Westford Academy Football defeated Wayland 37-7 on their Senior Night at home on Friday, Oct. 28, advancing to a record of 6-2 for the season.

Under the Friday night lights, freshman Kaden Silton made his first career start as quarterback for the Ghosts, with prior junior quarterback Jake Cullen moving over to the wide receiver position. This change proved to be successful for WA, as they stifled Wayland on the offensive side of the ball throughout the game.

After back-to-back three-and-outs from WA and Wayland to start the game, WA settled in during their second drive of the contest. Silton started the drive by completing passes to senior Luke Fremault and Cullen for first-down gains. This momentum carried over to a deep touchdown pass from Silton to senior Matty Haggan, giving WA an early 7-0 lead. 

After forcing Wayland to another three-and-out, Silton and Haggan connected for a long touchdown again, this time on a screen pass that Haggan took 75 yards to the house. Following the extra point from senior Peter Burdin, WA led 14-0 after the first quarter.

Led by senior Drew Wilson, WA’s defense continued to prevent Wayland from developing any offensive momentum, causing the Warriors to punt the ball away again. WA capitalized on its defensive efforts, as senior running back Anthony Rudiman carried WA down the field with several strong runs, eventually leading to a Rudiman touchdown, extending their lead to 21-0.

Wayland got the ball back, but failed to find any rhythm on offense, and punted the ball back to WA. With 1:08 left in the first half, Silton led an impressive drive down the field, connecting with Fremault, Cullen, and sophomore wide receiver Alex Wilson to move the chains. A clean pass from Silton to Cullen brought WA to the one-yard line, as the Ghosts called timeout with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Rudiman did the work from there, punching it into the end zone for the Ghosts, and earning them a 28-0 lead after one half of play.

Out of halftime, WA’s defensive gem continued, with Fremault coming down with interceptions on Wayland’s first two possessions of the second half, completely shutting down their offensive flow. On the other hand, Silton continued to impress in his first start for WA, as he and Cullen connected for a long gain on their second drive of the half, leading to a field goal from Burdin to make it 31-0 at the end of the third quarter. 

Wayland’s offense finally showed some life in the fourth quarter, as they scored on a deep touchdown pass early in the final frame, cutting into the deficit and making it 31-7 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

However, WA was not yet done for the night, as Fremault had a long return on the kickoff, providing the Ghosts with field position at midfield to start their final drive of the game. WA easily trotted down the field on the backs of Silton and Rudiman, but this time it was Silton that ran it in for the Ghosts, pushing their lead to 37-7.

Wayland tried to move the ball as the game came to a close, but WA’s defense proved to be unwavering, as the game ended with a score of 37-7.

Silton was thrilled with how his first game under center for WA went and is setting his eyes on what comes next for the 6-2 Ghosts.

“I am just glad to finally get on the field and show what I got,” Silton said. “My coaches and teammates all had trust in me, which made [my job] easy. It was great to get the win on Senior Night.”

WA plays next on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. on their home turf against rival Acton-Boxborough.