EASTHAMPTON – The final ledger won't come out unblemished for Williston Northampton football, but the Wildcats still have one more game in the bank for themselves this fall.

Williston rode a 7-0 start to the season into Saturday's regular-season finale at Sawyer Field, before visiting Brunswick School made its road trip from Greenwich, Conn., a rousing success, bolting to a 27-0 lead at the half and laying a 43-7 licking on the Wildcats.

"They're a great team, and they don't really have any holes," said Williston coach Tom Beaton. "They did a great job today with their execution. They ran the ball well, they stopped the run, and that's what we couldn't do today."

Amherst Regional product Jameson Dion provided the Wildcats' only touchdown of the day midway through the third quarter. His 1-yard TD run capped a 14-play, 63-yard drive, and Joey Killcommons added the extra point, bringing Williston to within 27-7 at that point. Dion ran 20 times for 52 yards on the day, just behind teammate Brooks Connors' team-best 56 yards on nine second-half carries.

Davian McDonald completed 4-of-13 passes for 47 yards for the Wildcats, including a 32-yarder to Troy Worrell. In all, Williston put up 142 yards of total offense.

Brunswick (8-1) proved a powerful wagon behind dual-threat quarterback Blake Hebert, a new Notre Dame commit who recently flipped from Clemson. With just under three minutes to go, after the Bruins had stopped Williston on downs at the 1-yard line, Hebert broke loose for a 99-yard touchdown run along the left sideline to heap extra indignity on the Wildcats. That boosted him to 205 rushing yards on 12 tries with two touchdowns, along with a 5-of-13 passing afternoon for 65 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. 

Jaylen Noisette (77 yards, touchdown) and Zay Smith (44 yards, touchdown) also contributed to a Brunswick ground attack that amassed 346 yards. The Bruins finished up their day with 411 total yards. Even the special teams shone behind placekicker Oliver Reynolds, who launched field goals of 44 and 39 yards in the second quarter.

The Bruins needed less than four minutes at the start with an 85-yard drive to get the early jump. Hebert's 45-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw, followed by Reynolds' extra point, put the visitors up 7-0 with 8:03 left in the first.

Williston then drove to the Brunswick 27 before McDonald fumbled and Henry Johnson covered the loose ball for the Bruins. That got them started on a 73-yard drive. Noah Park had a 13-yard run and caught a 13-yard pass from Hebert, and Noisette finished it off with a 23-yard scoring run less than a minute into the second quarter.

After a three-and-punt series dogged by a 14-yard loss on a bad shotgun snap from center, Brunswick took over at the Williston 25 and needed only two plays to reach the end zone again. This time Hebert lofted a 24-yard pass to Matt Colella on a go route, and the visitors were in business with a 21-0 lead.

The next two Wildcat series ended in a turnover on downs and a punt, enabling Reynolds to tack on six points with his two long-distance kicks, the second coming only four seconds before halftime.

Following Williston's successful series to open the third quarter, Brunswick drove again deep into Wildcat territory before Hebert's rainbow pass was picked off by Dion at the 1-yard line. In that tight spot against the goal line, though, another wild snap from center eluded McDonald and rolled through the back of the end zone, good for a safety and a 29-7 Bruins lead.

Smith (18 yards) and Hebert (99) added their clinching touchdowns for Brunswick in the fourth quarter.

Williston will host Cheshire Academy in a NEPSAC bowl game on Saturday (time TBD) at Sawyer Field. The Wildcats already beat Cheshire, 49-41, earlier this season.

"Fortunately, we've got one game left, and that's where our eyes are at," said Beaton. "Our goal at the beginning of the year was to win a bowl game, and we still have an opportunity to do that."