Andover Football shut out a longtime rival, Salisbury, for a 19-7 win on Saturday, raising its record to 3-0.
Head Coach Leon Modeste said, “We played great defense. A great defense throughout the game. In fact, the only reason they scored was because we missed a man. One of our guys didn’t go in on a punt and the punt got blocked, and they took it in from there.”
Unfazed by Salisbury’s single touchdown, Andover continued to play with discipline on the defensive side of the ball, stopping Salisbury from scoring in the last three quarters. Andover scored six points in both the first and second quarters, and topped it off with seven points in the last quarter.
In the leadup to the game, Andover rigorously prepared its defense, giving them an edge.
“Salisbury’s number one player was their running back. All week we prepared for what he would do in a game. When he got the ball, we were all over him. Our tackling was on point, we had a good pass coverage and we put a lot of pressure on their quarterback,” said Jason DiNapoli ’19.
In three games, Andover football has secured a total of 176 tackles and 18 sacks. Co-Captain Adam Cohen ’18 holds the most with a total of 32 tackles and six sacks, followed closely by Bob O’Donnell ’18 with a total 27 tackles and five sacks.
On the offensive side of the ball, Andover pushed forward with two 90-yard drives.
“We had one two-yard touchdown run where our line just surged and never stopped moving until Will Litton was over the goal line,” said Coach Modeste.
Running back Will Litton ’19 had a total of 75 rushing yards against Salisbury, demonstrating the dominance of the offensive line.
Despite injuries during the game that forced many players to sit out, Andover continued to play hard. “We had some injuries, but other guys stepped up and made some big plays that helped us with the game,” said DiNapoli ’19
Next week, Andover will play its toughest opponent yet, Choate Rosemary Hall, the reigning New England champions for the past three years.
“It’s going to be a real test. They’re 3-0, we’re 3-0. Someone’s going to be 4-0 and someone’s going to be 3-1. I hope we’re the 4-0,” said Coach Modeste.
