The 11th-seeded Wayland High School football team’s Cinderella season had the storybook ending all set up in its Division 2 round of 16 game against host and fifth-seeded Tantasqua on Nov. 6.
With the ball on the Tantasqua 35 and trailing by six points in the final minute, quarterback Mikey Johansson scrambled around in the backfield looking for an open teammate. Finally, after nearly 10 seconds, he found receiver Joe Dearden in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. The game was tied and the Warriors were an extra point away from an upset.
However, a flag was thrown for a blindside hit — which coach Scott Parseghian said he has been unable to find after rewatching the play multiple times. The Warriors still had three more plays but couldn’t punch it in.
Tantasqua claimed the 27-21 victory, putting Wayland at 6-3. They team opted into playing a consolation game and will host Somerville on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. If the Warriors win out — there is also the annual Thanksgiving Day game at Weston on Nov. 26 – WHS could reach eight wins, after finishing last year at 3-8.
”It was a tough ending for the seniors,” Parseghian said. ”I’ve watched the game many times and I still don’t see [the penalty].”
Asiel-yoel Shear-Yashuv set up the potential winning drive when he intercepted the Tantasqua quarterback by jumping over the receiver and taking the ball out of his hands. He shone in all three phases of the game as he rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and also downed a punt on the 1-yard line.
Brajae Walton got the team on the board with a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, tying the game at 7-all. He had a team-high 71 yards on 11 carries, before leaving with a hip injury. Johansson finished 12 for 17 for 135 yards and a TD to Hayden Duffy in the fourth quarter while adding 55 yards on the ground. Tantasqua took control of the game in the third quarter thanks to two big scoring plays — a 49-yard pass and a 79-yard run.
The Warriors exceeded expectations all season as they had only five returning starters and a total of 32 players, the smallest number in Paraseghian’s time at Wayland.
“Tthese kids surpassed every expectation the coaches had for them,” he said, “They got better every week. We have a chance to go 8-3 and reverse our 3-8 record we had last year. That’ is a big accomplishment right there.”
