The Wareham Vikings football squad could not hold onto a 19-0 second-half lead over Middleboro, and suffered their second loss of the year, 32-25 at Middleboro's Battis Field.

Wareham played very strongly in the first half, building a 11-0 lead on a touchdown run by Matt Pimental and a field goal by David Gordon in the second quarter.  The defense was able to stop the much heralded Middleboro passing game and stymie their running game.

The lead would grow to 19-0 in the third quarter following a 40-yard gain by Darien Fernandes and a one-yard touchdown run by Charles Trafaglia.

But when the Sachems took over the ball following the Viking kickoff, the Middleboro passing combination of senior quarterback Brian Wiksten and wide receiver Sean Newcomb kicked into high gear.

The combo quickly connected on two long touchdown passes in back-to-back possessions to cut the Wareham lead to six at 19-13.  The Sachems recovered a Wareham fumble following the second TD, and Middleboro running back Dan Nelson ran the ball for a 13-yard touchdown to knot the score at 19-19.

But Wareham was not done.  After another exchange, and with Middleboro clearly having momentum, Wareham's Tyler Pina intercepted a Wiksten pass and ran it back for a touchdown to push the Vikings into the lead again 25-19.

The Wiksten-Newcomb combo struck again on the next Middleboro possession, however, producing a 26-25 lead for the Sachems.  Middleboro would recover another Wareham fumble in Wareham territory, and Wiksten would run in for the final Middleboro score to make finish the scoring at 32-25.

While disappointed with loss, Wareham Coach Dan Nault praised his team's effort.  "[Newcomb] is probably the best receiver you will see this year," Nault told his team afterward.  "Our team faced a lot of adversity in this game from injuries, but the kids really stepped up and played well, especially defensively.  They have heart," Nault said of his team.

With the temperatures in the high 80's with high humidity, the game took its toll on the Viking team.  Two players (Darien Fernandes and Kevin Pesa) suffered injuries that forced them to be held out of action in the second half, which also forced substitutions more frequently than expected.

The Vikings varsity football team's record fell to 1-2.  Their next opponent will be Greater New Bedford Vocation Technical High School on Saturday, October 2 at 11:00 a.m. in New Bedford.