Football Wallops Braintree For First Win of Season

October 16, 2026

• The Rockets ended a five-game skid with the road win at the Wamps. 

Needham football visited Braintree on Friday night looking to win their first game of the 2026 season. They not only won, but pounded their Bay State Conference rival, 21-7.

Sophomore running back Preston Pinckney led the way, rushing for 173 yards and the first touchdown of the game for the Rockets, a 59-yarder in the second quarter.

Nick Saunders got the Wamps on the board first, with a five-yard TD run late in the first quarter that gave Braintree a 7-0 lead heading to the second. But Needham responded with Pinckney’s big score.

The Rockets then took the lead for the first time on a three-yard touchdown play-action pass from quarterback Jack Ringer to Mason Hark. Needham’s lead at halftime was 14-7, their biggest lead of the 2026 campaign.

But it would get better from there, as in the third quarter Needham scored again, this time on a seven-yard TD strike from Ringer to Matthew Gilchrist. At 21-7, the Rockets led by double digits for the first time this year.

The Rockets have struggled out of the gate, losing four of their first five games by significant margins, and only leading once this season, against Lincoln-Sudbury back on Sept. 18 before Needham fell 12-7. Braintree came in with just one win, at 1-4.

But on this rainy Friday night, things went Needham’s way. Ringer finished with 70 yards passing and the two touchdowns, though he did throw an interception with about seven minutes left in the game.

Risenmay had 26 yards on the ground, all in the second half. Gilchrist finished with 37 receiving yards, including his touchdown.

The Rockets were trying to seal the win, but instead did so on their next possession, starting with around five minutes left. Pickney and junior Bode Risenmay ran out the clock picking up a few first downs before Ringer took a knee to finish the job.

Needham (1-5) will return home for one more regular season game at Memorial Field, for Senior Night on Oct. 22 against Weymouth. The Needham Channel will be there to record a broadcast to air the following Monday.