Early in the first quarter, running back Ryder Stone ’14 weaved through Northfield Mount Hermon defenders and busted into the end zone to give Andover its first touchdown of the game, kick-starting the offense and setting the tone for an offensive outburst from Andover.
The Andover offense scored 22 first-quarter points en route to a strong 50-6 victory over Northfield Mount Hermon. The 50 points that Andover scored were the most they have had since 2008.
The scoring barrage, along with shutdown defense, was the reason that Andover extended its winning streak to five games. The team is now 5-0 on the season.
Stone led the team in rushing for the fifth time this season, toting the ball 10 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Jumaane Ford ’16, who had a season-high 11 carries, amassed 103 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
“Credit goes out to the offensive line,” said Ford. “The receivers also helped out a lot, and kept their guys blocked. Ryder and I really trusted our teammates, and I think that was the biggest thing.”
DeWitt Burnham ’16 said, “The offensive line did a really, really good job setting up everything in the offense—they let Ryder and Jumaane run loose, and they gave Ian [Maag] ’14 a lot of time to sit in the pocket and deliver the ball.”
After scoring three touchdowns and a safety in the first half, the offense scored 21 second-quarter points, effectively sealing the game by halftime.
Maag and Thomas Lane ’15 only threw the ball a combined 13 times, completing nine of those attempts for a total 147 yards and a touchdown. Maag also threw an interception.
The Andover defense held the NMH offense scoreless through the first three quarters and gave up just one touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Michael Moore ’14 led the team in tackles with 11, and the rest of the defense forced two turnovers and recorded six sacks.
Other standout players included Rob Needham ’15, with nine tackles and two sacks, Michael DeLaus ’14, with eight tackles and a sack, and Matt Rusk-Kosa ’14, who had six tackles, one interceptions and two passes defended.
Head Coach Leon Modeste said, “Our key to success was staying focused. It was [Family]Weekend this weekend, and anything different form normal circumstances can be a distraction. We needed to stay focused on the game and then we could celebrate with our families later.”
NMH moved to 0-5 on the season after the game, and Ford said, “We needed to make sure that we stayed focused on the task at hand, even though they [NMH] wasn’t necessarily the best opponent we have played. We stayed away from goofing off during practice because you can never be too sure about the outcome.”
Andover will make the long trip to Deerfield Academy this Saturday, looking to extend their winning streak to six games.
Deerfield has a strong aerial attack, led by quarterback Henry Baldwin ’14.
“Deerfield has a really strong passing game and some pretty good receivers, so we’re looking at film to prepare for that. They passed really well against Exeter last week, and we’re making an effort to shut down that aspect of their offense,” said Ford.
