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LAWRENCE | Andover senior linebacker Tripp Stevens took one last long look at the scoreboard as the power was being turned off and chuckled.

"Unbelievable," he said with a smile from ear to ear. "Our offense is usually in control of the game. But today it was the defense that took control. We did what we had to do."

His right hand is wrapped in medical tape. His left knee is in a brace. His head is finally clearing. To Central Catholic's Curtis Davis, the sprain, the torn meniscus | even the two concussions he suffered last month | are superficial. Look closer and you'll see a deeper struggle.

Don't try to tell Central Catholic coach Chuck Adamopoulos that his Raiders have little to play for.

"It's Andover!" exclaimed the Raider coach. "And, of course, we'd also like a 6-5 finish to the season."

Where: Lawrence Veterans Stadium

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Quarterbacks: Mike Pierce, Andover; Shain Jowett, Central Catholic

Coaches: Ken Maglio, Andover; Chuck Adamopoulos, Central Catholic

METHUEN | Chuck Adamopoulos and the Central Catholic coaching staff weren't the only ones not happy with the way the Raiders were playing in the first half last night, when they trailed a spirited Methuen squad 13-7.

LAWRENCE | On a fourth-quarter, fourth-and-eight, Mike Leavitt took a Shain Jowett dumpoff, danced past one tackler, banged off two more, finally got corralled by three Chelmsford defenders and managed to drag the pile forward toward the first-down marker.

LOWELL | Lowell's gameplan was to put the bull's-eye on Mike Leavitt's back, and the Red Raiders executed it well, holding the Central battering ram to 91 yards on 15 carries. Lowell, though, spent the rest of the night at Cawley Stadium learning the lesson that the Raiders are more than just Mike Leavitt.

The traditional roles, at times, reversed, suddenly pass-happy Central Catholic surrendered chunks of ground yardage to conservative Tewksbury.

But who was complaining? The Raiders held a 21-14 advantage over the Redmen with less than five minutes left. "That last five minutes, things just went wrong ... everything caved in," said stunned Raider coach Chuck Adamopoulos after he watched the lead and, most probably, his team's Merrimack Valley Conference title hopes disintegrate in a depressing 30-27 loss to Tewksbury. The Raider mistakes compounded like a loan-shark's interest rates, by the second, with each sending Central deeper and deeper into the red.

The Raiders are in the same position as Andover, only they have Tewksbury then Lowell, Chelmsford, Methuen and the Warriors on Turkey Day.

Coach Chuck Adamopoulos says:

Midseason Mr. Reliable: "Mike Smith. The Injury to Mike Leavitt forced him to play fullback, and he did a great job. Now, he's back in his spot at halfback, and is still running very well. Defensively, he's the only linebacker we've had start every game."

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."