Upset alert! The AA Windsor Wolves entered enemy territory and won their battle against the AAA Carson Graham Eagles 27-16. The Wolves made a big statement, showing they're a force to be reckoned with in AA.
Windsor is led by a trio of stars on offense, Quarterback Emmet Ward, running back Brady Smith, and wide receiver Xavian Washington. The trio left an excellent Eagles defense looking for answers all afternoon.
Just two plays into the game, Ward completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to running back Brady Smith to open the scoring. Smith is an incredibly versatile weapon for the Wolves. Smith cannot only run the ball between the tackles and pick up tough yards, but he's also an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield, as he proved with his 94 receiving yards on the day.
Windsor's offense may be their strength, but their defense, led by linebacker Samson Sachter, isn't far behind. Sachter is the kind of backer that coaches would love to have as the heart and soul of their unit.
Sachter's physicality shows in the run game. He knifes around blockers and blows up running backs as they try to advance the ball downfield. In the passing game, he's fluid in coverage, has the athleticism to cover receivers one-on-one, and shows great awareness in zone coverages.
Sachter would also showcase his playmaking abilities, forcing a Carson fumble on the Windsor ten-yard line to end a promising Eagles drive. Later in the game, Sachter would make another huge play on 4th and three from the Windsor 5-yard line, making one of his team-leading 14 tackles short of the first down marker for a huge stop.
In the middle of the 2nd quarter, it was Ward's turn to shine. First, Ward would connect with Xavian Washington from 6 yards out for a score. On the ensuing kickoff, Ward would recover his own onside kick attempt.
Two plays after getting the ball back for his team, Ward threw a dart and connected with Washington for an 84-yard score, capping off an incredible sequence for the Wolves's Starting pivot.
In the fourth quarter, with Windsor's lead cut to 20-8, the Eagles had the ball and were driving downfield. As Eagles Quarterback Jack Shih released a pass in the middle of the field, Brady Smith jumped right in front of Shih's intended target for a massive interception.
With the ball back, Ward put away the Eagles for good, connecting with his favorite target, Washington, this time from 55 yards out for another score. This Capped Ward's massive day going 17/21 for 330 yards and 4 TDs.
The Eagles would add a late score, but time had all but run out; the final was 27-16 Wolves.
The Wolves coaching staff was ecstatic with the team's performance, including Xavian Washington, who had six catches for 165 yards and three scores.
The Wolves will look to carry the momentum for this massive upset victory into a pivotal matchup against Argyle next Friday.
Eagles Head Coach Brian Brady commended his opponent's performance post-game.
"The Windsor coaching staff had a great gameplan, and the players outexecuted us at every level. This was a great learning experience, and we look forward to regrouping over the next week."
Carson is at home in their first league game against GW Graham next week.