Greater Lowell squanders chances, falls 14-7
LOWELL >> For a Commonwealth Athletic Conference opener between rivals, Saturday’s contest was a pretty good way to start.
Although sloppy at times, the Greater Lawrence and Greater Lowell football teams took turns moving the ball, but either squandered chances or turnovers which limited the touchdowns.
Each team went to its No. 1 running back early and often. Greater Lowell junior Aviren Chitpaseuth, who last year rushed for over 1,200 yards, has been dynamite for the Gryphons. On the other side was sophomore Gustavo Valera, who has been equally as good, but coming off a tough game in last week’s loss to a powerful Salem squad.
In this contest at Cawley Stadium, it was Valera and his teammates who came out on top, winning 14-7. Valera finished with a game-high 207 rushing yards on 25 carries, including scoring the game’s first touchdown and adding in a 19-yard catch.
“We figured (Valera) would get a couple and if we could keep him in the 120 to 130 (yard) range that we would be in good shape. For (Valera) to finish with over 200 yards, that’s too much and that’s probably why the scoreboard says what it does,” said Greater Lowell head coach Shane Abrams. “We did anticipate that (the two running backs would control this game) but unfortunately Aviren is dealing with a little bit of an ankle injury so he’s not 100 percent. Despite that, he showed a tremendous amount of guts and toughness today to battle through that and giving us what he did today and that’s why he is who he is.”
Midway through the first quarter, Greater Lawrence (2-2) was facing a thirdand-one from its own 42 and Valera went up the middle untouched for a 58-yard score. Dan Laurendreau booted the PAT.
The score remained 7-0 with 11 minutes left in the second quarter. The Reggies had the ball on their own 31. On second and one, Valera went to his left and was being tackled in the backfield before losing the ball. Greater Lowell’s Jonathan Githitu scooped it up and ran the ball in for a 22yard fumble recovery touchdown, and the PAT kick by Jayson Frasca tied the game 7-7.
Early in the fourth, the Reggies started on their own 44 and advanced after five running plays. Quarterback Isiah Suero then rolled out to his right and completed a 24yard pass to tight end Ellis Macea for the gamewinning score.
Greater Lowell (1-3) moved the ball to the Reggies’ 29 on the ensuing drive but an interception ended it. Then, with 2:36 left, the Gryphons got the ball back on the Reggies’ 47 after a short punt. Three incomplete passes forced a fourth and long and quarterback Kam Ry’s pass to Chitpaseuth went for 12 yards, falling two yards short of the first down, which all but ended the game.
“It was a good high school football game. We knew that we kind of mirrored each other quite a bit, we knew it was going to be physical, which it was, but they probably made one or two more plays than we did,” said Abrams.