Sports

Andover Football Trumps Tabor As Eruzione Scores Three TDs

Games at home under the lights are always the most highly anticipated and especially intense for every sport. When the Andover football team took on the Tabor Sea Wolves under the lights last Saturday, it was no different. Looking for their first win since the shutout against NMH on parent’s weekend, and having just lost to Deerfield the week before, the Andover team entered the game psyched to win in front of a packed Phelps Stadium. The 26-21 win was led by team captains Connor Hoesley ’04 and Tyler Simms ’04, and featured another solid performance from quarterback Nick Stamas ’04 and a monstrous game on the ground from Michael Eruzione ’04. In the first quarter PA started with the ball and began driving immediately. After successfully moving the ball down the majority of the field, Stamas faked a handoff to Hoesley and instead ran the option himself for a first down on the Tabor one yard line. From there Stamas handed off to Eruzione who blew right threw the Tabor defensive line for the score. Then kicker Hobie Boeschenstein ’04 increased the Big Blue’s lead to seven with a successful kick for the extra point. After a big defensive stand led by Tolu Wusu ’04, who had a sack and a big tackle during the drive, Tabor was forced to punt the ball. Then following Simms’s hefty return of the punt, Stamas gave the ball to Simms again, who was tackled on the Tabor 11 yard line. From there, Stamas handed the ball off to Eruzione who ran it in for another PA touchdown to give the Big Blue a 13-0 lead. Tabor began to retaliate in the second quarter when their featured back Nicozzi Stills rushed for a fifteen-yard touchdown. As if challenged by Stills, Eruzione came right back and rumbled the length of the field on five huge runs, the fifth of which ended in a ducking, weaving, and juking ten yard touchdown that, with the help of a Boeschenstein kick, gave the Blue a 20-7 lead. This was Eruzione’s third touchdown in the first half. Tabor was able to score once more before the termination of the half, and with the help of a successful two point conversion, they trailed by just five entering the second half. Tabor struck again in the third quarter and was able to take the lead for the first time in the game on a forty-six yard Stills touchdown run, making the score 21-20 in favor of the Sea wolves. In an exciting fourth quarter, Stamas passed six yards to Wusu who rumbled an impressive thirty yards for the score. Then in the dwindling minutes of the game with only 3:56 left to play, Tabor had the ball on fourth and two, with an opportunity to take the lead and leave Andover very little time to retaliate. The Big Blue made the stop, which secured them the 26-21 win. Stamas, while he took his licks, played another impressive game. The win was also helped by an outstanding receiving performance from Simms and a big game from Hoesley on defense. Michael Eruzione also played extremely well and rushed for three touchdowns in his best game of the season to bring his two game touchdown total to five. Wide receiver Stephen Sherrill ’05 said of Eruzione’s performance, “Mike was absolutely disgusting. He ran well and really helped our team. We’re going to miss him tomorrow against Exeter.” The Big Blue is now 4-5 on the season and, seeking a .500 record on the year and will travel to New Hampshire to battle Exeter tomorrow.