WILTON, Conn. The Wilton seventh-grade Blue football team is one of many in the surging town program that is finding success in the Fairfield County Football League.
Wilton beat defending champion Fairfield , 7-6, Sunday and is 2-0 on the season. As sixth-graders, the team went 6-2. Wilton had two sixth-grade teams in 2011, and they went a combined 14-4. The league won championships in the third, fourth and fifth grades and lost in in the sixth-grade finals. Wilton teams are flying high in the early going this year, too. Eight of the 12 teams in the league are for grades 3-8.
It has been a great run, Wilton coach Jim Sexton said. All these teams are coming up and playing well. Were getting more kids, were getting more coaches. I think its going to help our high school team later on.
Sextons team upset Fairfield with its aggressive defense. Chris Colbert scored Wiltons lone touchdown on a 32-yard interception return early in the third quarter. Harvey Alexander kicked the extra point.
Wilton kept Fairfield under control until the final drive. Fairfield scored on a long touchdown run with a minute left. Fairfield tried to run in the conversion, but Colbert made the tackle in the backfield. Teammates Peter Gulbin, Jack DiNanno, Drew Peterson, A.J. Pykosz, Daniel Fitzgerald and Jake Beshlian controlled the line of scrimmage to allow Colbert to make the big play. Joe Murtha, Alex Acosta-Rua and Kyle Maatala also played well on defense.
Quarterback Brian Calabrese hit Alexander and Murtha with key completions in the fourth quarter, and Alexanders fumble recovery stopped a Fairfield drive early in the fourth quarter at the Wilton 12. Wiltons defense, under assistant coach Gaston Acosta-Rua, allowed just three first downs.
The defense was solid all day, Sexton said. After they scored, we gave them a little breather and they came up big.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.
