NEEDHAM – Needham’s magical season wasn’t going to end with a win or loss to rival Wellesley on Thanksgiving morning, but it certainly got a little bit sweeter.
The Rockets not only remained unbeaten (12-0) ahead of the Division 1 Super Bowl next week, but they handed the Raiders a second straight loss on Thanksgiving, 20-13 in front of a packed hillside at NHS.
This was the 137th meeting between the two rivals, continuing the oldest public school rivalry in the country. Aidan Williams led the way with 173 yards rushing and two touchdowns while the defense – as it’s done to everyone all season long – made life miserable (along with the weather) for Wellesley.
“The Super Bowl is amazing, the Super Bowl is great, we’re excited for that once in a lifetime – or, I guess twice in a lifetime opportunity – but the Wellesley game, it’s something 20 years from now everyone’s going to ask ‘how did it go?” Needham head coach Doug Kopcso said.
“For these guys to be able to start wrapping up their senior year with a victory over Wellesley, two in a row, is a big, big deal.”
After a very unique face-timed coin flip by Sunita Williams from the International Space Station, it was a bit of a struggle early for both teams with a scoreless opening quarter, Needham began its second drive at its own 45 late in the first and finally got on the board with a five-yard touchdown pass from Griffin Carr to Brandt Bickford. The PAT was blocked, leaving it at 6-0 with 8:10 left in the half.
Ben Schreiber came up with a tip-drill INT late in the half to set the Rockets up at the Wellesley 29, but a missed field goal in the closing seconds kept things at just 6-0 heading to the break.
Needham turned the ball over on downs to open the second half, but Wellesley responded with its fourth punt of the game to that point. The Rockets next possession only took six plays as Williams broke off a 35-yard touchdown run. The two-point attempt was no good, making it 12-0 as the teams headed to the fourth quarter following another Raiders’ punt.
Both teams traded punts early in the fourth until Wellesley QB Lukas Prock found Matthew Leibman for two big completions, ultimately setting up an eight-yard touchdown catch by Tennyson Charney, The PAT was blocked with 2:46 to go.
Williams put the game away one snap after the Rockets recovered an onside kick with a 59-yard touchdown run. Joe Kajunski hauled in a two-point pass to make it 20-6 with two minutes left. To their credit – and as most Jesse Davis-coached teams do – the Raiders refused to go quietly.
Wellesley put together a 10-play drive that ended with another TD catch from Charney with 13 seconds left. Henry Booth added the PAT to cut it to 20-13, but Needham recovered the ensuing onside kick, took a knee and began another celebration.
“We definitely cherished our last game here,” Williams said of playing for the final time at home. “Home field has been great to us these last two years. The last home game we lost was actually Thanksgiving two years ago. Home field has definitely been great to us.
“You don’t have many unique venues like this everywhere with the hill and the school in the back, it’s beautiful. A lot of fans showing out, so we’re definitely going to miss it. It was great to end it off that way.”
