Norwood High Football Opens Bay State League Play with 29-13 Victory Over Milton-September 28, 1981

MILTON — Winning isn’t everything. Sure, it was nice for the Norwood High School football team to take its Bay State League opener Saturday, 29-13, over Milton. But coach John Doherty was clearly expecting more from the 1980 Div. I Super Bowl champs.

“That didn’t look like a Norwood defense today,” he complained. “We didn’t come off the ball, we were hesitant, we tackled badly…”

Ground Attack Powers the Mustangs

By contrast, the Milton coaching staff was raving about some of its defenders, particularly senior Mark Andon. Even at their best, however, Andon and his mates could not shut down the likes of quarterback Mike Conti (125 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries) and Kevin Doherty (102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries).

The game was tied, 7-7, when a Doherty 80-yard kickoff return was nullified by a clipping penalty late in the first period. Undaunted, the Mustangs marched 88 yards in 10 plays, cashing in with a three-yard run by Conti. His two-point conversion rush put the visitors on top, 15-7, in the second quarter. Conti then capped a 57-yard march in 12 plays with a touchdown from the one-foot line. Tom Cronan‘s point-after kick expanded the margin to 22-7 with 1:25 to go in the half.

Surprisingly, that left Milton with enough time to mount a threat. A 42-yard pass from Joe Wight (9-of-24 for 119 yards) to Mike Hannon was the key play as the ‘Cats glided 59 yards to the Norwood 21. But after Norwood’s John Cavanaugh sacked Wight, the senior quarterback threw three consecutive incomplete passes and the Mustangs got the ball back. The final toss was just out of the reach of Milton tight end Paul Mitiguy (67 yards on five receptions).

Second-Half Scoring and Defensive Stops

Early in the third quarter, a Paul Ahern fumble recovery near midfield sparked a drive that gave Milton a first-and-goal on the Norwood five-yard line. But this opportunity, too, was squandered and Norwood took over on downs.

Earlier, a pass interception by Norwood’s David Sullivan set up the game’s first score, a 16-yard burst up the middle by Doherty, with Cronan’s kick accounting for the 7-0 lead. Milton responded with a 75-yard march in 11 plays, crowned by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Wight to Mitiguy. John Keohan‘s conversion kick knotted the score, 7-7, with 1:33 remaining in the first quarter.

The two squads also traded TDs in the second half. Norwood halfback Joe Pusateri wrenched free from a would-be tackler in the third quarter and turned a routine run into a 77-yard scoring play, as Norwood took command, 29-7. In the final minute of the game, southpaw quarterback Brian Lenane tossed a 25-yard touchdown strike to Wight to close out Milton’s scoring, 29-13, though a conversion pass attempt was missed.

Game Statistics Summary:

• Norwood: 14 First Downs, 329 Yards Rushing, 24 Yards Passing, 30 Yards Lost, 2 Passes Att., 2 Passes Comp., 2 Interceptions, 36 Punts, 65 Punting Avg., 4 Fumbles, 2 Fumbles Recovered, 14 Yards Penalized.
• Milton: 13 First Downs, 89 Yards Rushing, 183 Yards Passing, 8 Yards Lost, 26 Passes Att., 11 Passes Comp., 1 Interception, 3 Punts, 32 Punting Avg., 1 Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovered, 15 Yards Penalized.

Scoring Summary:

• 1st Quarter: N — Doherty 16 run (Cronan kick); M — Wight to Mitiguy 22 pass (Keohan kick).
• 2nd Quarter: N — Conti 3 run (Conti run); N — Conti 1 run (Cronan kick).
• 3rd Quarter: N — Pusateri 77 run (Cronan kick).
• 4th Quarter: M — B. Lenane to Wight 25 pass (pass failed).

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