Sports
Crosby football proves it’s not a pushover anymore, at least in season opening win over WCA
WATERBURY – In his very first game as head coach of the Crosby football team, Quintin Tyson said his goal was to make people understand that the Bulldogs aren’t pushovers, and that if the team could show that then maybe it could steal a few victories along the way.
The Bulldogs accomplished both goals Friday night at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Field. They beat Waterbury Career Academy 21-0 for only Crosby’s second victory in the series that dates back 11 years when WCA began varsity football.
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“It is very simple. I am looking to have this team compete each week and just be a tough out,” Tyson said. “Every year I just want it to be known that Crosby isn’t a walkover. So if we can go into every game and compete at a high level, I believe that will give us a chance to win some football games people don’t expect us to win.”
The game was wrought with mistakes on both sides, but the Bulldogs made the big plays when they needed them behind a trio of young skill players who all rose to the occasion.
Wide receiver Iziah Weir scored two of the team’s three touchdowns on passes of nine yards and 28 yards from quarterback Raquim Chapman, a senior making his first start at quarterback.
“(Chapman is like) Family, I love him to death,” Weir said. “Even though this is his first year, he didn’t act like it at all. We needed it, and he stepped up for real.”
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He connected with Weir for the first score with just 1:06 left in the first half after Crosby took over at the WCA 30-yard line due to a poor snap on a punt attempt.
Ahzair Inabinett broke off a 24-yard run on the first play of the Bulldogs’ possession to put them in scoring range. Despite one of several delay of game penalties coming just after that, Weir and Chapman gave Crosby the lead on their first pass completion of the game on 4th-and-goal.
“It got us all riled up,” Weir said. “Everybody on the sidelines was cheering. The cheerleaders, the fans, all our teammates, everybody was cheering. That meant everything for us, because the momentum shifted to the second half. We needed that.”
Weir also clinched the win for Crosby with his 28-yard TD late in the fourth quarter. He finished with four catches for 60 yards.
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“It was very exciting,” Weir said. “Everybody wanted it, but I wanted it more. That last touchdown meant everything. I really wanted it and I came down with it.”
The best receiver and overall athlete in the game may well have been WCA’s Jaiden Rousseau, but as the only starter returning for the Spartan’s from last year’s team, he couldn’t make up for the team’s youthful mistakes. He had six catches for 46 yards, three rushes for 26 yards and probably had plays negated by penalties for just as many yards.
The other Crosby touchdown was scored by Ahzair Inabinett on a 2-yard run. The sophomore who played Pop Warner last year instead of high school football, ran for 100 yards on 15 carries to allow the Bulldogs to move the sticks just enough to control the game.
Tyson said he knew that Inabinett had the talent to make a difference on this team. The sophomore was confident, as well.
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“I felt like I came into the game prepared, me, my group and my family had been working for this moment, and I felt like today it showed,” Inabinett said. “It felt special, but it felt meant to be, because that is what I have been working for the whole preseason and since I have been playing youth. This was a show of my hard work and dedication.”
With an infusion of young skill players, Crosby beat WCA for the first time since 2017, its only other win in the series. Weir said he meant everything to get Tyson his first win, and the team was definitely locked in on that challenge.
“It meant everything: from the first snap to the last snap and pouring water on him, everybody wanted it,” Weir said. “It was everything to us.”
Player of the game
Iziah Weir, Crosby. The junior receiver scored two of the game’s touchdowns, including a spectacular 28-yard catch with 5:53 to play
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Quotable
“It was a tough day, because 3-4 years ago, my grandmother, Willa Mae Owens, passed on this day, and I spoke to the kids about this. For my family to be here and for us to get a win like this with everyone representing, I’m at a loss for words.” – Crosby coach Quintin Tyson on winning his first game as a varsity head coach.
Crosby 21, WCA 0
CROSBY 0 7 7 7 – 21
WCA 0 0 0 0 – 0
C – Iziah Weir 9 pass from Raquim Chapman (Gabriel Ferreira kick)
C – Ahzair Inabinett 2 run (Ferreira kick)
C – Weir 28 pass from Chapman (Ferreira kick)
Records: WCA, 0-1; Crosby, 1-0.
This article originally published at Crosby football proves it’s not a pushover anymore, at least in season opening win over WCA.
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