SCITUATE — It was basically a flawless first half.
Scituate touched the ball six times, scored five touchdowns, and even added a blocked punt return score for good measure. The onslaught resulted in a 40-point half and fueled the seventh-seeded Sailors in a comfortable 47-36 win over No. 10 Wayland in a chilly Division 4 first-round matchup Friday night.
“We definitely gained a lot of confidence in that first half,” said senior quarterback Jackson Belsan. “It allowed us to keep pushing, keep scoring, and keep driving down in the field. We had a lot of momentum.”
Belsan was the star of the night, completing 13 of 16 passes for 282 yards and five touchdowns. The righthander tossed a pair of scores to his favorite target Lawson Foley, including a 19-yard fade in the left corner of the end zone on the game’s first drive.
Right before halftime, Belsan took a snap in the shotgun and dropped a perfect ball in the lap of Sam Allard along the right sideline for a 55-yard score, giving Scituate a commanding 40-14 advantage.
“We practiced that play all week and I really wanted to run,” said Belsan. “I told coach [Herb Devine] to run it and he let me. I saw Sam make the move and just chucked it downfield.”
FINAL: Scituate 47, Wayland 36
Sailors drop 40 points in the first half and advance to D4 quarterfinals.
Jackson Belsan threw for 282 yards and 5 TDs. Lawson Foley and Sam Allard each caught a pair.
Max Dresens scored twice for Wayland. @GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/GScz9S1y8C
— Matt Doherty (@m_doherty23) November 4, 2023
Scituate (6-3) has now eclipsed the 40-point mark in four straight games as it advances to play at second-seeded Holliston, 24-16 winners over Ashland, in next week’s quarterfinal. The Panthers defeated Scituate, 35-25, in the same round last year, adding extra-motivation for the showdown.
“It seems like every year we and [Holliston] play each other in an early round,” said Devine. “They’re a great program. We’re going back there again. We’re excited for the challenge.”
Max Dresens and Michael Caulfied each scored twice for Wayland (6-3), which finished 1-10 last year. The Warriors cut the deficit to 40-30 late in the fourth before Belsan connected with Allard for a 39-yard strike to ice it.
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