On Saturday afternoon, the Darien Football squad (4-2) welcomed the Greenwich Cardinals (5-1) to a packed house inside the DHS Stadium Field.

Darien was coming in hot, winners of their last three road games, and looking to win their sole home game in October.

A pair of turnover on downs was how the game started for both teams.

But on the third drive of the game, Darien saw some life.

After back-and-forth penalties were called, Darien had a 2nd and 10 on the Cardinals’ 40-yard line. Doll dropped back and connected to Trevor Herget for the 30-yard reception, moving Darien into the red zone. A QB keeper by Doll on the next play gave them seven and made it 2nd and goal.

Ball on the three. Snap to Doll, handed off to Jake Wilson. Wilson rushing up the middle into traffic, but got the three yards for the score. Touchdown Darien. Anson Sikora nailed the PAT and put Darien up 7-0 after the first quarter.

Greenwich retaliated this, with a 40-yard pass to James Wailgum and another 9-yard gain by Wailgum, giving the Cards 1st and goal on the 1-yard line.

The first play of the second quarter saw Greenwich QB Jack Wilson dive at the one and get in. Greenwich tied it right back up at seven apiece.

Darien would come out and go three and out, bringing the punt unit on. Herget punted, setting Greenwich back up on their own 21.

Jack Konigsberg rushed three in a row before a Wilson pass to Wailgum was complete for a 40-yard gain and another red zone look for the Cards.

Charlie Dixon hauled in a 20-yard catch, and then Jack Wilson finished the drive with a 2-yard TD rush back up the middle. A 7-play drive for Greenwich that took three minutes and went 79 yards gave Greenwich the 14-7 lead in the game.

Darien went three and out on their next two drives, with a Greenwich punt sandwiched between them. Herget punted his third of the day, giving Greenwich the ball back with 3:54 left before halftime.

Konigsberg and Vomvolakis rushed one before the Cards were faced with a 1st and ten on the Darien 44-yard line. Wilson dropped back, given time by his OL, saw his receiver, and fired a pass. Charlie Dixon was able to make the catch and go untouched into the end zone for the Cardinals’ score. 21-7 Greenwich.

Darien had 2:15 left on the scoreboard before halftime, this would be a crucial drive for Darien as they trailed by 14, and Greenwich receiving the kick out of the locker room.

2nd and 22 on the Cardinals’ 42 with 1:14 left was Darien’s progress. Doll dropped back and threw a beauty to Jake Wilson for the gain of 31 and giving Darien the red zone hope. The Wave took their second timeout stopping the clock at 1:05.

A look to Pokorny in the end zone on first down was incomplete. Herget made the grab on second down, reached for the pylon, and came up a yard short.

Timeout was taken by Greenwich, as Darien is now at the 1st and goal at the 1 with 19 seconds left.

He handed it to Wilson, but was stopped by the Cardinals’ blitz effort for no gain. With the clock ticking away, Mike Forget took his third and final timeout with 9 seconds on the clock.

2nd and goal now, one last chance to score. Doll drops back and rolls to his right side. Pokorny made the catch but rolled into the end zone. The line judge spotted him down at the 1-yard line.

Darien came up short with no timeouts left and 0:00 reading on the scoreboard. The Darien sideline was livid! The Wave did not score and thus went into halftime down by 14 and kicking to start the second half.

The Darien defense would show up in the second half as they forced the Cardinals to a pair of three-and-outs.

Darien took over on the offense for a second time with 6:47 left in the third quarter on Wave 42.

Darien ran 12 plays before they settled on the Cardinals’ 2-yard line with 1st and goal.

On the lucky 13th play of the drive, Simeon Doll faked the handoff and fooled the Greenwich defense. He would run untouched into the end zone for the Darien score.

Once again, Greenwich got a strong retaliation as they started the fourth quarter with the ball on the Darien 47 already on a long drive.

3rd and ten on the Darien 47, Wilson dropped back and was looking for Dixon. The pressure of the blitz is on. He chucked up the pass. It would be intercepted by Darien’s James Schwind. Schwind returned it to the Greenwich 35. The momentum suddenly shifted to the Darien side. However, there was a flag on the play.

The referees met and called a roughing of the passer on the Wave. This flag nullified the interception and kept the ball and momentum with the Cardinals.

Greenwich used this to their advantage as they would continue the march and handed the ball off to George Vomvolakis for a 20-yard touchdown giving the Cardinals a 28-14 lead. A momentum killer for the Wave on the flag and heartbreak with the 7-point swing coming out of it.

Darien looked to keep themselves in the game, needing points.

A pass interference call against the Cardinals would immune Darien from a 3rd and 3. And they marched down to the 5-yard line.

A 2nd and goal play, Doll dropped back and rolled to the near side. Bullet pass to a sliding Trevor Herget, he made the catch capping off another long Darien drive. The PAT would be blocked as Darien now trailed 28-20.

Greenwich went three and out on their next drive, keeping hope with Darien.

A trio of completions pushed Darien into the red zone at the Cardinals’ 19-yard line. However, a shot on third down set up the 4th and 9 for Darien. 3:40 on the clock, Doll looking to pass and keep the drive alive. Doll went for Pokorny in the end zone. The pass was up and deflected by the a Cardinal Nick Aravides. A turnover on downs against the Wave would force them back on defense.

Two short rushes by Konigsberg set up the 3rd and 2 with 2:05 to play. Darien, with only one timeout left, meant that Greenwich just needed the first down to put this game to bed. The handoff to Konigsberg would be stopped by Darien’s Layton Reesor for no gain. Timeout Darien stopping the clock at 1:58. Kane Ehrhart punted the ball out to the Greenwich 49-yard line.

1:50 left to play, no timeouts, and 49 yards to go is what Darien was faced with.

An incompletion to Trevor Herget who was downfield set up 2nd and 10. A short pass to Isaac McMullen complete for a gain of 7 and set up 3rd and 3.

Doll looked to Herget once again, this time Herget being tripled team would get the ball deflected away setting up the 4th down make-or-break play.

4th and four on the Greenwich 42. Doll looking to the near sideline to Pokorny, thinks he has the lane. A Cardinal in John Insinga gets in the middle and intercepts the pass. The interception put the game to bed and securing the Greenwich win. All the Wave’s hopes were gone.

Greenwich escaped Darien with a 28-20 victory over the Wave and picked up their 6th win on the season. For Greenwich, this was the first time since 2007 they beat the Wave. 2007 was also the last time that Darien dropped back-to-back home games. And with this loss, they do just that.

A passing frenzy on Saturday resulted in the big plays being the difference, and Greenwich got the upper hand. A Cardinals team that averaged 41 points a game entering play, did not disappoint. And a Darien defense that struggled in the red zone, well, that also continued.

Darien still sits in 7th place in Class L and remains unbeaten in FCIAC division games. They will take on Norwalk Friday at 7 pm for senior day. Darien will look to rebound against the Bears as they only have three games left to play in the 2022 campaign!

GREENWICH 28,

DARIEN 20

GREENWICH 0 21 0 7 —28

DARIEN 7 0 7 6 — 20

Scoring: 

D – Jake Wilson 3 yard rushing TD (Sikora PAT good)

G – Jack Wilson 3 yard rushing TD (Boone PAT good)

G – Jack Wilson 2 yard rushing TD (Boone PAT good)

G – Jack Wilson 44 yard passing TD to Charlie Dixon (Boone PAT good)

D – Simeon Doll 2 yard rushing TD (Stevens PAT good)

G – George Vomvolakis 20 yard rushing TD (Boone PAT good)

D – Simeon Doll 5 yard passing TD Trevor Herget (Stevens PAT no blocked)

QB: G – Jack Wilson 17-29 (58.6%), 243 yds, 1 td, 0 Int; D – Simeon Doll 28-52 (53.8%), 317 yds, 1 td, 1 Int.

RB: G- Jack Konigsberg 12 carries, 33 yds, 0 tds; D- Jake Wilson 9 carries, 15 yds, 1 tds.

WR: G – James Wailgum 11 receptions, 147 yds, 0 td; D- Trevor Herget 11 receptions, 114 yds, 0 td.

DEF: G – Matthew Trimmer, Griffin Galleta, 1 sack; John Insinga, 1 interception.

Records: Greenwich 6-1 ; Darien 4-3.