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Fitch football overcomes jitters with 48-28 win over Stonington to keep playoff hopes alive

Harry November 16, 2024

15 November 2024 22:16 • Last Update: 15 November 2024 22:17

Fitch’s Porter Carter, center, blocks Stonington’s Cooper Light and passes with teammate Wayne Cowell’s guard (right) during Friday night’s high school football game in Stonington. Fitch won 48-28, scoring three rushing touchdowns and intercepting two passes from Carter to keep its Class L playoff hopes alive. (Dana Jensen/Day) Buy Photo Reprints

Stonington’s Maddox Massengale (left) escapes the grasp of Fitch’s Jermain Manning during a high school football game Friday night in Stonington. (Dana Jensen/Day) Buy Photo Reprints

Fitch’s Devin Cook (center) weaves through traffic during Friday night’s high school football game against Stonington. Cook finished the race with 222 yards rushing and two touchdowns. (Dana Jensen/Day) Buy Photo Reprints

Stonington — Fitch football 2024’s showrunner came armed with a wicked sense of humor. The season finale and some of the boys’ football careers are worrying enough. Then come Fitch’s last three matches:

Western rival: New London. East rival: Stonington. Rival in the north: Ledyard. All this makes managing emotions even more difficult.

But the Falcons earned gold stars on Friday night and were able to make up for last week’s disappointment against New London by defeating Stonington 48-28. They also kept their state Class L playoff hopes alive, arguably making the game between Thanksgiving and Ledyard a win-win game.

“We felt like the last two games on our schedule were winnable,” Fitch quarterback Porter Carter said after running for three. “We have to keep pushing. Now we’re fighting for (Colonel Ledyard) Sword and the play-offs.”

Carter ran Fitch’s first play from scrimmage for 70 yards and a score; This foreshadowed a night in which Fitch rushed for 526 yards as a team.

“Our line blocked well and we got yards after contact,” Fitch coach Mike Ellis said. “We just kept plowing the piles.”

The Falcons (5-4) trailed 6-0 after Stonington quarterback Jayden Carter hit Jacob Schrage for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Fitch trailed 13-7 after Stonington lineman Evan West took a fumble and went 72 yards. But in the end, 526 yards beat the Bears (6-3), who needed to beat Westerly on Thanksgiving to make the Class S playoffs.

Fitch fullback Devin Cook rushed for 222 yards and two scores.

“I put everything on my own shoulders,” Cook said. “I can’t do anything without them. After (Carter’s 70-yard run) I knew we were good. We knew we could move the ball.”

Anthony Spader and Sean Bussey also scored for the Falcons, who will not play again until Thanksgiving.

Carter also threw another touchdown pass to Schrage and a 65-yarder to Chase Spurley.

Now comes the biggest test for both programs: Beat their rivals on Thanksgiving for a shot at the postseason.

“Our kids are so young and they don’t always see the whole picture,” Ellis said. “There’s a lot going on right now. We have spirit week coming up. It’s going to be huge to keep things going and keep them focused. We got a big win at Windham and then we came to New London. We got a big win here. Now we’ve got to keep it going.”

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