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Abreu, Andover sack Methuen

Saturday, November, 03 By David Willis
Staff writer

ANDOVER — By the end of the game, Methuen had to be tired of hearing Chris Abreu's name.

The linebacker sacked Rangers quarterback Matt Bartlett four times to pace Andover in a 41-12 victory last night.

"He's just big, tough and so physical," said Golden Warriors defensive back Kevin Hitchko. "He just seems to want it more than everyone else out there."

Switching between outside linebacker and rush end, Abreu made three of his sacks in the first half when the game was still in reach. The varsity basketball starter now has a team-highs of 10 sacks and 51 tackles.

"It's just so much fun," said Abreu, who had five tackles and caused a fumble. "You just go and hit him and it gets all the stress out of you. It's just fun."

And he didn't use up all his energy on defense. The 190-pounder added a team-high 93 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown from quarterback Mike Pierce with 37 seconds left in the first half to put Andover ahead 21-6.

Abreu set the tone for a dominant night for Andover. "Chelmsford was a heartbreaker," said Hitchko of the loss in last week's showdown. "We wanted to come out, play physical and prove that we aren't done yet. We still want to win."

Pierce, who broke Andover's all-time passing record a week ago, was 11 of 13 for 161 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 73 yards and a fifth score. Peter Hanson caught three passes for a team-high 53 yards and a touchdown and Mike Morander had three catches for 47 yards. Sam Clark added a 22-yard TD catch and Matt Rayner added a 3-yard touchdown grab. Sprint champion Chris McConnell chipped in with a 40-yard touchdown run.

"We're very motivated to finish this season off on a high note," said Rayner. "Even if it's not for a title, we're playing for pride."

Defensively, Sam Clark (five tackles), Steven LaFortune (five tackles, one sack) and Peter Hanson (two tackles, one sack) were mainstays.

Justin Marsan led the way for the Rangers, racking up 111 yard on only 14 carries. It was his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Pat O'Leary added 30 yard on only three carries.

But the star of the game for the Methuen was kicker Giuliano Pizzo. The senior booted field goals of 35 and 36 yards. He now has five field goals for the season. Chris Murach tallied Methuen's lone touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Matt Bartlett.