Fairfield Ludlowe football wins over West Haven 41-19

No. 10 Fairfield Ludlowe football secured a 41-19 victory against West Haven on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Ken Strong Stadium, driven by successful fourth-down conversions. Head coach Mitchell Ross emphasized his preference to avoid punting. "As my coaches know on the sideline, and probably every other coach in the FCIAC knows, I don’t like to punt," Ross stated. Quarterback Ryan Love was instrumental in the win, recording three touchdowns, while running back Ben Kaminsky added two touchdowns to the tally.

Ludlowe initiated the scoring with a fourth-and-15 conversion in their opening drive, as Love dashed 20 yards into the end zone for a 6-0 lead. West Haven quickly answered with a 60-yard touchdown run from Haven N'sumbu, but Love responded with a 29-yard touchdown run, extending Ludlowe's lead to 13-6. "My O-line really stepped up today. I had so much time in the pocket, which gave me the ability to run the ball," Love remarked.

The tide turned as West Haven’s Charles Sutton tied the game with an 11-yard touchdown run. Ludlowe regained the lead with a dominant 78-yard drive, culminating in Kaminsky’s 4-yard touchdown run, making it 20-13. As the first half drew near its close, Ludlowe faced a crucial fourth-and-1 at West Haven’s 43-yard line. Kaminsky executed the snap and dashed into the end zone, bolstering Ludlowe’s advantage to 26-13 heading into halftime. Kaminsky recounted, "I was going outside - it was an outside design run - but I saw that cutback and I knew I could beat him, so I just took it to the house."

Opening the second half, West Haven narrowed the gap with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Kahlil Tomlinson to Jakari Harris, bringing the score to 26-19. However, Ludlowe responded decisively, reaching fourth-and-8 at West Haven’s 25-yard line. Following their trend, they opted to go for it, with Love connecting with Timmy O’Neill for a conversion. Soon after, Gabe Lesizza added a 13-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 34-19.

"I know coach Ross is going to go for it on fourth down, so we’re always ready to stay out there," Love noted. "They’re obviously huge, and they’re clock killers. Just huge plays for us on offense." After the subsequent kickoff...