The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-11-26
pAYOFF PASS IN FINAL PERIOD
 GOT 1914 WIN
By JOHN A. CLUNEY Sports Editor


 curence Sunday. Monday or Always. Yet, that would be but & MILD thrill compared to that given Coaches Tom Purcell, "Tipper" Conley and Ray Snyder as they saw their spirited Wilby High school kids move from behind eleven Cros- by EIGHTBALLS within minutes to beat Crosby 19 to 14 in the last forty seconds of play.
 The finish of the twenty-first annual football game yesterday at Municipal Stadium on one of the finest Thanksgiving days this city has or will ever experience, was something akin to the famous Yale Dartmouth B points tie game in the bowl years ago. And yet it was better, because several hundred fans of the 7,500 crowd had already left the stadium to get 8 head start for home and THE TURKEY knowing that Crosoy would hardly lose a game it led 14 to with less than five minutes to pay. However, three Wilby kids who wouldn't be beaten, opportunists all, couldn't be beaten and so 1t was that Coach Jimmy Lee of Crosby saw his FORMER team scored 13 points ill about four minutes with a forward passing exhibition that was as un- belivable as it was amazing.
 Seemed Sure Loss
 Were you wagering lady or gentleman, you would not be COUN- TERFEIT money on Wilby's chanc- es, starting the third period, or second half of the game. Not that Crosby led by 70, which is not too hard to overcome; but Wilby's vaunted passing attack and lineplay was so conspicuous by its absence that Crosby's alert line and de- fensive backs who tackled hard, held the Wildcats to one single, solitary first down during the en- tire half. Crosby scored six first downs, clicked on beautiful pass, Hornbecker to Fishang, Crosby sub, Johnny Reardon kicking the point, for a 70 lead that looked as big as mountain; for Wilby's de- fense against Crosby passes was pitiful, with eligible receivers get ting in back of the Wilby second ary defense time and again; the Wilby line was outcharged all dur ing the first half, the Wildcat cen- ter, Bud Thomas made dozen bad passes and the kicking against Crosby was just fair, with ball car riers being thrown for substantial losses.
 On The Limb
 On the radio between halves, Cros- bys' Old Grad was cockier than a German Shepard stalking a Pek- einese and Wilby's first half play gave him every right to be, it was that bad; but he saw Crosby beaten in the last two or three minutes by three kids, Co-Captain Johnny Quill an end; Nick Lombard, the thrower of the payoff pass, to Frank Ciccio, the back who caught the pass in the end zone that gave new Coach Tom Purcell victory over Crosby in his first season; in as sensational manner as one could possibly imagine. Quill turned in a 92 yard dash for Wilbys first touch down because he was on his toes and took advantage of fancy play behind the Crosby line on the Wilby 8, when a triple-pass back fired, as Quill ran into the ball as it was lateralled to the intended carrier, got off to flying start in front of good blocking, that put Wilby back in the ball game to stay, and, as it turned out, to win.
 Lombard's payoff pass to Ciccio came with 40 seconds to play in the final period. Before that, Quill blocked a kick by Reardon on Crosby's 35 yard line, which blocked near the Wilby 45, by Quill, as Torenze. a tackle, recovered for Wilby on the A stripe.
 Then it was that Wilby took con- mand, though the Wilby passer, Lombard, tossed two aerials that were ng. then, with time running out threw one 29 yards to Quill which was caught, but brought down on the IS by the Crosby full back, Dom Rosa, Passing again, Lombard found Quattro sub, for five yard gain; and with the ball on the Crosby 10, Lombard went back, as Ciccio started to his left, ran into the end zone, seemed to be covered by two Crosby players, but shared the ball which was a perfect strike" over the heads of the Crosby pair into Ciccio's hands for the most valuable touchdown in the history of Crosby Wilby ath- letic relations which began in 1918.
 Standouts
 For Wilby 1t was Johnny Quill, Nick Lombard, cousin of Crosbys laSt-Season standout Tony Lombard, now at Cheshire Academy; and Frank Ciccio. the short but speedy Wildcat back who stood out last year and this year for Wilby. For Crosby, the passing and all-around play of right end Jack Reardon was something for the grid book; his passes to Fishang and Miller both scoring touchdowns; Hum mels defensive play, and the run ming of Hornbecker and Rosa. Of Wilby's 138 yards gained; 112 came from Lombard's successful passes, which did not begin to work until late in the third period.
 I4acilla .... LIE ....... Prescott Cavanaugh ....LT ....... Norelli Perottl ....... 14G .... possomodo Thomas .... Center .... Hummel Nobrega O.. .RG ....... Shaker Torenzo. RT ..... Vedeskis Quill ......... RE .... Reardon Murphy ...... OR ....... Johnson Ciccio LII - Hornhec CT