RallyNorth.net

Central punishes Lowell

Saturday, October, 27 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

LOWELL | Lowell's gameplan was to put the bull's-eye on Mike Leavitt's back, and the Red Raiders executed it well, holding the Central battering ram to 91 yards on 15 carries. Lowell, though, spent the rest of the night at Cawley Stadium learning the lesson that the Raiders are more than just Mike Leavitt.

Central playmakers stepped up repeatedly to shoulder the load. The visitors, who were stung in a disastrous final two minutes last week at Tewksbury, strolled to a 43-0 victory.

"They tried to take away Leavitt, that's what you've got to do, make us try and beat you some other way," said Central coach Chuck Adamopoulos. "They were playing 11 guys up on the line of scrimmage, and when they do that, we need guys to make plays."

Mike Smith (4 carries, 139 yards), scored on dashes of 57 and 58 yards, and his twin brother Matt added an 18-yard score for the Raiders, who move to 4-4 on the year, 3-2 in the Merrimack Valley Conference.

It did, however, take some time for the rout to materialize. Central held a slender 6-0 lead deep into the second quarter. That's when junior quarterback Shain Jowett put the hammer on this one.

First, he ran off consecutive keepers for 16 and 38 yards, setting up Leavitt's seventh TD of the year with 2:59 before intermission.

Then, with the final seconds of the quarter ticking, Jowett spotted tight end Guyer, behind the Lowell secondary. His arcing bomb split the 8-0 on Guyer's jersey and the 6-foot, 185-pound junior did the rest, lumbering 69 yards for the TD and the 19-0 lead.

"It was nice to have that little flurry," said Adamopoulos. "And that touchdown pass at the end of the half was a big play."

Lowell, which fell to 2-6 and 1-4 in the MVC, was severely hampered without quarterback Matt Welch, who missed the game with an injury. Central outgained the opposition, 498-65, on the night.