Westford beats Hillies on TD pass in final minute
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Friday, September, 22
By Mike McMahon
Newedit won't load, I think because the internet here is so bad. Here's my story with bo at the bottom.
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WESTFORD — Haverhill's roster is loaded with sophomores and juniors, but head coach Tim O'Connor says that can't be an excuse.
Friday night, the Hillies' youth showed late as they let a win slip from their fingertips. Westford (1-2) scored with 43 seconds remaining for a 20-16 win.
"We're making mental mistakes," O'Connor said. "I thought we came out and we made some great adjustments to start the second half, but we're just making mental mistakes and we can't be doing that.
"We've always been a tough football team and we've always tackled well, but that's not happening right now. We're trying to stick everyone and that's not what we work on in practice."
After Haverhill took the lead on a Kyle Bellemore 1-yard run with 5:40 left in the fourth quarter, Westford got the ball back and methodically moved it down field
After nine runs brought up 4th and 6 with 43 seconds left and the ball spotted at the Haverhill 21-yard line, Trevor Faretra dropped back and found Scott Beattie in the corner of the end zone. It was 20-16 Gray Ghosts following the extra point.
"It never should have gotten that far," O'Connor said. "It should have ended a lot earlier than that but we weren't tackling well and we were making mental mistakes."
Faretra ran for 202 yards on 34 carries.
After going scoreless through two games, the Hillies (0-3) did find their offense.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Hillies, who trailed 7-0, marched the ball 57 yards on six plays to score their first points of the season on a 9-yard sweep to the left side by David Carreiro.
After a false start penalty moved the extra point back five yards, Nicholas Skafas was set to hold on the kick but he instead ran the ball in for the 2-point conversion, giving the Hillies the 8-7 lead.
After Haverhill scored, Westford went 66 yards on 12 plays to re-take the lead. Faretra scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 13-8 after failing to convert on the 2-point conversion.
Haverhill had a touchdown from Carreiro called back for an illegal block in the back after he ran the ball 65 yards down the left sideline.
The Hillies were then plagued by penalties, getting whistled for a false start on the very next play to move the ball back to the 25. Two plays later, Haverhill was again whistled for a false start to move the ball back to the 27.
Two plays later, Skafas found Bellemore in the backfield and he scampered to the five, but the play was moved back 10 yards on a holding penalty.
Not to be denied, however, Skafas completed a 33-yard fade to Dante Cadeus on 3rd and 24 to put the Hillies at the 1-yard line with 6:25 to go, trailing by five.
Bellemore would push through the pile two plays later to give Haverhill the lead back with 5:40 left; Skafas would roll right on the two-point conversion and hit the end zone to make the score 16-13.
"It was good to see our offense not give up and get the ball in there," O'Connor said. "Our offense is coming around, that's good to see, but losing the game in the final seconds like that is going to sting. We need to be a tougher football team."
Haverhill hosts Methuen Saturday at 2 p.m.
Game Statistics:
Second Quarter
WA — Trevor Faretra 2 run (Adam Ohanian kick), 10:29
Third Quarter
H — David Carreiro 9 run (Nicholas Skafas run), 8:12
Fourth Quarter
WA — Faretra 9 run (conversion failed), 10:56
H — Kyle Bellemore 1 run (Skafas run), 5:40
WA — Scott Beattie 21 pass from Faretra (Adam Ohanian kick), 0:43
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: HAVERHILL — Kyle Bellemore 8-29, Brady Skafas 7-28, David Carreiro 5-59, Colum O'Brien 4-17; WESTFORD — Trevor Faretra 34-202, Tyler Bella 3-11, Nick Antes 3-9
PASSING: HAVERHILL — Brady Skafas 7-18-0, 108; WESTFORD — Trevor Faretra 3-3-0, 37
RECEIVING: HAVERHILL — Devon Cunningham 4-31, Samuel Prescott 1-40, Dante Cadeus 2-37; WESTFORD — Scott Beattie 2-30, Bella 1-7
