POMPERAUG FOOTBALL
NEWS

Late TD defeats Panthers
By Bob Reigeluth THE NEWS-TIMES
11-28-2001

SOUTHBURY — Someday, maybe tomorrow, Pomperaug High will look back with a sense of pride
and fulfillment at this season that was — the best in 26 years of Panther football.

But right now don’t ask the Panthers to puff their chests. There is still too much
hurt, too much heartbreak .

Hurt and heartbreak over playing Tuesday night’s state Class L semifinal game against bigger Notre
Dame of West Haven with every ounce of skill, savvy and energy that they have — only to come
up short, inches and seconds short.

Pomperaug came up 32 seconds short, which was the time left on the clock when ND fullback
Michael Penta barged across from the 1 to pull out a 20-16 victory before
an overflow crowd on Judd Road.

But before that, they came within inches of stopping Coletta Stefano on a fourth-and-one
play with 1:13 left that would have enabled the Panthers to run out the clock with a two-point
lead intact had he not converted it with a second effort.

And Pomperaug came within inches of sacking Joe Pepe on a play that would have left
the Green Knights with fourth and Southbury.

Instead the Notre Dame quarterback somehow avoided the rush and flung a
50-yard prayer downfield that was answered when 6-foot-5 split end Brad Listorti
outjumped Pomperaug defensive back Tim Keegan, by inches, for a catch that gave
the Knights the ball on Pomperaug’s 6.

That set up Penta’s game-winning run which, as short as it was, might as well have
gone all the way to New Haven and Southern Connecticut State. Because that’s where
Notre Dame — in the states for the first time in nine years — will be playing Fitch-Groton
in the Class L title game Saturday.

“Of all the touchdowns I’ve had all year, that was the best one by far,”
said Penta, of his 17th TD of the season.

The Panthers had been clubbed by Fitch 61-0 in their first-ever trip to
the state playoffs two years ago. But Tuesday night an appearance in the championship
game was there for them — and then it wasn’t.

“It was a matter of it being a game of inches,” said Keegan, whose 22-yard field goal
gave Pomperaug a 3-0 first-quarter lead “I was trying to hold (Listorti) on that last play
because I knew he had me beat. He’s a big guy and he’s fast. He just outjumped me.”

“It’s just heartbreaking to leave it all out on the field and lose like that,” James Cangelosi
said. “I thought everyone played well. In fact our line played awesome tonight.”

Awesome enough for the run-happy Panthers to plow for 304 yards on the ground. But
Tuesday night they were up against someone else who could pound it. The 10-1
Green Knights rushed for 247 yards.

But every time Notre Dame pushed, the smaller Panthers pushed back. It was a game in
which there were 103 offensive plays good for 662 yards in total offense and six scoring
drives ranging from 59 to 79 yards.

Cangelosi, the senior tailback raced for 141 yards on nine carries, including a 70-yard
lightning bolt on an inside reverse that gave Pomperaug a 10-0 lead in the first minute
of the second quarter.

And his 26-yard up-the-middle trap positioned a one-yard tote by Drew Robinson
(18-105) that gave Pomperaug a 16-14 lead with 8:08 left to play.

The Panthers might have held on from there had they converted a third-and-four with
3:08 remaining. Or if they had sacked Pepe on that crucial third-and-15.

“I just tried to find an opening in the pocket step up, just throw deep and hope that
Brad outjumps people,” Pepe said. “He usually does it.

“But I’ll tell you. We didn’t expect (Pomperaug) to be this strong. But they
came out hard, and stayed that way all night.”

“(Listorti) extended for it and made the catch, but we were right there,”
said Pomperaug coach Chuck Drury, who in the past three years has developed a
keen sense of what to do with this group.

“We were consistent, we moved the football against a big team. We played as well as we can.”

Notre Dame (10-1) 0 14 0 6 — 20

Pomperaug (9-2) 3  7 0 6 — 16

First quarter

P — Tim Keegan, 22 FG, 2:48.

Second quarter

P — James Cangelosi, 70 run (Keegan kick), 11:42.

ND - Jeffrey Payne, 26 run (Brad Listori kick), 9:07.

ND - Payne, 14 run (Listori kick), 1:31.

Fourth quarter

P — Drew Robinson, 1 run (run failed), 8:08.

ND — Michael Penta, 1 run (pass failed), 0:32.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

NOTRE DAME: Stefano Colleta 3-13, Jeffrey Payne 18-114, Michael Penta 15-53,
Joe Pepe 4-7, David Carofano 10-60. TOTALS: 50—47.

POMPERAUG: Drew Robinson 18-105, Ken fjraser 10-58, Rob Kulish 3-0,
James Cangelosi 9-141. TOTALS: 37-304.

Passing

NOTRE DAME: Pepe 4-10, 71 yds.
POMPERAUG: Kulish 2-6, 40 yds, 1 INT.

Receiving

NOTRE DAME: Brad Listorti 4-71

POMPERAUG: Robinson 1-24, Tim Keegan 1-16.