Season Preview: Wakefield Football Looking to Take Advantage of Extra Middlesex League Playoff Berth

After winning the Middlesex League Small School Division last season, there are few teams more excited about the league’s new configuration than the Wakefield Warriors (6-4 overall, 6-3 ML Small).

Winning their division this year, under the new system, will mean an automatic playoff berth, as the Middlesex League, like the Tri-Valley Conference, will have a postseason spot for both the upper and lower divisions this season.

was any indication, the Warriors (1-0)  haven’t failed to grasp the situation.

Head coach Mike Boyages, entering his 15th season at the helm of Wakefield football, and also serving as the school’s athletic director, piloted his squad to a convincing, if somewhat surprising, win over ML Large rivals Lexington, 20-14, at Lexington High (Large and small school crossover games also no longer count towards a team’s league record).

Featuring heavily for the Warriors were several players who Boyages is counting on to make significant contributions this season. Quarterback James Bourque tossed a pair of touchdown passes during Wakefield’s decisive second quarter, a 9-yard chuck to junior Dan Cardillo and a 27-yard bomb to Matt McKenna. Zach Bates, a new transfer to Wakefield High, but anything but new to the high school gridiron, punched in a TD from 4-yards out.

Bourque, who started “five or six” games for the Warriors down the stretch last year, is the man Boyages has entrusted with the keys to the offense this season, and judging solely on the basis of the season opener, the Wakefield bench boss looks to have made a particularly astute decision, as all Bourque did in his first start as Wakefield’s uncontested number one was break the school’s all-time single-game passing record.

Bourque’s 257 (unofficial) passing yards against Lexington represents the highest output for any Warriors’ signal callers in the school’s history.

The key players missing from last year’s squad are Vinny DeSciscio, now plying his trade at Holland College in Canada, Brendan Johnson, a 300-pound tackle currently on the roster at Bridgton Academy and Anthony Saviano, a punishing defensive end now prowling Ivy League fields as a member of the Harvard Crimson.

Returning to the fold this year are three seniors who Boyages is expecting big things from this season.

Captains Josh Puccio (tailback/linebacker) and Nick Calderone (wide receiver/defensive back) return to the ranks along with Bourque, giving Wakefield a small, yet talented, pool of senior leadership to draw from. Another senior who is sure to have a big impact is McKenna. The senior hasn’t played in nearly two years following a horrible accident that saw him struck by a car and sustain a head injury.

“He suffered a head injury and couldn’t play,” Boyages said. He had some major issues following that, it’s just amazing to have him back ... It was really touch-and-go for a while, but having him back is a big help to us. He’s the best athlete in his class.”

Apart from the palpable lift McKenna’s mere presence undoubtedly had on his teammates, the senior also pocketed five receptions against Lexington in the opener.

Cardillo, a junior, will also be hoping to repeat his two-touchdown performance against the Minutemen as often as possible.

Another huge addition to Wakefield’s roster comes from Bates (fullback/linebacker), a starter on two division 2 Super Bowl winners with Reading, who brings to the table not only experience on the biggest of schoolboy stages, but also invaluable Middlesex League experience. Bates’ touchdown against Lexington would seem to indicate that he is largely recovered from off-season ACL surgery following a snowboarding accident.

With a strong squad that looks like it will be more than capable of competing for the ML Small’s brand new playoff berth, there are still a few lingering questions. The biggest of which is the offensive line.

“Our offensive line is totally new,” said Boyages. “We have no starters returning, so that’s the big question mark. I thought they did a good job (against Lexington), though.”

One area where there are few, if any, unanswered questions is at the skill positions, as the Warriors enjoy a dearth of quality at wide receiver and running back.

If everything goes according to plan, there is no reason why the goal of capturing a second consecutive Middlesex League Small title isn’t well within the reach of Boyages and company.

“We like to take it one game at a time,” said Boyages. “But around mid-season we start to play the teams in our division, and if everything falls into place, we should have a really good year.”