The matchup between Greenwich High School and Fairfield Warde was a throwback varsity football game, featuring hard-hitting, aggressive defense and plenty of carries from the running backs on a windy, damp day at Cardinal Stadium.

Ground and pound was the theme of this FCIAC game on Sept. 26 between the Cardinals and Mustangs, with Greenwich’s defense doing a lot of the pounding.

For the second time in three games, Greenwich’s defense posted a shutout, enabling head coach Anthony Morello’s squad to improve its record to 3-0. Greenwich scored on the game’s first possession and added a second-half touchdown in earning a workmanlike 17-0 victory over visiting Fairfield Warde (1-2).

Senior running back/captain Justin Carroll reached the end zone on a 4-yard run and junior wide receiver Max Townsend caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Phil Tarantino for the Cardinals, whose defensive unit made a key goal line stand in the opening quarter

“Warde is a tough, physical team,” said Tarantino, who engineered a long scoring drive on Greenwich’s first possession. “That was what we expected,” Tarantino said of the game’s opening scoring drive. We expected a little worse weather, so that was the game plan coming in, play smash mouth football, bully ball. But Warde responded very well.”

Utilizing the running of Carroll and sophomore Evan Beilenson, the Cardinals methodically and effectively drove down the field to start the game. Following the offensive linemen, Carroll ran it into the end zone from four yards out, putting Greenwich on the scoreboard with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter. Junior placekicker Michael Galano split the upright with the ensuing point-after-attempt, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.

Beilenson gained 46 yards on 13 carries, while Carroll rushed for 42 yards on eight rushes for GHS, which totaled 157 rushing yards for the game on 30 attempts. After Greenwich’s opening scoring drive, the Mustangs responded with a lengthy drive of their own.

Senior quarterback Luke Mancuso completed several short passes and senior AJ Cortina gained significant yards on the ground for Warde, which marched all the way down to the GHS 1-yard line. That’s where the drive stalled, however, as the Cards executed an impressive goal line stand, keeping the Mustangs out of the end zone on fourth-and-goal.

On fourth-and-goal, Mancuso was gang tackled and stopped short of the goal line, which kept host Greenwich ahead, 7-0.

“Today was about being gritty and digging deep,” Greenwich senior defensive back/captain Colin Suvansri said. “One example is on that goal line, we got that goal line stop. All our big guys were grinding up front, getting the pad level low, putting in the effort. I feel like that’s what helped us get that stop there.”

Suvansri provided strong pass defense and recorded two tackles and four assists to help pace Greenwich’s defensive effort. Greenwich gained 229 yards for the game, while Fairfield Warde totaled 193 yards. But the Mustangs couldn’t convert in the red zone and the Cardinals made it two shutouts in three games.

Week 1 saw Greenwich top Bridgeport Central, 42-0 and the Cardinals upended New Britain, 35-7, in Week 2.

“We had to be more physical, our coaches were telling us to get under them, get physical, get aggressive, get on the ball,” Greenwich senior defensive lineman Joshua Alexandre said after the squad’s triumph versus Warde. “We just were more physical and got the stop. We got them on the 2-yard line.”

Alexandre recorded three tackles, one of which resulted in lost yardage and had two assists to also ignite Greenwich’s defense.

Warde lined up in several formations, at times using a tight, Wing-T type formation, then utlizing a spread offense with three receivers.

“It was a great effort by all of us,” Alexandre noted. “They were in wide splits, we had to be careful with screens and just stay in front, be physical, get around the blocks and make plays.”

Senior defensive lineman Gustav Pietryka reflected on the Cardinals’ important goal line stand in the first quarter that prevented the visitors from grabbing the momentum.

“Those types of plays can make or break seasons,” Pietryka said. “It we give that up that’s a huge momentum boost, but we stopped them and the momentum went to us.”

Pietryka assisted on five tackles, Carroll had two tackles and nine assists, senior Alexander Nietzell registered seven tackles, senior defensive back Luke Wells had five tackles and an assist and defensive lineman/linebacker Luke Golden, a sophomore, had three tackles and two assists in the winning effort.

Leading 7-0 at halftime, the Cardinals extended their lead in the third quarter. Warde gained a couple of first downs on its first possession of the second half, but its drive stalled due to Greenwich’s stingy defense. On fourth down, the Mustangs punted and Suvansri leaped and blocked the punt, setting GHS up in Warde territory.

“All it was, is coming off the outside scot-free no one blocked me my eyes lit up and I went and got the ball,” Suvansri said of his blocked punt.

As for Greenwich’s defense facing Warde?

“We watched film, we prepared, we knew what they were going to come out in,” Suvansri said. “Our defense is flexible, so we always know what to adjust to.”

After taking over at the Mustangs’ 44-yard line following the blocked punt, the Cards wasted little time in scoring. Tarantino dropped back to pass, got good protection, lofted the ball down the field and the ball was caught on the run by Townsend, who brought it into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown. Galano kicked the extra point, making it 14-0 in favor of GHS with 5:39 to go in the third quarter.

Tarantino passed for 72 yards and did some damage on the ground, gaining a solid 56 yards on eight rushes. Townsend had 44 receiving yards. Senior wide receiver Bobby Stanley had two receptions for 17 yards and Dan Black, also a senior, receiver caught a pass for 11 yards to help lead Greenwich’s passing attack.

Junior Charlie Jeffery, Cortina and senior Matt Marsick each caught four passes for the Mustangs, who saw Mancuso complete 15 of 23 passes for 79 yards.

“That first drive, that was a great tone setter,” Tarantino said of the game’s first drive when Greenwich scored. “The weather wasn’t bad at all. We expected it to be worse, but the rain never really came down and it was just a little windy – very minimal.”

With 9:50 left in the fourth quarter, the strong-legged Galano put Greenwich up by three scores, booting a 25-yard field goal, giving the home team a 17-0 lead.

Greenwich has a big game coming up on Saturday (Oct. 3) when it hosts non-conference foe Newtown. The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Here’s some more scenes from Greenwich’s win vs. Fairfield Warde.