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Leighton, Buccos deliver game-changing plays

Sunday, December, 06 By David Willis
Staff writer

WALTHAM — The names may not be familiar to casual fans, but teammates knew Paul Buccos and Don Leighton were big plays in waiting.

“Paul Buccos is the fastest guy on this team,” said Whittier senior Ralph Hancock.

“Don Leighton is the biggest hitter I’ve seen,” said Buccos.

While their teammates spent the year grabbing headlines and setting records, yesterday it was Buccos and Leighton who turned in the two biggest plays in Whittier football history.

And they took place just 10 seconds apart ... albeit with a halftime break in the middle. One stopped a key score, and the other set one up.

“Leighton came up huge,” said Hancock. “He’s such a big hitter, and he’s always there to save us.”

Whittier led 8-6 with just 33 seconds to go before halftime. But an East Boston squad known for its rushing game was going wild through the air, with QB Troy Williams completing his first five passes heading into the final play of the half.

“We were playing corners coverage with everybody going deep on the last play,” said Leighton. “I stayed as deep as I could, behind everyone else.”

Williams threw deep to jet-quick Brandon Amodeo. The 1,000-yard rusher caught the ball and looked bound for the end zone with a head of steam.

But the 6-foot, 180-pound Leighton came flying up field and knocked Amodeo to the ground as if he had run into a brick wall at the 4-yard line.

And there was no time left.

“He caught the ball and I just drove into him,” he said. “I think it saved the game. If they scored, we’d have had to score twice. It was really a dream come true.”

During the celebration, Leighton received hugs from every player and fan on the field.

“Donnie delivered a huge pop at the goal line,” said Whittier coach Kevin Bradley. “We were playing maybe a little too far back, and he was able to come up and make a huge stick. He is an enforcer and someone that has the ability to play college football.”

Then, it was Buccos’ turn.

“The natural instincts just kicked in,” said the junior. “It was one of the most intense things I have ever experienced. It was an absolute thrill.”

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Buccos hauled in the ball at the 21-yard line and sprinted down the left sideline. He seemed to make every player in the field miss while piling up 78 yards before being caught at the 1-yard line. One play later, Nick Ferreira barrelled in to make the score 14-6.

“He is the fastest kid I have ever seen,” said Leighton. “That play really set the tone for the second half and proved to be very important.”

The return came on the heels of a major adjustment following East Boston recovering an on-side kick in the first quarter.

“That was a huge play by Buccos,” said Bradley. “We had to redesign our kickoff return at halftime because of the way they kicked the ball and it hit one of our guys. Then Buccos steps up and makes a big play.”

Buccos’ return proved more crucial than anyone could have imagined.

Following that score, the Wildcats managed just a single first down on their next three drives — spanning 18 minutes — never advancing past the Jets’ 49-yard line and never even tempting a score. That while East Boston added what could have been a tying touchdown.

So, while the stars were struggling, it was Buccos and Leighton who stepped out of the shadows.

“I though about diving into the end zone,” said Buccos. “That return was very significant. And Don made one amazing play. This is a dream come true.”

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