Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waltham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
North Andover | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
Friday, October, 31 By Jeff Hamrick
NORTH ANDOVER — For a guy who began the season hauling in passes, James Foote has evolved into a pretty decent running back.
The
first three weeks, I was a wide receiver," said Foote, who had more
than 10 carries in only one game prior to last night's Division 2 North
quarterfinals. "Then (Breyin) Nichols was out with a hamstring injury.
We were thin at the position ... and we just decided to give (running
back) a shot."
With Foote now established and Nichols back in the
rotation, second-seeded North Andover hit the playoffs running last
night, pasting seventh-seeded Waltham 26-0. Not only was it the Scarlet
Knights' third consecutive shutout, it also marked a milestone that
proved a mild surprise to the guy involved.
"Without a doubt,
that's a good way to begin (the playoffs)," said North Andover coach
John Rafferty, in his 14th year leading the program. "That's our first
postseason win ... quite frankly, that is our first postseason win since
we've been here. I hadn't realized that."
True to late-season
form, the Scarlet Knights (6-2) controlled both lines of scrimmage,
finishing with 275 yards on the ground, while holding the Hawks (3-5) to
only 85. In NA's first five games this year, it averaged 150.8 yards
rushing. Since Nichols and Foote began sharing the load, the output has
increased to 294.3 yards per game.
Last night, Nichols scored the
game's first two touchdowns, including a 3-yarder with 3 seconds left in the first half and capped an 81-yard drive and had a game-high 124 yards. Foote
had 113 yards on 21 carries and an 8-yard scoring run that provided a
20-0 lead with 4:31 left in the third. Quarterback Seamus Lambert added
the final score, capping a 98-yard drive in which Foote ran on 10 of the
15 plays.
"We've got some people back," Rafferty said of the
improved ground attack. "And (Nichols and Foote) are seniors and they're
captains ... It says a lot about them. You have to run the ball to win
football games and defend the run. This is high school. It's as simple as that."
Next up for the Knights is playing host to third-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury (a 37-16 victor over Lynn Classical) at 7 p.m. Friday.
First Quarter
NA — Breyin Nichols 35 run (kick failed) 7:34
Second Quarter
NA — Nichols 3 run (John Boudreau kick) 0:03
Third Quarter
NA — James Foote 8 run (Boudreau kick) 4:31
Fourth Quarter
NA — Seamus Lambert 2 run (kick failed) 4:13
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Waltham (20-85) — Moses Holloway 9-48, Aaron Jamaal 6-31, Tristan Cochran 4-6, Jordan Pantaja 21-0; NA (44-275) — Nichols 14-124, foote 21-113, Bubba Shkliew 4-31, Jukka Morales 2-7, Lambert 3-0
PASSING: Waltham (13-30-113, 3 interceptions) — Holloway 8-17-71, 0, Jamaal 5-13-42, 3; NA — Lambert 3-6-21, 0
RECEIVING: Waltham — Cochran 5-52, Holloway 3-29, Joey Carroll 3-16, Aidan Stanowicz 1-14, Saen Saepraseath 1-2; NA — Joe Samuelman 1-9, Shkliew 1-8, Bill Marcotte 1-4
430 Osgood St.
North Andover, MA 01845
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Team | League | Overall | PF-PA |
---|---|---|---|
Central Catholic | 8-0-0 | 9-2-0 | 375-214 |
Tewksbury | 3-1-0 | 3-1-0 | 96-30 |
North Andover | 5-2-0 | 8-4-0 | 260-155 |
Andover | 5-4-0 | 6-5-0 | 378-288 |
Haverhill | 4-4-0 | 7-4-0 | 227-196 |
Lawrence | 4-5-0 | 5-6-0 | 250-338 |
Methuen | 4-5-0 | 4-7-0 | 174-295 |
Lowell | 2-3-0 | 2-3-0 | 65-133 |
Chelmsford | 0-3-0 | 0-3-0 | 90-120 |
Billerica | 0-3-0 | 0-3-0 | 64-109 |
Dracut | 0-5-0 | 0-5-0 | 93-154 |
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