Staples football rolled into Wilton Friday night and absolutely put on a defensive clinic, shutting down Wilton 24-7 to keep themselves firmly near the top of the Class LL playoff standings. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement, driven by a dominant performance that had Wilton completely on the ropes from the jump.
The Defense That Just Kept Coming
Seriously, this Staples defense is something else. They smothered Wilton all night long, racking up multiple sacks and picking off the quarterback four times! Dylan Lust snagged two interceptions, and Nate Maurillo matched him with two of his own. And get this: three of those picks led directly to Wreckers points. Lust, who had a couple of dropped picks earlier in the season, totally made up for it, with his two interceptions directly creating 10 points for Staples. That’s clutch. He even said it himself, “The defense has really stepped up this year and it is 11 guys to the ball every single play. I have had two dropped picks this season, but coach believed in me and put me in a good opportunity to make plays.” You love to hear it.
Staples coach Matty Jacowleff is clearly stoked about his squad, saying, “Our defense does a great job week in and week out. We preach playing with a get there mentality and swarming to the ball.” He also dropped a hilarious detail about Lust, explaining how they have a running joke about linebackers struggling with picks. After seeing “opportunity after opportunity hit the ground,” they did receiver drills with the linebackers during the bye week to “cross train them.” And Lust, according to Jacowleff, “really embodies the the fire and passion we play with in Staples football.” Sounds like a team that’s all in, playing with heart, and getting results. The offense did its part too, with Nick Triscari punching in an 11-yard run in the first quarter, Grant Bozeman adding a 2-yard dive in the second, and David How kicking a 38-yard field goal after Lust’s second pick. Bozeman capped it off with another 7-yard run in the fourth.
Wilton’s Tough Night and What Comes Next
For Wilton, it was a rough one. Coach EJ DiNunzio didn’t mince words after the game, calling it “terrible” and pointing the finger at “senior guys making silly mistakes.” You can’t turn the ball over and commit bad penalties against a good team like No. 8 Staples, and Wilton found that out the hard way. Their only score came on a 15-yard pass from Connor Harlacher to Dennis Dustin. Wilton is now 3-4 and sitting outside the top eight for the Class MM playoff field. And it doesn’t get any easier for them, as they’re set to travel to face No. 3 Greenwich next Friday, then host No. 1 New Canaan the following week. Talk about a brutal stretch!
Meanwhile, Staples is now 6-1 and firmly holding the No. 3 spot in the Class LL playoff rankings. They’ll be on the road again next Saturday, heading to Norwalk for a 2:30 game against the Bears at McMahon High School. This team is rolling, and with a defense like that, who knows how far they can go!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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