The Watertown Raiders football team will face a very familiar foe on Thanksgiving, but in a place that no member of the current squad has played: Harris Field in Belmont.
The game kicks off at 10 a.m. on Thursday in what is expected to be rainy and gusty conditions. Follow the game with live updates from Watertown News on this page.
Fourth Quarter
Game over, Watertown wins 23-0+
1;37 left, Raiders take over on downs at the 50
3;50 left, Watertown touchdown and 2 pt. Conversion. 21 yard run by Pineda, Watertown 23, Belmont 0
940 left, Belmont punts Watertown ball at its own 40
Belmont intercepts at own 34
Third Quarter
End of 3rd, Watertown 15, Belmont 0
2:22 left, Watertown stops fourth down attempt, takes over on own 48
5:10 left, Belmont has ball on it’s own 45 after a penalty
6:10 left, touchdown Watertown. McHugh carried from 12 yards out. 2 point conversion run in by Spickler. Raiders up 15-0
Watertown converts on 3rd sne 11, balls at the 22
fumble recovered by Watertown at the Belmont 34
10 lef5. Raiders punt. Belmont ball at irs own 40
Watertown to receive starting a their own 30
Second Quarter
Belmont field goal attempt as time expires no good. Watertown 7, Belmont 0
Fumble recovered by Belmont at the 50, penalty moves it to Watertown 35
44 secs left. Watertown returns punt to its own 49
1:11 left, Belmont starts at own 35. Sack moves it back to the 22
1:52 left, Pavlidis takes pass in for a touchdown. Extra point off post and good. Watertown 7, Belmont 0
McHugh takes screen to the 5
5 left, Fumble recovered by Watertown at the Belmont 21
6:33 left, Belmont gets the ball at its own 33
7:30 left. 3 and out for Watertown
8:30 left, Watertown takes over at own 37
9 mins left pair of passes moves ball to Belmont 34. 3rd down pass incomplete
11 mins left, fourth down pass incomplete. Belmont takes over at its 15
First Quarter
Scoreless after first
2 mins left, carry by Pineda to the Belmont 19
6 mins left, Watertown moves the ball to the Belmont 39 with Oliveira de Matos carrying 3 times
8 mins left. Watertown stops Belmont. Punt downed at Watertown 15
10 mins left. Belmont converts on 3rd with a pass to the Watertown 43
Belmont returns it to their 42
Watertown will kickoff
9:55 a.m. Watertown arriving
Preview
First year Watertown Head Coach Joey Carroll said that the team looks forward to taking on their rivals.
“It’s exciting to be a part of. The kids are excited. I’m sure they are over there, too,” Carroll said, in an interview on Watertown Cable. “We are just going to focus on what we can improve on and be the best version of ourselves going into this Thanksgiving game.”
Carroll grew up in Waltham, but looks forward to being part of his first Watertown-Belmont game along with his players.
“I tell them it is one of the best rivalries in the state. I am so excited to be a part of it now,” Carroll said. “I always heard about it growing up, too. Coming from Waltham we had Waltham vs. Brockton and that went away. Some of these other rivalries kind of start to fade off and this one hasn’t, and if anything has gotten a little enhanced over a couple years.”
The 102nd renewal of the Watertown-Belmont rivalry returns to the Town of Homes for the first time since 2018. That year, the Raiders fell to the Marauders in subfreezing conditions. The game has not been in Belmont since then. In 2020 the game was canceled due to the Pandemic, and two years ago the 100th edition of the game took place at Fenway Park, where Watertown emerged victorious.
Last year, Belmont dominated the Thanksgiving clash, winning 47-0 at Victory Field. Senior Co-captain and quarterback Gnai Concannon-Garvin said the Raiders look forward to getting another shot at the Marauders after the 2023 game.
“It’s definitely on our minds,” he told Watertown Cable. “We’ve been waiting, itching to get Belmont back and just beat Belmont.”
Both teams have struggled this season, with Watertown winning three games and Belmont just a pair. Each team won their last game, with the Raiders defeating Arlington Catholic 31-13 and the Marauders beating Acton-Boxborough 20-0.
Despite the record, Carroll said the most important thing is that the team has built a new culture, including embracing the messages: chasing best, we over me, and the little things matter.
“It’s all adding up and we are seeing it on the field,” Carroll said.
The team played a tough schedule in the Middlesex League Freedom Division, said senior co-captain and two-way lineman Giovanni Paola.
“It was definitely sometimes rough, especially when we were down to those big teams,” Paola told Watertown Cable. “We just always try to battle back and fight through adversity.”
During the season, sophomore Peter Pavlidis, who plays on the offensive and defensive lines, was made the Raiders’ third co-captain. He has seen a change in the team this season.
“This season, it’s been fun. I know we are 3-7 but that doesn’t really matter to me. This team has improved since last year. I feel like this year we became more of a family, and that’s the one thing we needed. I remember last year we didn’t have that,” Pavlidis said in the Watertown Cable interview. “We have been in some tough games this year, but that’s fine because we always battle back and we’ve shown it this year. … We’re ready for Belmont.”
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here, and cost $10 and $5 for students.