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Heikkinen, Scarpa lead Andover to blowout

Friday, September, 14 By David Willis
Staff writer

ANDOVER — At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Will Heikkinen is an appealing target in any situation.

When he is matched up against a defensive back standing approximately five inches shorter playing soft coverage, he was downright irresistible for Andover quarterback C.J. Scarpa.

“We knew the corners would playing 8-10 yards off the ball,” said Heikkinen. “So we knew if we got the ball out quick we could pick up yards, and when they started playing tight we went deep.”

Heikkinen hauled in 10 passes for a whopping 202 yards and a touchdown — nine grabs for 179 yards in the first half alone — as the Golden Warriors rolled over struggling Gloucester 43-7.

“I think Will is the best receiver in the state,” said teammate Cam Farnham, who caught a 37-yard touchdown. “You can tell, when he lines up on the outside everyone is stared. If they play him 1-on-1, no one can stop him.”

Scarpa finished the day with 315 yards and three touchdowns passing, 269 and two scores coming in the first half. He threw just four times after halftime with the score out of reach.

Mr. Touchdown: Through just two games, QB C.J. Scarpa has already thrown eight touchdowns. That is nearly half his area-best 19 touchdown throws from a season ago.

Zavrl the man: Linebacker Mark Zavrl was again a monster on defense with 12 tackles, but he did some amazing work with his foot. He booted two touchbacks on kickoffs and nailed a punt at the 2-yard line. He attempted a 47-yard field goal, but sadly it was blocked at the line. But he said it felt good.

Kicker’s worst nightmare: Cam Farnham continued his dynamic play as a return man. He ran a punt back 56 yards to set up a touchdown and another 45 yards to set up a field goal. He ran a punt back for a score last week.

Freshman steps up: With starting running back Jack Sylvester out with a sprained ankle, freshman Brandon Marti started in his place. He carried five times for 10 yards and caught a 20-yard pass.

Big men in the middle: Facing Gloucester’s wing-T offense, the big guys on the Andover defense stepped up. Tackle Nathan Altman made six tackles, Ben Hartford made four big stops and Ommel Bonilla added five tackles of his own. Much smaller linebacker Chas Heseltine added six tackles as well.