By Michael Najarian
NEFJ Correspondent
CHELMSFORD — Westford Academy’s offense had been contained for the entire first half, with the game beginning to the tune of the ghostbusters song playing over the loudspeakers at Simonian Stadium.
It was the Ghosts who had the last laugh, however, as Sam Bramanti’s 10-yard touchdown catch with 3:39 left and Nolan Kropp’s interception in the end zone with 16 seconds left gave Westford a 14-13 comeback win over Chelmsford to capture the 110 Cup on Friday.
In a battle of 5-1 Division 2 teams, Westford (6-1) used a kickoff return touchdown by Brett Moran just over five minutes into the third quarter as the turning point, handing Chelmsford (5-2) its second loss of the season.
“That got us back on the board, it got these guys motivated and understanding that they can still compete with this team,” said Ghosts head coach Bruce Rich.
The game’s only score of the first half came with 2:51 left until halftime when Skyler DeJesus picked up a one-yard touchdown on a QB sneak to put Chelmsford ahead 7-0.
DeJesus kept things rolling for Chelmsford to start the second half, capping the Lions’ first drive of the half with another one-yard rush. The two-point conversion failed, but it was still a 13-0 lead.
Moran’s touchdown run on the ensuing kick got things back to a one-score game for Westford, a 13-7 score just over five minutes into the third quarter.
Things plodded along for a bit as the teams traded punts. With Westford facing a fourth-and-eight with 6:38 to go, Declan Hevey took the carry on a fake punt and barely got the eight yards needed for a first down. That set the stage for Ghosts QB Joseph Guthrie to find Sam Bramanti in the corner of the end zone with 3:39 left for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.
Rich explained that the Ghosts wanted to be more aggressive in fourth down situations in the second half, which led to choosing the fake punt play with Hevey.
“We talked about at halftime ‘we gotta open it up, take chances, throw the ball downfield,’” said Rich. “We dialed up a couple trick plays, and we got guys that just compete and get the job done, so when I called Declan’s number on that fake punt, we trusted him and he got the first.”
As for the touchdown pass to Bramanti, Guthrie said an audible at the line set up the play, and his trust in the junior wide receiver did the rest.
“It was originally a run play, and coach sees press coverage on Sam Bramanti and says ‘let’s take a shot, let’s let it fly,’” said Guthrie. “Me and Sam always had a connection since Freshman year. I trusted Sam to make a play and that’s what he did.”
Chelmsford’s final drive of the game saw them chugging down the field, but a few penalties set up a third-and-28 play in the final minute. DeJesus threw it to the end zone to try to win the game, but it fell in the hands of Kropp instead, sealing the deal on the game.
“I’ve always trusted our defense,” said Guthrie. “We have an excellent defense, and I knew our secondary has elevated itself, and I knew we would come down and make a stop, and that’s what we did in the corner of the end zone.”
With the 110 cup now residing in Westford for at least the next year, the Ghosts turn the page to a Oct. 30 home showdown against Newton South. Chelmsford hits the road next week to face Lawrence in each team’s final game before the playoffs.