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10/21/2012 12:00 AMFollowing a big win against then-No. 1 Xavier and becoming the new top team in the state, the Hand Tigers’ football team earned another top-10 win in thrilling fashion by the score of 21-20 over No. 8 West Haven on Oct. 20 at the Surf Club. The Tigers are now 6-0 on the season.
The Blue Devils came out of the gate early with a 36-yard TD run from back Eddy Williams to put the Tigers down 6-0 to end the first after a failed West Haven point-after kick. In the second quarter, Hand bounced back as Ian O’ Toole (21 carries for 56 yards) scored on a 4-yard run and gave the Tigers a 7-6 lead following an extra-point kick from Tyler Phan. West Haven responded right back with a 20-yard run from Ervin Phillips and went up 14-7 following a two-point play. The Tigers’ Matt Walsh, fresh off a five-TD day versus Xavier a week earlier, scored on a 16-yard scamper to tie the score at te half following a Phan point-after swing through the uprights.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Walsh grabbed the 21-14 lead for Hand with another TD run, this time of the one-yard variety with 5:54 remaining. West Haven then responded with a five-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a one-yard score from Phillips to put the Blue Devils within a point. On the two-point attempt to take the lead, Phillips had the ball thrown to him, but it fell just out of his grasp to keep Hand up by one and give them the SCC Division I East win. Walsh finished the day with six carries for 51 yards on the ground.
The Tigers next head to North Haven to take on the Indians at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26.