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BOXFORD — The Masconomet Regional football team won the game, 40-20, thus ending North Andover's title hopes.

Thus the Chieftains won their fourth straight CAL Large title and fourth straight playoff berth.

WEST NEWBURY — Something had to give.

Throughout the first half yesterday, Pentucket and North Andover were throwing waves of defense at each other. Packing in the area between the tackles, the two run-oriented teams struggled to gain 144 combined yards in the opening 22 minutes. Only a fumble recovered by North Andover's Dylan Lurvey at the Sachem 20-yard line could set up the lone score of the half.

WEST NEWBURY — Something had to give.

Throughout the first half yesterday, Pentucket and North Andover were throwing waves of defense at each other. Packing in the area between the tackles, the two run-oriented teams struggled to gain 144 combined yards in the opening 22 minutes. Only a fumble recovered by North Andover's Dylan Lurvey at the Sachem 20-yard line could set up the lone score of the half.

WILMINGTON — North Andover got its scoring from a familiar face, but it was an unlikely source that kept the Scarlet Knights conference-title hopes alive.

Playing on the road for only the third time this season, North Andover eked out a 14-12 victory over Cape Ann Conference rival Wilminton last night. Leading rusher Zac Iovanella scored both touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights (7-2 overall, 2-1 conference). Kicker Dylan Lurvey, however, was the difference maker, converting both conversions while consistently putting the Wildcats in bad field position with his booming punts.

NORTH ANDOVER — Quarterback Brandon Walsh gave North Andover the spark it needed midway through the third quarter but he did not do it with his right arm or legs.
He did it by alertly recovering a fumble on the North Reading 10 yard line after teammates Alex Blane and Kyle Kobierski stripped the ball from a Hornet running back.
“They just punched it out and it came right to me,” Walsh said. “I just fell on it. It was a big turning point. We then put in a big score right there. It kind of got us going.”
North Andover scored two plays later to build a two-touchdown lead, energizing the sluggish offense that had not posted any points since early in the first quarter.
The Scarlet Knights scored 21 second-half points to beat North Reading 28-0.
“On that fumble, they just came from the backside and just made a great play,” the Hornets’ Robert Rosano said. “I couldn’t find a hole and it was just stripped from me. We can’t make mistakes like I made on that fumble. We had to play a perfect game to beat them and we didn’t.”
North Andover failed to score after blocking a punt and recovering the football on the North Reading 25 in the first quarter.
“It doesn’t matter about those misses,” junior David Foote said. “We got it together.”
North Andover received a spark from fullback Jack Murphy, who ran for touchdowns of 45 and 39 yards. He finished with six carries for 92 yards.
The junior knew he needed to step up after struggling in the first half.
“I don’t feel like a played a very good first half defensively or offensively,” Murphy said. “I dropped an interception. I wasn’t getting off of blocks well and I blew a few tackles.”
But all that was soon forgotten.
“Any time he (Murphy) takes the weight off my shoulders, that’s fine,” said star tailback Zac Iovanella. “He hit the hole real hard and he showed us some speed I didn’t think he had.”

NORTH ANDOVER — The Triton football team may have been punished last evening for something Newburyport did last week.

North Andover, one week after being upset by the Clippers, took out its frustration on the visiting Vikings en route to a 35-8 victory at Joe Walsh Stadium.

MEDFORD — Sophomore quarterback Brandon Walsh tossed a pair of touchdowns and Zac Iovanella rushed for a pair as North Andover held off a late Medford rally for a 28-22 win. The Knights (4-1) took a 28-6 lead on a Walsh-to-David Foote touchdown connection early in the fourth quarter. But Medford rallied for a pair of touchdowns to cut the final gap to six. “It was a very tough, black-and-blue football game — very much so,” said North Andover head coach John Rafferty. “They (Medford) are revitalized and they gave us a huge battle.” North Andover hosts North Reading Friday at 7 p.m.

NORTH ANDOVER — In the second half last night, Salem did a nice job of adjusting to shadow standout North Andover running back Zac Iovanella, holding the senior to just 28 yards on 11 carries.

NORTH ANDOVER — Rebounding from a first half in which North Andover played like they had dancing on their minds, the Scarlet Knights decided to let Zac Iovanella do the running after intermission.

NORTH ANDOVER — After a crushing last-second loss to archrival Andover Week 1, North Andover running back Zac Iovanella admitted his squad entered Week 2 with a little extra fire in their eyes.