RallyNorth.net

Kwakye leads Methuen to tourney win

Friday, October, 27 By David Willis
Staff writer

METHUEN — Peter Kwakye took a direct snap, faked a handoff, juked to his left and took off right towards the right. In a flash, the Methuen senior had scored a 29-yard touchdown, and Lowell was left with the question it simply could not answer — how to stop Kwakye?

“I think Peter had the best game of his career,” said Rangers QB Jordan Perdomo. “He just has special moves, and we needed him 100 percent tonight.”

With Methuen in desperate need of a spark, Kwakye delivered the game of his life.

The senior running back/slot receiver carried 17 times for 190 yards and four touchdowns, and on defense had a pair of sacks and a key pass break-up.
That gave the No. 4 seed Rangers control, and Seth Pare recovered the on-side kick with 1:11 to play to lock down a 38-35 win over No. 5 Lowell in the Division 1 North first round.
“This was a well-fought game and we got the victory,” said Kwakye. “We wanted so badly to get a playoff win in front of our home crowd. We were determined to win, and we were going to do anything we could.”
The victory sends Methuen (6-2) to the Division 1 North semifinals, where the Rangers will meet rival and top-seed Central Catholic (8-0), which rolled over Acton-Boxboro on Friday.
It is a rematch of the Sept. 23 classic in which the Rangers led the Raiders by two scores in the third period.
“We can’t wait for Central,” said Perdomo. “But we are going to treat it like any other game.”
Midway through the third quarter on Friday, it looked as if Methuen may not make it to the next round of the tournament.
Lowell had led from the early stages, and when Justin Villanueva scored a 19-yard TD midway through the third the Red Raiders seemed to be in control, leading 21-13.
But on Methuen’s next possession, Perdomo hid David Kelly for a 22-yard gain, setting up a 29-yard Kwakye run that tied the game.
Kwakye then added his final score a possession later, taking a handoff and going 37 yards untouched for a score to give the Rangers the lead.
“I had to spark the offense because we had to win,” said Kwakye. “I just had to run fast, throw in a few jukes and deliver a hit when I need to. I was willing to do anything I could to get my team the win.”
Lowell kept rallying, but Methuen would not let the Raiders catch up
An interception by Jonathan Ouellet set up a 33-yard touchdown for Ranger senior Saul Cespedes to make it a two-score day. Then Perdomo boomed a 37-yard field goal that proved to be the winning margin.
“We practice field goals every day,” said Perdomo. “So I felt totally confident. And I have to give Kwakye credit. He set up the field goal.”
Led by Kwakye, the Rangers finished the game with 406 rushing yards on 48 carries.
Kwakye, Bryce Smith (1.5 sacks) and Travis Manick  (10 tackles) also helped lead the defense. But the surprise star there was junior Jonathan Ouettet.
Not a starter, Oulettet made the most of his playing time. On a screen pass, the defensive back chased Lowell QB Curtis Gentile down and dropping him for a 24-yard loss. Ouellet later added an interception.
“I can’t take all the credit for the pick,” he said. “Seth (Pare) helped hold the ball against my body. It was a crazy game, and we are thrilled to come out with the victory and move on to next week.”