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Haverhill Hillies Football '07

Fri, Sep 07, 2007 07:00 PM @ Haverhill
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Malden 6 8 6 0 20
Haverhill 6 0 0 0 6

Malden's backup QB shocks Hillies

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Haverhill's Justin Cook tries to avoid tacklers on a punt return in the first quarter of Haverhill's 20-6 loss to Malden Friday night in Haverhill. » Roger Darrigrand, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Friday, September, 07 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

HAVERHILL | Sophomore quarterback Marcos Almeida made the most of his opportunity for Malden last night in a 20-6 season-opening victory over Haverhill.

Pressed into duty when star junior QB Justin Richardson was hit with a one-game suspension, Almeida threw two touchdown passes and scored on a brilliant 45-yard scramble on what was supposed to be a pass play.

"I think I would stay with him (Almeida)," said Haverhill coach Tim Briggs. "He's really athletic."

But Malden coach Robert Lopresti said that, impressive as Almeida played, Richardson will be back at quarterback next week.

"He (Almeida) did a nice job on plays he's capable of running, but Richardson can really play," said Lopresti.

Malden scored first, at 3:25 of the first quarter, on a 25-yard pass to Rodney Borgalla, who made the first of two spectacular juggling catches after a Haverhill defender seemed to have knocked down the pass.

But the Hillies came right back to tie it, 6-6, when quarterback Peter Byron hit Joe Natale with a 36-yard pass and, on the next play, Troy Warcewicz rambled 45 yards to the one. That set up a one-yard Nick Vazquez TD dive.

Late in the second quarter, Almeida made the key play in the game. He dropped back to pass under intense pressure, scrambled to his right and then cut all the way across the field for a 45-yard score, running about 70 yards on the play. An Almeida keeper for the extra points made it 14-6 at halftime.

Malden made it 20-6 on its first drive of the second half as Borgalla, showing great concentration, caught his second deflected TD pass.

Other than those big plays, Haverhill may have outplayed Malden, outgaining the Tornado 240-176, but mistakes and | especially | penalties hurt its cause.

The Hillies committed 10 penalties for 76 yards, had one touchdown called back by an illegal formation penalty and saw a third-and-goal from the two fail to get the desired results because of an illegal procedure penalty.

"Penalties just killed us," said Briggs. "We're a young team, but that's no excuse. We beat ourselves, end of story."

Among those playing well for the Hillies were surprising sophomore Tito Morel at linebacker, wide receiver Justin Cook (4 catches, 47 yards) and linebackers Dan Saunders and Warcewicz.

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