Sports

It's Wayland-Weston Football September-Style

Thanksgiving in September? Football-wise, that's what the Wayland High football team is looking at Friday night when Thanksgiving Day rival Weston arrives in town for the third game of the season.

Under the new Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's football playoff system, some schools are playing their holiday rival twice. Wayland will be traveling to Weston Thanksgiving Day. 

"Wayland-Weston, it will be very easy for us to kids up for that one, " said Wayland High head coach Scott Parseghian after his team beat Norwood, 35-7, last Saturday. "It will be exciting to play them under lights. Hopefully, we'll get some of the alumni back."

Parseghian likes the idea of playing his Thanksgiving rival twice and the new playoff system.

They are even making it more special. Both town share a youth football program so Wayland will also be hosting Wayland-Weston Youth Football night.

On the year, Wayland is off to a 1-1 start, losing the senior opener to Hollston, 17-0, and beating Norwood on the road. Running back-defensive back RobertWillliams scored four touchdowns, two rushing, one receiving and on on an interception return.

Against Norwood, Williams scored on the second play of the game, running for a 54-yard score through the Norwood defense. Eric MacLean kicked the first of five extra points for a 7-0 lead. 

After pinning Norwood on their own 2-yard line, Wayland quarterback Robert Jones kept the ball on a keeper, racing for a 38-yard score, leading 14-0. 

Then it was time for Williams to score on defense as he intercepted a pass and went 22 yards for the 21-0 first quarter score. In the second quarter, Williams finished off a drive with a 1-yard score. He then caught a short pass from Jones and went 62 yards for the touchdown.

"We knew he was a dynamic player," said Parseghian. "We've just got to get him more touches. He just keeps bouncing around and he's hard to tackle.

"When we got moving (against Norwood), we weren't going to take our foot off the gas."

A year ago, Wayland made it all the way to the Division 3 Super Bowl before losing to Sharon, 12-3, at Bentley College. This year, it's a much different team.

"We're a very young team," said Parseghian. "We graduated 21 seniors who led us to the Super Bowl."


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