Tony Catalina
NEFJ Correspondent

GRAFTON – Unbeaten no more.

Grafton’s defense shut down previously uneaten Doherty and got a late TD from the offense for a thrilling 14-8 win in a  matchup that lived up to the hype.

A game that was scoreless until there was just 2:38 left in the third quarter ended in incredible fashion with the go-ahead score coming from the arm of quarterback Jon Peeler to senior wide receiver Wesley Williams in the corner of the end zone from 15-yards out with 35 seconds remaining. The catch itself was questionable, but ultimately the speculation doesn’t matter as the play stood putting the Gators on top en route to their third win of the season (3-2). Doherty’s first loss leaves them at 4-1.

Grafton head coach Chris McMahon understood how big this win was for his team and also knows it hasn’t been easy so far for his guys.

“It’s always a great game when you play Doherty, a big game. It means a lot to our kids. We came through at the end. We’ve had some hard luck situations this year and tonight we found a way to win. I’m really proud of our kids, a tough physical game and we found a way to win.”

Grafton held a 7-0 lead on the back of a 42-yard run by Finn Gilmore until there was 1:33 left in the game. That’s when wide receiver Juan Reynolds caught a 42-yard TD pass to give Doherty its first points of the game. Understanding the situation – the Highlanders opted to go for two and take the lead rather than attempting to tie the game with the point after try – and cashed in on a QB keep by Josh Romeo to make the score 8-7.

Ultimately, the Gators were able to march down the field methodically and hit the controversial go ahead score to win the game. The defense held strong with seconds left, not allowing the Highlanders to mount another comeback.

Next up for the Gators of Grafton is a matchup on the road next Friday versus Shrewsbury High School, while Doherty will look to get back to their winning ways at home against a good South High team.