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Andover loses heartbreaker

ANDOVER — Cedric Gillette should have been the hero in a dramatic victory for Andover last night.

Gillette outfought a defender for a 23-yard TD reception with 1:16 to play Friday night, capping what seemed like a stunning fourth-quarter rally which saw the Warriors rally from a 45-20 hole to take a 48-45 lead.
There was only one problem. Andover left unbeaten Lowell a few seconds too many on the clock and, despite being pinned back on their 1-yard line, the Red Raiders drove downfield 99 yards to score with no time left on the clock for a dramatic 51-48 victory.
“That’s as good a two-minute drill as you’ll ever see,” said Lowell coach John Florence. “We always have great games against Andover and this was another one.”
On that final drive, Lowell quarterback Curtis Gentles was 5 for 6, which included a 44-yard bomb, and four completions wound up with the receiver running out of bounds. After a pass to the Andover 1-yard line with three seconds left, Justin Villanueva went the final yard as the game ended.

A field goal was not even a consideration, after Lowell had missed four PATs on the night.
“That’s a tough one to lose, but you have to give them credit for that (last drive),” said Andover coach EJ Perry. “(Until that), we played as good a fourth quarter as you can play.”
Things started poorly for Andover when Anthony Duong ran 72 yards for a TD on the first play of the game and a 52-yard spring by quarterback Curtis Gentle on Lowell’s third offensive play quickly made it 13-0 with less than three minutes gone in the game.
Andover rallied for two TDs on short runs by Tommy Duncan, the second set up by a 25-yard interception return by Micah White, to take a 14-13 lead, but Lowell then scored three straight TDs to take a 33-14 lead before a 25-yard pass from Nick Dellatto to Brendon Moody on the last play of the first half made it 39-20.
Lowell scored twice to open the third quarter to take a seemingly safe 45-20 lead before the Warriors rallied with five straight touchdowns. Duncan had an 11-yard scoring run, Dellatto ran it in twice from the 1-yard line and Gillette hauled in two TD passes.
After a so-so first half, Dellatto was 10 of 15 for 228 yards through the air in the second half with Gillette catching seven for a stunning 128, finishing with 14 catches for 247 yards. Patrick Dennehy, who also had two booming punts, had two receptions for 47 yards.
“Gillette was just unbelievable,” said Perry. “He made some great catches for us. It was just too bad that it wasn’t in a winning cause.”