GREENFIELD — RJ Byrd and the Greenfield football team made quite an opening statement on Friday night.
Byrd rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns and the Green Wave held on in the final seconds to open the 2018 season with a 26-18 over Woodstock (Conn.) Academy in an independent tilt at Veterans Memorial Field.
Trailing 26-18 with 46.6 seconds to play and two timeouts in its pocket, Woodstock took over at its own 45 and two big pass plays from quarterback Derek Thompson to receiver Caleb Feen saw the Centaurs work the ball to the Greenfield 10 with 4.6 seconds to play, setting up one final play. The last play of the game saw Thompson roll to his right and attempt a pass to the back of the end zone where Luis Miranda had found a narrow opening. The throw sailed well high over Miranda’s head and Greenfield celebrated the win.
Green Wave coach Mike Kuchieski would likely say it should not have come down to a final stand as the Wave seemed firmly in control with 6 minutes to play in the game and holding a 26-12 lead. At that point, Woodstock took over at its own 45 and began a 13-play drive that ended with a fourth-and-goal play from the Greenfield 3 that saw Thompson hit Feen on a quick slant in the end zone for the score with 2:02 to play. The extra point sailed wide left and the Wave held the eight-point lead.
Greenfield’s Hunter Campbell recovered the onside kick attempt by Woodstock to set up the Wave near midfield and a first down would have all but run out the clock, but the Centaurs held tough on defense and Greenfield was forced to punt on fourth-and-2 from the Woodstock 41. The punt attempt failed as Campbell pulled down the ball and tried to run for the first down, but he was dropped 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage and Woodstock took over for the final drive that wound up coming up 10 yards short. Kuchieski said he was pleased the way his defense tightened up after the first quarter, but was not thrilled with the effort at the end of the game.
“They had their heads down when the ball was on the 10-yard line with 4 seconds left like they had lost the game,” he said. “I said, ‘You guys are still winning. Not only that, they have to score and get the two.’ I was disappointed with that, but we played four full quarters of football tonight.”
Woodstock took a 6-0 lead with 1:43 to play in the first quarter as Thompson hit Miranda on an 11-yard touchdown pass but Greenfield came right back on the ensuing drive to tie the game. While Byrd scored the touchdown on a 2-yard run with 6:13 to play in the second quarter, the play of the drive came on a third-and-25 from the Woodstock 35 that saw Green Wave quarterback Owen Phelps throw a ball down the sideline to Campbell, who turned around and made a one-handed grab for a 31-yard pick up that set up the Wave first-and-goal at the Centaurs 4. Byrd credited the Phelps to Campbell hookup as being the play that turned the tide in favor of the Wave and Campbell said he was just trying to make a play on the ball, especially with the absence of receiver Danny Vega, who was out this week with an injury.
“Coach told me all week I had to step up,” Campbell said. “I saw the ball in the air and I said, ‘It’s my time, why not right now?’”
Woodstock fumbled the ensuing kickoff when Byrd stripped Zachary Mowry, and three plays later the Green Wave back was gashing the defense for a 45-yard touchdown run. Byrd also ran in an important 2-point conversion to give the Wave a 14-6 lead. Woodstock answered with 3:48 to play in the half as Thompson hit Travis White for a 42-yard score, but the conversion attempt failed and the Green Wave took a 14-12 lead into the break.
Greenfield took control of the game in the third quarter. Taking the opening kick of the second half, Greenfield needed just four plays before Byrd went for a 42-yard score that pushed Greenfield to a 20-12 lead. After forcing Woodstock to punt on the ensuing drive, Greenfield made it a two-score game as Byrd ripped off a 29-yard touchdown run.
“I’m trying to do what I’ve got to do for our team to win,” Byrd said. “When I get through hole, I look down and then just run faster.”
The game marked the first for a revamped offensive line that lost three starters from a season ago.
“All the credit goes to them,” Byrd said of the line. “They’re the ones putting in the most work.”
Phelps finished 7-for-11 for 76 yards in the win. Defensive lineman Cam Lackey also had a big night for the Wave.
Greenfield heads to South Deerfield on Friday night for a 7 p.m. tilt.