Class 1A Quarterfinals: Wilton vs. Regina Catholic

Wrapping up our recap of the Class 1A Quarterfinals round was a spectacular matchup between Wilton and Regina Catholic in Pod D. In a closely-contested game, the game was tied 7-7 at halftime. The Regals were able to take the lead in the third quarter 14-7. However, they were unable to stop Wilton's offense, who finished with a total 414 yards from scrimmage with a well-balanced performance. Combined with a slew of turnovers by the defense and a key onside kick recovery, Wilton was able to score 14 unanswered points in the last 3 minutes to secure a 21-14 upset on the road, claiming their first win against Regina since 1988. The win will allow Wilton to head to the semifinal round for the first time in program history.   Here are 7 players from the game that stood out overall in what was a thrilling and engaging matchup!    [player_tooltip player_id='609822' first='Drew' last='Keith'] was in full command of the offense as he pieced apart the Regals' defense over the air and on the ground. Keith finished 25 of 35 passing for 224 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 39 yards on 10 carries. Keith played extremely well managing the game, reading the defense well and taking what the defense gave to him to progress his team down the field, while also proving sneaky keeping the ball up the middle. Keith orchestrated the final two drives to perfection and led his team to a historic victory. Keith now will look to maintain that leadership of the offense as the team moves closer to their first state title.     [player_tooltip player_id='1286459' first='Owen' last='Hassell'] turned on the jets against the Regals' defense as he proved critical in Wilton's 4th quarter comeback. Hassell finished with 126 yards on 19 carries and 2 touchdowns, both coming in the 4th quarter, including the game-winner with 29 seconds left in the game. He also caught 2 passes for 21 yards, and he recorded 3.5 tackles, and 2 TFLs on defense. The Beavers were not afraid giving the ball to Hassell during the last drive, despite being further away from the endzone, as Hassell won consistently on the outside zone-runs with his impressive speed and his refusal to be brought down at contact. This performance is a microcosm of how significant of an impact Hassell has made to the offense this season, and Hassell will continue being the bell-cow runner as the team moves closer to the state championship.     Jordan Dusenberry had an outstanding performance in the win as he completely flustered the passing game for the Regals. Dusenberry finished the night with 3.5 tackles and notching all 4 interceptions thrown by Regals QB [player_tooltip player_id='1657101' first='Kyle' last='Tracy'], including his last-ditch hail-mary attempt at the end of the game. Dusenberry also caught 8 passes for 61 yards on the offense, had 2 kick returns for 30 yards, and punted the ball 4 times (32.5 yard avg.). Dusenberry was just in the right spot for every key play, reading the QB perfectly, and perfectly timing his attack for the ball. Dusenberry matched his interception total through the first 10 games of the season in this one matchup against the Regals, proving to be the difference-maker in snapping the Regals win-streak over Wilton.     On the other side, Will Aitchison proved impressive as one of the more dynamic athletes on the Regals' roster. Aitchison finished as the team's leading receiver with 7 catches for 91 yards. On defense, he added 4.5 tackles and an interception. Aitchison's speed and fluid movement were on display, proving to be nimble as a route-runner while also possessing great closedown speed to limit passing lanes for Wilton. Aitchison is an underrated playmaker who flew under the radar this season for the Regals, and could fly under the radar as a late-target for recruiting teams.     While the Regals' secondary struggled to contain the outside-run game for Wilton, [player_tooltip player_id='1370666' first='Aaron' last='Honore'] gave a strong effort as the most reliable player in covering the outside zones. Honore finished the night with a team-high 11 tackles (10 solo), along with 1 TFL. Honore proved to be the last line of defense in most of these cases, doing a great job at gaining leverage off the snap and running through his blockers to get into the backfield, not allowing himself to get faked by the runner, and showed clean tackling form. Honore has been a bright spot for the Regals' secondary, and his versatility in coverage and the run-defense could translate very well into the next level.     In the middle of Wilton's defense is Owen Milder, who played a big part in shutting down the Regals' run-game during the second half of the game, while also being difficult to contain. Milder finished the night with 5.5 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a sack in the win. For his size, Milder has an imposing frame, and Milder controlled the box during the game, preventing the Regals from breaking off big runs during the second half and was able to break into the backfield several times to force pressure or to make a stop behind the line of scrimmage. Milder has been a game-wrecker for the defense, and he should remain as a key asset toward Wilton pushing toward their first ever state championship.     Another standout from Wilton's secondary on Friday night was senior Blaine Dohrmann, who also contributed in limiting the Regals' run game during the second half. Dohrmann finished the night with a team-high 9 tackles (8 solo) as well as a TFL. Despite his size, Dohrmann plays with an impressive amount of ferocity, and he didn't give up many yards after the catch as he brought down his receivers almost immediately after they caught it. Dohrmann plays well beyond his level, and that kind of play-style has been representative of the efforts that Wilton has been giving over the course of this season.

Wrapping up our recap of the Class 1A Quarterfinals round was a spectacular matchup between Wilton and Regina Catholic in Pod D. In a closely-contested game, the game was tied 7-7 at halftime. The Regals were able to take the lead in the third quarter 14-7. However, they were unable to stop Wilton's offense, who finished with a total 414 yards from scrimmage with a well-balanced performance. Combined with a slew of turnovers by the defense and a key onside kick recovery, Wilton was able to score 14 unanswered points in the last 3 minutes to secure a 21-14 upset on the road, claiming their first win against Regina since 1988. The win will allow Wilton to head to the semifinal round for the first time in program history.