By Michael Hurley
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
The Medfield High football team started strong and finished strong last week in an 18-14 win in Ashland to improve to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Tri-Valley League Large.
The victory was the Warriors’ first over the Clockers since 2017 and their first Large win since 2022 (Medfield played in the TVL Small in 2024 and 2025). It was like a dream for Ethan Ambrose, who admittedly didn’t sleep much the night before. With senior quarterback Owen Sokolowski out with an injury, the sophomore got the nod for his first varsity start.
“It was hard getting the news about Owen,” said Medfield coach Erik Ormberg. “But we were prepared as we could’ve been because Ethan got a lot of reps in practice. Ethan’s mindset as an athlete…he’s cool as a cucumber. We told him ‘you don’t have to be the show, you just have to run the show’ and he did that.”
Ambrose directed the Warriors to an 18-0 lead early in the fourth quarter, only to watch the Clockers claw back to within four with two scored in the final seven minutes of the game. Following the hosts’ second score–a six-yard run by Evan Lyrio with 46 seconds remaining–senior captain Owen Graber fell on the onside kick and, on third–and-eight with the Warriors needing a first down to end the game, Noah Smith bulled his way for nine yards.
“That felt incredible,” said Ambrose of the win. “It was an unreal experience getting onto the field and winning made it feel better. Especially a win like that. They started battling back, our defense stepped up and Noah stepped up with that last first down run. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Medfield built a 12-0 halftime lead on two Smith touchdowns, the first set up by a perfectly placed opening kickoff by Rory Medeiros that the Warriors recovered at the Ashland 40. Smith finished a quick seven-play drive with a three-yard burst up the middle for a 6-0 lead just four minutes into the game.
Ashland punched back with a promising drive, fueled by Lyrio’s four carries for 26 yards, but Medfield’s Nathan Bills provided the knockout when he picked off Nolan Gorman’s pass. Medfield’s defense responded again when the offense stalled on the ensuing drive. The Clockers started in their vaunted double-win Diesel formation, but dispatched it quickly after losing two yards on the first two plays. Gorman’s five-yard completion to Evan Gaiero gained some back, but outstanding coverage by Will Keaveney, captain Michael Twomey and Brian Tracy-Mullis forced three straight incompletions.
Taking over at their own 32, Medfield moved quickly. Nine runs covering 61 yards set up a first-and-goal from the seven for Smith, who went around the right side this time, fought off a defender with a stiff arm and lowered his shoulder to sneak inside the right pylon for a 12-0 lead with 3:03 left in the half. Smith rushed four times for 32 yards in the drive, while Sullivan went four times for 25 and Graber picked up 10 yards on two carries.
“[The win] feels great,” said Graber. “It was a hard-fought game. We knew they were going to come in, run their Diesel, run down our throats. We put an end to that real quick and they had to get out of their identity.”
Ashland opened the fourth quarter at its own 22, but that didn’t last long after senior captain Dani Chahine’s strip sack and recovery gave the Warriors a short field. Seven yards from Sullivan, five from Smith and then another five from Sullivan put Medfield up 18-0.
The Clockers then came to life, needing just three minutes to get on the board. Ezra Hatchett’s 56-yard run was the key play and after the Warriors held on three plays from the two, Grady Clark ran the keeper from the Diesel formation and Lyrio tacked on the rush for an 18-8 score with 7:23 to play.
“The coaches were telling us it had been about 10 years since we beat Ashland and they’d be taking us lightly,” said Ambrose. “We knew we beat ourselves against Norwood. Getting this win proved to ourselves that we belong in the Large. We’re ready for it.”
