RallyNorth.net

North Andover burned by big plays in loss to Billerica

Friday, October, 09 By By Mac Cerullo

NORTH ANDOVER - When the floodgates opened early, North Andover proved powerless to stop it, as Billerica rode a 29-point second quarter to a convincing 42-13 win over the Scarlet Knights Friday night.
Billerica (5-0) set the tone early, driving 77 yards in five plays before scoring on a 9-yard run by Drew Laundry.
North Andover (3-2) stuffed the conversion attempt, and on the ensuing drive, the Knights moved the ball well enough before stalling at midfield. The Knights forced a turnover on downs on Billerica's next possession to keep it a 6-0 game at the end of the first, but then things started going south in a hurry.
Billerica scored four touchdowns in the second quarter, with all four coming within the first four plays of each drive, and all four coming on big plays.
The first came on a 73-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Beck to receiver Dean Brooks on the first play following a North Andover three-and-out. Beck converted the subsequent two-point conversion to make it 14-0.
North Andover punted its next drive, and Billerica came right down with four straight big runs to score again, with Laundry scoring again on a 29-yard run.
On the ensuing kickoff, Billerica attempted and recovered an onside kick, but the ball was ruled out of bounds before the receiver had it.
It ultimately wouldn't matter because, on the next play, Billerica forced a fumble and recovered, and then two plays after that, Beck hit receiver Jeff Trainor for a 19-yard touchdown pass to all but put the game out of reach.
Billerica scored one last time on a 38-yard touchdown from Beck to receiver Gus Gobiel, which made it 35-0 going into halftime. At that point, North Andover coach John Dubinski said his message to the team was simple - just keep playing.
"We talked in the locker room and said we have to create short term, attainable goals," Dubinski said. "We said we need to win the third quarter, we need guys to have a good attitude, we don't want guys who are going to quit on us, and they responded pretty well."
North Andover played much better in the second half, though Billerica sat many of its starters from that point on. The Knights got on the board late in the third quarter after quarterback Seamus Lambert rushed for an 11-yard touchdown, and after Billerica scored following a 17-play drive that soaked up 8:30 of game clock, the Knights got one last score as time expired on a 12-yard TD pass from Lambert to Chris Miller.