The varsity football team (0-5) fell to the Bedford Buccaneers (2-2), with a final score of 68-40 on Friday, Oct. 3. The matchup served as the team’s annual Domestic Violence Awareness Game. Players wore purple, and volunteers sold merchandise and collected donations. All proceeds benefitted the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund, which honors a former Wayland High School student who lost her life to domestic violence. The foundation also works to raise awareness about recognizing unhealthy or abusive relationships.
Before the game, head coach Scott Parseghian acknowledged the challenge his team would be facing, but he also expressed some optimism.
“It’s been a tough go for the first four games, but we’ve had our best practices of the season this week,” Parseghian said. “It seems like things are starting to click.”
One of Wayland’s key struggles the first month of the season has been the offensive line. With all five last year’s senior linemen now graduated, the team was left with a new group to protect the quarterback and create running lanes. As a result, the team has averaged about 40 rushing yards per game. In order to beat Bedford, Parseghian believed Wayland would need at least 150 rushing yards. In an effort to motivate the linemen, Parseghian offered a unique incentive – if the team was able to rush for coach’s goal, he would take them all out for dinner at The Villa Restaurant. This motivated the offensive line to do their best in the upcoming game.
The game opened with fireworks on both sides, as Bedford senior Mekhi Volcy – who is committed to play Division I football at Boston College next year – caught a 65-yard touchdown just a minute into the game to give Bedford a 7-0 lead. Wayland quickly answered with a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Mikey Johansson to senior captain Dylan Engelhardt to cut the deficit to 7-6.
From there, Bedford took control. Behind a strong passing attack, strong defense and a punishing ground game, Bedford surged ahead 34-6. Even as the scoreboard tilted heavily towards the Buccaneers, the Warriors played with a sense of purpose beyond football while wearing purple arm sleeves, undershirts and socks to honor Lauren Astley and raise awareness about healthy relationships.
While the game appeared out of reach, the Warriors refused to quit. Wayland began to rally behind a touchdown reception from sophomore Alex Pearlman and a long rushing touchdown from junior captain Brajae Walton just before halftime.
“We wanted to show we could fight back,” Engelhardt said.
Wayland picked up where they left off after halftime, as Pearlman caught his second touchdown of the game to bring the Warriors within two scores at 41-26.
However, this was where the Warriors’ luck ran out, as they were unable to stop Bedford’s high powered offense. The Buccaneers scored 20 unanswered points to extend their lead to 61-26. Wayland had a couple more bright moments, as Walton ran for his second touchdown and Johansson picked up a rushing touchdown, but it would prove too little, too late, as Bedford closed out a dominant 68-40 victory.
Despite the loss, the team had some positives, especially on the offensive side of the ball. On the ground, Wayland rushed for over two hundred yards, despite not having rushed for more than sixty yards in any prior game this year.
Parseghian was proud of the team’s collective effort.
“This was the best team we’ve played all season, and the offense put up forty points, the most we’ve scored all season,” Parseghian said. “We’re going to stay the course and keep working towards our next game.”
The Warriors (0-5) will have an opportunity to put an end to their losing streak on Friday, Oct. 10, when they face the Concord Carlisle Patriots (2-2) on the road.
