Trumbull High head football coach Bob Maffei was the first one exiting the locker room at Westhill High in Stamford on Saturday. Maffei stalked to the sideline, yanked open the equipment trunk, and put on his head gear. Game on.
What lit a fire under the Trumbull mentor? His Eagles had lost a 37-30 overtime decision to the Vikings in 2012, and with a three-game winning streak under their belt the locals didn’t want to stumble in their FCIAC West opener at J. Walter Kennedy Stadium.
The veteran mentor’s sense of purpose rang true and his Eagles followed suit.
Quarterback Nick Roberts completed his first six passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns to give Trumbull a 21-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game.
The Eagles went on to defeat the Vikings, 49-16. Roberts was 12-for-18 passing for 361 yards and six touchdowns by the time the game went to the half with the Eagles on top 41-7.
Trumbull improved to 4-1 overall, 4-0 in the FCIAC and 1-0 in the FCIAC West. Westhill is now 0-5, 0-1.
Eric Anderson did a quick out and caught Roberts’ pass on the game’s first play from scrimmage, before the senior turned on the jets and raced 73 yards for a score.
The Eagles’ defense held on downs at their 10, with Jack Kelly, Nick DeRosa, Thomas Hayduk, Peter Veikos, Zaheer Bangi, Dan McInerny and Quentin Brunetti is on the stops.
Roberts’ next pass was a deep post pattern to Hayduk, who gathered the ball in stride and outraced a defender to the far pylon for a 90-yard touchdown.
Lance Bragg kicked the first of his seven PATS for a 14-0 lead with only 4:21 off the clock.
After a three-and out by the Vikings, with McInerny and Bangi making tackles for a loss, Trumbull went 50 yards in four plays for its next score, behind the blocking of Zach Thomson, Phil Rearson, Greg Goldman, Cory Haslam and Mike Shea.
Hayduk caught a deep sideline pass for 37 yards to get the drive started. Hunter Wnukowski caught an 18-yard slant pass before Roberts found Brunetti with a 12-yard touchdown.
Westhill’s next possession lasted one play — a hit by Andrew Marino knocked the ball loose and McInerny recovered the fumble on the Westhill 22-yard line.
The Vikings held on downs, but Kelly came up with an interception to put the Eagles back in business at the Vikings’ 25.
Two quick completions to Anderson (5 yards) and Hayduk (9 yards) led to Roberts hooking up with Anderson for the score from 11 yards out with 1:53 remaining in the opening period.
After an exchange of possessions, Westhill scored midway through the second quarter, but from his own six-yard line Roberts found Hayduk open at the 40 and the senior went 94 yards for another Eagle score.
Marino forced another Westhill fumble, with Bangi pouncing on the loose ball, on the Vikings’ 20 with 47 seconds left in the first half.
From the 11, Roberts kept his poise while being tackled and went to his safety valve in the flat, Adam Angelucci, who made the catch and fought through a hit and into the end zone.
Angelucci scored Trumbull’s final touchdown with a 53-yard run from scrimmage in the third quarter.
Trumbull will host Greenwich High (3-2), at 7 p.m. on Friday.