Football team seeks first win over Red Raiders since the 2012 season
HEAD COACH Steve Cummings and the rest of the Warrior football team seeks its first win of the season when it takes on Watertown tomorrow night in the Middlesex League Freedom division opener at Victory Field. (Donna Larsson Photo)
Published in the September 22, 2016 edition.
By JIM SOUTHMAYD
WATERTOWN — There was a time that the Wakefield Memorial High football team had posted 23 straight wins over Middlesex League rival Watertown and dominated the series against the Red Raiders.
Now the shoe is on the other foot as the Warriors will be attempting to put an end to Watertown’s three-game winning streak over Wakefield.
The two Middlesex League rivals face each other tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Freedom opener at Victory Field.
Wakefield is off to an 0-2 start with losses to Beverly (24-0) and Marblehead (34-13) while Watertown is 2-0 after wins over Arlington Catholic (48-7) and Plymouth South (24-6).
The Warriors will be seeking to avenge last year’s 20-14 defeat after the Red Raiders took a 20-0 lead and held off a late Wakefield comeback. But Wakefield hasn’t defeated Watertown since the 2012 season when it prevailed by a 35-34 game at Landrigan Field.
Wakefield will also be playing at Victory Field for only the second time since Watertown put in a new turf field. The last time the Warriors were the road team against Watertown and won was in 2011 when the contest was played in Arlington due to the work at Victory Field not completed when Wakefield faced the Red Raiders.
The last victory at Watertown’s home field hasn’t come since the 2009 season.
Watertown has plenty of experience in the skill positions with senior Deon Smith leading the way at quarterback. Smith scored two touchdowns on runs of 32 yards and 93 yards against the Warriors last year. He has picked up right where he left off in Watertown’s two non-league wins including a 95 yard effort on 24 carries last week. He scored one touchdown and threw for another.
Zach Rimsa is back for his third varsity season at running back and linebacker, while Vasken Kebabjian is a two-way returning starter at running back and defensive end. Isaac Huff is a returning starter at receiver and safety. Matt Muldrew, a junior, lines up as a halfback and linebacker.
Ben Landry, Brian Canales, James Walter, Joe Chau and Alexan Cinar are up front on the offensive line.
On defense, Landry plays defensive end, Canales lines up at defensive tackle, Gautam Mannan will is a defensive tackle and Kebabjian is a defensive end.
Rimsa and Muldrew anchor the linebacking corps along with Eddie Ferrera. John Corte is a cornerback as well as a receiver with Huff, Youseth Hamad and Mange Camara filling out the defensive backfield.
Connor Keneely is the placekicker and is a veteran. He kicked two field goals of 32 and 36 yards at Landrigan Field a year ago.
Wakefield had a stronger showing last Friday night at home against Marblehead and hung right in there with the Magicians until the visitors scored two touchdowns in the final quarter to pull away.
Now the Warriors are hoping they can put it all together and earn their first win of the season.
