NATICK Handshakes. Long embraces. A light kiss on tear-stained cheeks.
Natick football coach Mark Mortarelli and his Redhawks processed their 20-17 Division 1 quarterfinal loss to No. 5 Central Catholic in overtime as the Raiders raised the Final Four trophy on Memorial Field.
“All of us love each other so much,” Natick senior captain Mike Whalen said. “We’ve been playing together for 12 years, most of us.”
They won a playoff game for the first time since 2021 and came within a play of the program’s first Final Four berth in the statewide tournament. Central Catholic punted the ball with 33 seconds remaining to the Natick 19.
Redhawks quarterback Matt Caissie fired a 39-yard strike to Joe MacDonell to get to the CC 42. He completed another 16-yard pass to Charlie Lewis and a 4-yard slant to MacDonnell to reach the 21 with three seconds remaining.
Natick, the No. 4 seed, sent out kicker Brayden Lewis. Central Catholic took two timeouts to ice him before he attempted the 38-yard field goal. The attempt landed right and short to send the game to overtime tied at 14.
The Redhawks turned to Lewis again from the 13 in overtime. He struck true to put Natick up 17-14 and put pressure on the Raiders to convert.
They needed just two plays before Central Catholic quarterback Caden Smith followed a caravan of blockers off left tackle before cutting inside for the decisive 4-yard touchdown and a 20-17 win. Smith ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
“We tried, man,” Whalen said. “That’s all I can say, we tried.”
Natick trailed 14-0 after the first 14 minutes. Central Catholic marched its first two possessions for long drives capped by rushing touchdowns. Smith powered in from 2 yards out to cap a 10-play opening dirve that featured nine runs.
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The Redhawks went three and out, squandering a kick return to the CC 26. The Raiders then ran eight times on another 10-play drive. Smith finished that off with a three-yard touchdown run with 10:12 to halftime.
“They made us look silly in the first half,” Natick coach Mark Mortarelli said. “Then we buckled down and tackled better.”
Caissie also came alive. Natick couldn’t move the ball running it after dominating on the ground all season. The sophomore connected on a 48-yard touchdown pass with Brandon Leshinski with 7:37 to halftime. Caissie threw for 172 yards.
He also orchestrated a no-huddle drive with five completions in the final few minutes of the second quarter that James Mortarelli finished with a 3-yard touchdown with 29 seconds on the clock. It tied the game at 14, and Natick was set to receive the second-half kickoff.
“He’s gonna be a D1 QB one day,” Whalen said. “I think he’s got great poise in the pocket, and he can whip that ball.”
Neither team found traction in the second half. They traded turnovers on downs and punts, fighting over field position and the clock. Natick’s Chris Albert broke up a Central Catholic pass on fourth down in the last 10 minutes that would have put the Raiders in the Red zone.
The Redhawks also sniffed out a fake punt on their own 42 with 3:49 left. Their next drive was stopped short of the sticks on fourth down.
“We didn’t take advantage of them going backward on penalties,” Coach Mortarelli said. “We had to take advantage of more opportunities that we had. They did and we didn’t. That’s why they’re moving on, and we’re not.”
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The Raiders will face No. 1 St. John’s Prep in the state semifinals, a rematch of a 47-21 Eagles victory in September
Natick is turning its eye toward its annual Thanksgiving rivalry game with Framingham.
“This senior class is special to me for a lot of reasons,” coach Mortarelli said. “I’ve been watching them play football since second grade.”
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Caden Smith scores in overtime for Central Catholic football in Natick