Stoneham scores as time expires to hand Watertown its first football loss of the year
Watertown (5-1) will play another big game at Victory Field Friday night, Oct. 21, against Wakefield (6-0)
October 21, 2022
Quarterback Jason Nutting scored as time expired to give Stoneham a hard-fought 28-24 victory over Watertown on Oct. 14, 2022, handing the host Raiders their first loss of the season in front of an electrified crowd.
Johnny Cacace, Peyton Andrade, and Billy McHugh scored touchdowns for Watertown, and Raphael Maghalaes kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 24-14 lead in the third quarter.
For Stoneham, an impressive Colin Faren got on the board twice with scoring catches and Givani Caruso had a 61-yard TD run before a rushing play by Nutting from 2 yards out to cap off the game.
Watertown (5-1) will play again at home Friday night, Oct. 21, against Wakefield (6-0).
Stoneham opened the game with Caruso’s surprising 61-yard touchdown run, but the Raiders immediately responded back on their first drive after successful scrambling by Cacace, who scored from 1 yard out. Maghalaes’s extra point put the Raiders up, 7-6.
Watertown dominates the second and third quarters, with impressive drives, large passing plays, such as the 24-yard connection from Cacace to Andrade in the second quarter, and the successful field goal by Maghalaes.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Spartans (5-1) brought fireworks and created an invigorating match-up.
The Spartans put the pressure on the Raiders, causing them to turn over on downs before scoring a touchdown with a 2-point conversion to edge the game closer, 24-22.
After a failed onside kick, the Spartans forced a fourth down with a huge sack with 3:58 left. A short punt left the Spartans in a great position at the Raiders’ 33. Stoneham was able to advance to near the end zone as the clock wound down, placing them in great position with minimal seconds left. When Nutting scored on the last play, it left the Raiders’ crowd in shock and the Stoneham crowd cheering.
After the Wakefield game Friday, the Raiders will return to Victory Field for the sixth time next Friday, Oct. 28, to play Melrose in the final game before the MIAA state tournament starts.
–Oct. 20, 2022–
