By David Fierro
Playing an unfamiliar opponent, Greenwich High School’s varsity football team produced a familiar result when it traveled to West Haven to face Notre Dame-West Haven.
Utilizing a strong running game and another tenacious defensive effort, Greenwich raised its record to a perfect 3-0, registering an impressive 38-7 triumph against non-conference foe Notre Dame-West Haven at Veterans Memorial Park.
Senior running back Hector Lopez rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns, senior running back/linebacker Jack Kelly ran for a pair of touchdowns and senior linebacker Santi Parra ran back an interception for a score to highlight the Cardinals’ dominant win.
Lopez began Greenwich’s scoring in the first quarter. Taking the handoff from sophomore quarterback, Lopez ran into the end zone from 3-yards out for a touchdown. Sophomore Michael Galano kicked the ensuing extra point, giving Greenwich a 7-0 lead on Notre Dame-West Haven with 4:58 remaining in the opening quarter.
At the 11:17 mark of the second quarter, Notre Dame-West Haven received a 9-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Giuseppe Capasso and the score was tied at 7-7. Those would be the only points the home team managed against the Cardinals’ aggressive, effective defense, however.
Galano displayed his strong kicking leg once again, converting a 40-yard field goal with 8:08 left in the second quarter, putting Greenwich in front, 10-7. Just 48 seconds remained when Lopez escaped Notre Dame-West Haven’s defense for a 19-yard touchdown run. Galano again, converted the PAT and GHS seized a 17-7 advantage heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, Kelly capped a solid Cardinals drive with a 3-yard run, making it a 24-7 game at the 3:26 mark of the quarter.
The fourth quarter saw Kelly run for another 3-yard touchdown, giving the Cards a 31-7 cushion with 5:51 to go. Parra then intercepted Capasso and ran it back 28 yards for a touchdown, sealing Greenwich’s scoring and giving GHS 38 points for the night.
For the game, Greenwich rolled up 306 yards of total offense, compared to 80 for Notre Dame-West Haven. The Cardinals rushed for 224 yards overall, 164 came from Lopez.
The Cardinals had 82 passing yards, while holding Notre Dame-West Haven to only 32. Senior Hudson Squires paced Greenwich’s receiving corps, catching five passes for 24 yards.
Up next for Greenwich is a road game against FCIAC opponent Westhill on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
