RallyNorth.net

Iovanella powers North Andover

Friday, September, 25 By Jeff Hamrick

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.

The senior responded with a pair of touchdowns and 220 yards on the ground the final two quarters as North Andover ran past Cambridge Rindge & Latin for a 41-20 homecoming victory in a nonleague game last night.

Although Iovanella did score on a 7-yard run late in the second quarter, the Scarlet Knights were outplayed most of the first half and trailed 12-7 entering the third period.

"We didn't come out the way we should have," said Iovanella, who finished with 280 yards on 27 carries. "But we came out in the second half and played a whole lot better. We knew we could beat them up front. My line did a great job, and we just came out and beat them up basically. We went at them. We needed to score on that first possession of the second half, and we kept the momentum from there."

Actually the Scarlet Knights (2-1) turned things around after watching the Falcons (0-3) march eight plays to set up a second-and-2 at the North Andover 3. But a defensive front of Dylan Lurvey, Mike Foisy, Kyle Kobierski, Kevin O'Grady and John Miller kept Cambridge out of the end zone, including two rushing attempts from the 1.

"The defense stepped it up,'' Kobierski said. "We did a great job running our assignments. We were well prepared all week. It was great, and stuffing them like that at the goal line motivated us for the second half."

North Andover opened the third period with an 8-play drive highlighted by a 17-yard completion from Brandon Walsh to Iovanella on a fourth-and-14. Two plays later, Iovanella scored the second of his three touchdowns on a 2-yard dive that gave the Scarlet Knights the lead for good 14-12. A two-yard touchdown run by Walsh appeared to give North Andover a comfortable 21-12 advantage entering the final quarter.

However, Cliff Anderson, who scored all three Cambridge touchdowns, scored from four yards out, capping a three-play drive that featured a 76-yard run by Anderson.

"We weren't able to take total control, and we were in a tight ball game again." North Andover coach John Rafferty said. "The good thing about that though was the kids realized that and they came back and responded offensively."

Iovanella scored from a yard out two minutes after Anderson's final touchdown, then recovered a Cambridge fumble on the ensuing kickoff which set up a 37-yard run by Jack Murphy.

"Zac did a great job tonight," Rafferty said. "He ran hard but he always does and always will. The offensive line did a great job and (Murphy), Zac's counterpart in the backfield, had a break-out night. I'm really happy for him. He's a kid who toils behind the scene blocking for Zac."

Defensive back David Foote completed the scoring with a 39-yard return of an interception off John Antonopoulos.