Norwood Stuns Undefeated Natick 9-6 to End State’s Longest Win Streak-November 1, 1965

Mustangs Upset Defending Champions Behind Trick Play and Safety

In what head coach Art Gulla hailed as “the biggest victory of my career” after five years at the helm, the Norwood High School football team shocked the Bay State League on Saturday by handing defending champion Natick a 9-6 defeat. The upset snapped Natick’s 19-game unbeaten streak—the longest active run in the state—and threw the league’s championship standings into a logistical debate for athletic directors.

Norwood (3-0-2) drew first blood in the opening half thanks to special weekly game-plan preparations. Utilizing a clever counter play, sophomore halfback Tommy Shea took a pitch from senior quarterback Joe Smith, rolled right, and hurled a pass back to the left to a wide-open Smith, who waddled untouched into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Norwood also debuted Chris Effertz on extra-point duty, with Effertz successfully booting the kick.

Natick retaliated with a 71-yard ground drive culminating in a 7-yard touchdown run by Paul D’Innocenzo, though Norwood’s defense stopped the two-point conversion attempt at the 1-yard line.

Captain John Solomon Secures Victory with Defensive Safety

The decisive margin came courtesy of Norwood’s stellar defense, spearheaded by captain and defensive star John Solomon. After a booming Norwood punt pinned Natick deep against its own goal line, Solomon burst through the line to tackle D’Innocenzo in the end zone for a safety, swelling Norwood’s lead to 9-6.

Norwood’s offense controlled the tempo in the second half, restricting Natick to a single offensive series in the third quarter behind effective counter running and clock management. Natick coach Dan Bennett graciously conceded defeat: “They deserved the game because they wanted it so badly. Sure, they are good, but we again made too many mistakes. We didn’t deserve to win.”

Following the final whistle, jubilant Norwood players celebrated by tossing Coach Gulla and assistants Gus Fornaciari and Jerry Cullen fully clothed into the locker room showers. Assistant coach John Barberry, recovering at Norwood Hospital from knee surgery earlier in the week, was slated to receive the game ball from Captain Solomon over the weekend.

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