By Charlie Adams
NEFJ Staff

BOSTON – Stoneham and Reading renewed their 125-year-old rivalry on Tuesday night, finishing the first of two nights full of Thanksgiving football at Fenway Park.

The Spartans suffocated the Rockets and dominated early en route to a 42-14 win.

Both teams looked to end the season on a high note after disappointing upset losses in playoffs and the rivalry got back underway with a hectic first quarter before Stoneham took control.

It was a quick turnaround for Reading after being eliminated in the Division 3 semifinals to North Attleboro on Friday, Stoneham had two weeks between its playoff loss and Tuesday’s matchup. The extra rest paid off for a third straight win in this longstanding rivalry.

First-quarter action started with Stoneham’s Sean Powers firing a 33-yard touchdown to Logan Tran. Reading answered with a 39-yard keeper by Jack Murphy. Sean Kilty finished the first with a 65-yard rushing touchdown for the Spartans.

“We just did what Stoneham does, and that’s work hard,” Powers said.

Kilty added a second touchdown to put Stoneham up 21-7 with a 27-yard run. The Spartans extended the lead into halftime with a Powers three-yard pass to Wyatt Romanowski.

“When he wants to get going, he gets going,” Stoneham head coach Bob Almeida said. “He’s very relentless, he doesn’t stop.”

Second-half scoring didn’t match the pace of the first, but it still favored Stoneham. A four-yard rush by Tran and a five-yard rush by Kilty ultimately put the game out of reach.

Murphy connected with Jake Palm in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter to finish the Rockets season with a score, but it wasn’t enough to stop another dominant performance from Stoneham.

“These kids work so hard, I’m so proud of them,” Almeida said. “It’s a special group.”

Kilty left a clear message after his final game for the Spartans when talking to the media after his three-touchdown day.

“This is our trophy, our game, we own them,” Kilty said. “Stoneham runs this league.”