Warriors crushed 35-7 to have four-game win streak snapped
RYAN FITZPATRICK, a junior, returned a kickoff 31 yards which was one of the few highlights Wakefield had in a 35-7 loss to Winchester on Friday and Saturday at Knowlton Stadium. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
Published in the October 24, 2016 edition.
By JIM SOUTHMAYD
WINCHESTER — The Wakefield Memorial High football team had its game at Knowlton Stadium delayed twice on Friday night due to lightning and the contest was eventually suspended at halftime and resumed on Saturday afternoon.
However it was the touchdown strikes by Winchester through the air on Friday night that proved to the difference as the Warriors dropped a 35-7 contest to have their four game win streak snapped.
Wakefield wrapped up the regular season with 4-3 overall record and will be on the road to start the Div. 2A playoffs. The Warriors are seeded sixth and will take on third-ranked Danvers (6-1) in a quarterfinal game on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Danvers High School.
Meanwhile the Sachems finished the regular season with a 3-4 record but missed qualifying for the playoffs.
Wakefield gave up three touchdowns in the first quarter as the quarterback-receiver combination of junior Liam Fitzpatrick and senior Henry McDonough accounted for all three scores. The Warriors trailed 21-0 after the first quarter and never recovered. Wakefield trailed 28-0 at halftime when the inclement weather forced the suspension.
On Saturday, Wakefield got a touchdown in the fourth quarter but a comeback was not in the cards as the Sachems added a late touchdown.
“Last night (Friday), we didn’t show up mentally or physically ready to play,” said Coach Steve Cummings. “That’s on me. I have to take full blame when we’re not ready to play. If we’re not ready mentally to play that’s on me. That’s my fault.”
When Friday night’s game was halted due to the lightning, there were four options on the table. One was to try to continue, but with two delays already and another one coming that was unlikely. Another was to start the game all over and that a scenario was Winchester obviously wouldn’t have agreed to. Another was for Wakefield to concede the game. The last one was to suspend the game and resumed it a later date is the one the two teams agreed to.
“We were down 28-0 but if I didn’t think we were capable of coming back I would’ve let the score stand which was one of the options,” said Cummings. “We needed to put up points early (on Saturday) and put some pressure on them. That didn’t happen. However today’s (Saturday’s effort) was 100 times better.”
Winchester had 279 yards of total offense to Wakefield’s 128. In the passing game, the Sachems had a 94-91 advantage, but on the ground Winchester gained 185 yards while Wakefield had just 37.
Leading the way for the Sachems was Fitzpatrick who completed seven of 12 passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns. Fitzpatrick also ran for 71 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown as well.
McDonough made four catches for 86 yards. But three of those receptions were for touchdowns.
Meanwhile the Warriors had several self inflicted wounds with three turnovers to Winchester’s none. That led to 14 points for the Sachems.
“We were down 14-0 after running just a couple of plays,” said Cummings. “We turned the ball over three times. It was a wet night but Winchester had to play in those conditions too. We’ve been winning by doing the little things right. We didn’t do those things. We played uninspired football. We’re not good enough just to show up.”
From the opening kickoff, Friday night was a disaster for the Warriors. The opening kickoff went out of bounds and Wakefield had to re-kick from its own 25. On the re-kick, the Warriors were offside as Winchester started its first series at the Wakefield 42.
After no gain by senior RB Pat Costello (86 yards on carries), Fitzpatrick found McDonough with an eight yard pass. Fitzpatrick gained three yards on third down to move the chains. After an incompletion, Costello gained a yard on second down. On third down and nine from the 30, Fitzpatrick was stopped no gain setting up fourth down and nine from the Warrior 30.
Fitzpatrick lofted a pass down the left side. McDonough came back and caught the underthrown pass as the defensive back overran the play at about the five yard line. McDonough easily ran into end zone from there.
Evan Clarke added the extra point to give Winchester a 7-0 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
On Wakefield’s second play from scrimmage, a fumbled exchange resulted in Winchester’s John Laghetto recovered the loose football at the Wakefield 26. Winchester immediately made the Warriors pay as Fitzpatrick found McDonough with a 26 yard TD strike.
Clarke added the extra point to give Winchester a 14-0 lead with 6:06 left in the quarter.
Wakefield received a little spark as junior Ryan Fitzpatrick returned the ensuing kickoff to the Sachem 49. But after a two yard run by senior RB PJ Iannuzzi, an incompletion by sophomore QB Mike Lucey, and a three yard reception by senior RB Joe Marinaccio, Wakefield had a fourth down and five from the Winchester 44. Wakefield opted to go for the first down but an incompletion resulted in the Sachems getting the ball.
Winchester needed just six plays to get into the end zone once again.
Costello gained four yards, then Liam Fitzpatrick ran for 14. Costello had a three yard run and Fitzpatrick gained 11 yards for another first down at the Warrior 24. After a two yard gain by Costello, Fitzpatrick found McDonough once again in the end zone with a 22 yard TD pass.
Clarke added the PAT to give Winchester a 21-0 lead with 14 seconds left in the first quarter.
“Their quarterback is a junior and we knew he was a good player,” said Cummings. “They nearly beat Lexington and lost a tough one to Belmont. We still had three quarters to go and five timeouts in each half, so there was plenty of time to come back.”
The Sachems had all the momentum and even a 20 minute delay early in the second quarter didn’t stop that. The two teams went the locker rooms at about 7:30 p.m. and came back to resume play at 7:50 p.m.
Wakefield’s initial drive to start the second quarter ended three plays in when Lucey’s pass to the right side was intercepted by Steve Osborne III and returned 10 yards to the Wakefield 44.
The Warriors got a much needed break as Winchester went three and out. On fourth down, Iannuzzi (12 tackles to lead the defense) blocked Fitzpatrick’s punt and Dan Cataldo recovered the loose ball at the 50.
Lucey gained 15 yards for a first down. But then the sophomore QB was sacked by Joe Lepore for a 10 yards loss. A procedure penalty on Wakefield pushed the ball back to the Winchester 50 to set up a second down and 25 situation. Marinaccio gained 10 yards, but fumbled the football with Max Ehrbar recovering at the Sachem 40.
Winchester sustained a 12 play scoring drive and scored its fourth touchdown of the night with 23 seconds left in the second. Junior RB Peter Gallagher had runs of five and four yards to begin the drive. Costello then did most of the rest with runs of 12, 14, four, seven, two and minus one yard. Fitzpatrick also completed a nine yard pass to Sam Curtin, threw an incompletion and ran for two yards.
On third down and goal from the 2, Fitzpatrick called his own number and ran the ball into the end zone. Clarke added the extra point to give the home team a commanding 28-0 advantage.
Lucey was sacked for the second time by Lepore to end the first half of play. Another lightning strike resulted in a longer halftime. The Sachems came out on the field nearly 30 minutes later but another flash of lightning halted the game.
When the game resumed on Saturday afternoon, Wakefield received the third quarter kickoff. But Ryan Fitzpatrick had trouble handling the ball and lost three yards on the return as the Warriors started at their own 17.
But Wakefield was unable to mount a scoring drive and punted the ball away.
Winchester took over at the Warrior 44 and held onto the ball for nearly seven minutes as it ran 11 plays. The Sachems had a Liam Fitzpatrick TD run on a fourth down and nine negated due to a holding penalty, but still had a first down at the Wakefield 25.
After nearly losing a fumble, Winchester was able to pick up another first down on a fourth down carry by Fitzpatrick. The Sachems got the ball as far as 12 before turning the ball over on downs.
Senior WR Alex McKenna (three receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown) caught a 13 yard pass for a first down. After an incompletion, Marinaccio gained three yards and Lucey ran for six setting up a fourth down and one from the Wakefield 46. Marinaccio lost a yard on fourth down on the final play of the third quarter as the Sachems took over downs.
Winchester got one first down on a facemask penalty but eventually turned the ball over on downs at the Wakefield 25.
Wakefield scored its only TD of the game and needed just two plays to get into the end zone. It was that quick strike ability the Warriors needed earlier to have any hope of a comeback.
McKenna caught screen pass on the left side from Lucey and gained 46 yards to bring the ball to the Winchester 29. Lucey then found McKenna down the right side with a 29 yard TD strike. Lucey completed four of nine passes for 91 yards with one TD and interception.
Iannuzzi added the extra point to cut the lead to 28-7 with 8:01 left in the fourth quarter.
Down three touchdowns, Wakefield went for the onside kick which was no surprise to Winchester. The ball bounced off one Sachem player, but another, Brendan Curran recovered the ball at the Winchester 45.
Winchester ran a 12 play scoring drive and picked up four first downs. The drive was capped off with a 15 yard TD run by Gallagher with 3:01 remaining. Clarke added the extra point for the 35-7 final score.
“We had the momentum of four-game win streak and we have to figure out how to get that back,” said Cummings. “We could’ve put ourselves in a better position in the playoffs and opened up at home but now we have to go on the road and play at Danvers or North Reading.”
