Photo: Up for grabs: The failed two-point conversion after Belmont’s second TD.

On a glorious weather day for football – sunny, breezy, and cool – Belmont and Watertown took to the field for the 103rd edition of the annual Thanksgiving day football rivalry held this year at Watertown’s Victory Field.

The last time the Marauders were on their neighbor’s pitch in 2023, Belmont came away with a historic blowout, a decisive 47-0 victory over Watertown capping the team’s first Middlesex League championship in 60 years. But this year would be the last opportunity to secure a much needed “W” as the Marauders had experienced a winless 2025 campaign.

And while the team would equal its high score of the year and kept the Raiders to three TDs, it still wasn’t enough for the Marauders to produce an upset as Watertown took home the winner’s trophy, 21-12.

After a stagnate first quarter in which neither team could produce much offense, Belmont would put together one of its best series of the season: a 13 play, 80 yard drive – all on the ground – that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Belmont’s MVP and all-star candidate Casey Regan would bull his way from two yards out into the endzone with seven minutes remaining in the half. The two point conversion attempt – a run up the middle – was a lost cause.

Soon afterwards, Watertown would take the lead within three minutes as senior running back Gabe Oliveira De Mattos swept around Belmont’s right end for a 22-yard touchdown run. The Raider’s extra point kick was true giving Watertown a 7-6 advantage going into the half.

After going three and out after the half time kickoff, luck appeared to go Belmont’s was the punt was “muffed’ by the Raider returner giving the Marauders a second chance to start the second half with an inkling of momentum. But Belmont once again couldn’t do much and Watertown would take its first drive in the second half methodically into Belmont’s end of the field with Patrick McHugh walking it into the endzone from four-yards out. 14-6 Watertown.

Yet give the Marauders credit as Belmont would find its way into the Watertown endzone, with a rare successful pass to midfield. Three plays later, Regan would bounce to the outside to outrace the defensive back 35-yards to the pylon with seven minutes remaining in the game to cut the lead to 14-12. The two point conversion attempt to potentially tie the game was a jump ball that no one could control.

Despite what could have been a major shift in momentum to Belmont never materialized as Watertown grind the ballgame away with a constant barrage of running plays culminating with Oliveira De Mattos’ second running TD of the morning.