Andover 21-20 Deerfield
Football (1-5) won its first game in a tight game against Deerfield, making big plays on both sides of the ball to close out its first win. Although Andover still has a losing record, the team is still focused on the games ahead — planning to gain momentum from this victory to fuel its energy in future games.
Deerfield had a 0-6 season coming into the game. Logan Umbach PG’25 spoke on how both teams were striving to win its first game. Andover matched the energy, fiercely preparing for the matchup.
“We knew coming into it that Deerfield was also winless, and they were going to be hungry for a win, so we had to match that energy… We had some great practices the week before. We worked harder than usual and prepared more intensely, so we were ready,” said Umbach.
Quarterback Jackson Slack ’26 led skillfully, making strategic plays to keep Andover in the game. Byron Johnson ’25 commended Slack for his outstanding practices and for regaining his composure after the two interceptions. Slack stayed resilient, headlining the second half to secure Andover’s win.
“He definitely stepped up this week at practice and again when we needed him in the game. He had two turnovers, two mistakes that led to the other team scoring, but in the end, he delivered for us. He scored two rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and had around 113 yards. He did a great job leading us, keeping our heads in the game when we needed it most, and just kept pushing us forward,” said Johnson.
Isaac Leeper ’27 applauded wide receiver Ollie Velez ’26 for his consistent and exceptional performance throughout the season. On the offensive line, Velez was a standout player. Leaper highlighted his memorable touchdown.
“Another person who stuck out to me was Ollie Velez. All season, he’s been showing out and especially against Deerfield, when he had a 30-yard catch for a touchdown over three defenders and caught a pass early in the game for 60 yards,” said Leaper.
Leeper also recalled a pivotal moment when Denzil Pierre PG ’25 intercepted a pass near the end of the game, which subsequently allowed Rex Corkins ’25 to keep Deerfield trapped with his punt.
Leaper said, “On the second to last defensive drive, Denzil grabbed a clutch interception off a tip by Carter [Aime ’25]. That really killed the Deerfield sideline and allowed the offense to squeeze a bit of time off the clock. Thanks to a beautiful 50-yard punt by Rex Corkins, Deerfield was pinned to the back of their field, and the defense did their job.”
Although Andover struggled to keep up energy until the end of the game, Johnson emphasized the team’s resilience in the face of adversity against Deerfield. Johnson applauded team Andover for keeping its composure throughout.
Johnson said, “We’ve struggled as a team with staying in the game for all four quarters. Sometimes we only play well in the first half, or maybe the second half, but this time we really managed to play the full game. We stayed focused, did not get discouraged when we were down or when mistakes happened, and did what we needed to secure the win. If we can keep that up for the last two games, we can finish the season strong.”
With the morale boost from the Senior Night win, Andover hopes to tackle on Andover/Exeter (A/E) weekend with the same mindset, noted Johnson.
“Especially with it being Senior and Family Weekend, morale was definitely high after the game. It’s stayed high since, and hopefully we can ride that momentum. We’ll learn from the good and the bad from this game and apply it to our next one against Suffield, and then to Exeter, which will be our last game of the season with another big home crowd. Using that positive attitude to drive us forward should help us finish the season strong,” said Johnson.
Andover will play away against Suffield on Saturday.
