The postseason showdown on Friday night between No. 6 Leominster High and 11th-seeded Westford Academy delivered all the excitement of their first regular-season meeting, with some added drama in the closing minutes. In the end, the host Blue Devils held off the Ghosts, 35-28, in the opening round of the Division 1 tournament.
Down by a touchdown, Westford (6-3) recovered an onside kick with 3:20 remaining and began to push into Leominster territory, fueled by a standout performance from senior quarterback Alex Wilson. The Ghosts moved the ball all the way to the Blue Devils' 11-yard line with just over a minute left. However, the Leominster defense came through, wrapping up Wilson on a run and forcing a fumble, effectively sealing the victory.
Wilson was exceptional for the Ghosts, racking up 101 yards through the air on 7 of 12 passing, while also rushing for 179 yards on 20 carries and scoring three touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s a beast, and he’s the reason we’re here,” Westford head coach Bruce Rich Jr. said of his quarterback. “He’s the reason we have 23 seniors on this team. He got these kids to play as freshmen when they hadn’t played Pop Warner, and he convinced them to come out and stick with it. He set the tone for what we want to build here. He’s an incredible athlete and gamer.”
Wilson and the Ghosts wasted no time making an impact at the start of the game, as the senior quarterback broke free on the first play from scrimmage, racing 67 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
Leominster quickly responded, however, finding the end zone on its second play after the kickoff. Quarterback Osiris Lopez hit Jaidis Delgado on a deep pass, and the senior receiver sprinted 60 yards for the score, giving the Blue Devils a 7-6 lead just 1:12 into the game.
The Blue Devils extended their lead early in the second quarter, as Lopez scrambled for a 27-yard touchdown run.
Westford responded with some trickery: a quick throw to WR Ryan Kyle, who then threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to an open Andrew Fenelon. Kyle’s incredible successful two-point conversion run with 5:46 left in the half tied the game at 14.
“These players have been battling all year,” Rich said. “We kept falling behind, but we kept fighting back. The resilience these kids showed is unmatched.”
Leominster took the lead back with just 36 seconds remaining in the half, as Lopez capped off a fast-paced drive with a short touchdown run. The Blue Devils added to their lead to start the third quarter, with Lopez plunging in from one yard out after a five-minute drive, making it 27-14.
Westford responded with a 9-yard touchdown run from Wilson, cutting the deficit to 27-21, but Leominster was able to take valuable time off the clock. The Blue Devils ran nearly eight minutes off the clock between the third and fourth quarters, and with 7:23 remaining, Cora punched in a 9-yard touchdown run. Lopez’s two-point conversion run extended the lead to 35-21.
Four minutes later, Wilson powered in for a two-yard touchdown to finish off an eight-play, 68-yard drive. He then recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving the Ghosts a glimmer of hope and a chance to make a late comeback.
The Ghosts will play Andover this Friday night at home. Kick off is at 7pm.
Players of the game:
Playmaker: Quinn Reynolds
Offense: Alex Wilson
Defense: Chris Butts
Bigs: Malcolm McDonald
Special Teams: Ryan Kyle
Scout: Dante Vasiliu
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