WEYMOUTH — With leading rusher Cam Aieta nursing an injury, the Weymouth High football team turned to alternate power sources for Friday’s statement win over Milton.
There was plenty of Michael Farrow, with the senior tight end-turned running back taking many direct shotgun snaps out of a Wildcat formation en route to 105 yards on the ground.
There was a lot of Tyler Munchbach, who ripped off an 80-yard touchdown gallop as part of his 158-yard effort.
And, of course, there was a dash of Naheem Ridore.
Aieta’s absence was a major one, as he came in leading the Wildcats in carries (66), yards (776) and TDs (10), so a little outside-the-box thinking wasn’t a surprise. Except that letting Ridore, a 6-2, 230-pound senior two-way lineman, tote the rock isn’t as outlandish an idea as it might sound.
“If you’ve seen Naheem Ridore run, you know you have to find a way to get him the ball in a big moment,” coach Michael Donovan said after the 28-21 victory, the program’s first over Milton since 2012.
On the football field, Ridore might be better known for his punishing blocking as an offensive tackle and his thunderous hits as a defensive end. (He had plenty of both against Milton.) But he’s a terrific all-around athlete who has 24 career tries (equivalent to touchdowns) while helping the Wildcats rugby team win three straight state titles in the spring.
Donovan unleashed Ridore’s offensive game in the fourth quarter against Milton. QB Thomas Kelly threw a swing pass to T.J. Saadat in the left flat. Ridore came around behind like a freight train, and Saadat hit him in stride with a pitch. Ridore rumbled down to the Milton 13 for a 25-yard gain on the hook-and-lateral, setting up what turned out to be the winning TD.
“We put it in at the beginning of the week,” Ridore said of the trick play. “We ran it probably four or five times in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-seasons-three-cheers-weymouths-080603215.html
Author : Patriot Ledger
Publish date : 2024-10-09 08:06:03
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