Something had to give when undefeated varsity football teams Greenwich and New Canaan squared off for a showdown under the lights at jam-packed Dunning Stadium on Oct. 24th, in a much-anticipated matchup featuring the top two ranked squads in Connecticut.

The atmosphere was electric and the intensity was high throughout this FCIAC duel between the Cardinals and Rams, both of whom possess punishing defense and vaunted offense. Unfortunately for Greenwich, New Canaan did a little more offensively on this night to pull out the first meeting between the FCIAC rivals since 2021.

Scoring 14 second-quarter points host New Canaan kept its perfect record intact, using an impressive first half to register a hard-fought 14-7 win over Greenwich in a classic, throw-back defensive battle. With the victory, the Rams, ranked No. 1 in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Media Poll, improved its record to 6-0.

The Cardinals, ranked No. 2 in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Media Poll, have a record of 5-1. This was truly a game involving powerhouse teams. Since their previous meeting in 2021, the Rams have won three CIAC Class LL state tournament championships, including three straight from 2022-2024. The Cardinals have won two Class LL state titles in the past three seasons, defeating Fairfield Prep for the championship in 2022 and West Haven for the championship in 2024.

Senior tight end Ryan Brooks and junior wide receiver Charlie Koch each caught touchdown passes from junior quarterback Maddox Hoffman, igniting New Canaan’s offense in the opening half. The Cardinals received a 49-yard touchdown run from senior running back Hector Lopez in the fourth quarter, a score which cut the Rams’ two score lead in half.

Yet that’s all the offense the Cardinals could muster against a stingy Rams defense, which has allowed only 37 points through six games this season. Besides scoring on Lopez’s long touchdown run, Greenwich reached the Red Zone three times in the second half, including twice in the fourth quarter. But New Canaan forced a pair of turnovers in the fourth quarter, halting Cardinals drives and held on for the win. After not generating many first downs in the first half, Greenwich got on track a bit on offense in the second half of play.

“We just started spreading the field a little bit more,” Greenwich coach Anthony Morello said of the difference from the first half to the second half offensively. “We decided to spread things out, speed up tempo a little bit. We had some big plays, we got down to the red zone three times. It will be something we learn from. I am not at all disappointed in the effort or resiliency this team demonstrated. They took No. 1 to the wire. Unfortunately, we didn’t make that big play when we had the opportunity. Overall, I’m so thrilled with the effort from these guys.”

With Greenwich facing a 14-0 deficit, Lopez took a handoff from sophomore quarterback Phil Tarantino turned the corner and sprinted down the left sideline for a 49-yard touchdown with 11:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. Sophomore kicker Michael Galano converted the PAT, bringing the Cards to within 14-7 of the Rams.

“I just have to give props to the offensive line, the offensive line works hard every day and just props to them, I give all the credit to them,” Lopez said of his touchdown run.

Lopez’s 49-yard touchdown run gave the Cardinals a much-needed momentum boost.

“Hector’s great, he performed well,” Morello said. “He got us right back into the game with that inside zone on third-and-five. You can see the energy, you can see the momentum change.”

With the Cardinals driving and looking to tie the score or possibly go ahead, Rams senior linebacker Michael Hiramon recovered a fumble just inside the New Canaan 10-yard line after Tarantino was tackled hard and sacked with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

After Greenwich’s defense made a key stop, the Cardinals took possession with 3:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tarantino completed key passes to senior Jack Kelly and Alex Mrdelja, also a senior, which enabled the Cards to move the ball into New Canaan’s territory.

Senior defensive back Blake Schwartz gave New Canaan another important defensive stand, intercepting a pass near the goal line and returning it to the Rams’ 14-yard line late in the fourth quarter, as the hosts maintained their 14-7 advantage.

In the third quarter, Greenwich reached the New Canaan 3-yard line behind a pair of receptions by senior wide receiver Hudson Squires and a Rams pass interference penalty. But the Cardinals did not light the scoreboard, as a pair of penalties back them up from the goal line and ended the scoring threat.

“When you’re trailing by two scores late in the game, you have to lean on your quarterback, you have to lean on your passing game,” Morello noted. “When you do that, the defense also knows that you’ll be passing, they’re going to start teeing off, they’re going to get better rushes off the edge and creating havoc.”

“So, when you become more predictable, bad things can happen,” Morello continued. “We still have plenty of opportunities. We just can’t be coughing the ball up like that and you can’t go four-and-out in the red zone when you are trailing by two scores.”

Hoffman completed 15 of 24 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for New Canaan. Senior Henry Stein paced the Rams’ rushing attacking, running for 90 yards on 24 carries. For the game, New Canaan totaled 274 yards, while Greenwich gained 252. Tarantino passed for 126 yards and Lopez rushed for 101 yards.

New Canaan scored the game’s first points when Hoffman rolled to his right a bit and threw a pass that was caught by Brooks near the right sideline for a 16-yard touchdown seven seconds into the second quarter. Kicker Neel Arora followed with the PAT, giving the home team a 7-0 lead.

“It was amazing, we ran that on Wednesday at practice and we came out and we showed it,” Brooks said of his touchdown reception. I thought about it last night and it was exactly what I thought.”

Indeed, this well-attended FCIAC matchup featured a playoff-type atmosphere.

“It was amazing, with all the buildup, 14 days coming into this game, it’s relieving,” Brooks noted. “I didn’t even think Dunning Stadium can hold this many people. Having an atmosphere like that was awesome.”

Greenwich’s defense, like New Canaan, has been especially strong. Over the course of six games, the Cardinals have yielded only 66 points. Junior linebacker Justin Carroll was among numerous athletes that provided stellar defensive play for the Cards against the Rams.

Senior defensive back Hunter Woods recovered a New Canaan fumble at the GHS 6-yard line, ending a Rams drive in the third quarter – march that would have put them up by three scores.

“Our defense – we gave up two big plays in the first half that resulted in touchdowns,” Morello said. “Other than that, I thought they played an awesome game. Hats off to New Canaan, they got the better of us tonight, they made more plays, they were the better team, but there’s always next week. There’s a lot that we can correct today. We’ll just moved forward to Ludlowe.”

Greenwich visits Fairfield Ludlowe on Nov. 1 for a 1 p.m. conference game. New Canaan hosts Stamford Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.

“We have to correct some things, but we’ll be back, we’ll be better,” said Lopez, who rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries. “We’re going to take this feeling and put it into next week, the rest of the season and we’re going to push these guys with all I got every single day.”