Jeff Jacobs: There’s an old-time feeling in West Haven and that’s a good thing

WEST HAVEN — The young guy, who wears the number his grandfather did more than a half century ago, made the biggest play of the night.

The little guy, who swears he weighs more than his listed 139 pounds, turned in the highlight play of the night.

And the old guys, maybe they’re not THAT old, got to bask in the glory.

“It was amazing,” said Phil Banks, who broke the legendary 50-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport in 2002. “The teammates, the fellas, it’s 20 years, we get out there and the energy is still there on the field. I love these guys. We have a bond that is forever.

“And then to see the young guys get this win and represent the Westies, yeah, it was amazing. They have a lot of potential. They have a lot of talent. I’m very impressed by this team. I think they can actually take it all.”

This was a big Friday night at Ken Strong Stadium for West Haven football. Ed McCarthy’s 2002 team, which beat Greenwich, 20-13, on Banks’ run for the Class LL title, was honored at halftime. Those guys also are the last ones to win a state title.

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The 2022 team, led by Rich Boshea, gallantly coaching through chemo treatments for throat cancer, entered with a 5-0 record and having outscored opponents, 244-48. Yet without a signature win, there were questions about how good West Haven is.

“We came in knowing that this is our statement game,” said senior defensive back Avian Evans, the little guy. “We wanted to show we’re not just a team that can put up points against losing teams.”

No. 5 West Haven 34, No. 6 Shelton 28.

Statement made.

“We showed that you better not underestimate us,” said sophomore quarterback Nick Conlan, the young guy. “We’re not just a running team. Upcoming teams better be ready to see the ball in the air or you’re going to lose.”

“We’re a bunch of dogs,” Evans said. “We’re here to make a statement: 10-0 is our goal.”

The verdict on the second statement will have to wait. Opponents like Hamden and Fairfield Prep remain.

Joking around, teasing Banks for getting the media spotlight, the 2002 guys may be pushing 40 but they looked good in their blue football jackets Friday night.

“A lot of us haven’t seen each other in a while,” Banks said. “A lot of us have stayed in touch. But it’s always love. And to see what coach Boshea is doing with everything he is going through is inspirational.”

I love when the West Haven guys call themselves Westies. There’s a romance in it. West Haven is a big town, but it’s still a town and so many of the goods folks are salt of the earth townies. There is considerable history in their athletics.

This could be the year the Westies write some more history. Yes, there is Southington, Greenwich and a few others in Class LL, but on this night West Haven proved to be dynamic, multi-dimensional and ultimately resilient in holding off a Shelton rally.

The Westies passed out of spread formations. The Westies ran the old double wing, which they call Hammer, for the first time this season. Conlan was 12-for-19 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns and ran nine times for 44 yards.

One shouldn’t forget that Shelton, now 4-2, was No. 1 in The Day Coaches poll and No. 3 in the GameTime poll after three games. A bunch of football folks thought Shelton was the state’s best team.

This was a wild game. West Haven had 10 penalties in the first half. Four of the game’s touchdowns were more than 40 yards. Wild games inevitably come down to one or two plays. And this Friday night would be no different.

The highlight play came immediately before halftime. Off play action, Shelton quarterback Michael Kinik rolled right and threw a pass picked off by Evans. He broke one tackle. He broke a few ankles. He went 72 yards with the pick six with 12 seconds left to make it 22-8.

“A great run back,” Boshea said. “A great play.”

“And a couple of great blocks,” Evans said.

Is it true that Evans is 5-6, 139 like on the roster?

“I don’t lie about heights and weights,” Boshea said.

“Nah, I’m 148,” said Evans, a talented track sprinter and jumper.

The biggest play was not the longest play, nor did it result in a touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, after Shelton had closed the gap to 28-21 on a 52-yard TD run and 54-yard TD pass, West Haven was looking at a fourth-and-12.

“We knew the outside linebacker had been chasing the slot the whole game,” Conlan said. “One of my trusted players, No. 1 Armani Reid, I knew I needed to get him the ball. I saw him open.”

Conlan found Reid with a bullet pass to the 5. Trevor Tompkins took it in from the 1 to provide the two-score padding for a sixth successive victory.

“Nick is level-headed, smooth,” Boshea said. “He reminds me of Joe Montana. He’s never worried, hyper of nervous. Things really got dicey near the end and that fourth-down conversion was the biggest play of the game.

“He’s a natural leader, great student. We’re as proud of him off the field as we are on it. It’s hard to believe he’s a sophomore.”

Conlan, who has thrown for 800 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season, threw a 41-yard strike to an open Demarco Eady on the first drive of the game. Calmly scooping up a short-hop snap, he threw a 23-yard pass to Aedan Coe in the second quarter.

He also threw his first two interceptions of the season. The first one, Conlan said, was all his fault. He forced a pass. The other came off a long throw and a strong athletic play near the goal line.

“I thought the guy was out of bounds,” Conlan said. “I’m a little disappointed in that I wanted to stay with zero interceptions. But we got the win and that’s all that matters.

“We knew we had to pass the ball tonight. We knew we were faster. I’ve been waiting to run the ball, too, run and pass.”

Conlan started playing football when he was 6. Since his youth days with the West Haven Seahawks, he has been a quarterback. His brothers Jake and Zack, currently playing for University of New Haven, were standouts at West Haven.

The bloodlines are deep. Nick’s grandfather, Harry, quarterbacked West Haven to one of the most prolific scoring offenses in state history. The 1968 Westies were voted the No. 1 team in the state and No. 5 team nationally.

“That’s why Nick wears No. 12,” Boshea said. “His grandfather did.”

After an early season 2021 loss to Hamden, Boshea made Conlan the first freshman quarterback to start at West Haven since the Sixties. He won seven of the last eight games. That makes him 13-1 in his career.

“I think my confidence comes from last year,” Conlan said. “I knew I had to come and prove I’m not just a freshman. That I’m a different kind of breed and can play with all the others.

“Over the past couple of years, in talking with coach, we’re trying to build up a championship team, and he thought this could be the year. Maybe actually win a ring.”

We’ll see if he’s on the field with his teammates at halftime in 2042.

jeff.jacobs@hearstmediact.com; @jeffjacobs123