By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Staff
The Walpole Timberwolves’ football team fell to the Wachusett Mountaineers at John Turco Stadium on Friday October 9, 2026 by a final score of 31-21. The game was closer than the final score.
Walpole (3-1) is in Division 4 and power ranked 6th. They are the only Bay State Conference (BSC) team in Division 4. Every team they play this season is at or above Division 4 except Foxboro who is in Division 5. They defeated archnemesis King Philip in the season opener. They fell to Foxboro, 22-21, in an overtime thriller. Their past two games they have dominated BSC foes Wellesley and Needham.
The green and white Wachusett Mountaineers (4-0) are in Division 1 and ranked 7th.
The teams faced each other in 2024 and 2023 and split the two contests.
Walpole head coach Chris Sullivan is in his 9th year at the helm.
Walpole is led by its senior captains Michael Motroni, Dylan Katz, Matty Myers and Mason Falcone
Wachusett took the opening kickoff, drove down the field starting at their own 7 and scored to go up 7-0.
After trading punts, Walpole responded with the tying score on a short pass from junior quarterback Blake Pileski to sophomore wide receiver Travis Hauge who deked his way into the endzone near the end of the first quarter.
Wachusett went back up on first play of second quarter on a short swing pass and long run by Jackson Smith to go up 14-7.
On the next drive, senior captain Mason Falcone burst free on an inside rush from midfield to get inside the five yard line. Walpole scored two plays later when Falcone plunged in to tie the score at 14.
With 1:56 to go in the half, Wachusett drove the length of the field but Walpole’s defense stiffened inside the ten. The Mountaineers opted to kick a field goal to head into halftime with a 17-14 lead.
On Walpole’s second half opening drive, on a 3rd and ten, Pileski hit Aidan Hoyle on a 68 yard catch-and-run to get inside the Wachusett ten. Two plays later, a Pileski keeper ,keyed by great blocking by Matt Myers, Mike Motroni and Sully Kittleson, gave Walpole their first lead, 21-17.
Wachusett answered right back on the next drive to go back up, 24-21.
With 11:48 to go in the final quarter, Walpole had a 4th and 7 from the Wachusett 29 yard line. The Timberwolves opted to go for it. The pass was incomplete and Walpole never came close to scoring after that.
Wachusett missed a field goal attempt with 2:17 to go. Walpole took over at their own 22. However, the Timberwolves couldn’t gain any first downs.
Ater three kneel downs, Wachusett scored on a 4th and 11 with 12 seconds in the game to go on a fade into the end zone to account for the final score.
In a well-played game by both elevens, there were no turnovers by either team.
Walpole’s defense was solid throughout. Zach Lamoreaux had a tackle for a loss on Smith. Hoyle made consecutive good defensive plays cutting down a receiver in the flat and then nearly coming up with a pick six. Jeremiah Colon had a big stop on 4th and four in the final stanza.
Walpole finishes their regular season slate with games against usual Bay State Conference foes Milton, Braintree and Natick. The annual Thanksgiving Day game against Weymouth is at Walpole this year.
