In what can only be described as a roller coaster night of football, the Ridgefield Tigers were able to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. After going up 34-14 in the fourth quarter, the Tigers held on for a 34-28 win over Stamford
The Black Knights (1-2) controlled the ball for the opening six minutes of the first quarter before punting to Ridgefield. The Tigers had the ball for less than a minute and a half and on the Knights' 17-yard line when Connor Rowe threw an interception.
Stamford took advantage of that miscue when quarterback Bryan Boderick scored on a 5-yard run for the game's first touchdown and a 6-0 lead as the Knights could not convert the point after.
Ridgefield answered with just 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter on Rowe's 62-yard TD pass to John Heller that pulled the Tigers within 7-6.
Ridgefield (2-1) then picked off Boderick at the 8:25 mark of the second quarter. Just 14 seconds later, Rowe found Heller once again on a 35-yard TD strike, putting the Tigers up 14-6.
Rowe then finished out the half by connecting with Neil Gollogly on a 23-yard TD pass with about a minute left, sending the Tigers into the locker room with a 20-6 lead. Gollogly made a spectacular catch at the goal line while being pummlled by two Stamford defenders. He held on to the ball for another six points for Ridgefield.
When Ridgefield scored two minutes into the second half it looked like it would run away with the game. Running back John Turner bulled his way through the Stamford line and to the corner flag to put the Tigers up 27-6.
Stamford answered quickly at the 8:05 mark when the brothers Boderick connected off a 20-yard TD pass to get the Knights within 13 at 27-14.
Neither team score for the next 12 minutes. With 7:52 left in the game, Sam Gravitte took a had off from Rowe and scampered into the end zone on a 7- yard run to put the Tigers ahead 34-14.
At this point it seemed as if the game was indeed over, but Boderick threw a pair of TD passes two minutes apart. The first was a 20-yard pass to Jake Demetrios at the 5:32 mark. The second was to his brother with 3:34 that got etting within a touchdown and extra point of a great comeback win.
However, a poor attempt at an onside kick gave the ball to Ridgefield with great field position and the ability to run out the clock.
Ridgefield travels to Wilton on Thursday while Stamford hosts St. Joseph on Thursday.
