With thanksgiving football at Fenway being less than 48 hours away I figured today I’d let you in on my three keys to a Wellesley Raider victory against Needham.

1. Run, run, run

The running game has been crucial to the Raiders success this season with the new triple option offense they have installed. Early in the season this running back by committee paid huge dividends as the Raiders were able to chalk up points and yards, however the last few weeks the running game has taken somewhat of a dive which has lead to the Raiders continuing to struggle offensively. In order to win on Thanksgiving the Raiders have to be able to establish the run early and often or else it could be another long morning for them offensively.

2. O-Line play

This ties in greatly with my first key of running the ball effectively. The offensive line was a big question mark coming into the season but played pretty well the first few weeks. Recently however the line has had their struggles against tougher, stronger defensive lines which has led to the dip in the running game. In order to be successful on Thursday the line must execute their blocking assignments and open up several holes for the backs as well as protecting and keeping Jake Mohan upright in passing situations.

3. Prevent The Big Play

This seems to be a theme the last few years watching this rivalry that Needham seems to be most effective offensively when they are able to put together multiple big plays. Needham can put points on the board however, besides maybe Marshfield I would argue that the Rockets have not been up against a stronger defense than what they’ll see out of the Raiders. This defense for the most part has been the key to Wellesley’s success this season and has been able for the most part to minimize the big play and keep talented offenses in check. If the Raiders can stay true to form especially in the secondary they will have success, however if Needham starts putting together the big plays it could be a long morning for this Raider team.

Per the Needham High School Athletics twitter page parking information has been released for Thanksgiving day. Parking will be $15 on gameday but fans can purchase parking online for 4-5 dollars cheaper. Here is the link to the full tweet with information. https://twitter.com/NHSRockets/status/668996137668517889

Looking for a ride in and out of Thursday’s game at Fenway? Wellesley cheerleading director Odessa Sanchez passed on this information regarding a fan bus being organized by the cheerleaders to take Wellesley fans to and from Fenway on gameday. For more information please see below and/or contact Odessa directly.

Wellesley/Needham Thanksgiving Game being held on Fenway Park green! 11-26-15 @9am

Any student/family/friends of Wellesley, are eligible to ride a “fan bus” for the fee of $12 per person

Bus will leave approximately 7:30am (or tbd) Thanksgiving morning from WHS parking lot

WHS Cheerleaders will ride the bus with fans to Fenway and back.

Game kick off is at 9:00am.

Interested riders must notify me on today by 3pm.

Thanks,

Odessa Sanchez
WHS Cheer Coach
(857)233-6583

So before we get to the weekly schedule with one big game in particular there were some very noteworthy competitions that took place this weekend that need to be mentioned. First of all the Raider Cross Country teams took to the track in the MIAA State Championship meet yesterday in Westfield and it was quite a day for Thomas D’Anieri who took him the D1 State title and the boys came in 5th overall while the girls finished in 11th. Then today the girls swim team competed in the MIAA State Meet at Harvard taking 4th place overall. Congratulations to all 3 teams on terrific seasons! Now to this weeks schedule which while there are only two events both are very important and special in their own ways.

Schedule for week of 11-23

Wednesday 11-25

Powderpuff @ Needham 1 pm

Thursday 11-26

Football vs Needham (Fenway Park) 9 am

So it’s time for another answer to Raider Friday Trivia question and the answer to today’s question is… John Fadule. That’s right John was the starting quarterback for the 2013 Raider team that defeated Needham 22-6 thanksgiving day for their only win in the last 5 years. John currently is the starting quarterback as a freshmen walk on for Boston College who coincidentally enough plays at Fenway Park tomorrow night against Notre Dame.

Also to stick with the theme of the Thanksgiving game here is today’s Raider Friday Trivia question. The question is what current Division 1 Quarterback was starter for the Raiders the last time they beat Needham back in 2013? Answer will be posted later tonight.

So sticking with the Wellesley/Needham theme this week Fox 25 announced that they will be airing a feature on the rivalry called “More Than A Game” documenting this 128 year old tradition. The feature will air the Saturday after Thanksgiving (28th) at 6:30 pm on Fox 25 so tune in!

Thank you to all off you who commented with your answers and now I am pleased to present the official answers of the 5 pack of Wellesley/Needham trivia questions.

1. The first Wellesley/Needham game was played back in 1882
2. Wellesley owns the overall series lead currently 60-58 with 9 ties
3. The last overtime game was in 2010 when Needham beat Wellesley 20-17 at Needham’s Memorial Field
4. This is the 128th installment of this rivalry
5. Wellesley won the first ever meeting of this rivalry by the score of 4-0

So in the spirit of throw back Thursday I have 5 trivia questions pertaining to the Wellesley Needham rivalry that renews a week from today again at Fenway Park (9 am). Think you know the answers, feel free to comment with either one answer or all 5.

1. What year was the first Wellesley/Needham game played?
2. Who owns the all time series lead currently?
3. When was the last overtime game in this rivalry?
4. What number game is this in the rivalry?
5. Who won the first ever meeting between the two towns and by what score?

So in this video post Peter Santo, Wellesley High School senior and broadcaster for Wellesley Media for some of the Wellesley football games this season take a look at the Wellesley perspective of the 128th Wellesley Needham game coming up a week from tomorrow at Fenway Park. You can find the video on my youtube page. https://www.youtube.com/user/robertin390/videos click on Wellesley Needham preview