Published in the April 12, 2021 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — A tense, hard-earned, throwback, scoreless first half yielded to a big-play, high-octane, 29-point second half on Saturday at Landrigan Field when the Wakefield Warriors (1-3) hosted the Stoneham Spartans (2-1).
Both teams combined for 133 yards from scrimmage in a first half (compared to 255 in the second) that featured just two possessions for the Warriors and three for the Spartans. Wakefield’s defense made a stand late in the half and Stoneham missed a 22-yard field goal attempt keeping the game scoreless through 24 minutes.
Wakefield senior captain Tucker Stikeman set the tone of a wildly entertaining second half with an 82-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown. Stikeman later had a 4-yard rushing score to break a 7-7 tie but a 36-yard rushing touchdown by Stoneham senior Chris Dragone and a 2-point conversion from senior Nate Nazarian with 5:31 left made it 15-14.
The Warrior offense couldn’t find a response and the Spartans left town with a thrilling, one-point victory – their fourth in a row over Wakefield.
Although the box score shows 200 rushing yards for the Spartans, Wakefield’s defensive front deserves plenty of credit for a strong performance. It took Stoneham 46 carries to get to that 200. It’s a style that eventually wears down any team, but the Warriors didn’t show any signs of that fatigue until Dragone’s touchdown run up the gut late in the 4th.
The Ickes brothers (juniors Luke and Nathan) made it clear to Stoneham early on that each yard would need to be earned on this day, combining to drop a runner for a 3-yard loss on 2nd down of the game’s opening drive. Luke Ickes set the edge on the next play and captain Danny Hurley made the tackle to force a punt.
After Wakefield went three-and-out, the Spartans started their next drive at midfield. Stoneham collected two 3rd down conversions, creating a 1st down at the Wakefield 26, but the Warriors buckled down from there, keeping Stoneham out of the red zone with a collective effort including a tackle by senior Kevin O’Neil who stepped up on the defensive line all day and later a tackle for loss by Hurley and junior Leo Yardumian to force a turnover on downs.
The Warriors moved the chains a couple of times on their next possession when sophomore QB Javin Willis (6-for-11, 96 yards) hit junior Jack Berinato for a 7-yard slant on 3rd-and-5. Willis, who rushed for 38 yards on seven carries, gained 14 yards on two ensuing runs. He took a big hit on the first one but called his own number on an option the very next play, a move that no doubt earned respect from a stout Spartan defense.
A holding penalty on 3rd-and-9 made another first down all but impossible as Stoneham took over with 7:36 to play.
The Spartans again moved the chains, a 16-yard Dragone carry bringing it into Warrior territory. Stoneham converted on a 4th-and-inches from the Wakefield 22 and needed just 19 yards to find the end zone with 1:53 left. Luke Ickes, Stikeman and Hurley combined to stop the Spartans on 2nd-and-5 but a facemask penalty on 3rd down gave Stoneham a 1st-and-goal from the 7 with a running clock that was down to 25 seconds. Junior Nick Roberto and sophomore Ian Dixon broke through the line to force a 1 yard loss on 2nd down and with the clock almost out, the Spartans had to spike it on 3rd down and send out their field goal unit at the 5-yard line, a miss giving all the momentum to Wakefield.
Stikeman held onto that mojo through the 15 minute halftime and unleashed it on Stoneham’s special teams during the 2nd half kickoff. Stoneham hit a squib kick that “Stike” caught on the bounce at the 18. He wasted no time in putting on the after burners, making one cut up the field and exploding 82 yards to the house, creating the loudest play at Landrigan this season.
Hurley hit his first of two extra points and an exciting second half was under way.
The Spartans responded with a six-minute, 10-play, 80 yard scoring drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown dive by Robert Kilty on 4th down.
The big play of the possession featured Stoneham’s only completion of the day, a 47-yard pass and catch from sophomore Givani Caruso to senior Grant Albrecht on 2nd-and-11.
The Warriors made it difficult for the Spartans, starting on 1st-and-goal from the 10 when Dixon ripped down Dragone for a 3-yard loss. Hurley and Berinato filled the gaps on 3rd-and-goal from the 7, bringing down a Spartan runner at the 2 and bringing a booming “we can do this” from Wakefield head coach John Rafferty who knew full well what was coming next on 4th-and-2.
The chess match between Rafferty and his good friend Bob Almeida (Stoneham’s head coach) started on the very first play of the game when Almeida called a timeout before Stoneham even snapped it once, just to see how his former defensive coordinator was lining up his guys. Rafferty was Stoneham’s DC for three seasons before taking over at Wakefield in 2018.
So, of course, it was no surprise to Rafferty to see a Spartan team who consistently lines up in a goal line offense no matter the down or distance, set up in their familiar power formation on 4th and short, except a tricky reverse from Dragone to Kilty gave the senior just enough space to dive over the goal line.
The Spartans ran their two-point conversion in but a holding penalty pushed them back and led to a PAT that went through to make it 7-7.
How else would Wakefield respond but with a five-play, 67-yard scoring drive of their own?
On 3rd-and-13 from the 30, the Warriors brought the fans to their feet again when Willis found Berinato on a picture-perfect stop-and-go route down the right sideline. Berinato faked a button hook to get his corner to bite just enough and Willis threw him open with a perfect lob that the speedy Berinato ran down and took to the 10. A pass interference on 2nd down from the 8 led to a 4-yard punch in by Stikeman to make it 14-7 with 2:10 left in the 3rd.
The Warrior defense forced a three-and-out but a holding penalty on Wakefield’s next drive erased a 9-yard 2nd down run by Willis and the Warriors never recovered, punting to the Spartan 31 with 8:11 left.
Kilty ran it 23 yards on 2nd down into Warrior territory, setting up Dragone’s 36-yard TD run and Nazarian’s two-pointer.
Stikeman had another great return up to the Wakefield 43 and Willis found Hurley for a 3rd down conversion, 17 yards into Stoneham territory with about four minutes left. An illegal formation on 3rd-and-3 from the 29 led to a 3rd-and-8 and Willis run that went for a no gain and an incomplete on 4th down.
Stoneham took over with 2:06 left and Dragone iced it with a nine-yard run on 3rd-and-8 from the 36.
Wakefield’s final game of the season will be on Saturday against undefeated Melrose (4-0) at Fred Green Field at noon.
