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The Merrimack Valley Conference athletic directors have granted Lawrence High one more year to polish up its football program.

In 2009, the Lancers will return to the Merrimack Valley Conference in football, hopefully, according to coach Mike Yameen, as part of a new, two-division conference. "That's the way it was explained," said Yameen, whose club went 3-8 this past fall. "We'll be part of the two-division setup, playing in the small division."

ANDOVER — Funny thing about these Thanksgiving games ... the first quarter is just as important as the last.

Favored Lawrence High learned that lesson a year ago.

Yesterday, it was 10-0 Greater Lawrence Tech's turn.

The players love it, the coaches want it, and the community is growing to enjoy it.

Still, the future of Lawrence High-Greater Lawrence Tech remains a mystery.

"I'm not sure what will happen, we're hearing different things," said Tony Sarkis, whose 10-0 Reggies host the Lancers at Gleason Field tomorrow.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10 a.m.

Coaches: Mike Yameen, Lawrence; Tony Sarkis, Greater Lawrence

Quarterbacks: Ramon Heredia, Lawrence; Jonathan Delossantos, Greater Lawrence

NORTH ANDOVER | Sophomore Zac Iovanella rushed for a career-best 321 yards and North Andover needed just about every single inch in a 35-27 win over upset-minded Lawrence.

The Scarlet Knights can nail down a Cape Ann League Large co-championship with a Turkey Day win at Masconomet, but they won't be returning to the postseason for the second time in three years. Wilmington locked out the Knights by beating Pentucket last night, 20-13.

LAWRENCE | Triton contained Lawrence for the first 22 minutes of the game, but after that, it all fell apart.

Ramon Heredia threw for a touchdown and was 6 of 10 for 95 yards in the Lancers' impressive second half, leading Lawrence to its second win of the season, 22-7. Meanwhile, the hard-hitting Lancers held the Vikings to one yard on eight carries in the final 22 minutes en route to their first win since Week 1.

In a movie-length package, this was the good, the bad and the ugly of high school football.

Both North Reading and Lawrence made dazzling plays, but then had head-scratching turnovers. Even the referees got into the act with some questionable decisions. And, all the while, the game got increasingly chippy, leading to 127 total yards of penalties and six major infractions.

Lawrence High, stumbling at 1-5 and rife with disciplinary benchings, was the ultimate wounded puppy.

Unbeaten Masconomet pushed the Lancers into a corner and refused to relent, laying a rain-soaked 34-7 beating on the host club last night.

Trailing 7-0 to Newburyport, Lawrence faced one of those points that determine a season.

The Lancers had nearly turned Newburyport away | which would have been a giant moral victory | but faced one more down, fourth-and-goal from the 12.

A quick defensive lapse, followed by a third-and-three hook-and-ladder pass gone berserk had Lawrence trailing 13-0 and on the back pedal. Pentucket pounder Nate Bunnell took care of the rest, rolling up 225 yards and five touchdowns on just 20 carries to power the Sachems past the sinking Lancers, 41-12. "Once we got the lead, that was big," said Bunnell, who now has 16 TDs on the year. "After that, I guess I was seeing things pretty well. There was a lot of room to run out there, and I hit the right holes at the right times." Pentucket stuck to its basic plan, running out of the wing-T set with Bunnell battering the Lancers, who simply wore out.