It took a week longer, but the Darien Blue Wave football squad is finally in the win column! Saturday, the team hosted the Bridgeport Central Hilltoppers for the home opener of the 2022 campaign with a packed house inside the DHS Stadium.

Darien got the first possession in this one. The Wave would march down the field on a 7-play, 60-yard drive that would result in senior running back Jake Wilson going up the middle for a one-yard touchdown run to put Darien up 7-0 just a couple minutes in.

After stopping the Hilltoppers on a three and out, Darien got the ball again on the Central 48-yard line. This drive only took one play as senior quarterback Simeon Doll would bullet a pass to Brady Pokorny, who would use his skills and moves to maneuver his way to the end zone for a touchdown.

Another three and out for the Hilltoppers followed. Darien on two plays would score again with Doll throwing a pass in the corner of the end zone to Trevor Herget.

This trend would continue as Darien would score on all of their first 7 drives in the game. Doll threw one downfield on a beautiful pass to Isaac McMullin for a TD putting Darien up 27-0. Doll again over the middle to McGuckin for a 14-yard TD would make it 33-0, and then the first quarter ended!

In the first 12 minutes alone, Darien would run 14 plays, pick up 217 yards and score 33 points.

This was a big hole for Bridgeport Central to try and dig out of. The Hilltoppers finished Saturday’s game with only 6 total offensive yards.

Senior Jake Wilson had an impressive day for Darien getting the ball 12 times on the ground, rushing for 156 total yards, and finding the end zone a trio of times. This was a better showing for Jake than the week 1 contest where he barely broke 50 yards for the game.

As for depth, Darien showed some in this contest. Backup QB Declan Cunningham came in for a majority of the second half and picked up 35 rushing yards and completed a 20-yard pass. Backup RB Clifton Shelton saw 10 carries to pick up 55 yards in this one. Those two are the projected backfield for head coach Mike Forget and Darien next season.

“We went in and took care of business,” Darien senior captain James Thom said after the game. Darien has now beaten Bridgeport in the last 6 meetings and the last 3 being shutouts of the Hilltoppers. This was the bounce-back win that Darien was looking for as they move to .500 on the season and will prepare for one of its larger tasks Friday night. The defending Class L state champs Maloney Spartans come to DHS for a clash on Friday Night Lights.

DARIEN 47,

BRIDGEPORT CENTRAL 0

CENTRAL 0 0 0 0 — 0

DARIEN 33 14 0 0 — 47

Scoring: 

D – Jake Wilson 1 yard rushing TD (Stevens PAT good)

D – Simeon Doll 48 yard passing TD to Brady Pokorny (Stevens PAT good)

D – Simeon Doll 4 yard passing TD to Trevor Herget (Stevens PAT good)

D – Simeon Doll 40 yard passing TD to Isaac McMullin (PAT no good)

D – Simeon Doll 14 yard passing TD to Briggs McGuckin (PAT no good)

D – Jake Wilson 10 yard rushing TD (Stevens PAT good)

D – Jake Wilson 35 yard rushing TD (Stevens PAT good)

QB: BC – Amadeus Bonilla 4-18 (22.2%), 10 yds, 0 td, 1 Int; D – Simeon Doll 6-7 (85.7%), 137 yds, 4 tds, 0 Int.

RB: BC – Malachi Buchanan 8 carries, 9 yds, 0 td; D – Jake Wilson 12 carries, 156 yds, 3 tds.

DEF: D – JD Brennan, Stephen Carre, 1 sack; Cian LeVine, 1 interception.

Records: Bridgeport Central 0-2 ; Darien 1-1.