RallyNorth.net

WEST ROXBURY — There is not much positive you can take from this one if you're Haverhill, which totaled 81 yards of offense in a 35-0 loss to No. 8 Catholic Memorial yesterday. 

And the road remains a tough one for the Hillies (0-2), who will face No. 9 Chelmsford next week.

But Haverhill players seem to be trying to remain positive.

"The better competition we see, the better we're going to get," Haverhill tri-captain David Herook said. "I mean, Chelmsford next week, we're looking forward to it. We've just got to play hard. We've got to stick with it and we've got to be mean. We've got to be fast. There's no reason why we can't win." 

The reason the Hillies didn't win last night is that they failed to stop Catholic Memorial quarterback Adam Doyle who completed 8 of 13 passes for 125 yards with touchdown passes of six and 33 yards in the first half alone.

"He's got speed, he's got an arm," Haverhill's Malcolm Novello said about Doyle. "But we just didn't play right." 

Lineman Brett Pettis added about Doyle: "He knew how to pick us apart. ... They were a quick (offense). They found the soft spot on our zone and we didn't get enough pressure on them up front."

Doyle ended up throwing for 134 yards and the CM backfield rushed for 190 yards.

CM's first scoring drive, which came on its opening possession, went six plays for 50 yards.

CM then went ahead 14-0 by driving 56 yards on eight plays later in the first quarter.  

A 60-yard punt return made it 21-0 with 3:52 remaining before halftime.

CM added another touchdown before the break to lead 28-0 at halftime.

"We just hope to get better every week," Hillies first-year coach Tim O'Connor said. "There was some signs of the team getting better tonight. But then we stalled. We need to learn to play from beginning to end. The kids will be fine. We'll keep working with them. They're going to get better. It's on us as coaches to make them better. And we will. We're not going to give up on them and next week is just as tough. They don't have any easy road, this group of kids. I'm a firm believer that as soon as they win that first one, this will start to turn. 

"I feel bad for them (the seniors) because they're not used to winning but like I told them at the beginning: this group of kids is laying the foundation for three of four years from now when this thing does turn around because this thing is going to turn around. I mean, Rome wasn't built in a day. I know that's a cliche. But I promise you, this thing is going to turn around." 

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