds), Caleb Beetle (225), Mason Holt (280), Jesse Tingley (250) and Nathan Bryant (280) allowed NFA to rush for nearly 300 yards.
Defensively, linemen Jancarlos Mallave, Carlos Estrada, Hinckley, Kenney and Amado at linebacker and Nemo York and Sayvion Jones in the secondary kept Ledyard from lighting up the scoreboard despite allowing ample yardage against Green and Poulton, a solid option quarterback. Green and Poulton scored one TD each; Poulton's coming on a 22-yard with four minutes left to cut the NFA lead to 19-14.
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York saved a first-half touchdown when he grabbed Green at midfield after a 48-yard run.
"I thought we contained Green on most runs," Larka said. "It's a tribute to him to get 220 because in my mind it was more like 145. He only scored once."
They said it
"The five-game losing streak has been exponentially harder to go through," Larka said. "We exorcised some demons tonight."
What's next
NFA returns home for the first time since Game 2 a week from Saturday with a homecoming game against a different opponent, New Milford of the Southwest Conference. The non-league contest is part of the Connecticut Football Alliance slate of games this season.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: NFA beats Ledyard High School in first win of football season
