Westfield quarterback Matt Adamites (5) takes the snap during a Saturday afternoon game at East Longmeadow High School. (Photo by Marc St. Onge)
WESTFIELD – Westfield sophomore quarterback Matt Adamites scored five touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing) as the Bombers rolled over the East Longmeadow Spartans on the road Saturday, 42-14.
The game was originally scheduled to be played on Friday night, but it was moved due to the threat of the EEE virus. Westfield was also coming off a bye week.
“Against Leominster, we made mental mistakes,” Adamites said, referring to a 34-6 loss on Friday the 13th. “We fixed it this week and came out with the win.”
Westfield (2-1) appeared to be firing on all cylinders for the first time this season, looking nearly as crisp as some of the autumn leaves beginning to turn on an unusually balmy day.
Westfield forced a turnover on the first series of the game. The Bombers took over on the East Longmeadow 42-yard-line and needed just two plays (a 23-yard run from Nick Clauson and 14-yard touchdown pass from Adamites (10-for-12 passing, 137 yards) to William Brewster in the corner of the end zone) sandwiched around a 5-yard penalty on the Spartans (2-2) to seize the first lead at the 9:14 mark, 6-0.
Clauson went on to rush for 164 yards on 18 carries.
The second scoring drive for Westfield was slightly more methodical, chewing up six minutes, 40 seconds and 58 yards in 13 plays, all culminating with a 17-yard touchdown score from Adamites to Brian Strange on another fade route in the corner of the end zone with 4:28 remaining in the second quarter. A two-point run from Chris Barber made it 14-0.
After the two-minute warning, East Longmeadow turned over the ball again. Brewster intercepted an Aidan Bean pass on Westfield’s own 39-yard line with 1:34 left in the half.
Adamites made efficient use of the clock, moving the team 61 yards downfield by distributing the ball to three different receivers (Barber, C.J. Flores-Skribiski, Brewster) with four pass plays that each went for 10-yards-or-greater. The final play of the drive was a 19-yard scoring strike to Barber in the left corner of the end zone with 25.8 seconds on the clock. Westfield entered the half up 21-0.
The second half began somewhat inauspiciously for Westfield as East Longmeadow’s Francesco Ferrentino stepped in front of an Adamites pass and returned it 16 yards for a Spartans’ touchdown on the Bombers’ first play from scrimmage. The score was 21-7.
Two series later, Westfield reclaimed its three-score advantage when Adamites ran the ball into the end zone from nine yards out to make it 28-7 with 1:43 to go in the third quarter. The drive consisted of nine consecutive rushing plays spread out between Clauson, Barber, and the Bombers’ QB.
East Longmeadow was the recipient of some more good fortune on the ensuing kickoff as Casey Maloney returned the ball 87 yards for a touchdown. The Spartans trailed 28-14.
Westfield issued a quick response, scoring on a one-yard touchdown from Barber in the opening minutes of the final quarter. The key play on the series was a 45-yard run from Clauson.
East Longmeadow fumbled deep in its own end of the field on the first play of its next drive. Five plays later, Westfield scored on a four-yard TD run from Adamites, effectively ending any Spartans’ hope of a comeback.
“We played a really tough Leominster team a couple weeks ago,” Westfield football head coach Rob Parent said. “I thought they brought the physicality to us and I think our guys had a nice little wake-up call. …Today, our guys responded really well to put up 21 in the first half. I thought the best part about the (second) half was we had a terrible start. Our guys take the adversity, they bounce back, get the ball back, and we go down the field, do our thing. Our guys were locked, loaded and ready to go. They had all the answers to the test.”
The next true test will come Friday night when the Bombers travel to Agawam for a league showdown with the Brownies. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 4 p.m.
“Moving forward, we hope to gain off this and improve,” Adamites said. “Everything that you saw today but better.”
Said coach Parent: “Now it’s time for league play – let’s see where we are.”
