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Haverhill makes statement with first win over Central Catholic since 2004

Friday, October, 07 By David Willis
Staff writer

HAVERHILL — Jason Tufts, the 240-pound bearded mountain of a man, was reduced to tears as he stood near the Haverhill logo at the 50-yard line looking into the sky.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Tufts said as he wiped his eyes clear.  “I told everyone not to count us out. I grew up in Haverhill and my brothers were on the teams that were 0-11 and 0-12, but here we are now. Amazing!”

With his team trailing and in need of a spark, Haverhill senior Pedro Santiago picked off a pass and returned it to the 2-yard line late in the third quarter. Two plays later J.C. Laguerre plunged in for a touchdown, and it was all Hillies from there on the way to a 21-10 victory over state power Central Catholic in front of an estimated crowd of over 2,500.

“We just made history,” said Santiago. “It’s amazing. We came together, kept our heads high and played our game. I had all the faith in my heart, and together we can do anything. And we won this game.”
The win was the first for Haverhill over Central Catholic since the 2004 season (10 straight losses, didn't play two of those years), and the second in the last 20 years.
Central Catholic entered the game No. 3 in Eastern Mass., while Haverhill was No. 7.
“Our motto going into this week was, ‘Kill the King’ because Central Catholic wins everything in every sport,” said running back J.C. Laguerre. “I can’t even describe how emotional this is. To beat this team after all these years is crazy. We were so confident because we believed in ourselves.”
Defensive back Aaron Brooks, whose interception clinched the victory, remembers the days no one would drive him to watch the struggling Hillies.
“It means so much to be a part of the program as it has been growing,” said Brooks. “I love being able to bring the community here to watch games and watch wins. I  have never had a feeling like this in my life.”
While Haverhill’s defense was dominating, Central Catholic held a 10-7 lead with 2:30 left in the third and the Hillies struggling to move the ball.
But Santiago turned the momentum, stepping in front of a pass and returning it 76 yards to the Central 2-yard line, setting up a Laguerre touchdown.
“The receiver beat me on a drag but I saw him cross my face and I ran as fast as I could to get in front of him,” he said. “The QB threw it off his back foot and I got in front of it and caught it.”
The Haverhill defense then delivered a three-and-out, and 13 plays later Laguerre ran in a 1-yard score to make it 21-10.
Central Catholic had one last rally, advancing to the Haverhill 1-yard line. But the ball was knocked free and Hillies senior Cameron MacDonald pounced on the ball to end the drive. Brooks followed with his interception a drive later to close out the win.
“Week 1 we had the lead the whole game against St. John’s and they came back,” said Tufts. “We were not going to have that feeling again. And we didn’t let it happen today. We did everything we needed to do to get the job done.”
The Haverhill defense was dominant, allowing Central just 183 yards of offense all night, and just 86 yards and four first downs after the half.
Meanwhile, the Hillies handed the ball to their superstar running back Laguerre. The senior carried 38 times — 24 of those in the first half — for 148 yards. QB  Broghean McGovern added a touchdown on a QB sneak.
“I didn’t know that we could play that well against a team like Central Catholic,” said Brooks. “Holding them to 10 points is a big accomplishment. We are going to enjoy this all we can.”
As the final seconds ticked off, a massive celebration erupted on the field.
“Coach (Tim O’Connor) came here and changed everything and we love him for it,” said Tufts. “I am just ecstatic. It’s an amazing night.”