CHESHIRE – The Cheshire High football team used two strong weeks of practice to get ready for the second half of its season after two straight losses dropped the Rams to 3-2.
Cheshire downed Jonathan Law on Oct. 23, then prepared to host Fairfield Prep in an SCC showdown on Friday night at Alumni Field.
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The hard work during the bye week again paid off, and the Rams won convincingly over the Jesuits 20-0 in a defensive slugfest. Cheshire won the biggest battle of the night, the turnover battle, by a 5-0 margin. The Rams had three interceptions, including a pick-six by Evan Gonzalez, and they recovered a pair of fumbles, one on defense and another on a muffed punt.
Cheshire held the Fairfield Prep offense to just 13 yards in the first half. The Rams held the Jesuits to 56 total yards of offense for the game, recorded multiple sacks, and controlled the game up front for most of the way.
The Cheshire defense created the game’s first big break when Ollie Donroe sacked Prep quarterback Drew Kane and forced a fumble. Alex Muller recovered the ball for the Rams at midfield with 6:03 left in the first quarter. Cheshire drove to the Jesuits’ 3-yard line, then Tim Reinhard made a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 3:32 left in the first quarter.
The Cheshire lead was still 3-0 near the midway point of the second quarter when the Rams turned in the game’s biggest play. The Jesuits had the ball at their own 22, and after a false start, Gonzalez picked off a Kane pass in the flat and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. Reinhard’s extra point gave Cheshire a 10-0 lead with 6:03 left until halftime.
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Will Wable’s interception of Kane on the ensuing Jesuit drive gave the Rams the ball at their opponents’ 39-yard line. A 39-yard Donroe touchdown on the second play of the drive was called back due to a hold, but Cheshire regrouped and drove down the field. Noel Martinez punched it in from eight yards out, and Reinhard’s extra point put the Rams up 17-0 with 37 seconds left until halftime. That was the lead Cheshire took into halftime.
The Rams took 9:18 off the third-quarter clock with a 19-play, 64-yard drive that ended in a 29-yard field goal by Reinhard and a 20-0 lead with 25 seconds left on the clock. Ryan Plouffe intercepted a Brayden Presiano pass early in the fourth quarter, and Aiden Tracy later recovered a fumble on a muffed punt.
Fairfield Prep hosts West Haven at 6 p.m. next Friday, and Cheshire is at Sheehan at 6:30 p.m.
Evan Gonzalez, Cheshire: The senior’s 22-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the second quarter really put the momentum on the side of the Rams.
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FAIRFIELD PREP 0 0 0 0- 0
CHESHIRE 3 14 3 0-20
C-Tim Reinhard 20 field goal
C-Evan Gonzalez 22 interception return (Reinhard kick)
C-Noel Martinez 8 run (Reinhard kick)
C-Reinhard 29 field goal
Cheshire 5-2; Fairfield Prep 3-4.
This article originally published at Cheshire football blanks Fairfield Prep as defense forces five turnovers.
