By DAN PAWLOWSKI
STONEHAM — In a knock-down, drag-out, old-school Middlesex League Freedom Division showdown on Friday night at Stoneham High, it was perhaps only fitting that it came down to a few inches.
Trailing 8-6 with 3:43 to play, Wakefield took over on downs at their own 4-yard line after a terrific defensive stand. Seven plays, 94 yards and nearly three minutes later, the Warriors were staring down a 3rd-and-goal from the 2 with under minute left. A fullback dive to senior captain Myles Sanchez was called short of the end zone despite a reach that looked like the ball crossed the plane.
Wakefield marched out the kicking unit with 33 seconds left for a go-ahead, 18-yard attempt. On the try, which was snapped and held cleanly before whistled dead, Stoneham was called for encroachment, moving the ball up to the half-yard line, literally inches from the end zone. The Warriors opted to go for it, another dive to Sanchez called but a tough Spartan front was up to the task, stuffing the play with no controversy of a touchdown this time.
The Spartans took over on downs, got some breathing room on a sneak and iced the game leaving Wakefield stunned and heartbroken as the Warriors fell to 3-4 while Stoneham improved to 5-2.
“Just disappointing. I feel really bad for the kids,” said Wakefield head coach John Rafferty. “We were right there, didn’t get the call on 3rd down and when it was moved up after the penalty we just wanted six and unfortunately came up short. It was a really hard-fought game and we played hard, tough football. I just told them afterwards that I was really proud of them.”
Any Warrior buckling up for a trip to Stoneham in the Bob Almeida-era knows to pack some extra ice. The Spartan coach always has his team ready to run the rock and battle in the trenches.
Stoneham, playing in a state-of-the-art stadium next to a shiny new school that had Wakefield fans excited about their own construction, still looked like the same-old Spartans at the start, driving 70-yards on 10-plays in the opening possession, ending with a 30-yard TD run by Pedro Dasilveira. After a successful 2-point conversion, Stoneham was up 8-0 with 5:34 left in the 1st quarter.
Thoughts of a barn-burner were quickly doused as both defenses stole the show from there. Stoneham had four more drives in the first half, all ending with punts. Wakefield punted three times, turned it over on downs once and sent out senior Carter Jefferson for a 47-yard attempt that missed at the end of the half, keeping it 8-0 at the break.
The tug-of-war continued through the third quarter.
Stoneham moved it to the Warrior 31 on their first drive of the second half but on 4th-and-6 from the 35, Christian DiFlorio picked up a tackle-for-loss after Wakefield’s coaches called for the senior captain linebacker to switch sides just before the snap, one of many adjustments made between Rafferty and Almeida in this one.
“The defense played really well,” said Rafferty. “After they scored on that first drive, we moved some pieces around and the kids stepped up to change the direction of the game. They just matched everything that Stoneham threw at them. It was as good of a defensive effort as we’ve had in recent memory.”
Wakefield’s offense finally found some traction after that turnover-on-downs, putting together a four-play, 63-yard scoring drive.
Junior QB Westin McNeilly (16-for-25, 194 yards) linked up with senior Will Forbes (4 catches, 73 yards) for 44-yards on 1st down before junior Jaden Fullerton rumbled 15 yards to the 4; he later punched it in from 1-yard out. Wakefield’s 2-point attempt, a short pass that was completed, came up short, as Stoneham clutched to an 8-6 lead with 1:55 left in the third.
Stoneham’s offense responded with an impressive, 9-minute drive, doing their best to bleed the rest of the clock. After a full game of bruising runs, Wakefield looked to be out of gas when the Spartans had it 1st down on the Warrior 13. But just when they needed it, Wakefield stepped up with a complete-team effort led by sophomore Joe Shea getting a huge stop on 3rd-and-5 before setting up 4th-and-5 from the 8. Stoneham tried to get to the edge on a reverse but Sanchez forced the runner to the sideline and senior Tommy DeFeo (6 catches, 67 yards) came down from his safety spot and made the tackle to keep Stoneham short by a yard.
McNeilly had 4 impressive completions to move the sticks on Wakefield’s final drive, hitting senior Cam Sartori for 16 yards and then finding Forbes for 17 to get it into Spartan territory. McNeilly lofted a beautiful ball to DeFeo down the left sideline for a massive 29-yard completion which set Wakefield up 1st-and-goal at the Spartan 9-yard line. Fullerton, who didn’t have many running lanes all night against a big and talented Stoneham front, made it 7 yards on two carries to set up Wakefield’s 3rd down from the 2. From the goal line, it looked as though Sanchez broke the plane with a reach after being stuffed initially but whether the play was whistled dead or the refs missed the lunge, it was called down at the 1.
Of course, given the chance to try again, maybe the Warriors would have kept the kicking team on the field after the ensuing offsides. In the end, the decision to go for it on 4th down from the half-yard line is what will be remembered. To Stoneham’s credit, they were ready for it, stepping up to make the play of the game and sending Wakefield home heartbroken.
“A win would have went a long ways for us so it’s definitely disappointing,” said Rafferty. “The kids just worked their tails off all game.”
Wakefield will now bring a 1-2 league record into the biggest game of the year this week as they get ready for undefeated Burlington (7-0, 4-0 in the league). The Warriors and Red Devils will meet at Burlington High on Thursday night at 6 p.m.
Wakefield’s loss to another strong, playoff-bound team didn’t hurt their standing in the Div. 4 power rankings. The Warriors are still ranked No. 12. The top 16 make the state tournament. Stoneham is No. 7 in D6.
If Wakefield can deal Burlington their first loss, a ticket to the postseason would be in hand as the Red Devils are ranked No. 6 in Div. 4. A loss would leave it up to the tournament committee with multiple teams, including Danvers, Holliston, Tantasqua and Grafton hot on Wakefield’s heels.
The brackets will be released some time this weekend with the first round set for Nov. 7.
