NORWICH - Friday, October 9, marked home coming for the Norwich Purple Tornado, hosting Dryden on a rainy night. Norwich would shut out the Lions 13-0 for a homecoming win.
The game opened up with Dryden receiving a Norwich kick and beginning the game on their own 25 yard line. Dryden wouldn't make it too far and would have to punt to Norwich who would start their first drive on their own 39 yard line.
The Tornado's first drive was marred with penalties and was ended on the Dryden 31 after they were stopped on fourth and short. Two plays into Dryden's second drive the Lion ball carrier was hit in the back field and fumbled the ball only to Norwich's Jamison Luke came up with it to give the Purple Tornado a second chance.
Norwich now with the ball back began their drive, capping off small runs from Drew Walsh and Cole Rifanburg as time ran out in the first quarter.
The second quarter began with the Norwich offense knocking on Dryden's door with second and goal from the one yard line. Walsh would punch the ball in on the first play from scrimmage for his first varsity touchdown and to give Norwich their first score of the game. The Purple Tornado were now up 7-0 after an extra point kick with 11:57 left in the half.
Dryden's next series ended with a punt after a fourth and long, but would get the ball back quickly after a Norwich fumble. Dryden, now at the Norwich 31, would only move the ball three yards and turn the ball over on downs to the Purple Tornado.
On the first play from scrimmage, Rifanburg would take the ball from his own 28 and run 52 yards all the way down to the Dryden 20 before being brought down. Two plays later Rifanburg would find Cameron Edwards for 17 yards and another score. With 8:36 left in the quarter Norwich was now up 13-0 on the Lions.
The remainder of the half neither team could get any traction and find the end zone, opting to trade punts the remaining eight and a half minutes.
Coming out of the locker room in the second half, Norwich would receive the kicks but couldn't get any offense moving and had to punt on a fourth and 21.
The next best chance for either team to score came two series later when Norwich would drive all the way down to the Dryden four yard line, only to have the Lions' defense make some big stops to keep Norwich out of the end zone.
