Gillette Stadium. The home of three Super Bowl titles courtesy of the New England Patriots, it is a hallowed ground for high school football players as well. Gillette is the venue for the state championship “Super Bowl” for every division of the MIAA. On November 22nd, Walpole went to Marciano Stadium in Brockton in search of their first Super Bowl berth since 2006, and came heartachingly close to success.
The Rebels were in the midst of a fantastic season when they ran into Dartmouth in Brockton, going a perfect 10-0 in their previous games.
The week before their matchup with Dartmouth, seven Walpole players were named Bay State all-stars, including juniors Tyler Berkland and Steve Cuqua, along with senior Captain Jack Lavanchy and four other seniors.
Even with all the impressive statistics over the previous two months, none of that mattered in Brockton.
Early on in the game, everything looked to be going Walpole’s way. Two beautiful throws by Berkland put Walpole up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Walpole’s defense shut down every Dartmouth drive, and the offense picked apart Dartmouth’s defense like it was child’s play.
The momentum swung little in the second quarter, and the only scoring came from a Dartmouth running touchdown. At halftime, the game still looked like it was going Walpole’s way.
Trying to cement their win in the second half, Walpole went to defensive lockdown in the third quarter. Junior defensive end Nate Porack gave Walpole a two-possession lead by tackling the Dartmouth running back in the end zone for a safety.
“I thought it sealed the win by increasing the difference to two scores,” said Porack, “Honestly, it was the biggest play of the year for me.”
The third quarter was a showcasing of pure dominance by the Rebel defense, with Dartmouth unable to move the ball, and the safety put Walpole up 16-7 with just eleven minutes to go. With the way the defense had been playing, the possibility of Dartmouth coming back looked remote at best.
With 4:38 to play, Dartmouth drove 57 yards to the Walpole 20, until the Rebels locked up the Dartmouth offense down on three consecutive plays to give Dartmouth one last chance on a 4th and 7. Shockingly, they not only converted the 4th down but also scored a touchdown on the play. On the next play, the extra point was blocked.
After Dartmouth’s 73-yard scoring drive, Walpole just had to burn clock and secure their trip to Gillette. That is, until the impossible happened.
A Dartmouth player caught the ball cleanly off the onside kickoff.
Then, on the very next play, Dartmouth hammered the ball into the end zone and converted the extra point to give Dartmouth a 20-16 lead with 42 seconds left.
Needing 74 yards in just thirty-seven seconds, Walpole finally looked beaten. They were able to get the ball up to their own 45-yard line, but an incomplete pass from Berkland to Papirio on the last play of the game sealed the Rebels’ loss and gave Dartmouth one of the most stunning wins in the high school football season.
Walpole looked to have a win and a Super Bowl well within their grasp, only to let it be snatched away in just under four minutes. The Rebels’ season ended with a record of 10-1, almost a perfect season.
