JACKSON FITZPATRICK leads Wakefield in TD receptions (5) and sacks this season. (File Photo)
MELROSE — The Wakefield and Melrose football teams are ready to square off for the 64th Thanksgiving Day game this Thursday, 10:15 a.m. at Fred Green Field.
The Warriors enter the game with a record of 6-4. They are on a five-game winning streak that started on Oct. 18 in Watertown and includes victories over Wilmington, Stoneham, Lynn Classical and Revere.
Melrose brings a 4-6 mark into the big game. They made the Div. 4 state tournament this season, falling to Scituate in the first round.
The two teams appear to be very even again this year as the Warriors go for their fourth consecutive Turkey Day victory dating back to their win in 2021 which broke an eight-year winning streak for Melrose.
Each of the last three Thanksgiving games have been one-possession victories for Wakefield as the matchups have all come down to the last drive. Wakefield won at home 21-13 in 2021, 15-12 in Melrose in 2022 and 7-3 at Landrigan Field last year.
Both teams have averaged exactly 25 points per game this season. The Warriors have surrendered 18.4 points per game while Melrose has allowed 24.8 points against, thanks in large part to a grueling schedule, which included non-league games against strong Peabody, Reading, Scituate and Bedford teams.
Wakefield’s has been a tale of two seasons, going 1-4 in their first five games before their current five-game winning streak. In their first five against Greater Lawrence, Lynnfield, Beverly, Burlington and Winchester, the Warriors averaged 16.6 points per game and gave up 27.6. In their last five games, Wakefield has scored 33.4 per game and allowed just 9.2.
Wakefield is led by a pair of sophomores on offense: quarterback Westin McNeilly and running back Jaden Fullerton.
Fullerton has racked up 927 rushing yards and 17 TD’s in 9 games this season.
McNeilly has thrown for 1,296 yards and 12 TD’s in 10 games.
McNeilly’s favorite targets are seniors Jackson Fitzpatrick and John Fitzgerald along with junior Will Forbes. Fitzpatrick, a 6’4” 245-poind tight end, leads the team in TD receptions with 5 to go with 225 yards. Fitzgerald has 2 TD’s and over 200 yards while Forbes leads in yards with 450 while also adding 3 TD’s.
Wakefield and Melrose have played four common opponents this season, all fellow Middlesex League Freedom Division foes. The Warriors are 3-1 against those teams while Melrose is 2-2. Both squads have defeated Watertown and Wilmington while both fell to Burlington. The biggest difference is against Stoneham. The Spartans beat Melrose 21-14 while Wakefield beat Stoneham 31-28 in the team’s signature victory of the season.
Both Stoneham and Burlington had 4-1 marks against Freedom Division opponents. A win for Wakefield on Thanksgiving would create a three-way tie for first place in the division although Stoneham did defeat Burlington 42-21 this year.
Thursday’s game will be the 113th all-time meeting between the two rivals. Melrose leads the overall series 62-44-7.
A full preview of the game with quotes from Wakefield’s team captains and head coach John Rafferty will appear in tomorrow’s Thanksgiving supplement to the Wakefield Daily Item.
