Methuen and Andover are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Methuen Rangers will head out on the road to take on the Andover Golden Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Methuen took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Chelmsford , sneaking past 38-36.
Meanwhile, Andover posted their biggest win since October 13, 2023 on Friday. They took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 35-6 victory over Lowell. Given the Golden Warriors' advantage in MaxPreps' Massachusetts football rankings (they are ranked 30th, while the Red Raiders are ranked 132nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Andover found their leader in underclassman Marcus Dejesus, who rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown. Dejesus was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards. Another player making a difference was Dominic Papa, who threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Andover was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 201 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Andover's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged four passes before it was all said and done. Ben Hnat led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Connor Acheson is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made eight or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Methuen's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-1. As for Andover, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 3-1.
Everything came up roses for Methuen against Andover when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 51-18 win. In that match, Methuen amassed a halftime lead of 37-12, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
