NORWICH – It was as much an outpouring of emotion as one has seen in a post-game victory celebration at Norwich in many, many years.

One would have thought the Purple Tornado had won the Super Bowl, but in fact it was just a non-league game with Maine-Endwell. Still, it was an astronomical boost of collective confidence for a group of young men who were raked over the coals and beaten up soundly a week ago at Windsor.

“This is a good football team we just beat,” said Norwich coach John Pluta after a 26-18 victory Friday night. “They lost to Chenango Forks in the last seconds and blew out two of their opponents. We have to feel good about this. We were embarrassed by Windsor last week (40-0), and to come back the way we did shows the type of football team we are.”

And it wasn’t as if the Purple-clad home club had all of its bullets in the chamber. Due to injuries and other occurrences, the Tornado started three offensive linemen for the first time, leading rusher Chris Mattingly moved from tailback to fullback, and Jesse Prosser made his first start in Mattingly’s old position. What Norwich had to show for its reshuffled lineup was over 300 yards of total offense, and Prosser gaining 108 yards in his first start.

“Coach talked all week about us overcoming adversity,” said Norwich senior quarterback Robert Martin, who threw for 69 yards and a touchdown. “Maine-Endwell put on a show in the second half, but we were able to seal the deal.”

Highlight reel catches and Prosser’s spark to the lineup had Norwich in front 20-6 at halftime. Mattingly broke off two runs on Norwich’s second drive of the game that netted 24 yards, and Prosser bolted up the middle 37 yards for the opening score.

Following Jesse Stephens’ 63-yard scamper down the left side that put M-E within 8-6, Norwich used 12 plays and 6:04 of clock to punch in a second score.

Martin connected with Keegan Edwards on a 32-yard catch in which Edwards dove with hands fully extended to pull the ball in. When Edwards hit the ground, the ball bounced straight up and back into his hands. As Norwich added two more first downs, it found itself fourth-and-goal from the six. Again, Martin tossed a ball that only Edwards could touch, and Edwards made his second diving catch for a touchdown.

“Keegan had a little mental shakiness with his hands during the preseason,” Martin said, “but we worked at it hard after practices, and it paid off tonight.”

The spotlight then turned back to Prosser, only this time on the defensive side of the ball. The Spartans, using, a two-minute drill, completed a pair of passes into Norwich territory late in the first half. Looking to his left on the next play, quarterback Steve Yeager overthrew his target into the waiting hands of Prosser. Prosser dashed up the right sideline 72 yards before getting nudged out of bounds at the three. Two plays later and with just 33 ticks on the clock, Mattingly scored from two yards out.

Instead of a one-touchdown game or a halftime count in which M-E could have potentially tied the contest, Norwich was in front 20-6 at intermission. “Maine-Endwell hit us with some big plays, but our defense was sound when it needed to be,” Pluta said. “We had some new kids come in who stepped up and made plays.”

Stephens, a Southern Tier Athletic Conference sprinting champion last year, scored on the second play of the fourth quarter to close the gap, and then raced 53 yards for his third touchdown of the day early in the fourth. After each score, though, Norwich stopped the two-point conversion attempt, and led 20-18.

Answering Maine-Endwell’s third score, Norwich marched 63 yards on six plays for the capping touchdown. Nate Foote found a seam on the inside and popped a 31-yard jaunt for six points. Norwich finished with 314 yards of total offense, and the Spartans also gained 314 yards. More importantly, the NHS grind-out-out attack shortened the game and kept the potent Spartans’ offense off the field.

JV notes: Eric Owen and Wade Burke had scoring runs for Norwich, and Tim Clark threw a PAT conversion to Robert Murray in a 36-14 loss to M-E’s JV.

Football Summary

N M-E

First downs 16 12

Rushes-yds 52-245 27-219

Passing yds 69 95

Comp-att-int 4-7-1 8-20-1