Norwood Mustangs Edge Bay State League Rival Milton in Dramatic Final 29 Seconds-November 16, 1992

Quarterback A.J. Grant and Tailback Eric Deshiro Orchestrate Last-Minute Touchdown Drive Before Aaron Walkins Seals Victory on Two-Point Conversion

NORWOOD – High drama unfolded on the gridiron in Norwood on Saturday afternoon, November 14, 1992, as the Norwood High School Mustangs waited until the final 29 seconds of regulation to score all of their points, narrowly avoiding an upset and edging Bay State League rival Milton High School 8-7. Reported by Eric Shulman for The Patriot Ledger, the thrilling comeback preserved Norwood’s momentum after entering the contest riding a dominant streak of three consecutive shutouts—having outscored opponents 109-0 over the previous three weeks—while holding Milton scoreless through three quarters to extend the Mustangs’ defensive streak to 15 consecutive shutout quarters.

Although Milton entered the matchup with a struggling 2-7 record, the Wildcats proved fiercely competitive throughout the afternoon. With 5:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Milton running back Andrew Coughlin—who paced the Wildcats with 147 rushing yards on 21 carries—broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run, and Joe Clancy added the extra point to give Milton a commanding 7-0 lead. Trailing with 2:35 left on the clock and holding no timeouts on the Milton 25-yard line, Norwood turned to quarterback A.J. Grant. Entering the game as the Division 2 leader with 13 touchdown passes, Grant endured a difficult afternoon through the air—completing only seven of 23 passes for 101 yards—and threw four consecutive incompletions to turn the ball over on downs.

Milton Fumble Sparks Game-Winning Drive and Bold Two-Point Gamble

Needing merely to run out the clock, Milton fumbled on the very next play, handing Norwood a sudden lifeline with 2:00 remaining. That miscue epitomized a self-destructive afternoon for the Wildcats, who committed six turnovers overall—four of them inside Norwood territory, including a costly fumble on first down at the Norwood two-yard line with three minutes left in the second quarter.

Seizing the second chance, Grant connected with Eric Deshiro—who finished with 59 rushing yards on 18 carries and 40 receiving yards on three catches—on consecutive completions of 13 and 11 yards to establish a first-and-goal at the Milton one-yard line. Deshiro powered across the goal line for the touchdown to trim the deficit to 7-6 with 29 seconds left. Rather than kicking an extra point to force overtime, Norwood head coach Joseph Smith gambled boldly on a two-point conversion for the outright victory. Grant ran the option and pitched to Aaron Walkins, who dove into the end zone for the decisive winning points.

Reflecting on the narrow escape, Coach Smith praised his opponent and his own defense: “They played great defense and kept us guessing on offense. Our defense again was outstanding and as always created turnovers.” Meanwhile, Milton head coach John Riordan lamented the late collapse, stating, “We were the better football team in this game for 43 of the 44 minutes.”

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