At the coin toss before Friday’s Bay State Conference Herget showdown at Brooks Field between Milton and 16th-ranked Wellesley, the host Wildcats did not count on deferring the second-half kick until Saturday.
But with Milton on top, 15-14, at the half, the game was suspended because of continuous lightning strikes. It will be resumed Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
“We just have to go and dry everything out,’’ said Milton coach Steve Dembowski. “Nothing you can do to change the game plan.’’
A number of other games were pushed into Saturday or Sunday because of lightning and downpours, including the BC High at Xaverian and Acton-Boxborough at Lincoln-Sudbury matchups.
Wellesley (6-0) took the opening kickoff on a rain-soaked field. On the first play from scrimmage, senior tailback Grant Chryssicas fumbled. Milton converted the recovery into a 29-yard field goal by Aidan Walsh.
Wellesley answered with a 5-yard scramble for a score by junior quarterback Jack Tishman.
Seniors David Brundage and Koby Osazee scored touchdowns and Tishman ran for his second for Wellesley, with junior Terrance Driscoll converting the point-after. But Walsh missed both his kicks in the severe weather.
In Westwood, with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter and Xaverian protecting a 10-0 lead over BC High, the game was stopped because of lightning. Accompanied by a downpour, officials waited 54 minutes before calling the contest.
Play will resume Saturday at 3.
Mother Nature proved to be a factor all evening, as Xaverian’s heralded defense dominated on a turf doused in rain. BC star back Danny Abraham was held to minus-8 yards on 14 carries, while quarterback Connor Cady failed to complete a pass.
The Hawks also struggled to gain traction, but broke through midway through the second quarter on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mattison Cronin to Mekhi Henderson.
Xaverian added 3 more early in the third on a 33-yard field goal from junior Brian Fallon.
In Sudbury, vying for the Dual County League Large title, Acton-Boxborough and Lincoln-Sudbury will resume play Saturday at 7, with the game scoreless with 6:30 left in the first quarter. A-B has first and 10 at the Lincoln-Sudbury 23-yard line.
In the Bay State Conference, the Norwood at Natick game will be resumed Saturday at 3, with the host Redhawks on top, 7-0, with 2:37 left in the first quarter. The Brookline at Needham game will be picked up Sunday morning at 10, with the game scoreless.
Ninth-ranked Dartmouth and Barnstable will play Saturday at 7, while the Mystic Valley at Chelsea game will resume, 0-0, at 5.
The MIAA Football Committee is scheduled to meet Sunday morning at 10 in Franklin to finalize the North and South tournament pairings for all eight divisions.
According to Richard Pearson, associate executive director of the MIAA, the schools and the committee “have a desire to complete all games by Saturday, if possible.
“This would allow thorough seeding and then information to schools about their opponents for next weekend. We will re-evaluate games and conditions again Saturday during the day. We are aware of some games being scheduled for Sunday.
“Considering where we stand tomorrow will help us have an understanding of the impact of those Sunday games. We hope to have the seeding on Sunday morning for as many divisions as possible but will still need to make that final call tomorrow.’’
Correspondents Michael McMahon, Owen Pence and staff writer Craig Larson also contributed to this report.
