WAKEFIELD – In what turned out to be a defensive affair, Wakefield was capable of get a well timed turnover on protection to seal its third straight Thanksgiving Day victory over longtime rival Melrose.
Sophomore Myles Sanchez got here up with the interception with 20 seconds left because the Warriors edged the Red Raiders, 7-3, on what may have been the 2 hundredth win for Melrose coach Tim Morris.
“Tim is a great coach,” stated Wakefield coach John Rafferty on the victory. “There’s a reason he has so many wins. Without a doubt, he’s a great coach with a great staff and a great program. With that being the case, we just look at it in our own small little world here and we are just trying to be successful regardless of the circumstances.”
With 5:18 left, Melrose (7-4) began by itself 31. Six performs later, the Red Raiders had been in enterprise with a first-and-goal on the Warriors’ 10.
After a pair operating performs, Melrose had the ball on the 5 with 23 seconds to go. Senior Connor Brophy stepped up within the pocket and Sanchez was capable of intercept the move to win the competition.
“(Melrose) was in a situation where anything could happen on the goal line,” Sanchez stated about making the game-winning play. “They could throw or they could run. I saw the QB roll out. I saw him pull back and throw it. I jumped as high as I could to make the play.”
Sanchez not solely got here up with the defensive cease, however ran onerous all contest with 111 yards on 28 carries, with half of these carries for 59 yards coming within the second half.
Wakefield (8-3) nonetheless trails the general collection 42-63-6 with a 41-61-6 mark in 108 Thanksgiving conferences. For Melrose, Morris is 119-110-4.
Melrose began the primary half with an eight-play drive that was capped by a 30-yard area aim for Brophy to make it 3-0.
Wakefield then marched down the sphere and missed a 31-yard area aim extensive left late within the first quarter.
The groups traded punts earlier than junior Jackson Fitzpatrick recovered a fumble on the Red Raiders’ 20-yard line. Fitzpatrick additionally recovered one other fumble within the second half because the Warriors pressured two turnovers within the second half (three total) in addition to one other turnover on downs.
From there, the Warriors took six performs to search out the tip zone as senior captain Steven Woish ran it in from three yards out to go up 7-3. The lead held as Melrose was stopped on fourth down on the following drive after the Woish rating.
“It felt fantastic,” stated Woish about with the ability to play after being out because the third recreation of the season. “It was a great game to come back. Super emotional for a lot of people. Everybody wanted this one.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com