- Watertown and Belmont face off in the 2018 Thanksgiving Day football game in Belmont at 10:15 a.m.
The 2018 Watertown-Belmont football game features the most evenly matched teams in several years.
The Thanksgiving Day game begins at 10:15 a.m. at Belmont’s Harris Field. Follow the action live here:
Final Belmont 33, Watertown 20.
147 left 4th, O’Connell runs for 12 yard Touchdown, Belmont leads 33-20.
340 left 4th, Watertown turns it over on downs at the Belmont 48. 26-20 Marauders
6 min left 4th, Watertown strips Belmont and takes over at 50
843 left 4th. Raiders moved ball to own 49, but snap over QBs head loses 18.
1055 left 4th, Arno scores on QB sneak. Extra point blocked. 26-20 Belmont
End of 3rd, Belmont had run the ball to the Raiders 1 yard line
Raiders start with the ball, drive to the Belmont 26, but turn it over on 4th and 9. 522 left third.
Halftime, Watertown gets to Belmont 45 as clock runs out. 20-20
417 left 2nd, Kilian O’Connell scores on 12 yard run . Tied 20-20
624 left, Belmont recovers kick off tha hit WHS player
631 left second, Belmont goes for it 4th and 2, QB Avery Arno scores on a keeper from 26 yards out. Raiders lead 20-13
End of first, after a Watertown 3 and out both teams had drives stall at midfield. Watertown punt muffed but Belmont recovers on own 2.
751 left. Belmont RB Rhaki Joseph runs for a 55 yard Touchdown. Extra point missed. 20-6 Watertown
847 left, Nick McDermott finds Camara wide open for 40 yard Touchdown. 20-0 Watertown
856 left. After onside kick recovery ws called back, Watertown kicked it high. Belmont player dropped it and Raiders recover.
909 left, David Manoukian scores from 2 yds out. 13-0 Watertown
949 left – kickoff hits Belmont player again. Camara recovered and ran to the Belmont 9
958 left first- Karim Monroe fumbled, Mange Camara picks it up on a bounce an scored a TD. Extra point no good. Raiders
Raiders kick off hits a Belmont player and Watertown recovered
10:15 am The Raiders and Marauders are getting ready to renew their Thanksgiving rivalry
Game Preview
The Raiders have won the last six games against their rivals, including last year’s 35-16 win at Victory Field. The previous four years, Watertown came into to the game as a playoff team, including three straight trips to the North Section final (and a Div. 5 North Section title in 2017). Meanwhile, Belmont missed the play offs each of those years.
In 2018, the tables have turned, with the Marauders making the Div. 3 North playoffs with a 3-4 regular season record and Watertown being left out after going 1-6 in the regular season.
Charlie Breitrose
Senior running back Mange Camara is back after missing most of the season with an injury suffered in the second game against Cambridge Rindge & Latin.
Both teams come into the Thanksgiving game with a record of 4-6. Watertown put together a three game winning streak against non-playoff foes: Lynnfield, Boston Latin and Newburyport. The Raiders got a boost against Newburyport with the return of senior running back Mange Camara, who got injured against Cambridge Rindge & Latin in the second came of the season. Senior quarterback Nick McDermott is also a threat to run or pass.
Belmont is lead by quarterback Avery Arno and running back Rhaki Joseph, who scored three touchdowns in the 50-35 loss in the first round of the playoffs at Danvers. After the loss, the Marauders beat Burlington in a non-playoff, non-league game, before falling in its last game by Melrose in another non-playoff, non-league game.