Central Hilltoppers, meet Brendan Rankowitz.
The touchdown was Rankowitz's eighth of the season.
It was a second-chance for Rankowitz after he dropped a wide open pass at the Central 10-yard line with 2:30 left in the fourth on a perfectly executed flea flicker play from the Wreckers (10-0) that would have given Staples the lead.
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Rankowitz’s interception of Central (8-2) quarterback Christon Gill ended the game.
It was Gill’s second turnover of the night after fumbling a punt to begin the fourth quarter.
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The Wreckers held Gill in check much of the game, shutout the Hilltoppers’ offense in the second half.
A fake punt by Central on the first drive of the game led to the Hilltoppers’ early 3-0 lead with 5:01 in the first.
Shabashe McIntosh helped Central grab a 10-0 lead with nine minutes to play in the second after an 8-yard touchdown run, his 11th of the season. But that ended the scoring for the Hilltoppers.
The Wreckers defense proved it was for real, holding the Hilltoppers late in the second half and seven times in the final two quarters.
It was the first time Staples has given up more than seven points in a game this season.
The Wreckers picked up their first score of the game on a 3-yard run by Matt Kelly, his eighth of the season.
The score was set up by a 29-yard pass by Gelman to Rankowitz to the three yard line.
Staples will now face Greenwich at 10 a.m. Thursday at home.
Story by Patch contributor Dan Worthington
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