They couldn’t keep them off the field.
As the final seconds of the game ticked away, kicker Mickey Ross ’26 split the uprights with a 38 yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Wreckers’ football team to a thrilling 34-33 victory over West Haven on Friday, Sept. 26. Within moments, a flood of Staples students – clad in the evening’s theme of red, white and blue – stormed the field in celebration. The kick was a culmination of a hard fought back-and-forth contest that saw numerous lead changes and shifts in momentum.
“That moment is why you make all the sacrifices you make,” Head Coach Matthew Jacowleff ’15 said. “I’m just so proud of our guys.”
The win marks the Wreckers’ third consecutive victory including earlier wins over Stamford and Glastonbury.
A key to the victory was a strong rushing attack. Running back Chaz Darby ’26 set the tone early by scoring the game’s first touchdown, going on to rack up 156 rushing yards according to Maxpreps. His runs included two key first downs that got the Wreckers in range for Ross’s Kick.
“[I] felt great, I got to give all the credit to my line though, [it] starts there. [We’ve] been practicing, executing and on the field today it came down to the last second,” Darby said.
After Darby’s initial touchdown, the Wreckers special teams unit would block a punt, setting up a short field goal putting the Wreckers up 10-0.
Late in the first quarter the Wrecker defense – who had been strong in their first two games – began to falter. While Staples held West Haven to minimal gains on early downs the Blue Devils converted on third down with big plays. Those defensive breakdowns ultimately led to back to back West Haven touchdowns putting the Blue Devils up 14-10.
(Will Enquist ’26)
“We’ve talked about the fact that they are going to make big plays and we are going to have to be resilient and in a position to respond,” Jacowleff said. “We pride ourselves on being mentally and physically tougher than our opponent.”
Seconds before halftime Staples quarterback Nick Weil ’26 would rush for a touchdown to establish a 17-14 Wrecker lead before the intermission. Weil would complete 13 of 23 passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
“Man in the arena; you’re the guy taking snaps, you’re the guy who has the ball last in his hands. You make a couple mistakes, come with it,” Jacowleff said. “Nick is the man in the arena and if we lose, I’ll lose with Nick – but we haven’t lost a lot.”
The Wreckers began the second half of play in explosive fashion. Wide receiver – and kick returner – Charlie Clarke ’26 returned the opening kick off for a touchdown. The Wrecker’s momentum would not last for long though: West Haven’s Amir Danily would return the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown in a moment emblematic of what was a highly dynamic game.
“The team did an absolutely fantastic job being resilient,” Defensive Line Coach Ron Clarke said, “Everytime they got kicked a little bit they bounced back […] you can’t say enough about the heart of this [team].”
Staples and West Haven would continue to trade offensive punch
es deep into the fourth quarter. With four minutes remaining and the Wreckers trailing 31-33, Weil threw an interception. Initially, it appeared that West Haven had returned the ball for a touchdown, but a defensive holding call nullified the score and kept Staples in the game.
The Staples defense would force West Haven to punt after a short possession, giving the Wreckers the ball with two minutes remaining. Staples would drive to the 25 yard line, aided by passes from Weil and multiple runs that saw Darby power through opposing players.
It was then, with the game on the line, that Ross would get his opportunity.
“I just tried to clear my mind; think about me, the snapper, the holder, just doing our job,” Ross said “No one was rushing so […] I was able to prepare for that moment.”
