Wildcats Spoil Ansonia’s Homecoming Event 27-19

By Don Bachman

The Minster Wildcats came fighting back to score 14 points in the last quarter to down a fired-up Ansonia Tiger eleven 27-19 in a Tri-County League game at Ansonia Friday. Rhe contest was played before a large crowd present for the Ansonia homecoming and Dad’s Night programs.

The Cats seemed to have quite a bit more spirit and fight than in recent outings, especially in the second half. After leaving the field at halftime trailing 13-7 the Orange and Blackcame back strong to mark up win number two in five starts and their second league success against one loss.

For a time, it appeared that the Tigers were going to make their homecoming a happy one as they scored the first two times they got the ball.

Minster took the opening kickoff and picked up three first downs before the attack bogged down. With the ball on the Ansonia 45 and with fourth down and five to go, the Cats rather foolishly tried to run for the needed yardage and failed with the Tigers taking over on their own 42.

The Tigers came up with a double T offense that had the Cats fooled for most of the first half. In this attack two men line up to the side of the center giving the offensive team two quarterbacks and keeping the defensive squad guessing as to which one has the ball. With Dwight Detling doing most of the running, Ansonia advanced to the Minster 39 with fourth down and two coming.

A pass, Gutermuth to Detling, advanced the oval to the 29. Gutermuth picked up five yards off tackle but an offside penalty put the ball back on the 29. Brewer smashed for a first down to the 16 and then to the 11. Gutermuth picked up a first down on the five and Detling raced around end to score. A plunge for the point was stopped short and Ansonia led 6-0.

The Cats took the following kickoff and moved to the Ansonia four before a holding penalty sent them back to the 19. Maltinsky then sent first string quarterback John Froning into the game. Froning’s first pass fell incomplete but on the second play Froning took the ball from center and back pedaled to about the 30 before hitting Rol Hausfeld in the end zone for the score. Froning’s point attempt was perfect and Minster led 7-6.

But the Tigers, fighting hard to please the large homecoming crowd, came back to score in 13 plays with Detling going around end from a yard out. Brewer’s plunge for the point was good and the Tigers were back on top 13-7.

Minster moved to the Ansonia 24, thanks to a ten yard off-tackle smash by Dave Seger and a 15-yard jaunt by Dave Wente, but time ran out before the Cats could score.

The Orange and Black defense stiffened considerably in the second half and the Cats took over after Detling punted out on the Ansonia 48.

Wente and Hogenkamp picked up 8 yards before Seger crashed through the middle for a first down on the Ansonia 35. Wente brought the oval to the nine in two tries, but a penalty moved the Cats back to the 14. Marty Davis then raced around end to score. Confusion in setting up the ball ruined Froning’s PAT attempt and the score was 13 all.

The passing combination of Gutermuth to Detling and the line thrusts of Brewer paced the Tigers to another score with Brewer blasting off tackle from the 11. A pass for the point was incomplete and the Tigers led 19-13.

Minster began a drive for the winning score after Davies returned the kickoff to the Minster 34. Davis moved to the 48 and a pass from Hogenkamp to Seger was good to the Tiger 49. Wente drove over tackle to the Ansonia 40 and Seger hit for a first down to the 38. After a pass fell incomplete Wente raced to the 19. Hogenkamp advanced to the 10 and Wente shot into the end zone on the next play to tie the score. Froning’s kick was good but the Cats were penalized for backfield in motion. With the ball on the seven Froning lined up in a fake kick formation, faded back to pass, and seeing all receivers covered sprinted around end to add the point that sent the Cats ahead 20-19.

Following the kickoff the Wildcat line became vicious, hitting the Ansonia backs hard and low and stopping them cold. After managing only four yards in three attempts Detling punted out on the Minster 43. The Cats drove up to the Ansonia 29 and were faced with a fourth and seven situation with one and a half minutes left in the game. At this point Froning dropped a short pass into the waiting arms of Seger who pulled it in and rambled to the Ansonia four before he was stopped. On the next play the bruising 208-pound senior slammed into the end zone to score. Froning’s kick made it 27-19.

A flurry of last minute passes by Ansonia netted little and that is the way it ended.

The Cats looked much better than they have in recent showings. The defensive line played its best of the season in the second half. The insertion of Seger at fullback gives the locals a bruising runner who can smack the line for that necessary yard or two. Jon Hogenkamp did a fine job at quarterback and the running of Wente and Davis, particularly Wente, was effective. Froning’s few minutes of play showed that the lanky signal caller lost none of his skill in his two week layoff.

Wente was the Wildcats’ leading ball carrier, picking up 159 yards in 21 tries for a 7.6 average. Davis had 56 in nine tries for 6.2, Seger 52 in 10 attempts for 5.2, and Hogenkamp had a 5.4 average with 27 yards in five tries.

Next Friday the Wildcats play host to Maria Stein St. John in the annual homecoming contest.

Scoring by quarters:

Minster 7 0 6 14 — 27

Ansonia 6 7 6 0 — 19