Watertown celebrates Senior Night for football, cheer, and band
WHS falls to Melrose in last regular-season game at Victory Field; Raiders to play at Dover-Sherborn on Friday, Nov. 4, in state Div. 5 playoffs
November 1, 2022
The Watertown Raiders (5-3) fell to the Melrose Red Raiders (6-2), 28-16, on Watertown’s Senior Night at Victory Field on Friday night, Oct. 28, 2022. Quarterback Josh Madden led Melrose, which scored twice in the second quarter and twice in the fourth quarter. Watertown attempted to rally back in the fourth quarter, geting touchdowns from running back Billy McHugh on a 3-yard run with 4:11 left and quarterback Johnny Cacace on a 2-yard rush with 11 seconds left, but it was too late.
Watertown is ranked No. 9 in division5 and qualified for the MIAA Division 5 state tournament. WHS will play at No. 8 Dover-Sherborn (8-0) on Friday, Nov. 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Melrose qualified 13th in the Div. 4 tourney. The other two teams to beat WHS also qualified for the state tourney, Stoneham (7-1) is No. 1 in Div. 6, and Wakefield (8-0) is No. 6 in Div. 3.
Before the game, there was a celebration of the Watertown senior football players, band members, and cheerleaders, who have dedicated hundreds of hours attempting to perfect their craft. The crowd came out in full support for the Seniors, with posters and even cardboard cut-out heads. Tears were shed for a beautiful moment for everyone involved.
Although the Watertown football team could not get a victory at home, seniors such as defensive tackle Elias Ortiz and running back Billy McHugh reflected on their times as a player at Watertown High School, and showed gratitude and positivity. Ortiz showed love to his fellow teammates, stating, “Being with your friends and the people you love feels like a family.”
McHugh reminisced on his time playing football at Watertown’s Victory Field, stating, “It was great playing football here these past years, there’s nothing better than going out onto Victory Field on a Friday night . . . and giving everything you got.”
Coach John Cacace shared his thoughts on performing with the seniors, praising their performances and their work: “These seniors have been great. They’ve worked really hard and played tough all year. We are still getting better and have room for improvement.”
When asked about the confidence in preparation heading into the MIAA playoffs, Coach Cacace replied, “I think playing the competition level that we’ve played the past three weeks will help us prepare for the playoffs. The speed and physicality with which we’ve had to play will serve us well.”
–Nov. 1, 2022–
