By LIAM O’BRIEN
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
The winds were menacing and the rain was fierce at Leary Field on Thanksgiving morning.
The Waltham High football team experienced similar strife on the field, suffering a 22-6 home defeat at the hands of rival Arlington in front of a resilient crowd.
“I told the guys, this outcome doesn’t define our season and it doesn’t define our seniors,” Hawks head coach Sean Brackett said. “We overcame so much. Injuries, adversity. That is what I’m going to remember from our season. We just came up short today.”
The Spy Ponders rode a three-touchdown performance by senior quarterback Jack Zambardino to the decisive victory, landing Waltham with a 5-6 record to conclude the season.
“We’re a good team, a hard-working team,” Brackett said. “We’re just going to keep building. It’s not always going to be a storybook ending. It’s not always going to be a Disney movie. That’s just a lesson for life. It’s not always going to turn out the way you want it.”
The Hawks did manage to create some fond moments to look back on.
After falling behind 7-0 early, the home squad mounted an impressive touchdown drive to end the half. Captain quarterback Dane Deveaux took full command of a two-minute drill opportunity, hitting fellow senior Conor Gavin on a smooth rollout and scrambling for a critical 10 yards on a third-and-12 with 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The tough-nosed junior Wes O’Connor followed that up by taking a handoff up the middle to grind out a fourth down conversion before Deveaux dropped a dime to sophomore Austin Lucente for a 4-yard score with four seconds left in the half to tighten the game at 7-6.
O’Connor set the tone throughout the game, making a collection of tough tackles at the linebacker position while grinding out yards on offense at the running back spot.
“Wes is a dog, man”, Brackett said. “A great leader. We’re looking forward to him having a great offseason and leading the way for us as a senior.”
The Hawks struggled to carry the momentum into the second half, however. Zambardino chucked a touchdown to junior Kyle Gaffny in the third quarter, bumping the lead to an insurmountable nine points.
“We knew we were going to have to get it through the trenches,” Brackett said. “And that is the strength of Arlington’s team. They have some big kids, and we were just a couple plays away. The weather was a factor, but you can’t blame that. You just have to go out there and make plays.”
The soaking conditions did not stop a dedicated crowd from pouring through, as patrons toted Dunkin’ coffees and chomped down breakfast sandwiches from the concession stands. Alums rocked their varsity jackets while locals got the chance to catch up with fellow Waltham residents, making for a pleasant experience despite the ultimate outcome on the field.
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