NEEDHAM — Saturday’s weather was unpleasant. However, in spite of the conditions, it was an unforgettable start for Belmont Hill football fans.

In the midst of a rain-soaked war, Jack Barrett sprinted for the game-sealing touchdown with 11:56 left in regulation, as he and his teammates rallied from an early deficit for a memorable 10-7 victory to open the ISL season against St. Sebastian’s.

“It doesn’t matter who we play, where we play, what elements we play in,” said Belmont Hill coach Anthony Fucillo. “It’s all about Belmont Hill football. Not to get hyped up in a big game like this, just to really stay grounded and execute well. We didn’t have great field position to start the game, and we were backed up a lot. So, once we finally got over the 50 and we were able to get our running game going, that was kind of the game.”

As the wind howled around the St. Sebastian’s campus, both schools struggled mightily to stage a big drive until the waning seconds of the first quarter, when the Arrows (0-1) entered a goal line formation. As the team attempted a quarterback sneak, the ball was punched free and recovered by Belmont Hill (1-0) to keep it a scoreless contest.

“It happened on both sides with the QB sneak,” Fucillo said afterward. “It happened to us too. We’re two shotgun teams, and we don’t do a ton of it (either). … But our defense was phenomenal all day. Phenomenal.”

St. Sebastian’s Kaelan Chudzinski, bottom, loses his footing as he attempts to turn back for a pass against Belmont Hill’s Jordan Summers in Needham. (Photo by Paul Connors/Media News Group/Boston Herald)

The scoring drought held until there was 4:12 left in the first half, when St. Sebastian’s senior quarterback Ty Ciongoli fired a shot downfield for Kaelan Chudzinski. The wideout corralled the pass for a 35-yard touchdown reception, tumbling into the end zone as the Arrows seized a 7-0 edge.

Belmont Hill was able to stage a final drive to cap the second quarter, with Dylan Casillo drilling a 23-yard field goal to trim things to a 7-3 game at the break.

One of the most critical points in the game came with just over two minutes to play in the third frame, as a misplayed handoff by St. Sebastian’s resulted in another fumble for the Arrows. Junior Cameron Kelley was there to recover at the opposing 41-yard line for Belmont Hill, setting the stage for Barrett’s heroics.

As the fourth quarter opened, Barrett received a carry in the red zone, bowling over a tackler at the goal line to put Belmont Hill ahead for the first time all day at 10-7. Then, it was up to his group’s defense to finish the job.

St. Sebastian’s staged a methodical drive later in the stanza, looking to win the game. The Arrows marched into Belmont Hill territory before finding themselves faced with a do-or-die fourth down situation. Ciongoli’s ensuing attempt fell incomplete, and Belmont Hill players began to celebrate.

Junior quarterback Reis Little completed 9-of-13 passes for 75 yards through the air for Belmont Hill, and added seven carries for 67 yards rushing. In addition to Barrett in the ground game, the team was also powered by Marcus Griffin (12 carries, 56 yards). Duke commit Tommy Rupley had two receptions for 20 yards in the effort, and stepped up big defensively as well.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” said Rupley. “We work all week for this. We work seven days a week for this. It’s the best feeling. Coach (Fucillo) put in a great game plan for us this week. We just executed, dominated, and came out with the win at the end. It’s the best feeling ever.”