Wildcats Look to Break Holiday Drought Against Wayland

Seventy-five years and counting, the Weston High football team and Wayland will battle it out in one of the oldest Thanksgiving rivalries in the state tomorrow at Weston's Proctor Field. Wayland holds a 44-28-3 lead in the holiday tilt, and has won the last nine of 10 games, including the last eight in a row.  

While there are no playoffs at stake for either team, there's a lot riding on tomorrow's game.  First, if Weston wins, it will, of course, break the eight-year drought.  But, the Wildcats (8-2) also could share a slice of the Dual Country League Small Division title with Concord-Carlisle (9-1), if the latter should lose its game to Bedford. Both teams would then be 4-1 in the DCL, but C-C would get the postseason bid, because it defeated Weston earlier this season.

Among tomorrow's key match-ups, Weston will have DCL Defensive Player of the Year, senior linebacker Tom Wells, countering the league's Offensive Player of the Year, Wayland quarterback Ben Shelton.

Wells will help try to keep Wayland's aerial attack in check, as Weston's defense will also be led by senior tackle Clarence Johnson. 

"It should be interesting to watch. Wayland likes to move the ball through the air, while [we] have a very strong ground game," Weston assistant coach Ed Mantie said.

Offensively, the Wildcats will be led by junior standout quarterback Jarett Rowe, who is among the league's rushing leaders, and has scored touchdowns by the bunch this season. Rowe will be supported, by among others, senior backs Elvin Johnson and Greg Cohen, and senior receiving threat Greg Lanzillo.