CHESHIRE — On a bone-chilling night, the Cheshire football team embraced the elements to reach the CIAC Class L title game with a 21-0 semifinal victory over Ridgefield at Alumni Field.
With the game-time temperature starting in the teens and dipping near single digits in the second half, the third-seeded Rams broke a scoreless game in the third quarter to earn a date with GametimeCT’s top-ranked team for L supremacy.
Cheshire (9-3) will play for its first state crown since winning Class LL in 2009, but the Rams will need to beat No. 1 New Canaan in Saturday’s final.
The “other” Rams won Monday’s other Class L semifinal 43-6 over Hartford co-op.
“They are a damn good football team, but we are too,” said Cheshire senior quarterback Aiden Gregorich about facing New Canann in the title game.
Gregorich’s 27-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave Cheshire a 14-0 lead and more than enough breathing room with its defense dominating the Tigers.
Gregorich was also part of a Cheshire defense that forced six punts and allowed Ridgefield past midfield just once when it mattered in the first half.
Cheshire has posted six straight scoreless quarters after rallying past Fairfield-Ludlowe 32-29 in the Class L quarterfinals. The Rams overcame a 29-10 halftime deficit last week to win that game.
Cheshire wouldn’t trail Monday night, but failed to capitalize twice in the red zone in the first half.
While Ridgefield (8-4) punted on all four of its first-half possessions, Gregorich threw an interception in the end zone and Cheshire missed a 34-yard field goal.
But with 5:25 to play in the third quarter, the Rams finally broke through following Hunter Hearrin’s strip-sack and fumble recovery by fellow junior Simon Levine.
“I’m just really proud of our kids the way they believed and stayed in it,” Cheshire head coach Don Drust said. “We’ve been in a lot of one-score games. It’s not new to us, we’ve been through it.
“So, I don’t think we ever wavered,” Drust added. “The guys weren’t down (at halftime) in any way, shape or form. It was just, ‘Stay at it, believe in each other and keep playing as hard as we can.’ Good things will come and they did.”
Hearrin had three sacks on the night and also anchored an offensive line that eventually wore down the Tigers.
“It just feels amazing to help contribute to the team, contribute for the seniors, and help us go to the championship,” Hearrin said. “I really feel like we earned it. We weren’t handed anything, that’s for sure.”
After Hearrin’s strip-sack, and starting at the 46-yard line, Cheshire went on a 10-play drive that culminated with 6-yard touchdown run by Noel Martinez, making it 7-0.
“We knew they couldn’t really move the ball on us because our defense (was playing) so good,” Martinez said. “We knew it was going to be a running game because you can’t really throw in this weather. Us being able to pound the rock at them over and over again, it felt good.”
Martinez didn’t touch the ball much Monday, but when the junior did, he was more than made for the pound-and-ground running game the Rams inflicted on the Tigers.
After his first TD, he ripped off a 28-yard run that set up Gregorich’s score.
On Cheshire’s next possession, Martinez carried the ball six times for 34 yards en route to his 12-yard scoring run that sealed things with 3:09 to play.
Ridgefield, which upset No. 2 Newtown 24-13 in last week’s Class L quarterfinals and enjoyed its first winning season since 2019, was trying to reach its first state final since 2016. But unlike last week when the Tigers scored first and played with the lead, Monday they never got on track.
“It was just a matter of momentum,” Ridgefield head coach Jamie Reed said. “We got a great stop out of the half, but we didn’t do anything with the football. The same kids are playing on both sides of the ball, so once they get rolling on one side, it’s easy to get rolling on the other. Once they got that turnover and a short field, we just hurt ourself by not executing enough on offense.”
Player of the Game
Hunter Hearrin, Cheshire: The junior lineman had three sacks and set up the Rams’ first touchdown with a strip-sack at midfield of a scoreless game. He also was part of an offensive line that eventually wore down Ridgefield in the second half.
Quotable
“I’m just proud of our kids and our staff. My coaching staff works really, really hard. They care about these kids. It’s a room full of men who I’d trust with my own two kids. That’s the biggest compliment I can give them. I trust and believe in them as humans first."
— Cheshire head coach Don Drust, who has led the Rams to their first state final in 16 years. He was an assistant when the Rams won the 2009 crown.
Cheshire 21, Ridgefield 0
RIDGEFIELD 0 0 0 0— 0CHESHIRE 0 0 7 14—21
C — Noel Martinez 6 run (Tim Reinhard kick)C — Aiden Gregorich 27 run (Reinhard kick)C — Martinez 12 run (Reinard kick)Team records: Cheshire 9-3, Ridgefield 8-4.