RallyNorth.net

Haverhill wears down Methuen

METHUEN – Throughout the regular season, Haverhill coach Tim O’Connor has tasted just about every offering on the offensive menu.
Friday night at Nicholson Stadium, looking to lock down a spot in the Division 2 North playoffs, he chose the steak and potatoes – a toe-to-toe, double-wing, up-the-gut running attack.
The meat-grinder attack kept Methuen’s explosive playmakers off the field just long enough for the Hillies to pull out a 27-15 decision in a battle of 3-3 conference rivals.
“We looked across at them and saw some pretty tough matchups,” said O’Connor. “So the goal was to turn this one into a rock fight in a phone booth. And that’s what we did.”
Both teams will next head to the North sectional playoffs – Methuen in Division 1 and Haverhill in Division 2 – and each will likely be on the road.
With a 20-play, 97-yard march that devoured 11:05 on the clock, the Hillies grabbed a 7-0 lead midway through the second on Pedro Santiago’s 8-yard TD run. It was the first of three scores for the junior, who rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries before leaving late in the fourth after taking a helmet to the shins.
The lead went to 14-0 before the half, one that was dominated by the Hillies, not just on the scoreboard, but the stat sheet in plays (30-12), yards of offense (160-41) and time of possession (15:43-6:17).
All that quality work disappeared in an blur out of halftime.
Eddie Guzman’s interception put the Rangers in business at the Haverhill 27, and on a first-down flea-flicker, Kendrick Denose found an open Michael Bodenrader for a score.
Sophomore Peter Kwakye turned in a special-teams gem, scooping up the Ranger onside kick in stride and Methuen was on the move again at Haverhill’s 34.
Brian McAndrew broke off runs of 5 and 23 yards, followed by Denose, who would not be denied, scoring from the six. Methuen went bonkers as Bodenrader hit Nick Ramirez on one more piece of razzle-dazzle for the two-pointer.
Just 2:47 into the third it was 15-14 Rangers.
“We just couldn’t keep that going,” said Methuen coach Tom Ryan.
Haverhill, whose three losses are to Billerica, Central and Mansfield (they are a combined 18-3), responded.
The Hillies went 69 yards on 10 rushes and one huge Broghean McGovern chain-moving connection on 4th-and-8 to Santiago, grabbing the lead for good on a 9-yard plunge late in the third.
Down 20-15, Methuen moved it well, but was turned away once on a Jake Dionne interception and another time on downs at the Hillies 15.
J.C. LaGuerre, trying to run out the clock, added an insurance TD in the final minute with a 43-yard dash, giving the Hillie junior a game-high 166 yards on 19 carries.
“We’re right there,” said Ryan. “We’re a little banged up and I’m just so proud of the way this team keeps battling.”
It looks like at 3-4, the Rangers could be staring at a playoff opener with St. John’s Prep or Central Catholic.
“Whoever it is, we’re going to show up and we’re going to fight,” said Ryan.
Santiago’s late injury is the latest in a long line for Haverhill, which played last night without starting linemen Elias Gaetano and Ryan Panici among others.
O’Connor is hoping both will be back for what could be a playoff opener with Reading or Newton South, a pair of teams the Hillies disposed of last year in the postseason.
Haverhill 27, Methuen 15
Haverhill (4-3): 0 14  6 7 — 27
Methuen (3-4): 0  0 15 0 — 15
Second Quarter
H — Pedro Santiago 8 run (Cameron Lynch kick) 6:35
H — Santiago 13 run (Lynch kick) 1:59
Third Quarter
M — Michael Bodenrader 24 pass from Kendrick Denose (Jordan Perdomo kick) 9:27
M — Kendrick Denose 6 run (Bodenrader to Nick Ramirez pass) 8:13
H — Santiago 9 run (rush failed) 1:59
Fourth Quarter
H — J.C. LaGuerre 43 run (Lynch kick) :45
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Haverhill (50-297) — Luc Chretien 11-31, Pedro Santiago 20-100, J.C. Laguerre 19-166; Methuen (24-116) — Brian McAndrew 12-63, Kendrick Denose 9-25, Kevin Denose 3-28
PASSING: Haverhill, LaGuerre 1-1-0, 11; Broghean McGovern 1-2-1, 12; Methuen, Kendrick Denose 7-15-1, 104
RECEIVING: Haverhill, McGovern 1-11, Santiago 1-12; Methuen, McAndrew 3-28, Bodenrader 3-38, Nick Ramirez 1-28, Kevin Denose 1-10