Finals once again Melrose’s place
DIV. 4 FOOTBALL
WEYMOUTH — There is no such thing as a rebuilding season at Melrose.
The North champion Red Raiders came into yesterday’s Division 4 state semifinal against South champion Hopkinton at Weymouth High with a new cast of characters and kept their storybook season alive with a 22-8 victory over the Hillers to advance to the state final for the third time in four years.
Melrose (11-0) will play Central champ Nashoba at Gillette Stadium for the Div. 4 state title.
“We always talk about not looking at what’s down the road, but just to enjoy the journey and get better every day,” said Melrose coach Tim Morris. “(This group) has embraced that and they have come out every day with a great attitude. I am proud of them for where they’ve come from and where they are going.”
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Red Raiders used one of their patented clock-eating drives to take a 7-0 lead.
Starting at its own 42yard line, Melrose rode the running of senior captain Colin Kiernan and junior sensation Isaac Seide (two TDs) to advance the ball inside the Hopkinton 5, before quarterback Charlie Stanton plunged in from 2 yards out to dent the scoreboard. Mike Calvert’s extra point made it 7-0 with 6:19 left in the first half.
Hopkinton (10-1) answered on its next possession when Ryan Kelleher found a wide-open Will Abbott for a 42-yard score. And after Abbott connected with Matt Lindquist on the two-point conversion, the Hillers took an 8-7 lead into the break, but from that point forward, it was all Melrose.
The Red Raiders defense forced a quick three-andout to start the third quarter, and Seide and Kiernan took over. With the ball at its own 21, Melrose went 79 yards in 12 plays with Seide capping off the drive with a 2-yard TD run (Seide rush) to make it a 15-8 game.
“(Ball possession) is kind of who we’ve been all year,” Morris said.
The Melrose defense then forced another threeand-out on Hopkinton’s next possession. And on the Red Raiders’ next play from scrimmage, Seide busted a 59-yard touchdown run to make it a 22-8 game after three quarters.
In the fourth, with Hopkinton in comeback mode, interceptions from Cam Rosie (at the goal line) and Chris Cusolito ended back-to-back drives for the Hillers, setting up Melrose to run out the clock and punch its ticket back to the state final.
“I believe that we’re a great second-half team,” said Seide, who now has five rushing touchdowns in the last two games and is also a star defensive back for the Red Raiders. “But (yesterday) we just played hard on defense, and that was the story of the game.”