Brendon Misterman ’15 handled the kickoff, broke free from an opposing Kent player and took off down the sideline for an 82-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter. Misterman’s score shifted the momentum in Andover Football’s favor against Kent on Saturday.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as Andover was unable to get ahead of Kent on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, ultimately falling 31-27.
The backfield of Misterman, Michael Panepinto ’15, Dewitt Burnham ’16 and Max Anthony ’15 rushed for a total of 205 yards over 36 carries. “We got into a great rhythm on offense, and we played great together,” wrote Anthony in an email to The Phillipian.
In his debut performance as quarterback for Andover, Burnham completed seven passes for 103 yards and threw one interception.
Even though the loss was Andover’s second of the season, the team still showed improvement. After coughing up six turnovers against Loomis Chaffee, Andover allowed only one turnover in its performance against Kent.
“Probably the biggest thing [was that] we really cut down on our turnovers which helped move the ball,” said Head Coach Leon Modeste.
Modeste will be looking for Burnham to split time with Taylor Beckett ’17, who was recently called up from the Junior Varsity team.
“To prove myself, I am just going to work as hard as possible in practice to learn all the material and get comfortable with the offense. I am a little nervous about playing at the highest level, but I am ready [for] the challenge of going up against older guys,” wrote Beckett in an email to The Phillipian.
Burnham will also spend time as a safety for Andover’s defense.
Andover has not made it through the early stages of the season unscathed. Both Panepinto, who played against Kent, and A.J. McFarlane ’15 are currently injured. On the field, McFarlane is a strong interior line presence, and Panepinto is a running-back.
“That’s football — we can’t cry over [injuries]. I feel bad for those kids because they work hard, but this is how a team’s character is revealed — [by] how they handle adversity,” said Modeste.
Andover will face an undefeated Choate team away on Sunday.
“We looked better this week than last week, but still not good enough to win. We must improve as a team even more this week if we want to have success,” wrote Captain Rob Needham ’15 in an email to The Phillipian.
“Choate is unbelievable — we are David, and they are Goliath. Hopefully we will have a stone,” Modeste added.
