Co-Captain Jun An ’27 stiff-arms a Hotchkiss defender.
Quarterback Landon Husereau ’28 throws a pass.
Andover: 28
Hotchkiss: 23
On Saturday, Football (1–0) defeated Hotchkiss 28–23 in its opening game of the season at home. Despite falling behind early 14–0, Andover battled back to tie the game 14–14 by halftime. Using this shift in momentum to its advantage, Andover continued to push for touchdowns, holding on to a tight second half to secure its first win of the season.
Facing a strong secondary, Andover leaned on its run game, adjusted its defensive approach after the slow start, and kept confidence high through the deficit. Co-Captain Thane McCormick ’27 described a defining moment from the game, highlighting a teammate’s game-changing play in the red zone.
“Their running back is running outside, and he essentially has me beat. If they score, they go up and put our offense in a really tough spot. Caden Schrock PG’27, who’s a [postgraduate student] this year and an outside linebacker as well, comes off the edge and chases down their running back who had a great game. He gets a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss, and we recover the ball. That was a total momentum shift for us in the game,” said McCormick.
On the offensive side of the ball, the team began to find its rhythm after early struggles to move the ball. Quarterback Ayyub Zaid ’27 reflected on how the first big play on offense helped restore the team’s confidence and spark its comeback.
“A play that really stood out to me was the first toss that I had because our offense was having a lot of struggles moving the ball. That first toss was our first big-yardage play, and that really put a lot of spirit back into the team. That first toss is when everyone realized we got this, that we can definitely still come back and win,” said Zaid.
Although the team faced adversity early, the team’s belief in each other and trust in the coaching staff kept the game within reach. Rather than letting a slow start rattle them, the players stayed composed and maintained high energy. McCormick reflected on how the team’s mindset and adjustments helped it climb back into the game.
“We went down 14 to 0 to start the game, and that definitely hurt our momentum, so it took a lot for us to climb back out of that hole. However, we believed in ourselves the entire time. The defense figured things out and started doing things differently, and the play calling from our coaches, [Interim Head] Coach Ernie Adams and Coach [Jibrail] Coy, was absolutely amazing,” said McCormick.
Throughout a tight, back-and-forth game, Andover’s composure and smart decisions in high-pressure moments ultimately led the team to its first win of the season. With the game on the line, one moment in particular would test the team’s physical and mental abilities. Giovanni Rosenfeld ’27 highlighted a teammate’s split-second choice that would decide the overall result.
“Will Corbin ’27 had a tough decision to make. We were up 21 to 20, but we were punting from our own two-yard line, and the punt got blocked and was up in the air. He had to decide whether to knock it down and cause the safety or potentially give up a touchdown. He made the smart decision and let the safety happen, and it actually made us end up winning the game,” said Rosenfeld.
The atmosphere matched both teams’ intensity, with the energy building as the score remained close. For many players, the win brought an excitement that lasted long after the game ended. Rosenfeld described the mood in the stands and how the team celebrated afterward.
“It was definitely one of the more packed games. The energy was very high, especially towards the end when it got really intense. After the game, it was my first time winning a game since I’ve been part of the team, so the energy was definitely high. We were all pretty hyped; we even stormed the field right after, so it was pretty cool,” said Rosenfeld.
This Saturday, Football will travel to Williston Northampton (Williston) to compete in its first away match of the season.
