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LaSpada, Billerica keep Haverhill winless

Friday, October, 22 By Jeff Hamrick

BILLERICA — Nick LaSpada threw for three touchdowns, ran for one and caught another, leading Billerica to a 41-0 victory over winless Haverhill last night in a Merrimack Valley Conference cross-over game.

The Indians (4-3) entered the encounter having lost three of their previous four while allowing 133 points, but against the Hillies (0-7), Billerica needed fewer than nine minutes to take a 14-0 lead en route to a 35-0 halftime advantage.

“The last few weeks have been tough,” LaSpada said. “But we came out tonight and executed and put up big numbers on offense. The defense looked pretty good as well.”

Billerica took advantage of two bad snaps on punt attempts and a Haverhill fumble on a fourth-and-1 rushing attempt that set up the Indians for three early short touchdown drives.

“We just have to correct that,” Haverhill coach Tim O’Connor said about the poor snaps which resulted in a minus 24 yards. “We have a freshman long snapper who struggled, but he’s our future. He’s a great athlete and he’ll be fine. There were just a couple mental breakdowns.”

LaSpada opened the scoring with a 2-yard run that capped a three-play, 16-yard drive before connecting with Matt Clifford on a 23-yard touchdown pass that wrapped up a 7-play, 32-yard drive. Billerica then opened a 21-point lead when LaSpada then finished off a five-play 24-yard possession with an 11-yard scoring toss from Ryan Donohoe, The junior quarterback, who went on to throw two more second-quarter touchdown passes to Donohoe, completed 12 of his 17 passes for 213 yards the opening half and didn’t play after intermission.

“It’s awesome getting that kind of field position,” LaSpada said. “The defensive line was pushing them around and getting in on the punts, so we were set up pretty good. And then we capitalized.”

Haverhill was shutout for the fourth consecutive game and the fifth time overall. The Hillies, who have not scored an offensive touchdown since the season opener, did not pick up a first down until there was 3:47 left and finished the game with 31 yards total offense. They had minus 4 yards on 22 rushing attempts which including the 24 yards loss on bad snaps.

“We just have to block,” O’Connor said. “We’re not blocking and the kids know this; I’ve told them this. This is now the seventh week and we have a third-and-1 and can’t get a yard ... That’s a pivotal moment in the game, and we can’t convert on it.”