Norwood High School Football Grounds Needham Rockets in Thrilling Overtime Victory-October 10, 1994

Norwood High School football coach Joe Smith had a specific play drawn up, and he was simply looking for the right moment to use it.

That opportunity materialized on the Mustangs’ very first play of overtime, executing precisely as diagrammed: quarterback Kevin Griffin found an uncovered Tim Norton alone in the end zone for a 10-yard game-winning touchdown pass, lifting Norwood to a thrilling 19-13 victory over Bay State Conference rival Needham yesterday.

“I thought we could use that play to our advantage in overtime, so we ran out the clock deep in our own end at the end of regulation time,” Smith explained. “It turned out to be the right call.”

Defensive Stand Sets Up Overtime Heroics

Needham won the overtime toss and took the first possession, moving ahead with a 5-yard burst from Scott Wade. However, the Norwood defense stiffened immediately when Keith Eppich and Tyrone Wilson stuffed Wade for consecutive losses on subsequent plays, forcing the Rockets to settle for a 27-yard field goal attempt by Jeff Buckley. The kick missed wide, handing the door right back to the Mustangs.

Norwood ended the contest on its first snap when Griffin connected with Norton on a crisp slant pattern.

The Mustangs (2-2) nearly missed their chance to reach overtime entirely. In the dying seconds of regulation, Needham drove deep into scoring range, setting up a dramatic 45-yard field goal attempt by Buckley with just three seconds left on the clock. The kick fell agonizingly two feet short.

The Rockets also squandered an earlier opportunity in regulation after tying the game 13-13 with 2:50 remaining on a dazzling 63-yard touchdown strike from Nick Guerriero to Dan Scalia, only to mishandle the snap on the ensuing extra-point try.

Overcoming a First-Half Deficit

Needham seized an early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter following a two-yard touchdown plunge by Wade, which was set up by Chris Sullivan blocking a Norwood punt.

Norwood clawed its way back from a 7-0 halftime deficit:

• The Equalizer: In the second half, Jamie Mahoney broke loose for an electrifying 37-yard touchdown run, and Griffin drilled the extra point to tie the game 7-7.
• Taking the Lead: The Mustangs later mounted a decisive seven-play, 50-yard drive capped by Griffin’s clever hook-and-go touchdown pass to Norton on fourth-and-three from 17 yards out. Although Needham managed to block the extra-point kick, Norwood held a 13-7 advantage.

“Our defense was awesome,” Coach Smith praised after the game. “They finally played a game they’re capable of playing, and our offense wore Needham down late in the game. Give Needham lots of credit. They defensed us well.”

The tough loss marked Needham’s second overtime defeat of the season, dropping the Rockets to 2-3 overall following an earlier extra-session heartbreak against Milton.

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