WESTFORD — In a Dual County League showdown that actually lived as much as its billing, Westford Academy edged visiting Waltham on Thursday evening, 21-14.
The outcome moved each groups to 3-1 general, however earned the Grey Ghosts an necessary league choice behind Anthony Rudiman’s three touchdowns on the bottom.
The sport got here right down to the final play of the sport as time expired.
Waltham’s closing possession began from its personal 3-yard line with 1:21 to play. The Hawks earned three first downs earlier than going through a fourth-and-10 from the Westford 45-yard line with 10 seconds to go.
That’s when Waltham senior quarterback Jack Renaud linked with senior Josh Registre for a 24-yard completion to the 21 with only one second remaining. On the ultimate play, Grey Ghosts sophomore Jameson Moran knocked away Renaud’s closing throw of the sport as the ultimate horn sounded.
“Give credit to (Waltham),” stated Westford Academy coach Bruce Rich Jr. “Driving 97 yards and still making it close with one second left. It was a battle. We knew that this was a different (Waltham) team than last year because we saw the type of work they had been putting in, but we put in work, too.”
Westford led 14-7 at halftime, however the Hawks tied the rating late within the third quarter with a 62-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard run by senior Ty Connolly. Senior Edwin Ramirez’s further level evened the rating with 2:16 remaining within the quarter.
A 37-yard run by Registre and a fourth-and-4 move for 7 yards from Renaud to Registre helped arrange the Waltham rating.
The Grey Ghosts answered on their subsequent possession with what turned out to be the profitable factors, transferring 50 yards in 10 performs after a pleasant kickoff return to midfield by senior Luke Fremault.
A pair of 12-yard runs by Ghost junior quarterback Jake Cullen and a 13-yard burst by Rudiman, a senior working again, arrange his personal 1-yard landing run with 9:04 remaining within the contest.
“He’s a beast,” Rich stated of Rudiman.
“We just executed,” stated Cullen. “That’s all we needed to do. It was an amazing win.”
The Hawks got here proper again on their subsequent drive with two large runs by junior again Adam Chisari, however on third down from the Westford 13, a move to Connolly close to the objective line ended up seeing the ball stripped by Moran and fumbled into the top zone, the place it was recovered by Ghost senior Tyler Murray for a touchback with 6:43 left.
Westford then went on a vital five-minute drive that ended with a wonderful punt by senior Peter Burdin that landed contained in the Hawk 5.
The Grey Ghosts wanted each inch of that area within the closing moments.
“We battled,” stated Rich. “In the past, we haven’t finished games like that, but the last two weeks against Concord-Carlisle and against these guys, we finished. We made plays when we needed to make plays. I’m proud of these guys.”
The Ghosts took a 7-0 lead within the first quarter on a 1-yard landing run by Rudiman.
Waltham tied it within the second when Connolly scored on a 7-yard run.
Westford made it 14-7 as Rudiman scored the second of his three touchdowns, a 23-yard run with 5:05 left within the half.
Burdin kicked the second of his three further factors to push the result in seven.
Source: www.bostonherald.com