By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — For the first time since 2019, Springfield came away victorious on the gridiron against Windsor, pulling out a 29-20 win over the three-time defending state champions.
“The guys were ecstatic about being able to knock off a tough opponent like Windsor,” said Springfield Head Coach Todd Aiken.
Josiah Martinez picked up where he left off last week by scoring the opening touchdown for the Cosmos on a 2-yard run. Dillan Lacasse added the extra point to give Springfield an early advantage.
Windsor was quick to respond as Gavin Martin scored on a 2-yard run to cut the deficit to 7-6 with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter.
The defenses on both sides took control of the game until late in the first half with the next five possessions resulting in either a punt or a lost fumble.
With 3:15 remaining until intermission, Dmitri Jasinski added to the Cosmos lead with a 1-yard touchdown run. Lacasse added another extra point to give the hosts a 14-6 edge.
Windsor was quick to respond again as quarterback Tanner Crane found paydirt from 16 yards out. The Yellow Jackets were unable to convert the extra point, leaving them in a 14-12 hole just before halftime.
The Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the night on the opening possession of the second half when Crane found the endzone again on a 3-yard run. Martin added the two-point conversion on the ground, giving Windsor a 20-14 lead.
With Windsor driving again, Martinez made a key interception for the Cosmos. Martinez proceeded to rush for 41 yards on the ensuing drive, including a 10-yard touchdown run. Lacasse added his third extra point of the night to give Springfield a 21-20 lead with 11:43 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Cosmos defense came through yet again by scooping up a fumble after a big hit by Hunter Ferland. Three plays later, Martinez scored his third touchdown of the night on a 28-yard run.
With a 7-point lead, Aiken turned to his team to see if they wanted to attempt a two-point conversion to go ahead by multiple scores. “The players said, coach, let’s put it away,” said Aiken. “I had all five offensive linemen look at me and say coach, we’ll get it in.”
The offensive line was right as Martinez ran the ball through the hole they created to give Springfield a 29-20 advantage with only 2:12 remaining.
Windsor was unable to move the ball through the air in the final minutes, allowing Springfield to hold on for the victory.
“Ultimately, on both sides of the ball, we hit them,” Aiken said. “We were the more aggressive and physical team. I think that threw them out of their tempo, which was key for us.”
Springfield (2-0) will make its first road trip of the season to square-off against undefeated division foe Woodstock on Thursday at 6 p.m. Windsor (0-2) will be looking for its first win of the season when they travel to Mill River on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
