Melrose Wins Div. 4 Super Bowl

MELROSE, MA — The Melrose Red Raiders are your Division 4 Super Bowl champions. Melrose put a hurting on Nashoba in a 21-0 victory Saturday at Gillette Stadium, finishing the season with a perfect 13-0 record.

Junior running back Isaac Seide finished his touchdown flurry of a season with two more scores, and sophomore quarterback Charlie Stanton scored another.

Nashoba entered with one of the state's best defenses, allowing less than 10 points a game. But it was Melrose that pitched the shutout.

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The Chieftains looked more physical after the first two series of the first quarter, but the offense was left toothless and one-dimensional after quarterback Sam Bolinsky hurt his ankle on a successful fourth-down sneak in the first quarter. Receiver Breese Hill took over at QB, but without a passing threat, Melrose was able to snuff out the Chieftains' tough running game.

On offense, Seide ripped off a couple of big runs, but was mostly dragging his team up and down the field with solid chunk rushes. He finished 2017 with 23 touchdowns.

Seide really got going in the second quarter after a 36-yard jaunt up the left sideline. He scored on a short run a couple plays later, and Mike Calvert's kick made it 7-0.

Bolinksy tried to play a series, but had a noticeable limp and was again replaced by Hill. Bolinksy was brought to the locker room early in the first half, and carted off the field shortly before the end of the game.

Seide scored again in the third, making it 14-0. Nashoba, feeling the pressure, finally put together some offensive momentum. With Nashoba threatening to cut into the lead, Hill was intercepted on fourth down by Chris Cusolito, who returned the ball about 50 yards and set up Melrose's final touchdown drive.

Jack Whitley's interception with less than a minute left secured the shutout.

Melrose was playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since losing to Dartmouth in the 2015 Division 3 game. Nashoba was there in 2015 as well, winning the 2015 Division 2 Super Bowl.

Photo by Mike Zwirko