Familiar story line in this MVC clash
Ask anyone in attendance for the 1990 Thanksgiving weekend matchup between Andover and Central Catholic if the final field goal attempt was good, and you’ll get two different answers depending on the side they supported.
Postponed two days because of snow, the game came down to the wire and Central Catholic’s winning kick at the buzzer was ruled good as it sailed well over the left upright, leaving the officials guessing whether it was true.
Hunter Lochmann was an all-conference defensive end for Andover, and now his nephew, Presley Titus, is on the other side of a rivalry that has some extra juice ahead of Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
Central Catholic (2-4) is currently ninth in the MIAA Division 1 power rankings but needs to win at least one more game to qualify for the postseason. Beating eighth-ranked Andover (5-1) would put the Raiders in good shape, and deliver the Merrimack Valley Conference Large title, along with the newly-minted Captains Cup – a trophy designed to honor the history of a rivalry that spans five decades.
If Central Catholic needed more motivation, the players that were on the field last season can recall another huge kick in this rivalry. In Week 3 last year, Central’s last-minute 35-yard field goal attempt went wide right to seal Andover’s 30-29 victory, the program’s first win over Central since 2012, and a key step toward Andover’s first MVC title since then.
“Being on the field when that field goal missed was heartbreaking,” said Titus, a 6-foot-4inch, 225-pound senior defensive end with multiple college offers.
“It was a horrible loss for us, and we kept it in the back of our minds throughout offseason, so there’s going to be a lot of emotion going into this one.”
Titus said he derives extra motivation with his uncle making the drive up from Washington D.C. and his grandfather, former Kansas basketball star Riney Lochmann, flying in from Ohio to attend.
Central coach John Sexton (’97) has seen countless close games against Andover, both as a player and over his last 22 years as assistant coach under Chuck Adamopoulos.
For 42 years, these Merrimack Valley Conference teams met on Thanksgiving, with postseason implications often on the line. The Raiders and Golden
Warriors played thrice in 2014 when they met in the regular season, in the new playoff format, and for the final time on Thanksgiving.
“It’s always back and forth,” said Sexton, who shifted to head coach this year after 11 seasons as offensive coordinator. “When we beat them my junior year, it was considered an upset, the next year they beat us, and it was considered an upset. It’s always been like that.”
Both teams have some moving parts on offense, with Jaxon Pereira (43-for-68 passing, 516 yards, 8 TDs) stepping in at quarterback for Central since Clemson-bound quarterback Blake Hebert injured his leg in Week 1. Pereira and fellow senior Mason Bachry (41 rushes, 365 yards, 7 TDs) were slated to focus on playing safety this season, but Bachry has also taken on more responsibilities on offense as a tailback who can spell freshmen Armari Mills and Drew O’Keefe.
For Andover, 5-foot-8 junior Dominic Papa took over in a 5118 loss at Methuen in Week 4 when Johnny Enman suffered a shoulder injury. Papa has since led the offense to 98 points in consecutive wins, passing for 354 yards with six touchdowns at Haverhill last Friday.
Senior captain Brian Hnat has been outstanding at wide receiver and cornerback over the past two weeks with six receiving touchdowns, 200-plus receiving yards, and four interceptions.
“I remember going to the Andover-Central games when EJ [Perry IV] was at quarterback and it was always packed,” said Hnat, a 6-5, 215-pound senior who might shift to tight end at the collegiate level.
“I’m honored to be part of the tradition. In the MVC, we always talk about how we have rivalries, but every MVC game is a battle. Every team is battling with everything they’ve got.”
The MVC went to a new format with three tiers this season, leaving Central, Andover, and Haverhill alone in Division 1. While neither coach is thrilled about watering down the traditional Large and Small divisions, both want to secure the league crown with a win.
“No matter what, Andover has to play Central,” said Andover coach EJ Perry III (’83), who played in the rivalry along with several of his six brothers.
“You want to play the best, and you want to play the teams that are near you. It doesn’t matter where the teams go when alignments shift. A rivalry is a rivalry, and it brings out the best in both teams.”