ANDOVER — Andover is probably 48 minutes away from a state championship berth.
Dante Burger rushed for 126 yards and a landing as Andover superior to the Division 1 state semifinals with a 26-14 win over No. 12 Weymouth on Friday night time.
The No. 4 Golden Warriors will tackle defending Division 1 champion St. John’s Prep or No. 8 BC High for a spot within the Division 1 Super Bowl.
“It was a good effort against a good football team,” Andover coach EJ Perry stated. “I am just happy for our seniors that they have a shot at a state championship.”
Andover (9-1) had 4 completely different gamers influence the scoresheet. Along with Burger, Brian Hnat and Jason DeJesus additionally discovered the tip zone whereas Nate Bernardin made a pair of subject targets. Defensively, the Golden Warriors pressured a pair of Weymouth turnovers, together with an interception by Connor LeBrun within the fourth quarter that halted a Wildcats comeback try.
After developing empty on its preliminary drive, the Golden Warriors acquired on the board as Dom Papa linked with Hnat from 4 yards out to provide Andover a 7-0 lead. The Golden Warriors doubled their benefit moments later. An errant snap on a Weymouth punt try set Andover up deep in Weymouth territory and DeJesus took the tip round 24 yards for a rating to provide Andover a 13-0 benefit.
Mistakes hampered the visiting Wildcats, who caught the eye of many after they shut out Lincoln-Sudbury within the postseason’s opening spherical. Weymouth’s first 5 drives of the sport have been inflicted by both penalties, a sack, or a turnover.
The hosts, in the meantime, stretched their result in as massive as 23-0 early within the third quarter on a Burger one-yard run. Weymouth, nonetheless, clawed its method again. An Anthony Smith one-yard landing run on fourth down acquired Weymouth on the board. Then, after a 24-yard subject objective by Bernardin put Andover again up 26-8, Tyler Nordstrom hit Mike Farrow for an eight-yard rating to trim the deficit to 26-14.
Weymouth appeared poised to attract nearer when it recovered an Andover fumble at midfield, however LeBrun got here via with a vital interception to maintain Andover up by a dozen with seven minutes remaining.
Source: www.bostonherald.com