NEW MADISON – In the four-year history of the WOAC the Ansonia vs Tri-Village football game has become an instant rivalry with the Patriots winning in 2021, 2022 and the Tigers in 2023, 2024 with the outcome generally decided late in the game ultimately having implications in deciding the conference champion.
The Ansonia football team delivered a nail-biting performance and used and effective run game along with strategic fakes to keep the Patriots off-balance. Despite turnovers being a recurring issue for both teams Ansonia created a key turnover late to negate a game tying touchdown.
The Tigers came up with big plays to answer questions about their defense to defeat Tri-Village 34-26 allowing them to stay in the hunt for a league title now tied with Preble Shawnee at 4-0 in the league and a week 9 matchup with the Arrows.
Both teams fumbled their first possession … but on the second set of downs the Tigers went 60-yards, capped by an 11-yard end around by quarterback Layne Bowman, into the endzone at 3:11 to go in front 6-0 after the two-point conversion failed.
Tri-Village 2nd series resulted in a punt … but they recovered a second Ansonia fumble only to get picked off by Cade Shellhaas at midfield on a tipped pass the very next play.
“It was nice to see sophomore Cade Shellhaas step up in his first opportunity playing in the secondary getting the interception and giving us a guy who played well in man-to-man coverage,” Ansonia football coach Adam Hall said.
Running back Nate Good made good on the turnover going around the right side then breaking a tackle on the sideline and went 42-yards for a TD … the conversion failed but the Tigers went up 12-0 at 9:14 in the 2nd quarter.
The Patriots fans were getting a bit nervous, but they responded after two long passes from Trey Sagester to Griffin Richards one moving them into scoring position and the second a 15-yard line slant over the middle for the touchdown to trail 12-6.
Ansonia marched right back as the Patriots were unable to stop their ground game and scoring on an 11-yard carry by Bowman for his 2nd TD to jump ahead 18-6 but still 3:12 left in the first half.
The score came on an excellent fake to Zane Henderson up the middle and then Bowman pulling the ball and taking it in on his own. It would be one of many big plays by the Tigers whether for a first down or a score due to perfect execution on the fake.
The 3:12 on the clock would be plenty of time for the Patriots to orchestrate a quick scoring drive that ended with a 13-yard pass from Sagester to sophomore Hayden Hunt. Sagester than hooked up with Zeke Hopkins for the two-point conversion and the Patriots trailed 18-14 at the half.
TV got the ball to start the 2nd half, and it would Hunt scoring on a 30-yard run breaking a few tackles and tight roping the sideline and getting pushed into the endzone at the pylon.
Tri-Village coach Matt Hopkins was pleased to see his team respond at the end of the half and to start the second half after getting off to a slow start.
Hunt caught a Sagester toss for a two-point conversion giving Tri-Village the lead 22-18 at 9:23 in 3rd quarter.
Ansonia followed it up facing a critical fourth and one at the 31-yard line they faked a hand off up the middle only to see quarterback Bowman keep it going around the right side 31-yards, then added a two-point conversion and at 5:51 they were back on top 26-22.
Coach Hall was quick to praise former head coach Eugene Hoening on how well his team
accepts their role in selling the fakes as being a critical part of their success.
“We harp on these guys and give credit to Bowman he carries out his fakes very well.
Zane when he doesn’t have the ball, does a great job of convincing guys that he does have it. I don’t think many people knew where the ball was when Layne ran that one in and that’s a credit to Zane,” Hall praised.
“Coach Hoening is the guy that hammers that at practice on how important it is to us,” Hall added.
TV’s next possession resulted in turnover on downs with the Tigers taking over at midfield and promptly marched to the endzone again for the TD and conversion for a 34-22 lead with 2:22 left in the 3rd period.
“We feel like when we do what we’re supposed to do, we can run on anyone. That’s what we’re built on and we thought that coming into tonight’s game,” Hall said.
Tri-Village coach would echo that the physical style of play by the Tigers was a key factor in the game.
“Ansonia is a really good football team. They’re physical, physical, physical. They beat us up really good,” Hopkins commented.
Tri-Village wasn’t conceding anything yet and when they open up their offense they can get up the field quick and it would be the Sagester-Hunt combo working their magic one more time.
Trey looking for time to throw nearly fell as he scramble right and then reversed field to his left, regained his balance and fired a bullet threading the needle between two defenders at the goal line with Hunt bringing it in for the score. The conversion failed but TV was withing a touchdown of tying 34-28.
After struggling to slow down the Tigers offense the Patriots got a good squib kick from Aaron Bruner that was recovered by Teddy Miller to give them another opportunity.
The Patriots moved inside the 10 but was faced with a 4 and goal in what would end up being the biggest play of the game to follow.
Sagester dropped back to pass but pressure forced him to tuck it and run, he broke a tackle at the 4-yard line on his way to the goal line and would be met by a trio of Tiger defenders Zane Henderson, Cainan Robertson and Cade Shellhaas in a massive collision jarring the ball loose and recovered by the Tigers denying a game tying score.
The Tigers in typical fashion used a time-consuming drive all the way to the Patriots 21 but coughed it up giving the Patriots one more chance as time was dwindling down.
Ansonia would hold on to grab to the Fox 24 Now Thursday Night Lights televised victory and keeping their hopes alive in the WOAC conference race much to the pleasure of coach Adam Hall.
“To be where we want to be at the end of the year, we had to get this one. We had a short week, so it will be nice to have the extra day to get back to business and get ready for Twin Valley South next week,” Hall concluded.
