In addition to quarterback, Co-Captain Michael Thompson ’21 also plays free safety and placekicker for the team.
Despite a season record of 2-5, Andover is heading into its game against Exeter with high hopes, according to Co-Captain Jake Jordan ’20.
“Currently [the teams] are pretty equally matched this year, so it should be a very big brawl for the final game. They are better this year than years past, and we haven’t had the strongest season compared to past years, so it’s going to come down to who puts the most work on the field,” said Jordan.
The historic rivalry has helped to raise the intensity in practice in preparation for the game, according to Nick Thomas ’21 and Baron Abrishami ’21.
“I think of the rivalry as great motivation to work harder and practice during the week and fire us up as a team. Knowing that we’re playing a school that’s been going back and forth as long as we can remember, it’s great knowing that we’re gonna go on the ream and smack them,” said Thomas.
Abrishami said, “It isn’t just a traditional rivalry. We have a lot of alumni who played in the game when they attended Andover come back and support us. We’re not playing only for our team, but we’re doing it for the name across our chests and the alumni who are coming back.”
According to quarterback Julio Dahl ’22, the team has been using video recordings to tailor its practices to Exeter’s style of play.
“We’ve been watching films on them to study their playing styles and strategies in the game, so we know their weak points and what we need to execute to win… and, of course, we’re just trying to get conditioned and make sure we have the endurance for all four quarters,” said Dahl.
With Exeter being the last game of the season coming to an end, the team hopes to put up a strong performance for the Senior class.
Jordan said, “For me, I’m not playing football in college, so it’s obvious I need to put work into every play. I’ve been working on having other players buy into the mentality that it can be the last game for other players too. Even if they have one or two more years left at Andover, it’ll be the last game for a lot of people on the team. I’m very excited to make Andover/Exeter my last game and come out with a victory.”
Editor’s Note: Jake Jordan is a Live Editor for The Phillipian.
