West Haven running backs Kyle Godfrey and Chris Chance never got going offensively in the season opener against North Haven last week. It took both less than a quarter to show how dynamic they can be.
Combining for six touchdowns and 331 yards on the ground, Chance and Godfrey led the Westies to a 47-20 victory over Wilbur Cross in a Southern Connecticut Conference contest at Barbarito/Marone Field at the Wilbur Cross Athletic Complex in New Haven Friday afternoon.
“We had some very good practices this week,” Chance said after rushing for 201 yards and three touchdowns. “We did not feel out offense was good last week. We had to make a statement today.”
With the game a one-score contest entering the third quarter, West Haven pulled away with a dominant third quater, outgaining the Governors 179-20, and scoring three times in the process.
Godfrey gave the Westies a 28-14 lead when he scampered in from 43 yards out just 2 minutes, 29 seconds into the second half. Chance scored the next two touchdowns, from two yards out on fourth down, and his third of the day from 57 yards away for a 41-14 advantage with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
“Obviously, we ran better than last week,” West Haven coach Rich Boshea said. “Last week, our offense did not do what it wanted to do. We have to continue to work to get better offensively. Cross is a good team. They have some great players. We played well.”
The first half saw 308 total yards of offense, with the Westies using a late score to take a 21-14 advantage. West Haven finished with a 466-201 advantage in yards in the game.
The game was even at 14 after Sal Barnabei hit Kwane Taylor with a 5-yard scoring pass with 1:06 to go in the half for the Governors. Cross, which used 16 plays and took 8:08 off the clock on the drive, looked as if it would go to the half on a high note.
Instead, West Haven (2-0), which had run just three offensive plays in the second quarter to that point, needed just four more to take the lead with four seconds to go in the second quarter.
The big play came with eight seconds to go as Chance hit Jordan Wetmore in stride for a 49-yard halfback option pass to the Cross 1-yard line. Zach Conlan ran in on the next play to put the Westies ahead at the half.
“That was a momentum changer,” Cross coach John Acquavita said. “We don’t have the bodies to sustain playing both ways against a school like that. They are tough. Our guys didn’t come off the field and they were able to wear us down. We were able to stay with them until the third quarter. After that, you can tell we were gassed.”
The game had all the makings of a high-scoring affair as 21 points were scored just 6:20 into the game. West Haven, which had 185 yards of offense in the opening half, opened the scoring five plays into the contest when Chance, (56 yards on the initial drive), scored from 3 yards out.
West Haven missed the extra point and Cross (1-1) took the lead on its first offensive play from scimmage as Jasiah Barnes raced around the edge and scored from 80 yards out for a 7-6 Cross advantage.
The Westies responded 10 plays later to cap a 62-yard drive when Godfrey ran in fom one yard out, then Conlan ran in the conversion for a 14-7 advantage. The Westies ran for 136 yards in the opening half, including 86 by Chance.
“That pass play before the half was huge,” Boshea said. “Chris Chance made a great throw to Jordan Wetmore and he made a good catch. We needed a lift before the half and we were able to get it. After that, I think we were able to wear them down in the second half.”
West Haven did a good job on Barnes, limiting him to just 27 yards on the ground after his long touchdown to start the game for the Governors. Barnes finished with 107 yards on 14 carries. Barnabei passed for 127 yards and two scores in the loss for Wilbur Cross.
For all your West Haven sports news, go to www.westieblue.com