LOWELL — Despite Andover High dictating pace for most of a scoreless first half, high school football's ultimate brawler, St. John's Prep, never stopped punching.
All those body shots took their toll in the second half as Prep sensation Jon Thomas finally found some room here on the Cawley Stadium turf.
"Jonny Rockets" zoomed through a second-half for the ages, chewing up 184 yards and scoring all three TDs on 20 carries, lifting the Prep to a 21-0 Eastern Mass. Division 1 semifinal win over the Merrimack Valley Conference champions.
Thomas finished his night early with 28 carried for 209 yards, adding a pair of catches for 24 yards. He accounted for all but 69 of the Prep's 302 yards.
"They had nine people in the box, sometimes 10, and we're still pounding it at them," said Prep coach Jim O'Leary. "He just had to get it through that first level, and he was gone."
St. John's will now face Brockton for the Division 1 title Saturday, most likely at Bentley University.
Andover clearly had the better of it in the first half, outgaining St. John's, 136-70, and making a pair of trips into the red zone.
But a missed field goal (wide left from 29) and a 4th-and-1 failure from the Eagles' 5, was all that Andover could muster.
"The missed opportunities hurt," said Andover coach E.J. Perry, who has now coached Andover to a pair of MVC titles in the last three years, falling twice in this game. "We needed to do a better job of taking advantage."
The 0-0 tie at the break was a new lease on life for the Catholic Conference champs.
Andover junior burst a big one on the first play from scrimmage after halftime, a 64-yard dash from the 18 to the 18, but the Prep defense slammed the door shut there, forcing another field goal miss (from 31) and holding the Warriors to just 50 yards over the next 14 Andover plays, forcing a pair of turnovers.
"That's what we do," said O'Leary, lauding the effort to hold the high-flying Warriors scoreless for the first time since a 21-0 loss in this same game to Everett back in 2010. "We're going to keep playing defense. We're going to get a turnover (actually two in the second half), and eventually we're going to break one, because we're pounding it pretty good. It's hard to keep (us) down."
Meanwhile, Thomas, who already has Division 1 offers, simply wore Andover out, with TD runs of 1, 19 and 48 yards.
The kid was everywhere. Up 7-0 with the Prep facing a 3rd-and-4, he leaped into the picture for a 19-yard finger-tip catch to move the chains early on the Prep's second TD march.
With Andover's light still flickering but facing a 4th-and-4 at midfield, it was Thomas closing fast on Andover's C.J. Scarpa, swooping in to force a turnover on downs.
"He might be a better defender," said O'Leary. "We just don't use him that much."
Scarpa was forced to check down all night with the Prep loading up on the back end of things with 6 or often 7 in coverage at all times.
The senior finished up with 16 of 27 for 165 yards, throwing intereceptions 6 and 7 of the season. He finished with 32 TD passes.
Classmate Will Heikkinen caught 7 balls for 88 yards, making it 67 for 1,126 in an impeccable year.
And Sylvester reminded the 2,000 or so fans gathered that all will not be lost at graduation. The Warrior junior finished with 15 carries for 146 yards, chipping in five catches for 37 yards.
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Football, 11/27/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
BILLERICA — Andover’s Will Heikkinen spent nearly the entire first half last night with the Billerica PA announcer mispronouncing his name “Heineken.”
But after the performance he delivered, Indians fans won’t be able to forget Heikkinen’s name.
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Football, 11/09/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
ANDOVER — In a battle that could prove crucial in the race for the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 title, Andover broke the cardinal rule of winning football.
The Golden Warriors turned the ball over, and it hurt them in a big way.
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Football, 11/02/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
CHELMSFORD — Andover was tired of hearing about the losing streak. The Golden Warriors were sick of hearing that they could not beat Chelmsford, a reputation that had dogged the program for longer than the current team members have been alive.
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Football, 10/26/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
SOMERVILLE — Just moments after Andover’s seventh straight victory, Golden Warriors QB C.J. Scarpa’s eyes began to glow at the mention of their next opponent.
“Oh man, Chelmsford is a big game,” said Scarpa. “We are heading into the most important part of our season with four huge games, especially Chelmsford.”
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Football, 10/19/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
ANDOVER — By mid-second quarter, all the boxes were filled for Andover High.
Offense??? Check.
Defense? Check
Special teams? Check mate.
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Football, 10/12/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
TEWKSBURY — Cam Farnham and the rest of the Andover players and fans held their collective breath as officials dug through he pile to find the potentially game-deciding loose ball.
“My heart stopped,” said Farnham. “I saw the Tewksbury crowd go crazy and just through, ‘This can’t be happening.’ Then I saw (Andrew) Deloury come out of the pile with the ball and it was just the best feeling.”
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Football, 10/06/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
ANDOVER — C.J. Scarpa saw the ball loose near the goal line, and knew what he had to do.
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Football, 09/28/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
ANDOVER — At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Will Heikkinen is an appealing target in any situation.
When he is matched up against a defensive back standing approximately five inches shorter playing soft coverage, he was downright irresistible for Andover quarterback C.J. Scarpa.
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Football, 09/14/12 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
