Elliott Grant has practiced his favorite play over and over again, but Fairhaven coach Derek Almeida has never called his number in a game.
That is, until the biggest moment against West Bridgewater.
Clinging to a slim lead in the waning minutes of Friday night’s South Coast Conference clash, Almeida called a reverse to his 142-pound junior on third-and-goal from the 15. Elliott got the ball in space, took advantage of the confused defense, picked up a few blocks, and dashed to the end zone.
He was upended by a defender at the 1-yard line, leaping in the air and coming down ball-first, the tip landing on the goal line for the touchdown that put the game out of reach and lifted the reigning Division 6 state champion Blue Devils to a 22-13 victory, avenging their only loss last season.
“That’s my favorite play. When I heard it in the huddle, my ears lit up,” Grant said. “Every inch matters. I just saw blue [the end zone color] and gave it everything I had.”
The reverse capped a 19-play scoring drive that beganlate in the third quarter in a steady rain and ended with Fairhaven (4-0) up two scores with 4:18 left under clear skies.
West Bridgewater (2-2) took advantage of Blue Devils miscues and good field position to jump out to a 13-0 lead with two second-quarter touchdowns. Senior Nick Navin scored from 1 yard out after Fairhaven failed to convert a fourth-and-3 from its own 24. After Fairhaven fumbled on the ensuing drive, Navin hit Gage Turner in the back of the end zone from 16 yards out.
Then the Blue Devils scored 22 unanswered points.
“We got completely outplayed in that first half. I didn’t have my team prepared, and that’s on me,” Almeida said. “Once we got into the game, it was better, but it took us a while. Thank God we have tough kids. We have a long way to go, but I’m proud of the effort tonight.”
Amesbury 46, Manchester Essex 8 — Seniors Joe Puleo (49 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 2 2-point conversions) and Connor Scialdone (32 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 3 2-point conversions) led a dominant rushing attack for the Red Hawks (3-1) in a Cape Ann road win.
Apponequet 34, Dartmouth 24 — Senior Joe Procaccini provided the offense, scoring all five the Lakers’ TDs, including a 39-yard rush, a 43-yard rush, and a 53-yard reception for the host Lakers (4-0) in their nonleague victory.
Ashland 13, Algonquin 6 — Ethan Lyrio and Jack Bulens each rushed for a touchdown, making the difference at home for the Clockers (2-2) in a nonleague battle.
Bedford 35, Concord-Carlisle 30 — Down 24-21 in the third quarter, Sylar Pimentel (2 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns) made a huge play to shift the momentum, ripping the ball from the ball-carrier’s hands and bringing it back 70 yards for a touchdown to take a lead that the Bucs (3-1) would never give back in a Dual County triumph.
“That was a really big play in the game, there was a good chance they were scoring to extend the lead,” said Bedford coach Tom Tone.
Concord-Carlisle began to rally in the fourth, scoring a touchdown then recovering a perfectly placed onside kick to put themselves back in scoring position. With C-C threatening to retake the lead, the Bedford defense stepped up and forced a turnover on downs to get the ball back. The game wasn’t over.
“We needed a first down,” said Tone.
After running out the remainder of the Patriots timeouts, a big screen pass on third-and-7 from Pimentel to Nick Brecher got the first down Bedford needed and seal the victory.
Bellingham 17, Holliston 7 — Senior Bryson Nicholson and senior Mason Alger each rushed for a score for the host Blackhawks (3-1) in their Tri-Valley League victory. Junior Anthony Barrasso kicked a 43-yard field goal, delivered three tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
Bishop Feehan 28, BC High 7 — Xavier Baker broke touchdown runs of 60 and 21 yards, and Andrew Regan provided an 8-yard rushing score and a 2-point conversion to lift the No. 13 Shamrocks (2-2) to a nonleague road win.
Burlington 22, Wilmington 20 — The host Red Devils (2-2, 1-0) took an early 14-6 lead and held strong thanks to great defensive performances from freshman Tommy Wilson, and sophomores Owen Doody, Adam Bousalem, Braden Murphy, but a frenetic sequence in the final seconds left them facing fourth-and-long in the shadow of their end zone, and a botched snap gave Wilmington (3-1, 0-1) a safety to force overtime.
Shane Sheehan, who broke a 68-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, came up with a blocked extra point after the visitors scored, then Tyler Rabideau punched in a touchdown and Sam Fernandes added the 2-point conversion to score a Middlesex Freedom victory.
“We thought we had it won, but it didn’t go our way and the kids were able to regroup,” said Burlington coach Greg Sheridan. “In overtime, the kids didn’t panic. We knew we could pin it on our seniors up front to punch it in.”
Cathedral 18, Cardinal Spellman 6 — Jayden Lewis-Hodge and Naji Douglas-Williams each scored on rushes to power the Panthers (2-2) to a Catholic Central home win. Freddy Brack hauled in a touchdown reception.
Catholic Memorial 35, Brockton 3 — Juniors Aidan Moran (12 carries, 99 yards) and Ramar Thomas (4 carries, 55 yards, 2 TDs; 3 receptions, 42 yards, TD) led the offense with sophomore Tony Kayrouz (6-of-7 passing, 68 yards, TD; 61 rushing yards, TD) stepping in under center. Defensively, Luke Salter had eight tackles, Xavier Blackmon produced two sacks, and Jackson Tucker came up with an interception as the No. 2 Knights (4-0) rolled to a nonleague road win.
Chelmsford 28, Tewksbury 21 — Skyler DeJesus took a major chance on fourth-and-15 by opting to run down the sideline instead of punting, but the senior not only picked up a first down, he broke a 65-yard TD run to give the Lions (3-1, 2-0) a 21-7 halftime lead, which proved enough cushion to hold off the No. 7 Redmen (3-1, 1-1) in a Merrimack Valley upset.
DeJesus hit Dillan Quinn twice for 50-plus yards, including a 56-yard touchdown in the second quarter and another bomb to set up Colin Veo’s 1-yard touchdown run in the third. When Tewksbury closed the gap to one score in the fourth quarter, senior captain Alex Glennie was able to force a fumble and recover it, allowing the visiting Lions to burn enough clock and escape with a win over the defending league champions.
“This is what makes high school football the best sport in the world,” said Chelmsford coach George Peterson. “You have two teams battling for a full 48 minutes. We challenged our kids because we knew [Tewksbury would] play a full 48, and in typical fashion they almost chased us down, but we were able to seal it in the end.”
Cohasset 33, Randolph 7 — Jed Seita tossed four touchdowns, three of which found James Joyce in stride for scores of 20, 10, and 25 yards to lift the visiting Skippers (2-2) to a South Shore Tobin win.
Dennis-Yarmouth 20, Middleborough 14 — Darrius Mendes (13 carries, 64 yards) ran for a touchdown and hauled in a TD catch to lead the Dolphins (3-1) to a nonleague home victory.
Everett 35, Malden 6 — Freshman Michael Walsh threw touchdowns of 21 and 37 yards, along with an 11-yard score on the ground as the Crimson Tide (3-1) came away with a Greater Boston win.
Falmouth 14, Nantucket 13 — With four seconds left, a potential winning field goal attempt from Nantucket (1-2) went wide, clinching a Cape & Islands victory for the visiting Clippers (1-3). “We managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat,” said Falmouth coach Steve Aborn.
“I thought [the kick] was going to be good, I watched the kid on film he has a great leg. Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good, and we were lucky tonight.”
Junior Max Peterkin rushed for 170 yards and a TD, snared an interception and racked up a team-leading 18 tackles.
“He played out of his mind,” said Aborn. “He had an explosion game today. I’m still in awe.”
Senior fullback Tyler Jaquello rushed for 40 yards and the other score for Falmouth.
Foxborough 35, Old Rochester 14 — After falling behind, 14-0, early in the second quarter, the Warriors (3-1) took control with 35 unanswered points in a nonleague road win. Nick Hardiman scored a pair of short rushing touchdowns, Brayden Jones found Kam Rice (42 yards) and Chris Campbell (4 yards) for aerial scores, and Jack Taft put the finishing touches on the dominant turnaround after helping with another defensive stop.
Governor’s Academy 20, Nobles 6 — Jayden Wilbon snagged two interceptions, including a 67-yard pick-6, Aiden Bly caught a 35-yard touchdown, Tiger Xiong had a key sack, and Porter LaLime led the defense in tackles to lift the Govs (1-1) to a NEPSAC Class C road win.
Haverhill 55, Lawrence 14 — Senior Michael Bayko finished 6 of 8 for 212 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to senior George Papanikolaou (49 and 30 yards). Senior Jathian DeJesus also caught a 67-yard touchdown as the Hillies (3-1) dominated in a Merrimack Valley win.
Hingham 28, Plymouth North 7 — Cole Palek turned in a monster game on defense, finishing with 11 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble for the host Harbormen (3-1, 1-0) in a Patriot League Keenan win over the Eagles (0-4, 0-1).
Hull 35, Brighton 7 — Tegan Bellew threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns, and added 51 rushing yards with a score on the ground to lead the Pirates (4-0) to a nonleague home victory. PJ Rivieccio took eight carries for 125 yards with a touchdown, and Tristan Lofgren took a 97-yard kick return to the house. Harry Sesitito led on defense with 10 tackles.
King Philip 35, Oliver Ames 0 — Tyler Olford, Owen Hurwitz, and Patrick Terio each recorded an interception on defense and scored a touchdown on offense and Ethan O’Connell added two scores, including an 86-yard kick return to open the game for the Warriors (2-2, 1-0) in a Hockomock Davenport win over the Tigers (2-2, 0-1) in Wrentham.
KIPP 50, Latin Academy 0 — Aavian Pena did it all for the Panthers (3-1), scoring a rushing touchdown, hauling in a pick-6, returning a punt for a score, and forcing a fumble as they surged to a nonleague home rout.
Mansfield 28, Natick 0 — Gio Scarpellini threw for a 60-yard touchdown pass to Darrian Sanders to open things up and later ran for a 1-yard score for the fifth-ranked Hornets (4-0) in a nonleague blanking of the visiting Redhawks (1-3).
Milton 35, Acton-Boxborough 14 — Senior Jayden Dubois was the player of the game, rushing for four TDs, including a 66-yard TD scamper for the host Wildcats (3-1) in a nonleague triumph.
Nashoba Valley Tech 42, Greater Lowell 13 — Senior Nick Sloboda (12 carries, 137 yards, 2 TDs), sophomore Isaak Guzman (14 carries, 120 yards, TD), and senior Jayden Garshong (8 carries, 80 yards, 2 TDs) shouldered a rushing attack that combined for 380 yards as the Vikings (3-0) sailed to a nonleague road victory. Andrew Carney tacked on four receptions, garnering 67 yards and a touchdown.
Newton North 29, Framingham 18 — Junior Connor Swanson threw for a pair of touchdowns (10 and 20 yards) and ran for two more (1 and 21 yards) to boost the Tigers (4-0) to a Bay State home victory.
Newton South 49, Boston Latin 14 — Jayce Coston hauled in four touchdown passes from Jack Nolan for the Lions (1-3, 1-0) in a Dual County League rout of the visiting Wolfpack (3-1, 0-1).
North Attleborough 35, Canton 14 — Joseph Ruggiero racked up three rushing scores, finishing with 120 yards on the ground for the ninth-ranked Red Rocketeers (2-1, 1-0) in a Hockomock Davenport victory over the visiting Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1). Nathaniel Robin (102 yards) and Nick O’Brien (84 yards) also had strong games carrying the ball, with a touchdown apiece, as North’s rushing game accounted for more than 300 yards.
North Quincy 36, Somerville 26 — Cole Doyle posted career-high totals of 291 yards and five touchdowns on 11-of-18 passing, hitting Erick Delima on scores of 39 and 19 yards, and Gavin Brown on an 83-yard strike to lead the Raiders (4-0) in a nonleague win. Connor Lynch added a 15-yard touchdown catch, an interception, and kicked four extra points. Freshman Mo Alzubaidy and senior Ethan Xu netted two sacks apiece.
North Reading 21, Pentucket/Georgetown 7 — Michael Corvino connected with Ian Baker for scores of 63 and 26 yards through the air and found Lucas Cabral in the end zone for a third passing touchdown as the visiting Hornets (2-2) swarmed Cape Ann Kinney rival Pentucket/Georgetown (0-4).
Norwood 17, Medfield 14 — Jakoby Dalton ran for a 32-yard score in the third quarter to help secure a win for the host Mustangs (2-2, 1-0) over the Warriors (3-1, 0-1) in the Tri-Valley Large opener for both teams. Medfield’s potential game-tying field goal went wide.
O’Bryant 40, Southbridge 0 — Leon Hussey and Cohen Johnson combined for five touchdowns in a shutout victory for the Tigers (2-1). Hussey rushed for two touchdowns and recovered a fumble in the end zone. Johnson scored on a 20-yard pick-6 and returned a kick for 85 yards.
Revere 33, Chelsea 0 — Jose Fuentes (131 rushing yards) and Sergio Peguero (128 rushing yards) tallied two touchdowns apiece and the Patriots (2-2, 1-0) forced two fumbles while pitching a shutout in a Greater Boston League road victory.
Rockland 34, East Bridgewater 8 — Junior Dustin Ayer threw touchdowns of 26 and 18 yards in the first quarter and the Bulldogs (2-2) never looked back en route to a South Shore win. Senior Marvelous Pleasant also scored twice on the ground with runs of 1 and 12 yards.
Scituate 49, Plymouth South 12 — Senior Grayson Foley took 18 rushes for 279 yards and four touchdowns and snared three passes for 76 yards as the host Sailors (4-0) steered the ship straight past Patriot Fisher foe Plymouth South (1-3). Chrysto Brown ran for 51 yards and two scores.
Sharon/Dedham 21, Nauset 12 — Senior QB Brady Shuffain threw three TD passes to Joseph Seaman, who broke Sharon’s all-time receiving TD record with the 15th of his career in a nonleague win for the home Eagles (3-1).
Shawsheen 21, St. Mary’s 12 — Quinn Carbone rushed for two touchdowns and Hadi Sibay returned an 85-yard kick return for the Rams (4-0) in a nonleague win over St. Mary’s (2-2). Rowan Merryman rushed for two touchdowns for the Spartans.
Silver Lake 21, Whitman-Hanson 13 — John Burke rushed for a pair of scores, including the winning 2-yard burst in the fourth quarter for the visiting Lakers (3-1, 1-0) in a Patriot League Keenan triumph over the Panthers (2-2, 0-1).
South Shore Voc-Tech 64, Atlantis 12 — Junior James Aikey threw for 272 yards and six touchdowns, two of which went to junior Dillon O’Brien (91 and 15 yards) who finished with 192 yards from scrimmage. Junior William Traynor and Brendan Steverman each hauled in a pair of touchdowns for the Vikings (2-2) in their nonleague blowout.
Swampscott 52, Salem 14 — The visiting Big Blue (3-1) relied on their ground game to take care of Northeastern South foe Salem (1-3). Quarterback John Van Barta scored three rushing touchdowns and connected with Will Ficken for a 48-yard score through the air.
Triton/Ipswich 21, Hamilton-Wenham 0 — Royce Whitney rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, senior Sawyer Gromko broke a 58-yard touchdown and added a sack, as did classmate Kervin Domingo, helping the Vikings (2-2) score a home win over a Cape Ann League rival.
Wakefield 43, Woburn 13 — Junior Jason Willis rushed for two TDs and completed two TD passes (19 and 58 yards) for the visiting Warriors (3-1) in a Middlesex League victory. Victor Fraga added rushing scores of 8 and 12 yards.
Walpole 45, Needham 12 — Senior Mason Falcone rushed 11 times for 50 yards and three touchdowns and senior Caden Preto added eight rushes for 66 yards and a score as the No. 18 Timberwolves (3-1) rolled to a Bay State home win.
Watertown 14, Stoneham 0 — Senior Coleman Keuchkarian-Mckeen tossed touchdowns of 28 and 6 yards, hitting Shane Gray and Mason Lamacchia, for the Raiders (4-0) in a gritty Middlesex League home win.
Wayland 27, Waltham 0 — Mikey Johansson completed 16-of-22 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns with Josh Magyar (6 receptions, 71 yards) serving as his top target along with Brajae Walton (3 receptions, 70 yards, TD), who also rushed 11 times for 138 yards and a touchdown to lead the Warriors (4-0, 1-0) to a Dual County Thorpe win.
Westford 22, Lincoln-Sudbury 15 — Jack LaFond was a perfect 6 for 6 through the air with 90 passing yards, including a 32-yard scoring strike to Nolan Kropp (3 catches, 58 yards, TD) as the Ghosts (3-1) took the Dual County League Thorpe home win. Cam Croom (15 carries, 33 yards, 2 TDs) ran in the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Weymouth 36, Wellesley 0 — Brendan Flynn scored on rushes of 3 and 20 yards as the Wildcats (3-1) registered the Bay State Conference shutout.