THE WARRIORS had plenty to celebrate in their 32-21 victory over Beverly on Friday night at Landrigan Field. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High football team earned their first win of the 2024 season with a 32-21 victory over Beverly at Landrigan Field on Friday night.
The defense set the tone in this one, racking up 5 sacks and another 3 tackles-for-loss while adding an interception, all helping the offense with great field position that they capitalized on for a 24-0 lead at the half. Wakefield pushed their advantage to 32-0 before Beverly’s comeback, which included three, second half TD passes and a successful onside kick. Wakefield didn’t close how they wanted to, but they held on for the win, improving to 1-2 on the season.
The offense racked up 159 yards on the ground, led by sophomore Jaden Fullerton (22 carries, 111 yards, 3 TD’s) whose breakout game got the Warriors ahead early and often.
Defensively, Wakefield was led by senior Jackson Fitzpatrick who had 3 sacks and a tackle-for-loss, not including his most exciting play on a pursuit to bring down the Beverly punter on a fake attempt in the 2nd quarter as the Panthers were trying to get back into it down 17-0.
As was the case earlier in the game, Wakefield took advantage of that sharp defensive play with a scoring drive that started deep in Beverly territory on Fullerton’s 2nd TD of the game, a 5-yard run off a draw to make it 24-0.
Wakefield was forced to punt on the first drive of the game but Carter Jefferson pinned the Panthers back on their own 2-yard-line which started a field position battle that the Warriors would control throughout the first half.
Wakefield’s first sack of the game belonged to senior captain Cade Esposito on 3rd down, forcing a punt from the 4-yard line that senior captain John Fitzgerald returned all the way to the Beverly 19.
The Warriors stalled on their second drive too, but Jefferson connected on a 31-yard field to take a 3-0 lead with 3:15 left in the 1st quarter.
The defense responded again on Beverly’s first play of their second possession when senior Ian Christie jumped a route and picked off a pass, returning it to the Panther 25.
This time, Wakefield turned in 6.
Sophomore QB Westin McNeilly (6-for-8, 59 yards) found Fitzpatrick (2 catches, 37 yards) for 19 yards after a well-executed play action and Fullerton later ran it in from 6-yards out after a nice jump cut up the middle, making it 10-0 after Jefferson’s first of 3 successful PAT’s.
Fitzpatrick’s first sack came on 3rd-and-long on Beverly’s next drive as he got around the edge and dragged down Panther QB Danny Pierce by the jersey right in front of a rocking, Red Sea student section.
Wakefield then put together a 55-yard touchdown drive which opened the 2nd quarter. McNeilly (5 carries, 36 yards) had two long keepers to help the run game and junior captain Myles Sanchez finished it off with a 2-yard TD run to make it 17-0 with 7:30 left in the half.
Fitzpatrick read Beverly’s fake punt attempt on the next drive from start to finish, showcasing his impressive speed for a defensive end by tracking down the punter who was trying to get to the sideline.
“Fully” did the heavy lifting on the ensuing TD drive, getting the rock on four straight plays to go 25 yards and close the drive with his 5-yard TD.
Senior Zach Courtright got through to the backfield for a couple of tackles-for-loss on Beverly’s first two possessions of the second half as Wakefield’s defense continued to play well.
Wakefield went 63 yards in 5 plays to take a 32-0 lead in the middle of the 3rd. Two runs totaling 27 yards from Fullerton got it to the Beverly 27 and McNeilly found Fitzpatrick again, this time for 18 yards as the big tight end carried most of the Panther defense down to the 9. Fullerton ran the next one in for a 9-yard TD run, his 3rd of the game.
The offensive line, impressive all night in creating space for Fullerton, was especially dominant on this drive and on the TD run. Courtright and sophomore Brandon Meahl sealed the left side while Fitzpatrick cleared space after motioning left as well. Christie did his job on a defensive back on the outside and Fullerton followed freshman Joe Shea — who pulled from his center position — all the way to the house.
Wakefield’s PAT was botched but Fitzgerald picked it up and ran it in for two.
That’s about when things stopped going well for the home team.
Beverly finally got on the board with a 33-yard TD pass on a slant from Pierce to Ray Kwiatek, their first of three TD’s on the night.
The 4th quarter opened with a three-and-out for Wakefield that Beverly took 65-yards for another score, this time an 18-yard connection from Pierce to Kwiatek, making it 32-14 with 5:44 to go.
The Panthers recovered the ensuing onside kick and despite two sacks from Fitzpatrick on this drive, Beverly still added more to the board on a 39-yard bomb from Pierce to Kwiatek on 2nd-and-17.
Up 32-21 with 2:15 to go, junior William Forbes controlled Beverly’s second onside attempt and although Wakefield couldn’t move the chains, time ran out on the Panther offense and the Warriors escaped with the win.
In the end, Wakefield had plenty to be proud of in a dominant first three quarters and plenty to improve on in an uninspiring final quarter.
The Warriors will try to regain that first half form when they host a strong, 3-0 Burlington this Friday night, 6 p.m. at Landrigan Field, for the first league game of the season for both teams.
