Football team’s late show isn’t quite enough

Score two TDs in final four and half minutes, edged by Melrose 17-15

By JIM SOUTHMAYD

MELROSE — Friday night’s game between the Wakefield High and Melrose High football teams was another close, exciting contest in the storied rivalry between the two schools. It just took a late fourth quarter comeback by the Warriors for the game to be that way.

Wakefield trailed 17-0 until it scored two touchdowns in the final four and a half minutes of the game to cut the lead to 17-15 and was an onside kick recovery away from possibly pulling out the victory as it came up short by the two points at Fred Green Field.

The Warriors fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the Middlesex League Freedom division. Melrose, meanwhile, increased its overall record to 2-1 and is 1-0 in the M.L. Freedom division.

The Red Raiders seemed to be firmly in control by the 17-0 score when it punted the ball away and Wakefield had the ball at its own 26 with 5:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. That’s when the Warriors went to their spread offense and quickly turned the game around with two TDs.

Senior QB Anthony Cecere completed 12 of 25 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted once as well. The senior also was Wakefield’s second leading rusher with 41 yards on seven carries.

Cecere’s top two targets in the passing game were senior RB Luke Martin (four receptions for 78 yards) and senior WR Chris Calnan (four catches for 61 yards). The first scoring drive covered 74 yards on five plays and culminated with a 25-yard TD pass to Calnan. Calnan then caught the two-point conversion pass to cut the lead to 17-8 with 4:28 left.

The Warriors went for an onside kick but Zack Mercer recovered the ball at the Melrose 40. After picking up one first down, the Red Raiders eventually punted the ball away as Wakefield began its final drive at its own 20 with 1:56 left.

Wakefield needed eight plays to get its second TD as senior fullback Joe DiFazio plunged into the end zone from a yard out with 45.9 seconds left. Chris Saponaro added the extra point to cut the Melrose advantage to 17-15.

The outcome came down to an onside kick. However, Jaret Bothelo recovered the attempt as the Red Raiders held on for the victory.

“I’m happy with the effort,” said Head Coach Mike Boyages. “We talked about having more than just the power game. Anthony Cecere threw the ball and we showed we can be a multi-dimension team on offense. The kids never quit even though we were down, 17-0. We had a couple of onside kicks that Melrose recovered.”

Wakefield outgained Melrose in total yards, 298-216. The Warriors had 100 yards rushing and 198 through the air. The Red Raiders rushed for 99 yards and threw for 117.

Melrose was also without senior RB Jack Hickey who was out with a laceration injury to his kidney. That left senior QB Jake Karelas (38 yards on 11 carries with) and sophomore RB Mike Pedrini (32 yards on 11 carries) to handle the bulk of the running duties.

The Karelas-Pedrini combination also produced Melrose’s first touchdown as Karelas hit Pedrini with a long pass over the middle which went for a 78 yard scoring play. Karelas completed eight of 16 passes for 117 yards and one TD.

Defensively, Wakefield was led by junior DB Tighe Beck who had seven tackles. Next was senior LB Jake Cataldo was next with six stops and senior LB Jack Brown had five tackles.

“Defensively, we did a pretty good job. They had the one big pass play,” said Boyages. “Luke Martin was in good position but it was just a great play by Melrose.”

History was about made again as Wakefield and Melrose played a night football game for the first time in the city limits of Melrose against each other. It was also the second since 1959 that the two schools faced each other before Thanksgiving.

The two teams squared off early once again due to the new statewide playoff system put into place two years ago by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for a trial basis. The two rivals will also meet again on Thanksgiving Day at 10:15 a.m. at Landrigan Field.

Melrose leads the longstanding rivalry, 54-41-6, with Friday night’s game having been the 101st meeting between the schools. The rivalry dates back to 1901. Wakefield, however, leads the Thanksgiving Day 29-22-3, which dates back to 1960.

The Warriors are also 18-4-1 against Melrose over the past 21 years.

Wakefield and Melrose each went three and out on their first series of the game. The Warriors begin their second drive at its own 38.

Martin ran for eight yards and a face mask penalty on the Red Raiders gave Wakefield a first down at the Melrose 39. After a false start penalty on Wakefield, Martin gained 13 yards. Brown ran for three yards and a first down. Brown then lost a yard on first down at the Melrose 28. Martin had runs of three and six yards setting up a fourth down and two at the Red Raider 20. Martin was stopped for no gain as Melrose took over on downs.

Pedrini gained four yards and then was dropped for a two yard loss setting up a third down and eight play from the Red Raider 22. That’s when Karelas found Pedrini with the 78 yard TD pass to put the home team in front. Mike Cusolito added the extra point to give Melrose a 7-0 lead with 2:03 left in the first quarter.

Wakefield had a three and out and Melrose picked up one first down on its next series to begin the second quarter as Chris Pizzotti caught a nine yard pass. But on fourth down and three from the Wakefield 37, Melrose head coach Tim Morris opted to play the field position game so the Red Raiders punted the ball away and pinned Wakefield deep as it started its next possession at the 9 yard line.

Martin had runs of five and two yards setting up a third down and three from the 16. Cecere found Beck with a five yard pass to move the chains. Cecere then gained 11 yards for another first down. Cecere then had gains of four yards and three yards setting up a third down and three from the Warrior 39. Cecere was stopped after a yard on third down as Wakefield punted the ball away from its own 40. The drive, if anything, helped shift the field position a bit in the Warriors’ favor as the Red Raiders took over at their own 34 after the punt with 4:00 showing on the clock.

Melrose then held the ball for all but 5.2 seconds for the remainder of the quarter as it sustained a 12 play drive. Senior RB Brian McLaughlin (24 yards on eight carries) had a nine yard run for the first down. On a third down and five from the Warrior 43, Karelas found senior WR Colby Andrews for a 13 yard pass near the right sideline to move the chains. Karelas then had a 13 yard run for a first down. Pedrini had a eight yard gain and Karelas gained three yards on a keeper to set up a first down and goal from the Warrior 6.

Pedrini gained a yard on first down. On second down, Pedrini found the corner of the end zone but a holding penalty negated the score. Karelas found McLaughlin over the middle for a 10 yard completing to get the penalty yardage back. On third down and goal, Karelas’ pass to the end zone was knocked down by senior LB Dylan Brady.

On fourth down and goal from the Warrior 10 (after a false start penalty), Cusolito kicked a 27 yard field goal to put the Red Raiders in front, 10-0, with 5.2 seconds before halftime.

There was nearly a return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff by the Warriors as Martin took the kick at his own 16 yard line and returned it 63 yards before Melrose senior Will Caffey made a TD saving tackle at the Red Raider 21 to preserve the 10-0 lead at halftime.

The Warriors went for an onside kick to start the third quarter but Melrose’s Brian Mercer recovered the loose football at the Red Raider 45. Melrose, however, didn’t pick up a first down and punted the ball away to the Warriors.

Wakefield picked up two first downs on its first series of the second half. Beck caught a five yard pass and Cecere ran for three yards to move the chains. But the drive stalled at the Wakefield 48.

Melrose went three and out on its next series. When Wakefield got the ball, it ran two plays before McLaughlin intercepted a Cecere pass at the Wakefield 43 to give the Red Raiders the ball back. Melrose capitalized on the game’s only turnover with its second touchdown of the game.

Pedrini gained five yards and a face mask penalty on Wakefield gave Melrose at first down at the Warrior 23. Karelas threw an incompletion and McLaughlin gained five yards on second down. On third down, Karelas found Andrews with a seven yard completion for a first down at the Warrior 11. Karelas gained a yard on first down. On second down, Karelas again called his own number and took the ball in from 10 yards out for the TD.

Cusolito added the PAT to give Melrose a 17-0 advantage with 49.4 seconds left in the third quarter.

On Wakefield’s next possession, Cecere found Calnan with a 34 yard pass to bring the ball to the Melrose 36. But a false start penalty put the Warriors a long yardage situation and eventually they gave the ball back to the Red Raiders on downs at the Melrose 28.

Melrose earned one first down on a holding penalty by Wakefield. But the Red Raiders eventually punted the ball away as Wakefield took over at its own 26 with 5:24 left.

Cecere had two incompletion before finding senior WR Brian Dickey on the right side with a 12 yard completion for a first down. Cecere then found Brady, the tight end, over the middle with a 37 yard pass to set up a first down at the Red Raider 25. Cecere then threw a 25 yard TD pass to Calnan in the right corner of the end zone to get Wakefield on the scoreboard.

Calnan then caught Cecere’s pass for two points to cut the lead to 17-8 with 4:28 left.

Melrose again picked up a first down but eventually punted the ball back to the Warriors as they took over at their own 20 with 1:56 left.

After Cecere fired an incompletion due to a bad snap, he found Martin with a 48 yard pass down the middle. After Calnan caught a pass for no gain and a Cecere incompletion, Martin caught a five yard pass setting up a fourth down and five play from the Melrose 27. Cecere completed a 26 yard pass to Martin which brought the ball down to the 1 yard line. After Cecere spiked the ball, DiFazio plunged into the end zone from a yard away.

Sapanaro added the extra point to cut the lead to 17-15 with 45.9 seconds left.

“We were able to produce some favorable match-ups with Brad and Martin over the middle,” said Boyages. “We put in some stuff that we hadn’t run yet. I’m happy with how we played. We just ran out of time.”

Melrose recovered the third onside kick of the game by Wakefield and ran out the clock.