WALPOLE – After a wealth of opportunities were snuffed in the first half, and No. 6 Norwood scored midway through the second quarter, No. 4 Walpole faced its toughest challenge Friday night when it trailed for the first time all season in a nonleague field hockey matchup of unbeaten state title contenders.

But junior Kate Schneider and senior Caitlyn Naughton led Walpole (9-0) to four unanswered goals in a 4-1 win over the Mustangs (8-1). Schneider and Naughton each tallied a goal and an assist, overcoming a tremendous performance from Norwood goalie Ava O’Neil (22 saves), which included a signature save on a penalty stroke.

Make it 23 straight wins for Walpole.

“By far, definitely our biggest game yet, Norwood was very, very good,” said Porkers head coach Jen Quinn. “It’s something that we don’t always have, but that relentlessness is the perfect word. … You don’t even have a second to breathe, and that’s just them. They just have that tenacity and that drive to just keep going, and keep going and keep going.”

“I think beating Norwood by three is an accomplishment, they’re very good,” Schneider added. “We’re both skilled teams, and I think beating them by three really shows that we can go far.”

Walpole showed off its typical dose of pressure in the first half, but Norwood met it with a strong defensive showing to limit shots on O’Neil. Each of the senior’s four saves in the first quarter were tough, though she seemed to handle it with ease while Bridget Sople, Ava Hines, Evann O’Neil and Emma Penza made quality plays in front of her.

Pair that with Ally Mannering’s goal midway through the second quarter, and Norwood had the momentum.

Walpole made sure it didn’t last long, with Schneider flashing toward the middle of the circle four minutes later, drawing O’Neil into a kick-slide. Naughton was right to the ball, finishing off a goal to tie things up.

The Porkers generated 11 shots on goal and five offensive corners in the third quarter. Schneider scored the go-ahead goal two minutes in. Kendal Cusack notched an insurance goal on a corner with 1:44 left in the frame.

“Them shutting us down in the first (half) really made us more determined,” Schneider said. “(The first half) was really frustrating. That goalie was a very good goalie. … We got so many shots, so I think that frustrated us into getting four goals.”

Part of what made the goal for the 3-1 lead notable was its never-quit aspect.

Walpole had a chance to separate from Norwood earlier in the frame with a penalty stroke, but Cusack’s shot to the low right corner was saved by O’Neil to keep it 2-1.

Naughton’s return two minutes later led to an offensive corner, and she assisted Cusack for the goal.

“I called the play that incorporates both of them, and they finished,” Quinn said. “It’s just having that faith that they’re going to turn it around and they’re going to do what they’re supposed to do.”

In other field hockey action, Haley Wernig scored twice as Franklin defeated Canton 4-2 in the Hockomock League.

Maura Richardson had a goal and an assist as Case (4-3-3) beat Westport 2-1 in a nonleague contest. … Abby Lancaster and Maddy Sedgwick each scored their first varsity goal as Dartmouth (4-2-1) beat Apponequet, 2-0.

Football

A.J. Pinet and Ben Bogie each scored two touchdowns as Dedham (1-2) defeated Bellingham 26-14 in the Tri-Valley League.

Xavier Roman threw three touchdown passes as Cathedral (3-0) defeated Cardinal Spellman 18-7 in the Catholic Central League.

Max Dresens ran for 223 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries as Wayland (3-0) rolled to a 49-0 win over Acton-Boxboro in the Dual County League.

Ryan Scull ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Drew Beck secured three sacks as Arlington (3-1) took down Lexington 50-8 in the Middlesex League.

Justin Marques and Richie Senna combined to rush for 285 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries as Fairhaven (3-1) defeated Greater New Bedford 41-13 in the South Coast Conference.

In the Mayflower League, due to an electrical issue, the Tri-County/Southeastern game was suspended in the second quarter with Tri-County ahead, 8-2. The game will be resumed at a later date. … Nathan Marden rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries as Old Colony defeated South Shore, 26-20.

Khamari Jaques threw for two scores as Tech Boston (3-1) defeated O’Bryant 20-8 in the Boston City League.

Drew Alsup picked off a pair of passes, returning one of them for a score as Central Catholic (2-2) defeated Billerica 30-16 in the Merrimack Valley Conference. … … Ben Chen ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns over 11 carries, and Jesse Moran ran for 105 yards and a score and caught a touchdown pass as Westford Academy cruised past Belmont, 49-0.

Jake Reilly and Noel Castro each ran for a pair of scores as Attleboro (2-2) defeated Sharon 42-0 in the Hockomock League.

Otto Indelicato ran for four touchdowns as North Reading (3-0) rolled to a 35-6 Cape Ann League win over Hamilton-Wenham. … DJ DiCarlo ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries while also catching a touchdown pass as Amesbury (2-1) outscored Pentucket, 38-28. … Liam Friis caught eight passes for 148 yards and a touchdown and he also added a 40-yard field goal as Triton defeated Manchester-Essex 24-8 to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2016. … Tyler Adamo completed 10-of-11 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns as Lynnfield blanked Ipswich, 42-0.

In a nonleague contest, Sam Hubbard scored three touchdowns as Natick (3-1) defeated Milford, 28-7. … Nick Pedroli had 175 receiving yards and caught four touchdown passes from Julian Rivard as Hopkinton (1-2) rolled past Newton South, 42-14. … Jayden Barber completed 12-of-17 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 57 yards and two more scores as Dennis-Yarmouth (3-1) defeated Dover-Sherborn, 35-14.

Nate Gomes rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns as Randolph (3-0) defeated Brighton, 43-0. … Ty Holmes ran for 330 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries as West Bridgewater (2-2) cruised to a 42-0 win over Dighton Rehoboth. … Kevin Ozulumba ran for two touchdowns and added a TD reception and an interception on defense as Ashland (2-2) defeated Apponequet, 26-19.

Gavin Martin rushed six yards to paydirt with five seconds left to give Old Rochester (3-1) a 29-22 win over Dartmouth. …  Gus Greene ran for two scores as Will McLaughlin preserved Cohasset’s 29-28 win over Nauset with an end-zone interception. … Patrick Collins threw for five scores and ran for two more as Milton (3-1) handled Holliston, 55-28.

Anthony Gerrior completed 15-of-21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for a third score as Burlington (3-0) defeated Cambridge, 41-24. … Finn Gallup threw for one score and ran for another as Marblehead (2-2) rolled to a 37-6 win over North Andover.

Junior Sean Hines finished with 22 carries for a whopping 209 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and freshman Gianni Birchall (16 carries, 102 yards) scampered for the game-ending touchdown in overtime as Lowell Catholic (2-1) stunned East Boston, 26-20. … Dyllon Pratt caught six passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns as Shawsheen (4-0) rolled past Norwood, 40-6. … Luke Maglione threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, leading Peabody (3-1) to a 35-14 win over Lynn Classical. … Brayden Clifford threw for two scores as Bishop Fenwick (3-0) defeated Wilmington, 41-6. … Sean Landry completed 10-of-15 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown as Lincoln-Sudbury (1-2) defeated Brockton, 17-14.

Will Tirrell rolled out and scored on a four-yard scramble with two seconds left to give Franklin (3-1) a 21-19 victory over Duxbury. … Jake Varholak completed 17-of-20 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns as Hingham (2-1) bested Stoughton, 33-3. … Carter Carroll threw three touchdown passes as BC High (3-0) coasted to a 46-7 win over Everett.

In the Greater Boston League, Justin Marino booted a game-winning 29-yard field goal to give Medford a 17-14 win over Revere.

Tyson Thomas ran wild for 244 yards and three touchdowns, capping off five unanswered scores for Dexter Southfield (3-0) in a 35-12 win over New Hampton.

Field hockey

Haley Wernig scored twice and Devon Barry posted 12 saves in goal as Franklin defeated Canton 4-2 in the Hockomock League. … Ella Morgan’s two goals led five different scorers for King Philip (6-2-1) in a 6-0 shutout of Stoughton.

Maura Richardson had a goal and an assist as Case (4-3-3) beat Westport 2-1 in a nonleague contest. … Abby Lancaster and Maddy Sedgwick each scored their first varsity goal as Dartmouth (4-2-1) beat Apponequet, 2-0.

Chloe Pickett and Ava Nartiff scored as Methuen (4-5) edged Lowell 2-1 in the Merrimack Valley Conference. … Caroline Pitts scored two goals and set up three more, pairing with Carly Hartman’s two goals to lead Chelmsford over Haverhill, 6-0. … Caitlin Milner scored twice and dished an assist, while Kerri Finneran tallied two goals for Central Catholic (8-0-1) in a 7-0 win over Dracut.

Victoria Masucci scored twice and dished an assist, powering Nashoba (7-2-1) in a 5-2 win over Oakmont. … Cam Kinne posted a hat trick as Sutton bested Nipmuc, 4-0.

Sophia Kassis notched 15 saves for Peabody, helping it edge Saugus 2-1 in Northeastern Conference action. … Mia Juliano’s two goals anchored Masconomet in a 3-1 win over Danvers to remain unbeaten in conference play.

Lilly Liebhoff scored twice, and Morgan Boyce also hit the back of the net as Rivers (4-1) defeated Governor’s Academy 3-2 in overtime in the Independent School League.

Golf

Dean Alex shot one over par for Rockland (8-4) in a 118-86 South Shore League win over Mashpee.

Girls soccer

Kiersten Higgins and Allie Lanciani scored two goals each, and Alex Sfikas provided two assists as North Reading bested Rockport 6-0 in Cape Ann League action.

Quinn Anderson and Hannah Sareault scored as Sandwich edged Bridgewater-Raynham 2-1 in a nonleague contest. … Ally Kelley and Kelsey Tuttle found the net for Norwell in a 2-0 victory over Weymouth. … Senior Emily Seaberg (two goals, two assists) and sophomore Annie Smith (two goals) powered the offense during a 6-0 victory for Apponequet (4-5-0) over Middleboro. … Bella Cadavid netted a goal and dished an assist, and Mia Dragoumanos secured the shutout as Tyngsboro (6-3) defeated Greater Lowell, 7-0.

In the Northeastern Conference, Maggie Blosser registered a hat trick, as Masconomet (9-0) remained perfect with a 5-0 shutout of Gloucester.

Senior Kathleen Murphy paced the scoring with a pair of goals, while freshman Arianna Rocci dished out two assists to propel Blue Hills (7-0-2) to a 3-0 win over Bristol Aggie in the Mayflower Athletic Conference.

Senior Emily Seaberg (two goals, two assists) and sophomore Annie Smith (two goals) powered the offense during a 6-0 victory for Apponequet (4-5-0) over Middleboro.

Bianco Renzullo had a goal and three assists as Austin Prep defeated Phillips Exeter 4-1 in the NEPSAC.

Zoe Santos buried the winning goal with 4:30 left for Norton in a 1-0 Tri-Valley League victory over Dedham.

Boys soccer

Timmy Holton had the game’s only goal and Sotiri Tiglianidis recorded the shutout as Dedham (8-1) trimmed Norton 1-0 in the Tri-Valley League.

Matt Pires scored the lone goal for Arlington Catholic (4-4) in a 1-0 nonleague win over Hudson.

Calvin Zimmerman netted a late winner for Pingree to secure a 3-2 NEPSAC win over Bancroft. … Ewen Robertson struck for four goals, and Gavin Hill chipped in with a goal and two assists as Rivers defeated Governor’s Academy, 5-1.

Luke Murray had a goal and an assist for Peabody (6-3) in a 3-0 Northeastern Conference victory over Winthrop.

Girls volleyball

Addie Shelton collected seven digs, two aces and 15 kills, while Julia Leonardo had six digs, five aces and nine kills as Attleboro swept North Attleboro 3-0 in Hockomock League play. … Lyla McDonough recorded 36 service points, 20 assists and five aces as Oliver Ames defeated Milford, 3-0. … Sally Hoban (17 kills, seven digs) and Erin Bigham (38 assists, six kills, five digs, seven aces, three blocks) guided the offense, while Soley Rodriguez set the tone defensively for Canton in a 3-1 win over Franklin.

Caroline Gray (12 kills), Sophie Ennis (two aces, five kills) and Brooke Steele (seven kills, five aces) paced the offense for Whitman-Hanson during a 3-0 nonleague win over Norwell. … Tess Madden notched seven kills and four aces, while Dylan Poirier had seven kills and seven aces as Hanover downed Cohasset, 3-0. … Charlotte Skulte registered 11 kills, and Caroline Dunn floored 10 kills and an ace for Bishop Feehan in a 3-0 win over Walpole. … Casey Carvalho had nine digs, and Reghan Gibney had six kills and four digs as Durfee defeated Apponequet, 3-0.

Bailey Trust tallied six aces, and Jasmine Idehen finished with five kills and eight digs as Beaver Country Day beat Berwick Academy 3-0 in a NEPSAC contest.

Jessie Wang notched 13 kills and six digs, while Tina Zheng supplied 13 assists as Andover (5-5) defeated Lowell 3-0 in Merrimack Valley Conference action. … Ella Quinn had 11 kills and eight service points, while Kendra Marino had nine kills as Billerica bested Haverhill, 3-1.

Liv Richards provided 24 assists as Nauset defeated Monomoy 3-0 in the Cape and Islands League.

Morgan Teves tallied 11 kills, three aces and four blocks, while Elle McCormack dished 25 assists as Greater New Bedford defeated Bourne 3-1 in the South Coast Conference.

Scores

FIELD HOCKEY

Acton-Boxboro 4, Wayland 0

Attleboro 1, North Attleboro 0

Bedford 2, Waltham 2

Case 2, Westport 1

Central Catholic 7, Dracut 0

Chelmsford 6, Haverhill 0

Cohasset 1, Hingham 1

Dartmouth 2, Apponequet 0

Dedham 7, Ursuline 1

Franklin 4, Canton 2

Hanover 3, Braintree 0

King Philip 6, Stoughton 0

Lincoln-Sudbury 2, Wellesley 2

Littleton 1, Tahanto 0

Masconomet 3, Danvers 1

Medway 2, Westboro 0

Methuen 2, Lowell 1

Nashoba 5, Oakmont 2

Newton South 3, Weymouth 2

Oliver Ames 7, Milford 0

Peabody 2, Saugus 1

Rivers 3, Governor’s Academy 2 (ot)

Sutton 4, Nipmuc 0

Walpole 4, Norwood 1

FOOTBALL

Amesbury 38, Pentucket 28

Andover 35, Lowell 6

Arlington 50, Lexington 8

Ashland 26, Apponequet 19

Atlantis Charter 12, Roxbury Prep 6

Attleboro 42, Sharon 0

Bedford 35, Canton 27

Bishop Feehan 35, Archbishop Williams 0

Bishop Fenwick 42, Wilmington 6

BC High 46, Everett 7

Braintree 41, Framingham 12

Brookline 27, Watertown 26

Burlington 41, Cambridge 24

Cathedral 18, Cardinal Spellman 7

Catholic Memorial 56, Leominster 28

Central Catholic 30, Billerica 16

Cohasset 29, Nauset 28

Dedham 26, Bellingham 14

Dennis-Yarmouth 35, Dover-Sherborn 7

Dexter Southfield 35, New Hampton 12

East Bridgewater 36, Seekonk 26

Fairhaven 41, Greater New Bedford 13

Franklin 21, Duxbury 19

Gloucester 22, St. Bernard’s 20

Greater Lowell 37, KIPP 28

Hingham 33, Stoughton 3

Hull 34, English/New Mission 2

Hopkinton 42, Newton South 14

King Philip 21, Foxboro 6

Lincoln-Sudbury 17, Brockton 14

Lowell Catholic 26, East Boston 20 (ot)

Lynn English 30, Greater Lawrence 19

Lynnfield 42, Ipswich 0

Malden Catholic 35, Concord (NH) 7

Marblehead 37, North Andover 6

Marshfield 13, Mansfield 10

Maynard 35, Auburn 21

Medfield 14, Dracut 7

Medway 14, Falmouth 6

Melrose 34, Swampscott 27

Methuen 38, Chelmsford 36

Milton 55, Holliston 28

Monomoy 12, Wareham 0

Natick 28, Milford 7

Needham 43, Newton North 6

Newburyport 48, Essex Tech 21

North Attleboro 51, Oliver Ames 0

North Reading 35, Hamilton-Wenham 6

Old Colony 26, South Shore 20

Old Rochester 29, Dartmouth 22

Peabody 35, Lynn Classical 14

Randolph 43, Brighton 0

Reading 29, Cumberland (RI) 22

St. John’s (S) 21, Shrewsbury 13

Shawsheen 40, Norwood 6

Somerset Berkley 28, Durfee 14

Somerville 22, Chelsea 8

Springfield Central 28, Xaverian 20

Stoneham 41, Haverhill 20

Tech Boston 20, O’Bryant 8

Tewksbury 43, Lawrence 6

Tri-County 8, Southeastern 2 (susp., 2nd quarter)

Triton 24, Manchester-Essex 8

Wachusett 35, Minnechaug 30

Wakefield 32, Beverly 21

Wayland 49, Acton-Boxboro 0

West Bridgewater 42, Dighton-Rehoboth 0

Westford Academy 49, Belmont 0

Whittier 24, Agawam 21

Winchester 36, Masconomet 29

Winthrop 34, Danvers 7

GOLF

Concord-Carlisle 63, Bedford 9

Concord-Carlisle 41.5, Malden Catholic 30.5

Hudson 29, Ayer-Shirley 25

Rockland 118, Mashpee 86

Shawsheen 163, Lowell Catholic 118

BOYS SOCCER

Arlington 6, Stoneham 1

Arlington Catholic 1, Hudson 0

Belmont 2, Burlington 0

Beverly 7, Saugus 1

Danvers 1, Swampscott 1

Dedham 1, Norton 0

Gloucester 0, Masconomet 0

Northeast 1, Greater Lowell 0

Peabody 3, Winthrop 0

Pingree 3, Bancroft 2

Rivers 5, Governor’s Academy 1

Rockland 4, Cardinal Spellman 1

GIRLS SOCCER

Apponequet 6, Middleboro 0

Arlington 3, Stoneham 0

Austin Prep 4, Phillips Exeter 1

Beaver Country Day 3, Berwick 0

Blue Hills 3, Bristol Aggie 0

Covenant Christian 5, Waring 0

East Bridgewater 3, West Bridgewater 1

Masconomet 5, Gloucester 0

Medfield 8, Norwood 0

Nantucket 6, Dennis-Yarmouth 1

North Reading 6, Rockport 0

Norton 1, Dedham 0

St. John Paul II 6, Sturgis West 4

Norwell 2, Weymouth 0

Sandwich 2, Bridgewater-Raynham 1

Tyngsboro 7, Greater Lowell 0

Winchester 6, Wakefield 0

SWIMMING & DIVING

Methuen/Tewksbury 96, Stoneham/Melrose 57

North Andover 94, Andover 91

Ursuline 107, Malden Catholic 62

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Andover 3, Lowell 0

Assabet Valley 3, Fitchburg 1

Attleboro 3, North Attleboro 0

Beaver Country Day 3, Berwick Academy 0

Billerica 3, Haverhill 1

Bishop Feehan 3, Walpole 0

Boston Latin 3, Newton South 2

Canton 3, Franklin 1

Cardinal Spellman 3, Fairhaven 0

Central Catholic 3, Tewksbury 0

Covenant Christian 3, Montrose 0

Danvers 3, Swampscott 0

Dartmouth 3, North Quincy 2

Durfee 3, Apponequet 0

Greater New Bedford 3, Bourne 1

Hanover 3, Cohasset 0

King Philip 3, Stoughton 1

Lincoln-Sudbury 3, Concord-Carlisle 0

Lynn Tech 3, Innovation 0

Malden 3, Medford 0

Marblehead 3, Reading 2

Medfield 3, Dedham 0

Methuen 3, Dracut 1

Nauset 3, Monomoy 0

Newton North 3, Needham 2

Pembroke 3, East Bridgewater 1

Oliver Ames 3, Milford 0

Quincy 3, Notre Dame (H) 0

Sharon 3, Foxboro 1

Shawsheen 3, Wilmington 0

Westborough 3, Dennis-Yarmouth 0

Winchester 3, Barnstable 0

Whitman-Hanson 3, Norwell 0

Norwood’s Ally Mannering, left, scores on diving Walpole goalie Aideen Smith during Friday’s field hockey battle. (Staff Photo/Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)