Needham makes statement, hands Weymouth first defeat, 21-3
Aidan Williams rushed for 144 yards while Griffin Carr threw for a pair of touchdowns as No.6 Needham knocked off Weymouth from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 21-3 win.
NEEDHAM — In a game with postseason vibes, Needham showed it’s tournament-ready.
Aidan Williams rushed for 144 yards while Griffin Carr threw for a pair of touchdowns as No.6 Needham knocked off Weymouth from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 21-3 win over the Wildcats on Friday night.
The evening brought along with it a postseason feel as a monstrous crowd was met by crisp air and Needham’s senior night ceremony.
The Rockets, who fell to Xaverian in the Division 1 state semifinals last year by a field goal, showed it is more than primed for another deep run. Williams wore down the Weymouth front throughout the second half with the senior back rushing for 80 of his yards over the final two frames. Carr’s accuracy was pinpoint as he completed nine of his 10 passes.
“We have that chip on our shoulder of knowing what it feels like to come so close,” Carr said, “We know we have the guys for a run and tremendous coaches as well.”
Defensively, the Rockets were stellar, limiting Weymouth (6-1) to a season-low three points and forcing a pair of key turnovers after the Wildcats got inside the 30-yard line.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game going into it and that the offense would need to step up,” Carr said. “The offensive line played really physical up front. Just a terrific all around team win on senior night.”
Both sides squandered scoring chances in the opening quarter with Weymouth coming up empty on a fourth down and two at the 29 while Needham failed to convert on a fourth and seven from the 15.
The Rockets (7-0) struck first in the second quarter. After Nick Sewall recovered a Wildcat fumble, Carr hit Ben Schreiber on a four-yard touchdown to cap off a nearly 10-minute long drive to put the hosts up 7-0. Weymouth got on the board midway through the third quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Sean O’Malley. The Rockets, however, closed the deal.
A 25-yard touchdown from Carr to Brandt Bickford stretched the lead to 14-3 after three quarters. The Rockets put the nail in the coffin to start the fourth behind the legs of Williams. Williams rushed for 29 yards and then nine to get down to the one before full back Matt Ferreira plunged in from a yard out to give Needham a commanding 21-3 edge.
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