Andover suffered its first loss in an otherwise flawless season, falling to a very talented Deerfield squad 20-9 on the road in a wet and muddy match-up. The defeat was the first regular season loss in over two years for Andover. The team now prepares to get back on track next week in a big game against Worcester Academy. Despite Andover’s best efforts, the team couldn’t slow down the constant rushing attack from Deerfield, as the defense yielded 20 points, tying the most points Andover has allowed in a single game all season. “I feel like our biggest challenge in defending [Deerfield’s] offense was their running game,” said Ryan Sullivan ’09. “Deerfield had a solid, well-coached offensive line combined with a hard-nosed tailback.” There was a steady rain throughout the game in Deerfield on Saturday, adding to complications for Andover. The team’s offense, which is centered on a strong passing attack from quarterback Bryan Farris ’08 and a handful of talented receivers, had trouble building any sort of momentum with the slippery ball. “The poor weather conditions affected the game, but both teams had to play in them—it was challenging for each side,” said Andrew Pohly ’09. “Everything was just a little bit away from happening the way we wanted it to go.” It seemed as though the Deerfield secondary knew exactly where to be to defend Andover receivers, who had difficulty getting open for a pass. This tight defense, along with the poor weather conditions, undoubtedly helped Deerfield to two costly interceptions, both of which turned into touchdowns on the following drives. “In the first half we had some trouble establishing a running game,” said Tom Hamel ’10. “We had some opportunities to make big plays on both sides of the ball that we just missed on.” To add to the poor conditions, Andover played on a grass field for the first time so far this season. The combination of heavy rain and grass made conditions difficult, particularly for the offensive lineman. “The biggest challenge for the offensive line was battling the elements,” explained center Mike Bernieri ’10. “It is really hard to block when you can’t hold your footing. They also sent a lot of blitzes off the edge which are really hard to pick up.” With a wet ball, solid Deerfield secondary and multiple blitzes, it was nearly impossible for Farris and the receivers to build up any momentum throughout the first three quarters. By the fourth quarter, however, Andover mixed up its signals in an attempt to fool the Deerfield defense and scored its only touchdown of the game, a deep touchdown pass and run from Farris to Ryan McCarthy ’08. “I think that we need to improve developing a pocket where Farris can have time to throw the football,” said Sullivan. “When Farris is given enough time to find his receivers he’s almost unstoppable.” The only other Andover points came from a field goal in the first half. The nine points scored was the lowest game total so far this season, a testament to how strong and consistent the Andover offense performs. The loss brought Andover’s season record to 5-1. Next week, Andover returns back to the friendly turf field of Phelps Stadium to face off with a terrific Worcester Academy at 6:15 p.m on . “We really played our hearts out on Saturday against Deerfield, but we came up short,” said Bernieri. “Next week we will be under the lights in our home stadium, so hopefully we will be able to come out with a win.”
