Denzil N. Pierre PG’25 avoids a tackle, driving the ball forward.
In the final Andover Football (1-7) game of the season, a sea of red rushed the field as the clock hit zero. To close off the season, Andover Football faced the number one ranked team in the New England Preparatory School Atheltic Council, Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter), ultimately losing 42-21 at home.
Exeter started the game off strong, which brought the visitors to a significant lead by halftime. Carter Aime ’25 described the intense environment of the rivalry game and reflected upon how the team responded to the game’s result.
Aime said, “It was a fun environment to play in, having all the fans there, a lot of friends in the crowd. It was really fun to be playing in that game. It was electric out there… We had a lot of mixed emotions, some guys were happy, some guys were sad because it was a pretty bad loss. Some people were sad that the season was over because we put in a lot of work in, but others treated the loss as more a relief because our team has taken a bit of a beating with a lot of injuries and a lot of other challenges.”
Playing in his first Andover/Exeter (A/E), Matthew Saleh ’26 further commented on the game atmosphere. Saleh spoke of the game as one that was more hype, competitive, most importantly, memorable than any other.
“Even though our coaches told us about the crazy environment and helped us prepare for it, it was definitely still something I never experienced before. There was a lot of hype around it before the weekend and our coaches were telling us all about it. All the players who were there last year were describing to us how it was gonna be like, and it was really a lot of fun to be part of the 147-year history. So, that was definitely a moment that I will cherish forever,” said Saleh.
Jayden Franklin PG’25 recapped the team’s effort this season along with some of the specific preparations that went into A/E, and reflected on how the team performed.
“I’m a big film guy, so I watched a lot of films of our opponents. I studied their weaknesses and I knew how to exploit them. I was mentally and physically prepared for Exeter. I kept asking [Coach] Ernie Adams questions and he told me during practice how to play well against specific teams. I used that knowledge towards different teams. I feel like the team could have played better but if we’re gonna talk about me I always feel like there’s room for improvement. I’m also empathetic for all of my teammates who were hurt and they didn’t get to play throughout the season. I’m thankful that I was able to play throughout the whole season and I wish them a speedy recovery,” said Franklin.
Andover was able to cut the lead significantly in the second half. Saleh summarized what the team energy was like coming out of the locker room at the end of halftime as the team prepared to attempt a comeback.
Saleh said, “[We] all agreed we had a bit of a rough first half. Then we came together in the locker rooms and coming out of the locker room, getting ready for the second half, we came together. Not just [as] a team but as a family and we played hard the second half. For some, it was their last high school game ever, so we played for them. We played for all the Seniors and we worked as a team.”
Aime reflected on his final season playing football at Andover. He described the team culture inspired by Andover Football and how the team has been a transforming and valuable experience.
“It was a pretty surreal moment. I never thought my high school football career would come to an end. I had a lot of fun with my teammates and my coaches throughout playing football here. I learned a lot of valuable lessons. I will cherish it for the rest of my life and I’m grateful to have had this experience.”
