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HAVERHILL | Just take what the defense gives you | a simple theory but usually difficult to apply.

When Lowell brought its defensive backs and safety up near the line of scrimmage to take away Haverhill's option running attack, the Hillies had the weapons to respond.

Even his impressive statistics are not much comfort to Haverhill High senior Justin Cook.

By almost any measure, the 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver is enjoying a superb season. He leads the region with 43 catches, good for 738 yards and an area-leading seven touchdown passes, which accounts for the total number thrown by nifty quarterback Peter Byron.

There is nothing like a "winnable" game on Thanksgiving morning to keep a winless football team going through the dog days of November.

Countless hours of practice in the cold, mud and rain can't stop your typically driven high school senior, not if victory is within his grasp.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10 a.m.

Coaches: Tim Briggs

Quarterbacks: Peter Byron

Parking: There is immediate parking in the dirt and gravel lot outside Haverhill Stadium, between the entrances to the baseball field and the football field. There is also parking in the lot beyond the Stadium close to the softball fields and playground area as well as some parking on nearby streets.

HAVERHILL | It was a frigid night at Haverhill Stadium, with a light snow falling. Unfortunately for the homecoming crowd in attendance, both the snowflakes and the Hillies were finished before the whistle blew on the game's opening half.

EXETER, N.H. — Haverhill was hoping to spoil Exeter's Senior Night festivities but the Blue Hawks made sure that wouldn't happen.

The Blue Hawks' punishing ground game tore up the Hillies' defense, racking up 334 yards on the ground, en route to a 38-18 interstate victory.

HAVERHILL | Without question, Billerica is at a far higher level of play than Haverhill.

With senior quarterback Timmy Morrison relaxing behind daunting pass protection and delivering bullets to wide open receivers, the Hillies were picked apart to the tune of a 31-7 decision that left the locals winless (0-8).

The Haverhill Hillies came close again, but fell short at Dracut, 20-14, last night.

The Hillies had a chance to win the game late, but couldn't capitalize as senior quarterback Peter Byron | who otherwise had a fine game | threw an interception with 1:48 left to allow Dracut to hold on.

HAVERHILL | No one in attendance was quite prepared for what happened in the first half last night.

"We were hurting going into halftime," said Central captain Mike Leavitt. "We came out slow. We were tied at the half and we knew we should have been up by at least a touchdown. Going into the second half, we knew what we had to do."

In four varsity years, his on-field role models have gone from Sammy Baugh to Dan Marino to J.C. Watts.

Not for the congressman from Oklahoma's politics either. Haverhill High quarterback Peter Byron is no football historian or political scientist for that matter. He's just a kid who's been force-fed three wildly divergent offenses in four years of high school.