By Max Clifford
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A week removed from struggling to put points on the board against Milton, the Needham High School football team put on an offensive clinic on Friday night. The Rockets ran away with the game, defeating visiting Braintree 42-21.
Needham quarterback Griffin Carr showed off his arm strength early in the game, withstanding a big hit in the pocket to drop a 30-yard completion into the hands of Jase Hannigan inside the 10-yard line. In a goal-to-go situation, the Rockets turned to the athletic frame of Aidan Williams who followed strong blocking for an uncontested touchdown.
Starting with favorable field position thanks to a big kickoff return, Braintree was quick to provide a response on the ensuing drive. Facing a goal-to-go chance of their own, the Wamps’ ball carrier fumbled, giving offensive lineman Kevin Dang a rare opportunity to scoop and score to tie the game at 7-7.
In the early goings of the second quarter, Needham running back Tate Hoffmeister ran for almost every inch of a 60-yard drive, finishing it off with a one-yard touchdown to give the Rockets a 14-7 lead.
With the trio of Williams, Will McDonald, and Ben Schreiber imposing their will on the defensive line, the Wamps had nothing to do but punt the ball back into the hands of Needham. Carr wasted no time making good on the possession, finding Schreiber for a 51-yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the drive.
Just over five minutes left on the clock was plenty of time for Carr to continue his passing masterclass. The junior found Spencer Chapman across the middle for a big gain to set up another short Hoffmeister touchdown, the team’s fourth of the first half. With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Carr once again found Schreiber for a big gain before hitting Hannigan in the end zone to give the Rockets a 35-7 lead on the final play of the half.
Braintree rearranged deck chairs on the Titanic in the second half, but the game was already well in hand for Needham. Hoffmeister punched in a third touchdown to secure the hat trick and a 42-21 win.
When asked about his team’s week-to-week resurgence, head coach Doug Kopsco credited his playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. “The effort has always been there, but everyone was pulling together and making sure that it wasn’t just one guy carrying the load” he said. “Tate [Hoffmeister] did a great job, line did a great job, but now we have so many different weapons coming out, playing hard today, and making plays for us. A great team effort.”
