Norwood Edges Milton 12-7 Behind Johnny Doyle’s Aerial Attack-October 12, 1953

The second chapter of Milton’s “Whiz Kids” football story brought plenty of sparkle and suspense, but Coach Andy Scarfati’s big, husky, undefeated Norwood squad ultimately held off a fierce challenge to emerge with a hard-fought 12-7 victory yesterday, keeping Milton searching for its first win of the season.

Norwood struck first, extended its lead in the final period, and weathered a relentless Milton aerial assault directed by left-hander Sumner Svedeman and pinpoint receiver Dave Crook.

Ground and Air: How the Game Unfolded

Norwood drew first blood in the opening half. After an early exchange of penalties and punts, Norwood quarterback Brian Dunn (who later suffered an unfortunate leg injury) and standout passer Johnny Doyle engineered a march downfield. Doyle hurled a 40-yard strike to put the ball on Milton’s 26-yard line, setting up a 12-yard penalty against Milton. Three plays later, 185-pound fullback Tom Mackie pounded across the goal line from two yards out to put Scarfati’s squad ahead 6-0.

Milton’s defense—anchored by Dick Stanley, Paul Sullivan, Dave Crook, Bob Mahoney, and Ronnie Geromini—stoutly bottled up the Norwood running game for the remainder of the half. Meanwhile, Doyle remained a constant threat with his arm, repeatedly testing Milton’s secondary.

Milton’s Fourth-Quarter Comeback Bid

The Whiz Kids turned the tide in the fourth quarter behind a brilliant 60-yard scoring drive orchestrated by quarterback Sumner Svedeman. Svedeman relied on a flurry of short, over-the-line tosses to end Dave Crook, connecting on five passes for 61 yards during the sequence. Contributions from halfback Jack Daley and end Sullivan pushed the ball to the Norwood four-yard line. From there, halfback Gary Finerty punched in Milton’s first touchdown of the season. On a fake placement, Svedeman passed to Daley for the extra point, giving Milton a brief 7-6 lead.

Norwood Seals the Win

Unfazed, Norwood responded immediately. Pounding the ground game, the Mustangs drove back down the field. Sealing the victory in the final minutes, Johnny Doyle launched a 20-yard scoring pass to end Ed Connolly, who was left wide open in the end zone.

Milton attempted a desperate gamble by passing on fourth down from its own 34-yard line, but the turnover on downs allowed Norwood to run out the clock and secure the 12-7 triumph.

Game Statistics Snapshot

Metric	Norwood (N)	Milton (M)
First Downs	12	9
Yards Gained Rushing	136	116
Yards Lost Rushing	101	15
Yards Gained Passing	12	22
Passes Attempted	5	11
Passes Completed	2	5
Passes Intercepted By	1	0
Punts	4	3
Punting Average	36	30
Fumbles	1	2
Fumbles Recovered	1	1
Yards Penalized	65	75

Scoring Summary by Quarter:

• Norwood: 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 — 12
• Milton: 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 — 7
• Touchdowns: Mackie (N), Finerty (M), Connolly (N).
• Extra Points: Daley (pass from Svedeman) (M).

Team Rosters:

• Norwood Lineup: Ends: Lydon, White, O’Brien, Kelter, Ristom, Worster; Tackles: Cushman, Savanauskas; Guards: Eckhardt, J. Costello, Brown; Centers: Eppich, P. Costello; Backs: Doyle, Dunn, Granley, Fruci, McNeil, Mackie.
• Milton Lineup (“Whiz Kids”): Ends: Crook, Sullivan, Williams; Tackles: Thornton, Murphy, Crosby; Guards: Bounagurio, Stanley, Williamson; Center: McGrath; Backs: Keddy, Finerty, Daley, Terry, Mahoney, Carnie, Gilpin, Geromini.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger