On a frigid afternoon at Paul Lane field, the Staples Wreckers football team (10-2) ended their season and state title defense with a disappointing 14-0 semi final loss to the Greenwich Cardinals (10-2). The result comes just over a week after the Wreckers beat the Cardinals 27-0 in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl.
Staples’ offense struggled throughout the game. Attempts at quarterback options and inside handoffs consistently resulted in multiple yard losses culminating in a team rushing total of negative 25 yards. The Staples passing offense fared slightly better with Nick Weil ’26 completing 20 of 40 passes for 200 yards, curtailed by two costly interceptions.
The game was highly irregular for a Staples offense who is used to scoring: the loss was the first time in five years the Wreckers have been shut out for an entire game.
“I need to do a better job and put us in a situation to score some points and I did not do that today,” Staples head coach Adam Behrends said.
The low scoring was largely driven by outstanding performances from both defenses, limiting the total offensive production by Staples and Greenwich to 178 and 252 yards respectively.
The first touchdown and only large chunk play of the game came on an 85 yard screen pass to Greenwich’s Blake Martin late in the second quarter.
The Wreckers entered the locker room at halftime down 7-0. Neither side looked to make significant adjustments in the second half. The Wreckers continued their combination attack of inside runs and short crossing routes while the Cardinals resumed their rushing heavy offense. Ultimately, Greenwich would put the game out of striking distance for Staples with a short fourth quarter rushing touchdown after marching down the field.
The game was the last the game that the class of 2025 played in their high school football careers. During their three years on varsity, the class of 2025 lost only five games, qualified for the state playoffs each year and even secured the Wreckers’ first state championship in 20 years.
“I’m just really proud of [the class of 2025], anytime we haven’t won it’s never for a lack of effort, it’s never a lack of trying, they laid it all out there,” Behrens said.
The Wreckers will look to rebound in the offseason, taking lessons from the experiences of alumni, now including the class of 2025.
“When you prepare the way that they prepared, they put that into these underclassmen who are going to carry on those same principles and same work ethic,” associate head coach Matthew Jacowleff said. “The alumni will be able to come back and know that they were a huge reason for the continued success of the program.”
