Bombers’ Cody Neidig carries the ball against the East Longmeadow Spartans in a recent Friday night matchup. The two teams meet again this Friday night, November 8, in the first round of the West Division II football playoffs. Kick off is at Bullens Field at 6 p.m. (Photo by Fred Gore)
WESTFIELD – Two weeks ago, the Westfield High School football team trailed late in the first half to East Longmeadow on the road, 36-14. But things got a bit fuzzy … for the Spartans.
Westfield reeled off 34 unanswered points, lighting up the out-of-town scoreboard like a pinball machine.
A 31-yard touchdown run from Cody Neidig. Ben Geschwind’s short catch-and-run score from quarterback Jake Toomey. Another TD from Neidig, this one a pass out in the flat that he swung upfield for 59 yards. An 8-yard Toomey keeper for a score. And Neidig again, on a 50-yard dash.
It was an emotional comeback, keeping Westfield’s record unblemished for the seventh straight week. Finally, a week ago, the Bombers (7-1) suffered their first loss of the season to Central (7-1), handing the Golden Eagles the AA Conference title.
Now, these same teams will begin anew.
On Friday night, the second-seeded Bombers will host No. 3 East Longmeadow in the opening round of the playoffs at Bullens Field. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
Throw out the records. Forget the big hole Westfield dug itself out of the first time around. It is a new season, but now the stakes are much bigger.
“It’s a whole new game,” said Westfield coach Bill Moore, who is in his farewell season. “We just need to execute from scrimmage, and do better this time … We just wanted to come back home.”
Westfield has played consecutive road games, closing out its regular season with a loss in Springfield as the Central Golden Eagles soared to a convincing 52-14 victory.
But that game is over, and Westfield has moved on. The Bombers’ sights are now set once again on East Longmeadow with a D2 West final berth on the line. The division’s top representative will earn a trip to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, home to the New England Patriots, for a Super Bowl.
“All I know right now is that we are playing a very good football team,” Moore said of the Spartans. “Their fullback is a great player, their quarterback throws a great ball, and they have a very tough physical defense.”
East Longmeadow sophomore fullback Mike Maggipinto amassed 259 yards in the first meeting with Westfield, rushing for nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs in the first half while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
Spartans quarterback Devon Kennedy completed a couple of deep passes, including a 34-yard score.
But then the Westfield defense put the brakes on East Longmeadow, and the rest is history.
In the other D2 West semifinal, top-seeded Central will host No. 4 Longmeadow, beginning at 7 p.m.
“It’s a great thing,” Moore said the of the new state playoff system. “A lot of people put in a lot of time. We’re enthusiastic. And for us, to have earned a chance to play in it, is a great thing.”
Westfield is seeking its third trip to the Super Bowl under its current head coach. The Bombers were runners-up in 2007 and ’08.
