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Andover Golden Warriors Football '20-'21

Andover rolls past Thanksgiving rival North Andover

ANDOVER — It may not have been Thanksgiving morning, but it was a cold and blustery Thursday befitting of the holiday, and Andover was ready for its Turkey Day foe.
 
“North Andover is the team you want to beat when you play for Andover,” said Golden Warrior star Lincoln Beal. “We were so pumped. We knew we were going to come out strong. It’s always extra special to beat North Andover.”
 
Beal ran for one touchdown and caught a 61-yard TD from Scotty Brown in the first quarter, and Andover rolled to a 38-0 victory over Thanksgiving rival North Andover on Thursday. The game was moved up a day due to Friday’s forecast of inclement weather.
 
“It means everything for us to beat North Andover,” said defensive back Zayn Aruri, who had two interceptions, one he returned for a 95-yard TD. “It’s a big rivalry. We were on our home field and got to have some fans in the stands, so it was great to go out and get a statement victory.”
After being shut out by rival Central Catholic a week ago, Andover’s offense was hitting on all cylinders on Thursday.
On the Golden Warriors’ second drive, Beal broke a 35-yard run, setting up his own 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Then, one play into Andover’s next drive — a play after a 55-yard Brown touchdown run was called back for holding — Beal hauled in a Brown pass and sprinted past the defense for his 61-yard score.
“That’s my favorite play, coming out of the backfield for a pass,” said Beal, who finished with 75 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards. “Scotty threw me a perfect pass, and I broke it. The whole week, our goal was to score points fast, and we did it today.”
Brown then chipped in with a big play with his legs, hitting the edge and breaking free for a 56-yard score with 2:40 until halftime. He then all but iced the victory with 8:42 left in the game, shaking two defenders and sliding in for a 7-yard TD. He finished with a game-high 137 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Aruri, who grabbed his first interception on the first play of the fourth quarter, added the game’s final highlight in the final moments. He intercepted a pass at the 5-yard line, then seemed to dodge the entire North Andover offense on the way to his 95-yard score.
“I was reading the QB’s eyes and jumped the pass,” said Aruri. “I had a long way to go, but somehow I got in. I thought there was no chance I would get in, but I saw the open field and ran as fast as I could.”
Aruri, a senior first-year starter, now has five interceptions on the season. He also had two picks against Methuen.
“Zayn’s play has been excellent,” said Andover coach EJ Perry. “He’s been tackling well and has been just overall great. He was coming off an injury, and it would have been tough for him to play in the fall, so I’m glad he had this opportunity.
“Lincoln, I think, is the best around. A lot of people are seeing what he does on both offense and defense. He’s 15-years-old. When he matures, it’s going to be a big difference.”
Beal also had an interception, and Matt Rigazio had a pick that was disallowed by a roughing the passer. Charlie Baillargeon had a sack and Connor Sheehan continued to star with 12 tackles.
The Golden Warriors will now close out the season by hosing Chelmsford next Thursday at 5 p.m.
“I think we’ve been getting better every week,” said Aruri. “We want to continue that trend. We want to have our best game of the season and finish strong.” 

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Football, 04/15/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Central Catholic blanks Andover

LAWRENCE – The score, 17-0, said “easy” like the other three Central Catholic blowouts.
But the score lied.
Central Catholic had to earn this one over its “arch” rival, Andover High. As in really earn it.
It took a few late Andover drops, a near sack and quarterback Ayden Pereira’s signature – a 21-yard run and a 13-yard bullet pass for a touchdown to finally seal Central’s fourth win in the Fall 2 season.
One issue for Central were a pair of sophomores, quarterback Scott Brown and running back Lincoln Beal.
They are and they were electric. Beal finished with 116 yards, all hard-earned, on 24 carries, and Brown, only 5-foot-8, made plays with his feet (55 yards) and his arm (95 yards).
The problem was when Andover was close to scoring, it couldn’t.
When Central was close to scoring, only three times, it did.
“They were better than I thought they were going to be,” said Pereira, who finished completing 17 of 24 passes for 201 yards and two TDs. But he also had two interceptions.
“They confused us a lot on defense,” said Pereira, who opened the scoring, completing five consecutive passes before hitting a wide open sophomore Mathias Latham for a 21-yard score.
Andover sandwiched three red zone drives around a Nick Mazzie 31-yard field, getting to Central 6, 17 and 14. Two penalties hurt and as did two missed field goals.
“When you play a team that good, you can’t give them any help,” said Andover coach E.J. Perry. “They’re good. They do everything well. We can’t have drops and commit penalties in the red zone against a team like that. But I am proud of our team. We’re young and we’re learning a lot here.”
Central defense, in the end, came up big in getting the shutout.
Central’s behemoth 6-foot-1, 270-pound defensive tackle Uyi Sayimwen not only had 12 tackles, but six were for losses on the lightning quick Brown.
Tommy Casey also had 11 tackles and some big hits on Beal and Brown.
“We have to thank Andover because we needed a game like this,” said Central coach Chuck Adamopoulos. “They are tough. Beal is for real. So is Brown. They fought us the entire way. We had to make a few plays and we did.
“After that loss to Methuen, 
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Football, 04/09/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Beal sparks Andover romp

 

ANDOVER — Count Andover sophomore running back Lincoln Beal among those who love playing during this Fall 2 season.

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Football, 04/02/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Andover’s Heidtke, Brown lead convincing victory over Lowell

ANDOVER — If a tone needed to be set Friday night, Andover star AJ Heidtke was more than happy to deliver.
 
Matched up against a much smaller Lowell player late in the first quarter, the hulking 6-foot-4, 290-pound Eagle-Tribune All-Star lineman drove the opponent roughly 25 yards before sending him flying into the sideline.
 
Having waited nearly 16 months to celebrate a victory, and a week removed from a frustrating season-opening loss, Andover meant business.
 
“It’s been (477) days since our last win (Thanksgiving of 2019), and even longer since it was under the lights,” said Heidtke. “We wanted this so much. The feeling is indescribable.”
Sophomore QB Scotty Brown ran for three touchdowns and Heidtke led a dominant defensive effort as Andover rolled in its 2021 “Fall 2” home-opener, beating Lowell 33-14 at Eugene V. Lovely Field. 
“It’s been a long wait!” said Brown. “We had to bounce back from last week (20-14 overtime loss to Methuen). We knew we needed this win, and I think we showed a lot of people that Andover is back in it with this performance.”
Andover’s defense surrendered just 58 yards in the first half, never allowing Lowell to pass the 50-yard line, as the Golden Warrior offense to build a dominant 24-0 halftime advantage. Lowell didn’t break up the shutout until there was 4:44 left in the third.
“This win has been a long time coming,” said linebacker Tomas Loureiro, who finished with a team-high 12 tackles. “We were frustrated, and we wanted to come out and punch them in the mouth today. We had to control the line of scrimmage and be more physical than them. It’s fun to go out, be physical, and show who is the tougher team.”
Offensively, the Golden Warriors rode the backfield duo of Brown and halfback Lincoln Beal.
The 5-foot-8, 150-pound Brown carried 26 times for 115 yards and three scores, while Beal rushed 18 times for 83 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 71 yards, both setting up scores.
“Scotty ran unbelievable,” said Andover coach E.J. Perry. “He was making the cuts he needs to make. We tightened up a few things on offense and gave him better running lanes. And Lincoln is also playing unbelievable running and receiving.”
It was Beal that gave Andover the lead. Following an interception by Anthony Previte — an Eagle-Tribune soccer All-Star who went out for football when it was moved to Fall 2 — Beal drove his way in for a 1-yard touchdown.
Andover then forced a fumble that was recovered by Loureiro, and five plays later Brown took a keeper around the left corner and scored a 6-yard touchdown.
Lowell again fumbled the ball away on the next possession, recovered by Connor Sheehan, and Brown scored again five plays later, this time on 5-yard a draw up the middle.
Beal caused and recovered a fumble two possessions later, and an Andrew Wetterwald field goal made it 24-0 at halftime.
Andover’s defense — led by Heidtke (10 tackles) wreaking havoc at nose guard  — stymied Lowell’s wing-T offense installed by first-year Red Raiders coach Rob Pike. Pike previously ran the offense, which has rarely been seen in the MVC over the past 15 years, as head coach at Salem (N.H,) High. 
“We had to be tough up front,” said Heidtke. “They’re a tough team, but we had to be tougher. That’s a fun way to play football.”
That was never more obvious than on the first possession of the second half, when Heidtke and Sheehan came barreling through the line and sacked the Lowell QB in the end zone for a safety.
Lowell scored two late touchdowns, but Brown erased any through of a comeback when he maneuvered his way in for a 1-yard touchdown with 2:55 to go in the game.
“I love when my line is physical, and I love the feeling of scoring touchdowns,” said Brown. “Our main focus was to get the offense back on track, and we executed very well today. I love when they rely on my to carry the ball, and we’re so excited to get the win.”
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Football, 03/19/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars

Romano, Methuen upset Andover in OT

METHUEN — On fourth down, with just a single yard standing between Methuen High and a season-opening, instant classic overtime victory, the Rangers placed the ball, and their hopes, into Anthony Romano’s hands.

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Football, 03/13/21 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars