SWAMPSCOTT — Melrose coach Tim Morris had been waiting since before last Thanksgiving to reach the 200-win club.
On Friday night at Blocksidge Field, the fifth time was the charm.
The Raiders took a Swampscott haymaker on the third quarter and responded by scoring 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to snare a 34-27 win over the Big Blue.
“It’s a great win for the kids’ psyche,” Morris said. “They stuck with it and came up big at the end.”
It looked like it was heading for another heartbreaking loss for the Raiders (1-2) after Swampscott ripped off three touchdowns in a little more than six minutes of game time to take a 21-14 third quarter lead.
That’s where Melrose quarterback Jack Feeney (116 yards passing, 90 rushing) took control.
His 15-yard touchdown pass to Marco Albanese tied the game with 2:52 left in the third. Then after the defense held Swampscott three and out, he gave Melrose the lead for good on the first play of the fourth quarter when he fired a strike to Nick Hitchman for a 36-yard score and a 28-21 lead.
“Jack is such a student of the game,” Morris said. “He put us on his back late in the game and carried us.”
Swampscott turned it over at midfield on its next possession and Melrose capitalized with a 10-play, 49-yard drive that Albanese capped with a five-yard run to make it 34-21.
Swampscott (2-2) didn’t go away as John von Barta (17 of 28, 205 yards) hit Jay Domelowicz for a three-yard touchdown that cut the lead to seven with 3:14 left.
The Big Blue held with less than a minute to go and a pair of completions for the ball near midfield in the waning seconds but a sack and three incompletions allowed Melrose to finally celebrate.
Another thing that had Melrose celebrating was stonewalling the Big Blue on a pair of goal line stands in the second quarter that sent them to the half leading 14-7.
“Those goal line stands were huge,” Morris said. “The kids kept working and kept believing.”
“I’ve been blessed to coach in a program and a town that loves football. I’ve had great coaches and kids over the years. I share this with all of them,” Morris added.
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