Raiders' miracle drive sinks Canton

CANTON – A din rippled through the crowd several hundred strong at the Canton High football field.

The boosters had worked hard to obtain a football team through their fundraising effort. Volunteers manned a food tent. Others constructed a brand-new two-story press box that made its debut.

Their time to celebrate had come. The youthful Warriors scored with under a minute to go to take a one-touchdown lead. The Warriors’ defense, which had held Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby at bay, needed just a few more tackles against a team that does not pass to cinch the victory.

Moments later, the assemblage sat in stunned silence, contemplating damage control rather than a stirring victory.

Trystan Cauley ripped off a 27-yard touchdown run and added the two-point conversion with no time left on the clock Saturday to secure the visitors’ 22-20 win over the Warriors in a Pequot League Uncas Division clash.

“We had them on the ropes,” Canton coach Roger Pearl said. “It’s just young kids being young kids. They’re disheartened.”

The fateful series that Canton will ponder for a long time to come began at the Raiders’ 30-yard line. It started well enough for the Warriors when Erick Latvis stormed in and dumped Cauley for a three-yard loss.

Suddenly, Pearl and his young team watched their world turn upside down.

Cauley motored for 12 yards and a facemask infraction tacked on another 15 to bring WL/S/EG inside Canton territory. A fullback dive netted 18 to the 27. Raiders coach Marty Powers stopped the clock with 2.3 seconds left.

Cauley burst out of the slot, pushed aside several arm tackles and lunged into the end zone to tie the game.

“We saw some things we have to improve on, and if we’re going to win any games this year we’ve got to improve on them,” Pearl said. “I know they’re young but it’s time to (mature). It’s varsity football. You’ve got to step up to the plate.”

Another Canton facemask penalty shortened the distance of the game-winning conversion try to 1½ yards but the Raiders were whistled for a false start. Undeterred, Cauley cruised in from the 7 and soaring hearts in Canton promptly sank.

“They stopped a little bit of that blitzing in the last series,” Powers said. “Their nose tackle (Latvis) was killing us.

“Nobody deserves to lose a game like that. I feel bad. They played a hell of a game.”

For the second straight week, the Warriors (0-2) began the game without much lilt in their step. They fumbled the opening kickoff away on their own 30, committed an encroachment penalty and Cauley (24 carries, 174 yards) breezed through the defense for a 25-yard touchdown. After the two-point conversion by Curtis Cauley, heads were down.

Powers sensed the Warriors were still reeling from the 56-13 pasting they took from Ellington/Somers in the week before.

“It’s nice to start with a team like us as opposed to Ellington,” he said. “I feel this game will help both teams, but when I coached Tolland, we lost a game like this to Windsor Locks and we never recovered. They deserved to win. They outplayed us for three quarters.”

Canton managed just six yards from scrimmage in the first quarter but the defense came up with big plays. The Raiders were knocking on the door for a second score when Robert Grillo recovered a fumble at the Canton 10.

Windsor Locks managed just one first down in the second quarter. Latvis and defensive end Kyle Mullins were frequenting the Raiders’ backfield, throwing wrenches in the visitors’ double-wing attack.

But Canton could not sustain a drive and remained in an 8-0 hole at the half.

The passing attack opened things up. Zach Powell ran into open space down the left sideline and quarterback Eric Scott found him for a 30-yard scoring strike with 6:25 left in the third quarter. Canton trailed 8-6.

WL/S/EG promptly snatched back the momentum.

Trystan Cauley capped a five-play 52-yard drive with a 39-yard touchdown run, sprung by John Ratcliffe’s block. The Raiders held a 14-6 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.

Latvis, freshman Henry Bonini and Jesse LaChance sparked a defensive surge at the end of the quarter that pushed the Raiders back to their own 6 on fourth down. Their punt on the first play of the fourth quarter enabled the Warriors to set up shop at the WL/S/EG 22.

“The defense is much-improved but we’re making young mistakes,” Pearl said.

Keith Wilson replicated Powell’s earlier success by getting behind the Raiders’ secondary for a touchdown pass from Scott on first down. Canton tied the game on the two-point conversion when Scott rolled right and threw a strike to Conner Gavin.

The defense also set up the touchdown that gave Canton its only lead.

Bonini and Latvis made plays behind the line and forced WL to punt. With 1:35 remaining, Canton had the ball just inside the midfield stripe.

Runs by Sebastian Gumbs and LaChance set up a third-and-1, a perfect spot for a trick play. Gumbs took a hand off and lofted an option pass to Wilson for a 33-yard touchdown.

“We just put that in this week,” Pearl said. “We saw the corners coming up and we thought we could burn them.”

The outcome looked secure, but the visitors, making the most of Canton mistakes, engineered their miracle 70-yard drive that leaves the Warriors still in search of their first win.

Windsor Locks/Suffield/E. Granby 22, Canton 20

WL/S/EG (1-1)    8  0  6    8 – 22

Canton (0-2)        0  0  6  14 – 20

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

WL – Trystan Cauley 25 run (Curtis Cauley run), 11:42

Third Quarter

C – Zach Powell 23 pass from Eric Scott (pass failed), 6:25

WL – T. Cauley 39 run (run failed), 3:36

Fourth Quarter

C – Keith Wilson 22 pass from Scott (Conner Gavin pass from Scott), 11:41

C – Wilson 38 pass from Sebastian Gumbs (pass failed), :56.9

WL – T. Cauley 27 run (T. Cauley run), :00

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – WL/S/EG: Trystan Cauley 24-174, Ago Jiminez 8-8, Curtis Cauley 7-5, Jeremy Voyer 2-6, Jeremy Wilson 3-18, Andrew Green 2-(-6). Canton: Kyle Mullins 10-58, Jesse LaChance 8-23, Eric Scott 5-(-8), Coner Gavin 1-6, Robert Grillo 2-7. Keith Wilson 1-12, Cam Daley 1-3, Sebastian Gumbs 1-5.

PASSING – WL/S/EG: none. Canton: Scott 3-13-0, 52 yds.; Gumbs 1-1-0, 38 yds.

RECEIVING – WL/S/EG: none; Canton: Wilson 2-60, Powell 1-30.