Joe Kruy ’12 managed to rush for 135 yards and a touchdown during an otherwise lackluster performance by Andover football in its 44-27 loss to Worcester Academy on Saturday. “Fortunately, we managed to get our Ranger offense working well with Max [Lippe ‘11] under center,” said Coach Leon Modeste. “This worked to Kruy’s advantage and he ran the ball without any doubt or hesitation.” Kruy said, “The play I got most of my yards on was the rocket sweep from the Ranger formation. By getting the ball at full speed I was able to get to the outside or cut back before the defense could react. It should be a big play on Saturday [against Exeter].” Worcester took the first lead with a long passing touchdown, the first of many for the opposition. “There were many plays where our kids were in the perfect position to make a play,” said Modeste. “Unfortunately, Worcester’s players were just more athletic.” TJ Hickey ’11 responded with a two-yard rushing touchdown and Liam Murphy ’11 tacked on the extra point to tie the game, but Worcester refused to let the game remain that way. Worcester scored five unanswered touchdowns, including one kickoff return, between the second and third quarters to make the score 40-7. “I would say our main breakdown was when they returned the kickoff for a touchdown after halftime. At that point we were only down two touchdowns and had been able to maintain a couple of good drives down the field. When they returned the kick for a touchdown it really changed the momentum of the game,” said John O’Brien ’12. Michael Wincek ’11 said, “Defensively, the issue was that we were never off the field. Defense is significantly more tiring for the players, and when offensive drives stall and the defense is called back on the field constantly, it takes a heavy toll on the players.” Andover finally answered Worcester as Kruy made a big gain on a long sweep, and Hickey trucked through the defense for an 18-yard touchdown the following play. Worcester’s offense calmed down in the fourth quarter, scoring one touchdown on a goal line rush. Following a recovered fumble by Mike Wopinski ’10, Kruy topped off his big rushing day with a one-yard touchdown after being brought down right at the goal line the previous play. This was the last score by either team, and the game ended with a disappointing score of 47-22. “There were certainly many missed tackles that we could have avoided, and a few complete whiffs.We need to fix that against Exeter,” said Modeste. Andover scored all of its points and gained most of its yards on the rush, with 16 total attempts resulting in 7 completions, 64 yards and 3 interceptions. Modeste said, “There was a lot of pressure on us in the backfield, and certainly there were a few bad decisions. But mainly, we didn’t try to pass as much because the running game was working so well for us.” This week Andover will face off against Exeter (5-2) in its final game of the year. Andover will need to use its newly improved running game and improve its penetrable defense if it hopes to defeat the offensive powerhouse.
