Norwich overcomes early mistakes for third straight win

NORWICH – It was about as bad a start as Norwich could have drawn up. Yet, the Tornado overcame an early case of the fumbles to improve to 3-0.

Senior running back Mike Moon ran for two touchdowns and a game-high 75 yards in a 22-7 home victory over Chenango Valley Friday night. Quarterback Tim Clark added a one-yard TD keeper, and the Norwich defense blanked CV over the last three quarters.

“We just need to have our ball security the whole game, and I think we would have run over them if we were able to hold onto the ball,” Moon said after the victory. “We haven’t beaten (Chenango Valley) in my three years on varsity. It’s a great win, and we were looking forward to this all week.”

Norwich held CV in check on the opening possession, and took over at its own 26. On the first play, Moon had the ball poked out of his hands as he rushed up the middle, and the Warriors recovered.

Norwich was able to hold CV out of the endzone keyed by a dual sack from Morgan Cleveland and Jake Fazio that forced a fourth-and-long.

Taking over at its own nine, the quarterback-to-running back exchange between Clark and Paddy Law was botched, and CV senior Brian Stinson played the role of opportunistic defender grabbing the ball.

Stinson polished off a three-play drive from the eight putting the Warriors on top . It wasn’t an unfamiliar position for Norwich, who have trailed in all three games this season.

“It’s never good when the first two plays you call are fumble right and fumble left,” said Norwich coach John Pluta. We just couldn’t hold them out on the short field. When we’ve made teams go 80 or 90 yards, we’ve been pretty stingy.”

By the end of the first quarter, not unlike its first two games, the light bulb went on for the Norwich offense. Moon, Law, and Tyler Slater started to find running room behind their offensive line, and Moon nearly scored the first NHS TD breaking off a 38-yard run up the middle. No matter, Norwich found the endzone on fourth down with Clark nosing over the goal. A missed extra-point left the Tornado a point down.

Chenango Valley stepped up and took its miscue turn with a pair of costly snaps. The first snap – on a fourth-down punt attempt – sailed over Stinson’s head, and he was tackled by Slater at the 27.