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Hennessy, Devine clutch for Andover

Saturday, October, 25 By David Willis
Staff writer

HAVERHILL — With Haverhill moving the ball at will, Andover needed to make a statement. So the Golden Warriors turned the ball over to their backfield duo.

Quarterback John Hennessy and halfback Tucker Devine responded with two long touchdown drives, almost entirely on the ground, to clinch Andover’s 40-27 victory over the pesky Hillies last night.

“Those last two drives were huge,” said offensive lineman Kristofer Riemer. “They (Haverhill) scored those two late touchdowns and had five time outs. They were in the game, and we settled down and did a very good job.”

Haverhill scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 26-21. But Andover responded with a 10-play, 73-yard drive that ended in a Devine touchdown. Haverhill scored again four plays later, but back came the Golden Warriors with another drive that Hennessy finished off with a 21-yard touchdown run.

Hennessy and Devine rushed for a combined 90 rushing yards on the final two drives.

“We needed first downs and we needed to keep the clock running,” said Devine. “They hung in there, and bailed (the defense) out a little.”

After struggles last week, Hennessy turned in possibly his best game of the season. He rushed for a game-high 133 yards on just 14 carries and four touchdowns, and was 8 of 11 throwing for 140 yards and two more scores.

Devine also stood out, rushed for 107 yards on 21 carries and the one score. Steven LaFortune added a crucial 15-yard rush in the fourth and Ryan Peek made a team-high four catches for 39 yards.

Andover’s highlight play came with 48 seconds left in the first half. Hennessy dumped the ball off to receiver Jimmy Johnson, and he took off for a 55-yard score.

Johnson also made three tackles, a sack and caused a fumble. LaFortune (8 tackles) and Andrew Lebowitz (6 tackles) led the defense.

But Haverhill’s offense was able to keep pace with the Warriors for most of the game thanks to their two quarterbacks.

On the Hillies’ first play from scrimmage, starter Isiah Ocasio (3-82) took a quarterback sneak 45 yards for a touchdown. On the following drive he broke off a 32-yard run that set up Haverhill’s second score.

But on that second drive, Ocasio went down with what Haverhill coach Tim Briggs called a possibly broken ankle. Backup Tim Nutter stepped in, and was just as good. The junior, who starts at receiver, rushed seven times for 127 yards and touchdowns of 40 and 55 yards in the fourth quarter.

“It was great to see Tim do that because he hasn’t seen many reps quarterback because he is a receiver,” said Briggs. “But you need to play defense to win. We have moved the ball all season. But you have to play defense.”

Dracut pounds Billerica

Matt Grimard rushed for six touchdowns and passed for another as Dracut, the No. 4 team in Eastern Mass., drubbed Billerica 47-16 in the much-hyped MVC showdown. In a surprising development, the Middies flew out to a 40-0 lead at halftime against the 15th-ranked team in Eastern Mass.