EASTHAM — The Stoneham Spartans jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and went on to defeat the Nauset Warriors 45-7 in the season opener for both teams last Saturday afternoon at Nauset Regional High School.
Stoneham, which finished the 2024 regular season ranked second in Division 6, has mustered another strong team this year, featuring 14 seniors. Nauset, with only seven seniors on its team, made up for lack of experience with energy and enthusiasm that were in evidence even after the outcome had long been decided.
The teams showcased two distinctive offensive styles at the outset. Stoneham stayed on the ground while Nauset came out throwing. The visitors chewed up yardage early with an impressive running game that contained more misdirection and deception than an episode of Survivor. Occasionally, they skipped the trickery and went straight to a basic sweep that ate up yardage, especially when the ball was in the hands of senior running back Pedro Dasilveira.
Stoneham’s strategy resulted in 2 first-quarter touchdowns that, combined with successful 2-point conversions, put the Spartans up 16-0 entering the second quarter.
“Stoneham is a Super Bowl caliber team; they roll at you in waves,” said Nauset Coach Jesse Peno, who is known for scheduling tough opponents early in the season to prepare his team for state tournament level competition at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ passing attack sputtered initially. Finally, down 24-0 with the second quarter coming to a close, the Warriors put together an impressive drive. After a pass interference call against Stoneham moved the Warriors into Stoneham territory, sophomore quarterback Oliver Accettullo scrambled for 12 yards and a first down at the 25-yard line. Three plays later, however, Accettullo, under heavy pressure, threw an interception that returned the ball to the Spartans.
Despite the loss, there were several bright spots to provide Nauset fans with hope for the remainder of the season. Numerous times, Nauset defenders chased down a speedy Spartan and tackled him from behind to prevent touchdowns. One example came in the third quarter with the Warriors down by 30 points. Sophomores Jake Tompkins and Max Furman sprinted over 50 yards to overtake Dasilveira, who had broken away on yet another sweep, and brought him down just short of the goal line.
Another highlight was a Warrior goal line stand at the end of the first half. The beleaguered defensive line stopped the Spartans twice as they tried to punch the ball in from the one-yard line with the clock ticking down to zero.
And at the end of the game, backup quarterback Lyle Blatz, only a few plays after enduring what appeared to be a late hit out of bounds, responded by throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Parker Swain for Nauset’s only score.
“They never gave up; they never quit,” said Peno immediately after the game. “They played their tails off, and I am very proud of them.”
Peno also praised Accettullo, who is starting in place of an injured Brendan Peno. “He made great reads, and he is getting better every single day,” said the coach of his starting quarterback.
Accettullo finished the day with 10 completions in 21 attempts for 88 yards. Jack Peno led the Warriors with 7 receptions for 73 yards. In addition to his touchdown pass, Blatz also rushed twice for 18 yards.
The Warriors are on the road for two games before returning home on Friday, Sept. 26 to face Cohasset at 6:30 p.m.
