Football

Norwich 19, Windsor 8

WINDSOR – The playoffs may not begin for two weeks, but Norwich is already in playoff mode taking the first of two must-win games, Friday night at Windsor.

Norwich (2-1, 3-4) held Windsor to just 84 yards of total offense, and can return to the playoffs with a win at Oneonta this coming Friday. “Our defense really stepped up and executed the game plan,” said Norwich second-year coach John Martinson. “Offensively, we had 13 first downs and were able to mix the pass and run.”

Martinson, a fan of the Miami Dolphins, used a play first executed by Dolphins great Dan Marino, to score a key touchdown at the end of the first half.

Quarterback Seth Thomsen faked a spike-down of the ball to stop the clock, and instead lofted a pass to tight end Josh Whaley for a 20-yard score. The TD upped Norwich’s lead at the half to 13-0.

“We were around the 35 and wanted to stop the clock, and we called a spike to see what Windsor’s defense was doing,” Martinson said. “In between that and the touchdown, I had told Josh to run to the end zone. There was no one in front of him, and Seth made a beautiful pass. It caught them off guard, and it was neat to see the sideline’s reaction.”