WALPOLE – With King Philip driving toward a potential tying or go-ahead score in the final seconds of Friday’s opener, Walpole coach Chris Sullivan wanted to call timeout, but his new defensive coordinator told him to let it ride.
It turns out Matt Wassel, who spent the previous 20 seasons with King Philip, knew his old program well enough. The Wolves swarmed Warriors quarterback Brody Zolak with a blitz on fourth down to preserve a 16-13 victory, the first loss for KP against a public school since Thanksgiving 2022.
“Our boys showed up and we beat them to the spot,” said Walpole senior captain Matt Myers. “That’s the type of team we are. We left everything out on the field.”
Myers and junior Zack Lamoureux were game-wreckers on the inside and road-graters on offense. The duo stopped KP on 4th and 1 with just over three minutes to go, then set up the go-ahead 11-yard rushing score from Drew Cantrell a few plays later.
Senior captain Mason Falcone (16 carries, 83 yards) handled most of the power running and had a stellar game at linebacker along with fellow captain Dylan Katz.
“We thought we had a little bit of an upper hand up front, but film lies sometimes,” said Sullivan. “We challenged those guys. We had a little gut check and they stepped up when the time mattered.”
The fifth-ranked Warriors made a few uncharacteristic mistakes in the first frame, allowing Walpole senior Shane Harrington to break a couple tackles for a 61-yard touchdown, then yielding a safety on a punt to fall behind, 9-3.
Freshman Ethan O’Connell provided a major spark for KP with 135 yards on his first six carries, including an 80-yard touchdown run to earn a slight edge. A pair of 35-yard field goals from Nate Crowley and a strong defensive effort looked to be enough, until Walpole’s defense countered.
“It’s almost surreal,” said Wassel, a standout defensive back at Walpole (’91). “But this is also a little bit of a homecoming [to Walpole]. So it’s bittersweet. Truthfully, I can’t wait for this week to be over. But I love those guys. [The Warriors players and coaches] are my boys, and now these are my boys.”
Nate Weitzer can be reached at nweitzer7@gmail.com. Follow him on X @nweitzer7.