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Kwakye enjoys career night as Methuen tops Lowell

Friday, October, 20 By By Jeff Hamrick

METHUEN — Peter Kwakye picked the right evening to have the game of his career.
Leading a determined group of Methuen veterans on senior night, Kwakye impacted both sides of the ball, scoring three touchdowns and piling up three tackles for losses, including a pair of sacks to lead the Rangers to a 28-21 victory over visiting Lowell in Friday night's regular-season finale.
The senior saw action at receiver and running back and played in both the secondary and on the line for the defense. His first scoring reception tied the score while his second provided Methuen (5-2, 4-1 MVC) a lead. But it was Kwakye's 80-yard kickoff return that gave the Rangers the lead for good late in the third quarter.
"I might have had (three scores) in Pop Warner, maybe," Kwakye said. "I'm not sure if I've had that good of a game in high school. This was Senior Night and we knew it could be our last game at home, so we weren't going to lose on our field."
Lowell quarterback Curtis Gentles, who entered the game leading Division 1 with 14 touchdown passes, took advantage of a 55-yard return on the opening kickoff. He needed only two plays for a 7-0 advantage on a 26-yard scoring pass to Aquantise Byard.
The Rangers needed only two plays themselves to tie the score on a 73-yard hookup from Jordan Perdomo to Kwakye. Two possessions later, Kwakye capped a nice 12-play drive with a 29-yard pass from Perdomo on a slick double flea-flicker early in the second quarter.
Lowell (4-3, 2-2) used a 71-yard pass from Gentles to Byard to tie the score with 48 seconds left in the half, but Kwakye immediately responded with an 80-yard return on the ensuing kickoff for a 21-14 advantage at intermission.
"I fumbled the ball a little bit, then I looked up and saw the hole and I was gone," Kwakye said.
Late in the third, David Kelly gave Methuen a 28-24 lead on an 8-yard run, finishing off a 10-play, 74-yard drive.
"This was big, it was huge but wasn't our biggest win yet," Kwakye said. "The biggest win will be in the Super Bowl."
Gentles finished with 277 yards through the air, but was harassed all night by Methuen's strong pass rush, completing only 14 of his 35 attempts. More than half of his yardage came on the touchdowns.
"Our defense stepped up tonight," said Methuen coach Tim Ryan, who rotated defensive linemen throughout the game in the absence of senior Bryce Smith, who will return next week. "We played tremendous defense and were really disruptive. We threw their passing game off."
The victory sends the Rangers into the postseason with momentum.
"Based on what I know — it isn't official — but we'll play Lowell again here," Ryan said. "I heard St. John's lost, so we'll likely play Lowell. We have to quickly recover because (the Red Raiders) can really run. They have some speed. Playing a playoff game at home was one of our goals to start the season."