The Newton North High School football team stormed back from a 13-point deficit against Brookline High School at their annual Thanksgiving game – the 131st game in this historic series. On a warm afternoon at Fenway Park, the Tigers pulled off a blocked punt, a tough touchdown grab, and a late interception in the fourth quarter to seal their first winning season in at least five years.
Rain delay and a tough start
The game, originally scheduled for Tuesday night, November 25, was pushed to Wednesday due to rain. Head coach Nick Capodilupo shared disappointment from the team after working hard all week in preparation, only to be told to wait another day.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster,” Capodilupo said.
Assistant coach Michael Coscione said the team arrived at Fenway feeling some nerves as they toured the dugout and set up in the away locker room. The tension heightened by Newton North’s noticeably smaller Newton North crowd as a result of the delay. Conversely, Coscione estimated Brookline brought in a couple hundred fans.
“At first, it was a little overwhelming,” Coscione said.
Coscione went on to note that normally the Tigers are good about setting a positive tone, but this day they struggled.
Brookline found their own rhythm right away. Quarterback Brendan Bottiglieri led Brookline on two long scoring drives, both ending in touchdown passes in the second quarter.
Capodilupo credited Brookline for making some great plays in the first half. He said, “You never want to be down as a team but we’re prepared for these types of situations.” He reminded his players to stay calm.
“It’s counterintuitive,” Capodilupo said. “Sometimes the thing that is more mentally tough to do is to stay the course and make sure you’re using your technique and not get away from what you do so well.”
Quarterback Freddy Torcasio and the other captains on the team gathered up all the seniors to rally them for the second half.
“This is the last 24 minutes of our lives, just leave everything on the field,” Torcasio told them.
Senior Milo Schneider said he looked around the locker room at the end of the first half thinking that they couldn’t lose to Brookline like this.
North showed their first spark of hope with a 41-yard run by running back Dylan Leone in the third quarter.
Fourth quarter push
“The momentum shifted in the fourth quarter,” Coscione said.
After a successful drive, Leone ran in for a touchdown. “It feels good to have him as my running back and send him the ball to let him work,” Torcasio said.
North converted the extra point with a kick.
The defense held Brookline, stopping them for three plays in a row without getting a first down. Brookline was forced to punt. Coscione said they had been practicing for this type of scenario all week.
In their film study, the coaches noticed Brookline’s punting unit struggled – a weakness they thought they could exploit.
They practiced the block in the week leading up to the game. They determined that in the punting position if the snap were wobbly or if the punter took extra time, then they could block it.
Senior Jacob Goodwin blocked the punt. He recovered the ball and gave the offense a strong position.
“It was incredible to see it come to life,” Coscione exclaimed.
Torcasio didn’t have time to celebrate, as it was up to the offense to capitalize on the block.
“I blacked out and realized I had to flip a switch,” Torcasio said. “It’s time for me to go on offense and finish the job.”
Schneider and Torcasio have been close friends since elementary school, and they have developed a tight chemistry over many years of playing together.
“I remember Freddy and I walking on the field, we looked at each other and we knew we were about to score,” Schneider said.
As they lined up before the snap, the crowd chanted over and over, “I believe that we will win!”
“You could feel the electricity on the sideline,” Capodilupo said.
Torcasio set his sights on Schneider and threw the ball deep into the endzone.
“I knew the second the ball was in the air, it was my ball, and I wasn’t going to let [the defender] get it,” Schneider said.
He caught it right before the edge of the endzone as he gracefully landed inbounds.
The sideline erupted. Teammates swarmed Schneider.
“There probably wasn’t a bigger catch that’s been made for Newton North football against Brookline in a long time,” Capodilupo said. This year marked the 131st meeting between the two teams.
Coscione said watching the play unfold over two defenders felt surreal from the sidelines.
“It was an incredible catch,” Coscione said. “At that point, we were comfortable.”
North converted for another extra point to lead the game 14-13.
Capodilupo said the defense made several adjustments in the second half to pressure the Brookline offense. They focused on getting to the quarterback faster and forcing him to release the ball earlier. Capodilupo told his defense to rally and tackle, knowing Brookline couldn’t afford to waste time on five-yard gains over the middle.
The pressure paid off. Forced into a rushed throw, the Brookline quarterback sent the ball up for grabs – and junior Nico Atwood jumped the route, securing the interception.
Coscione said Atwood entered the season unsure how much he would play given the team’s depth, but Atwood kept showing up and improving.
“His work ethic is unmatched,” Coscione said.
His interception sealed the win.
A winning season
Coscione, who was once a player himself, has worked in the program for two years.
He said it was exciting to see how the players came together throughout the season.
“They all played for each other,” Coscione said. “No matter what, these kids didn’t give up.”
“We went through a bunch of ups and downs this year,” he said. The team just barely missed the playoffs, so this win was especially meaningful.
“You’ve got a crew of guys who are pretty selfless, and that’s the brand of football we’ve tried to create,” Capodilupo said. “Sacrificing for one another and caring about each other.”
All year, Capodilupo said, the Tigers had embraced that team-first mentality. When they laid out their goals back in preseason in mid-August, one of the top priorities – as always – was to beat Brookline.
Capodilupo said he appreciates the moral victories over the course of a season – the games where the team hangs in and fights back – but seeing that effort rewarded with a win like this is special.
The kids have practiced six days a week, and sometimes seven. They’ve spent hours in the film room and the weight room, putting in all the preparation the season demands.
Capodilupo said that while coaches can preach culture and accountability, it ultimately comes down to the players.
“This is a crew that bought in,” he said.
See video highlights by Newton North Football on Hudl.
