SEEKONK — The dream of a second playoff berth in three years for the Seekonk High School football team was dashed Friday night, Nov. 6, under the lights at Connelly Field as visiting Wareham played the role of spoiler with a 16-6 victory over the Warriors in a South Coast Conference contest.

The loss dropped Seekonk to 5-2 in the conference standings while the Vikings improved to 4-2 in the league.

Also of note from around the SCC Friday night, Dighton-Rehoboth captured the conference title and the accompanying Division Three playoff berth with a victory of Fairhaven. The win upped the Falcons’ record to 6-0. The Blue Devils fell to 5-2.

“I’m proud of these kids. They played awful hard, especially when you get the kind of injury we got to one of our running backs, Matt Lockwood,” SHS head coach Jack Whalen said, referring to the loss of his standout junior fullback to an ankle sprain in the first half of the contest.

“They tried to respond,” Whalen continued. “They knew after that we were pretty much one dimensional. We still ended up putting one in the endzone. I’m proud of these kids. They played awful hard. They never gave up.”

All of the scoring Friday took place in the second half. Wareham scored the game’s initial touchdown on its ensuing drive after holding the Warriors to a three-and-out on the first possession of the third quarter.

The Vikings used 10 plays to cover 76 yards to touch. Running back Edwin Bennett did most of the work on the march, carrying four times, including an eight-yard burst to give his side a first-and-goal at the Seekonk one. Backfield-mate Patrick Murphy had the biggest burst of the possession, a 35-yard scamper to the Warriors’ 11. Only a saving tackle by Seekonk defensive back D.J. Anderson kept Murphy from scoring. Four plays later, however, the Vikings did when quarterback Jon Lydon snuck in from the one. Bennett’s run for two made the score 8-0 Wareham with 3 minutes, 45 seconds left in the period.

“We were pleased with what did in the first half. They have so much talent in their backfield. We knew it was only going to be a matter of time before they began to chew up yardage. We knew we couldn’t hold those guys down forever. They have a strong, strong backfield,” Whalen said of Wareham’s runners and its mid-line option attack.

Seekonk’s ensuing possession stalled at the Vikes’ 47, forcing the locals to punt. Joe Teixeira did, sending Murphy scurrying back to make a catch on the ball. Wareham’s returner, though, mistakenly, caught the kick at his own one. He avoided a disastrous result by squeezing through the Warriors’ kick coverage for about a 25-yard gain. That return, however, was nullified by a clipping penalty, which brought the ball all the way back to the Wareham one.

A Murphy burst for 20 yards and later a Bennett run for 14 got the Vikings out the shadow of their own goal. Just as important, the two first downs they gained took precious time off the clock. The drive did eventually stall at the Wareham 40. The punt that followed took a big bounce and could have fielded by returners Teixeira or Anderson. Neither came up to get the ball, and it rolled for another 10-plus yards to the Seekonk 20.

The Warriors took over with 4:16 showing on the clock and went to the air in search of a big play. They actually got two important breaks en route to their lone TD of the night. One was provided by Wareham, which was called for a roughing penalty on Seekonk QB Jake Lyman following an incomplete toss on a third-and-seven play. With a fresh set of downs at their own 38, Lyman then rolled right and hit an open Teixeira down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown. Lyman’s toss was in the air for about 30 yards. Teixeira did the rest, avoiding a couple of would-be tacklers to the endzone with 2:48 left in the fourth quarter.

“(Lyman) threw a nice ball. It was a nice catch, nice run,” said Whalen, who credited assistant coach Victor Andreozzi for calling the “Wheel” route.

The senior co-captain's exuberance, however, would cost the Warriors a realistic chance at attempting the tying two-point conversion. Teixeira was flagged for an unsportsman-like conduct foul after the side judge claimed he spiked the ball after scoring, a no-no at the high school level. The resulting 15-yard penalty took Seekonk’s go for two from the three-yard line back to the 18. Lyman, under a heavy rush, threw late and incomplete, leaving the Vikings still up by a pair, 8-6.

“It is what it is. The penalty hurt. I’m not going to say it didn’t,” said Whalen. “It’s awful hard to get an 18-yard point-after attempt. It’s a tough loss. The kids are feeling it. Joey did a good job for us, but it is what it is.”

Any thoughts the Warriors had of pulling out a last-ditch victory ended soon after. Consecutive first-down runs by Bennett (11 yards) and Murphy (28) brought the ball into Seekonk territory. Bennett’s second 11-yard run, a cut-back to the middle, all but locked up the win for Wareham with 1:43 remaining and with Seekonk having only one timeout left. The Vikes then put the game on ice when Murphy raced 31 yards to paydirt with 62 seconds to go. Bennett added two more points on the conversion for good measure.

Seekonk plays its final non-league game of the regular season, Nov. 13, when the Warriors travel to Nauset. The locals then conclude their season Thanksgiving Day by hosting rival D-R.