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METHUEN — You scheme, prepare all week, read keys and drill the opposing quarterback.

The special ones still innovate and find a way.

METHUEN — You scheme, prepare all week, read keys and drill the opposing quarterback.

The special ones still innovate and find a way.

HAVERHILL — On a chilly senior night at Haverhill Stadium, the Hillies (0-10) lost to the Dracut Middies (7-3) 35-14 last night. Coach O’Connor commented on the Hillies defensive performance. “They were better,” said O’Connor. “There were still moments where we didn’t tackle well or didn’t contain well, but they at least came and they hit people tonight.” Even with the defensive effort, they were not able to stop Dracut senior quarterback Matt Silva. Silva ran 13 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 116 yards with two touchdowns to Chris Malonis. Dracut scored a safety about halfway through the first on a bad snap by Haverhill. The Hillies had the ball at their own 2-yard line and snapped the ball out the back of the end zone. It was 15-0 Dracut before Haverhill got on the board with a 5-yard touchdown run from senior Malcolm Novello. He would rush for 61 yards on 12 carries, breaking through holes opened up by his offensive line. Coach O’Connor listed several reasons for Novello’s success last night. “The linemen were coming together. They’re all underclassmen and they are learning to communicate, and Malcolm has not been fully healthy until this week and it showed.” Novello not only showed he was healthy in the running game but also in the return game as well. He returned three kicks for a total of 100 yards, slipping and juking past Dracut defenders. Dracut had possession of the ball to start the second half and scored on a 14 play, 74 yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock to make the score 28-7. Dracut, on a fourth-and-five from the Hillies’ 20-yard line, was stopped when Aaron Moisan sacked Jimmy Ryan. With 8:30 left to play in the contest, Haverhill drove the ball 75 yards in six and a half minutes, with the drive capped off by a 6-yard touchdown run from Chance Brady. This made the score 35-14 Dracut, and the Middies just sat on the ball to end the game. The Hillies don’t play again until Thanksgiving day when they square off against Lowell at 10 a.m. in Lowell.

Dracut 34, Lawrence 6. The game was called with 4:16 left after a fight broke out following a Dracut TD.

ANDOVER — Connor Clancy and Andover had one word on their minds heading into last night.

“I kept saying ‘revenge’ on the sidelines for a reason,” said Clancy. “They last two years had been pure misery against Dracut. They scored 47 on us last year, and two years ago it was 55. It just stunk. We wanted this, and there is no better feeling.”

DRACUT - Those around the Merrimack Valley Conference planning Dracut's demise might want to refrain from any football funerals.

The Middies, 0-2 coming in and reeling from huge losses to graduation and the emigration of their head coach across the river to Lowell, ran Central Catholic right off Beaudry Field, 27-14, before about 1,000 fans in the conference opener for both.

DRACUT - Those around the Merrimack Valley Conference planning Dracut's demise might want to refrain from any football funerals.

The Middies, 0-2 coming in and reeling from huge losses to graduation and the emigration of their head coach across the river to Lowell, ran Central Catholic right off Beaudry Field, 27-14, before about 1,000 fans in the conference opener for both.