Old Lyme — “Ten yards, live ball,” is what the Valley Regional/Old Lyme football coaching staff tells its team when going over kickoffs in the preseason.

Garrett Burdick’s free kick bounced and rolled towards the Old Saybrook/Westbrook goal line with over seven minutes left in Saturday’s game. The Rams mistakenly peeled away from the ball, not realizing it was still live.

Cole Ensinger knew it was live, though, correct?

“No, I didn’t,” Ensinger said. “I just picked it up. … I knew I’ve got to bust my butt to get there.”

An honest man, Cole Ensinger.

Ensinger’s hustle play resulted in him recovering the ball at the Rams’ 4-yard line.

Dan Stecher ran for a touchdown on the next play as the Warriors went on to win 26-15 in the Pequot League Sassacus South win in their annual game at Old Lyme High School.

“When we first go over kickoffs, we tell them that once the ball goes 10 yards that it’s live every single time,” Valley/Old Lyme coach Tim King said. “If it’s a pooch punt, I always say, ‘hey, hands ready. Ten yards, live ball. That was a smart play by Cole.’”

Told that Ensinger was unaware it was a live ball, King laughed, looked skyward and said, “Thank God (he recovered it).”

The recovery climaxed a wild 20 seconds. It began when the Warriors (2-0, 2-0) stopped Old Saybrook/Westbrook at its 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal with seven minutes, 13 seconds left in the game.

The Rams' Chase Cook ripped through the Valley/Old Lyme offensive line two plays later and sacked Matt Sapere in the end zone for a safety. It cut the Warriors' lead to 20-15 with 7:08 remaining.

Burdick boomed the kickoff deep from the Valley/Old Lyme 20-yard line, forcing the Rams to have to field the ball off a bounce. They didn’t. Ensinger did.

“Our special teams were pretty darn good today," King said. "We’ve said it all year long, we try to preach it, that special teams wins games, and today there’s a perfect example. We won the game because of one big kickoff and recovery. That was gigantic.

“They (the Rams) have got momentum. They’re down by five. They get the ball. We’re kicking from the 20, so they’re going to get the ball back at least on (their) 40 or somewhere. … (Ensinger) came from the 20-yard line, not even the 40 (as on kickoffs).”

Stecher ran 21 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Sapere completed 8 of 17 passes for 118 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown to Burdick in the third quarter.

Vincent Dyer ran 18 times for 130 yards and a touchdown for Old Saybrook/Westbrook (1-1, 1-1). Cook scored on a 2-yard run.

n.griffen@theday.com