Delayed Thanksgiving game ends with 15-14 win over Wakefield
MIKE PEDRINI’S third quarter touchdown helped spirit a Melrose comeback that led to their 15-14 victory over Wakefield at the 55th Annual Thanksgiving Classic held in Wakefield last Friday. (Donna Larsson photo)
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE — For the Melrose Red Raider football team it wasn’t supposed to end any other way.
Down 14-0 at halftime during the 55th Annual Thanksgiving Classic on Friday, the Melrose Red Raider football team launched a second half surge led by senior quarterback Jake Karelas whose two touchdowns helped top arch rival Wakefield 15-14 at Landrigan Field in Wakefield. The game was held one day late after being delayed by the Warriors due to snow on Thanksgiving Day. It’s been a clean 3-0 sweep for the Raiders over Wakefield this season with previous wins against the Warriors on Sept. 26 and Oct. 31 (playoffs).
Melrose holds a record of 56-41-6 overall with Friday’s game the 103rd meeting since 1901. Wakefield leads the Thanksgiving Day series 29-23-3 since 1960. This was Wakefield’s fourth loss in a row including last year’s Thanksgiving game.
One could suggest there was a bit of anti-climatic energy on Melrose’s part coming into the game, a day late and lacking the stakes of the upcoming Super Bowl this Saturday but once the two teams suited up, no one could remove the will to win. Sitting his starters in preparation for Super Bowl was never a consideration for Melrose head coach Tim Morris. “If you’re playing football I think you’ve got to play,” he said after the game. “I don’t think it helps playing trying to not get hurt. I would’ve rather played yesterday but that was out of our control. All we could do was show up today and play.”
The field conditions were less than desirable and certainly challenging with just a long strip of middle turf shoveled and the exterior portions covered in snow. That didn’t stop Wakefield from jumping out of the gate quickly while Melrose struggled to get their feet wet, so to speak. “The field conditions were not great but once we got comfortable with the field, everything started to click,” says Melrose senior quarterback Jake Karelas, who threw for 96 yards and two TDs.
Still, the Red Raiders found themselves a bit stunned when Wakefield (5-6) took an immediate 6-0 lead on the opening kickoff. Warrior Tighe Beck ran 85 yards though piles of snow on the right side of the field into the end zone. Melrose was also stymied on offense in the first half, unable to make fourth down conversations thanks to tough defense from Anthony Cecere and Logan Dunn. The Warriors brought to the field a tough running game from Zack Kane who was successful in fourth down conversions.
In the second quarter, Warrior quarterback Anthony Cecere led Wakefield on an eight-play drive that resulted in his own 10 yard rushing touchdown. The Warriors were successful on a two point conversion pass to Dylan Brady and were soon up by 14. After going into halftime in a hole, Melrose got their wake up call. Perhaps the idea of going to Gillette Stadium on a loss was unacceptable but they came out a new team in the third thanks to senior quarterback Jake Karelas who tossed his two touchdowns in quick order. His first was a 14-play, 70 yard opening drive that resulted in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Melrose’s Mike Pedrini. “It was a huge momentum builder for everyone,” said Karelas of that first strike. “Mike was in the slot to the left and just ran a corner route and I put it between the defenders and he kept his feet in bounds. Mike has stepped up huge for us all year.”
With three minutes left in the game Melrose charged to the 24-yard line and Karelas hit Colby Andrews for a touchdown pass that put the game at 14-13. “We were kind of playing dead but we got angry and came out in the second half and just punched them in the mouth,” said Melrose senior captain Jack Hickey.
It’s been a season of gambles and high stakes for the Raiders, who have never played conservatively and has seen it work in their favor. With a bit of confidence and fortune on their side, Melrose prepared for a two point conversation and, sure enough, sealed the deal with Melrose sophomore standout Pedrini finding the end zone to give Melrose a 15-14 edge with just over 3:00 left in the contest. Wakefield threatened immediately while marching the ball to the Melrose 32 with a touchdown or field goal in mind but the Raiders clamped down. At first and 10, Cecere threw across the left side of the field and Melrose’s Zack Mercer nabbed it on the 20, effectively ending Wakefield’s shot at redemption. Melrose was ready to score once more when Pedrini rushed the ball all the way to the Wakefield 17 but the expiring clock found Karelas taking a knee to end the game.
“”I just played deep and luckily the ball went over his head and into my hands,” says Mercer. “It was a great ending.”
Coach Morris spoke of the team’s ability to keep calm and carry on. “That’s been something we’ve done all year. We don’t get flustered no matter what the score is. Keep making plays, we don’t panic.”
Wakefield coach Mike Boyages spoke after the loss. “We came in against the team going to the Super Bowl. We came out of the gates having started so well. We had a lot of early momentum. Even though we lost we played our best game of the year. I’m proud of our kids.”
Wakefield’s Thanksgiving loss also marked the end of the 18-year coaching career of Boyages, whose retirement was announced during the game. “I knew from the beginning of the season I wasn’t going to come back but I wanted the focus to be on the kids,” he said. “I’ve been a lucky guy. I’m in my hometown, I grew up here, played football here, taught here, was an administrator here, raised my kids here and we’ve had a lot of success.”
When it comes to Melrose and Wakefield football, you always expect the unexpected. Thus an overtime scenario was not something coach Tim Morris wanted to deal with. “We didn’t really want to play overtime. The decision was to go for it. It’s either win or lose right here,” says Morris.
Now, at 10-2, Melrose is ready for the biggest stakes of them all: Super Bowl.
Says Zack Mercer, “It’s been hard to focus on the Super Bowl because we’ve been preparing for this. But finally we can think and focus on it.”
