WAYLAND – With Melrose coach Tim Morris trying to be a part of the 200-win membership, Wayland did simply sufficient to spoil the victory with a robust dashing assault.
Junior captain Max Dresens rushed for 203 of his 271 yards within the second half whereas scoring thrice on the bottom as Wayland edged Melrose 35-28 at residence Friday evening.
“I have all the respect for Tim,” mentioned Wayland coach Scott Parseghian about defeating Morris. “We coach the Shriners game together. We have a little bit of history there and nothing but the utmost respect for coach Morris.”
Morris (199-109-4) will strive once more for win No. 200 on Thanksgiving Day at Wakefield.
Melrose (7-3) began the second half with a three-and-out on protection earlier than taking the ball 52 yards on 4 performs capped by a 19-yard catch-and-run rating from senior Connor Brophy to senior captain Bennett Cassavoy. The two-point conversion from Brophy to Nicholas Hitchman made it 21-14 for the Raiders.
Wayland (7-3) wasted no time and used a 60-yard return from Benjamin Wright to arrange the 30-yard dashing rating for Dresens to knot the rating 21-21 simply 19 second later.
“Max (Dresens) has been a great running back,” Parseghian mentioned. “We didn’t have him last year, so we are glad to have him. The line did a great job.”
The Raiders answered with an 86-yard kickoff return landing for junior Marco Albanese earlier than each groups have been capable of settle in as Melrose led 28-21.
On the following drive, the Warriors wanted simply seven performs to search out paydirt as Dresens scored from eight yards out with 3:21 left within the third to tie it up 28-all.
After a Melrose punt, Dresens made it a hat trick as he rushed it in from 25 yards out to place Wayland again in entrance 35-28 with 10:05 left.
“The whole season the offensive line has been one of the strongest parts of our team,” Dresens mentioned about discovering a lane to run. “I don’t think the offensive line gets enough credit.”
The Warriors compelled a punt after which ran the ball to the Melrose 34 wbefore the drive stalled with 45 ticks remaining.
The Raiders put a pair large go performs collectively to go to the Wayland 35 the place the ultimate go try for Brophy (10-of-17, 178) fell incomplete within the endzone within the closing seconds.
“When you think about great teams, you think about teams that have that clutch factor and not giving up those game changing plays,” Dresens mentioned in regards to the defensive cease to finish the competition. “I think we are one of those teams.”
In the primary half, after forcing a three-and-out, Wayland went 73 yards on 9 performs as junior Michael Keenan discovered senior Benjamin Wright within the seam for a 40-yard landing seize to go up 7-0 with 4:54 left within the first quarter.
Wayland then compelled one other three-and-out and this time marched 91 yards on 12 performs. A key 36-yard strike on third down from Keenan to Owen Finnegan picked up an enormous third down earlier than one other 35-yard go to Wright 4 performs afterward one other third down arrange a goal-to-go scenario for the Warriors. Sophomore Michael Caulfield scored on fourth all the way down to make it a 14-0 contest with 9:39 to go within the first half.
Melrose took over on the following drive with a 10-play, 67-yard drive that was capped by a Maximilian Lanciani four-yard TD run.
Lanciani additionally got here away with a decide three performs later in addition to a key 27-yard catch on the following Raiders’ drive to place Melrose in enterprise on the Warriors’ 32. Six performs after that, Brophy discovered Cassavoy open within the flat for a 19-yard catch and rating. The further level went broad left because the Raiders trailed 14-13 on the half.
Source: www.bostonherald.com