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Turnovers cost Hillies in loss to Lowell

Thursday, November, 24 By Chuck Frye
Staff writer

HAVERHILL — No matter what the records are, the Thanksgiving Day game matters.

A lot.

If one didn't know how Haverhill and Lowell were doing this season walking into Trinity Stadium yesterday, the game easily could have been confused for a conference title battle instead of a fight for respectability. Both teams wanted victory badly, maybe a little too much as 10 personal foul penalties would indicate, but team and personal pride was on the line.

The Red Raiders took advantage of a pair of big second-half turnovers to pull out a 39-29 decision.

The calm excellence of quarterback R.J. Noel did the trick for Lowell (6-5), as the senior threw for 126 yards and a touchdown, his 22nd of the year, and added 122 rushing yards and another score, his 14th of the fall.

But it took everything Noel had to hold off the Hillies as the hosts scored on their first three possessions to take a 20-7 lead.

Trailing 7-0, quarterback Tommy Morgan (16 of 30, 169 yards, 2 TDs) connected with Blaine Joia for an 8-yard score, and after a fumble recovery by Nick Defusco reset the stage at the Raider 49, hit Connor Tufts on an 11-yard flip for six points and the lead.

Led by Anthony Morris (7 tackles) and Defusco (8 tackles), Haverhill's defense forced a punt. The offense produced again, marching 61 yards behind bulldog back Chance Brady (109 offensive yards), Morgan and Joia to the end zone. Brady capped the drive on a 1-yard run.

But the Red Raiders, who had lost four straight after a 5-1 start to the season, wouldn't be denied. They scored twice in the last 2 1/2 minutes of the first half to tie the game and then winning the turnover battle in the second half.

After Noel got Lowell on top on a nice 29-yard run, Ryan Garrigan ended a Hillie drive with an interception. Then when Haverhill was stopped deep in its own territory, Noel busted through and blocked a punt, recovering the ball at the 2 and waltzing into the end zone.

Haverhill didn't quit as Joia's 55-yard return of an onside kick set up Brady for a 4-yard TD run, but a fourth-quarter Hillie fumble recovered by Raider Jack Wallace ended with a 34-yard dash to the end zone by Noel to lock up the victory.

"It's the story of our season — woulda, coulda, shoulda," said Haverhill head coach Tim O'Connor, whose club showed major progress after entering the season on a 32-game losing streak. "We've got to win the turnover battle and we didn't.

"Our goal was five wins this year. We came one short but I can live with it because the foundation is set. We have a good nucleus of underclassmen and (from our freshman to varsity programs we won 15 games) where last year we only had one win. But now we have to add to the foundation. Next year is crucial. We have to take the next step and we will."