Norwood Football Defeats Milton 20-6 Behind Junior Quarterback John Doherty’s Aerial Attack-October 1, 1979

While the Norwood defense was providing the expected shutdown performance, the junior quarterback was providing the unexpected. The result was a dominant 20-6 Norwood High School football victory over Milton in Bay State League action on Saturday.

An Unexpected Aerial Display

Junior quarterback John Doherty—son of Norwood head coach John Doherty Sr.—completed nine of 16 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns, unleashing an unexpected aerial attack that kept the Wildcats off balance all afternoon.

The Mustangs, improving to 2-0 in the league and 3-0 overall, scored all of their points during a explosive second quarter in which Doherty clicked on five of seven passes for 148 yards and three scores:

• First Touchdown: Doherty connected with Joe Travers over the middle to complete a 56-yard scoring play. Although the two-point conversion pass was broken up, Norwood led early.
• Second Touchdown: Just over two minutes later (at 4:27), Doherty again found Joe Travers, this time for a 22-yard touchdown pass. The score was set up by a blocked Milton punt by the ferocious Norwood defense. John Armour successfully kicked the two-point conversion, extending Norwood’s lead to 14-0.
• Third Touchdown: With just 23 seconds left in the half, Doherty capped a quick 34-yard, two-play drive by hitting Ed Hand with a 23-yard touchdown strike.

Praise from Opposition and Stellar Line Protection

Milton coach Jack Bowes, whose club dropped to 1-1 in the BSL and 2-1 overall, offered high praise for the young signal-caller. “They did a good job. And Doherty’s son, wow,” Bowes said. “I watched him against Watertown and Natick and he looked shaky. But he’s come into his own… Today his passes were right there. He’s a Norwood quarterback.”

Doherty benefited from ironclad protection provided by his offensive line, featuring two-way tackles Ted Travers and Mike Brown, guards Jim Bandanza, Brian Cox, and Tom Hughes, and center Bill Connolly. Meanwhile, Milton quarterback John Bibinski spent the afternoon scrambling under intense pressure.

A Stingy Defense

Norwood’s defense—coordinated by Jack Martinelli alongside Joe Mooney, both graduates of Milton High—continued its tradition of dominance, allowing just 12 points to Milton over a span of seven years.

“The kids give me a little something extra for this game,” said Martinelli. “They know it means a little extra to me. We’ve given up 12 points in seven years to Milton.”

Milton’s only score came in the second half when Phil Amaru broke away for a 38-yard run, setting up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Bibinski to John Andon.

Game Statistics Summary:

• Norwood: 12 First Downs, 128 Yards Gained Rushing, 183 Yards Passing, 48 Yards Lost, 16 Passes Attempted, 9 Passes Completed, 0 Interceptions By, 4 Punts, 36 Punting Average, 0 Fumbles, 0 Fumbles Recovered, 60 Yards Penalized.
• Milton: 6 First Downs, 107 Yards Gained Rushing, 32 Yards Passing, 18 Yards Lost, 18 Passes Attempted, 5 Passes Completed, 1 Interception By, 4 Punts, 32 Punting Average, 0 Funnels, 3 Fumbles Recovered, 30 Yards Penalized.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Norwood 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 — 20
• Milton 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 — 6
• 2nd Quarter: N — J. Travers 56 pass from J. Doherty (pass failed); N — J. Travers 22 pass from J. Doherty (Armour pass from Doherty); N — Hand 23 pass from J. Doherty (run failed).
• 4th Quarter: M — Andon 7 pass from Bibinski (run failed).

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