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2008 Power Players, Week 10

Chris Newton, Andover: After seeing little playing time earlier in the season, the sophomore linebacker made the best of his opportunity in the Golden Warriors’ 29-21 loss to Dover, N.H. He made nine tackles and notched a sack.

Jordan Johnson, Brooks: The junior close out the season in style as Brooks ended the year by pounding Rivers 42-7. He rushed eight times for 127 yards and touchdowns for 27 and 41 yards. He also ran a kickoff back for a 95-yard score and completed four passes for 60 yards. Methuen’s Jason Buco added a 99-yard fumble return for a score.

Jim Haddad, Central Catholic: Billerica freshman phenom Nick Laspada will be seeing Haddad in his nightmares. The senior linebacker picked off two passes as the Raiders upset the Indians 20-8. He also had four tackles.

Chris Esposito, Georgetown: His brother Joe rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more, but it was Chris that led an attacking defense that neutralized North Reading in a 35-6 win. Esposito was all over the field, making a team-high 11 tackles, and provided blocking on offense.

Jaymie Spears, Georgetown: The sophomore grows more impressive every game. He grabbed one interception, nearly picked off another pass but knocked it down and recorded the hit of the game when he sent North Reading QB John Brooks off his feet. He also caught three passes for a game-high 56 yards for the Royals, who can clinch the CAL small title on Friday.

Juan Olivo, Greater Lawrence Tech: The Reggies' two-way standout owned Greater Lowell in the 28-14 win. The junior had 9 tackles, two sacks and a swatted pass. A 6-foot-1, 260-pounder, Olivo got plenty of help from his mates like Angel Rivera and Miguel Baez up front.

Mike Bartlett, Methuen:  The Rangers keep rolling, and so does their top back. Bartlett rushed for 154 yards on just 18 carries in Methuen’s 28-6 victory over Haverhill. That gave the senior 1,076 yards for the season, making him the first Ranger running back to break 1,000 yards in at least 20 years. He added three touchdowns, giving him 18 scores for the season.

Thomasz Dziedzic, Methuen: A giant at all of 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, the senior completely shut down the Haverhill inside run. Dziedzic made six tackles to help the Rangers clinch their first .500 season in the MVC since 2002.

Noel Figuereo, Haverhill: Few area backs have the speed of the Hillie senior, and he showed it with a 76-yard touchdown run in the loss to Methuen. He ended the day with 120 yards on 16 carries.

Harvey Blanco, Lawrence: The junior running back and linebacker was all over the field in the Lancers' 19-15 win over Triton. The 5-foot-6, 160-pounder set the edge in the run defense, refusing to allow the Vikings to the corner and making eight tackles. On offense Blanco, usually the blocking fullback, delivered the best game of his career, carrying 10 times for 78 yards.

Donea Robinson, Lawrence: Challenged by the Triton run game, the senior linebacker finished with a season-high 15 tackles, a sack and an interception as the Lawrence defense held strong with the game on the line.

Brandon Walsh, North Andover: The freshman QB threw for a stunning 323 yards, the most for a Scarlet Knights QB in at least 20 years and the best game for an area QB this season. But despite his efforts, North Andover fell to Wilmington 27-21.

Aaron Brunette and David Foote, North Andover: Brunette, a senior, was on the receiving end of six passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 65 yard kickoff return to put the Knights in excellent field position. Foote, the younger brother of Scarlet Knights legend Andrew Foote, grabbed two balls for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Bruce Vieira, Pelham: He's battled injuries all season, but has been outstanding when he has been on the field. The senior rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns in just two quarters of play before giving way to the backups in the second half against Epping.

Chris Modlish, Pentucket: The Sachems, racked by injuries, played with pride against powerful Masconomet, staying close until the third quarter. Modlish stepped out of his comfort zone, garnering all three of his team's pass receptions for 101 yards. Highlights included a diving 20-yard catch for a touchdown and a 15-yard throw he turned into a 70-yard gain that set up Pentucket's final score.

Sam Auffant, Phillips: Everything the Hampton, N.H., senior was asked to do, he did successfully. Auffant rushed 10 times for 52 yards including a 15-yard touchdown carry, caught a pair of passes for 24 yards and another score, played QB for three fourth-down plays due to an injury and completed a huge 12-yard pass on fourth-and-6, and wrapped it up by punting for almost 40 yards per attempt.

Matt Mangano, Pinkerton: With Eric Guinto out for the season, the No. 1 running back duties fell to the 5-foot-4 senior. And Mangano didn’t disappoint in his first game as the lead back, rushing 13 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns as the Astros clinched the top seed in the Division 1 tourney with a 32-27 win over Nashua North. He also had a big 50-yard kickoff return.

Jeff Guilherme, Pinkerton: With the Nashua North passing game flying, Guilherme picked off a pass that set up a touchdown by Matt Mangano. It ended up being big as North remained in the game until the end.

Anthony Tudisco, Salem: The senior linebacker made 11 tackles, including three for a loss, as the Blue Devils hung tough before falling to Manchester Central 16-6.

Jordan Regan, Timberlane: In the Owls' 26-13 setback to Alvirne, the aggressive senior linebacker was a bright spot. He had a quarterback sack and was in on 14 tackles

Damian Colman, Whittier: In a 44-0 laugher over Minuteman, the 6-3, 187-pound senior caught four passes for 109 yards with touchdown grabs of 53 and 15 yards. He was also a force on defense, including a sack of the Mustang quarterback.