In every high school football season, there are pivotal moments – ones that help mold and define a team’s season.
This weekend, those moments came in rapid-fire succession, turning the night into one of the most insane football Fridays in recent memory.
Methuen High, pressing quarterback No. 3 into service, found a solution to what had been an absolutely air-tight Andover High defense.
Central Catholic, absolutely run off the field by one of two Division 1 Catholic Conference monsters, St. John’s Prep, two weeks ago, grabbed the entire state’s attention with a dramatic 28-27 win over the other, Xaverian Brothers High School.
Finally, over on Gleason Field in West Andover, Greater Lawrence Tech sent folks scurrying, first for calculators then for all-time record books in a 79-57 win over Groton-Dunstable.
The coaching staffs have met, films have been watched, heads have been scratched and pages have been turned.
Here are a handful of nuggets from three amazing football games.
Top Five Victory
Ranger head coach Ryan Dugan has been around the program since 2009 as an assistant coach.
He heard the noise coming into Friday night with unbeaten Andover.
“We are a young team, and we’re down to the third-string quarterback,” said Dugan, whose club erupted for the 35-29 stunner.
“We talked about it (Saturday) as a coaching staff. Most of us have been together 10 years or so here. We decided it’s definitely a top five win for us with all the adversity, the things we’ve had to overcome. Ninety-five percent of the people expected Andover to overwhelm us with their speed.
“But I would say the Everett (playoff) win is one. Franklin in the playoffs is probably two, but this one ranks right up there in the top five.”
One hidden key for the Rangers stepping up their game?
“The bye week definitely helped us. We had a lot of guys banged up that were able to get healthier and practice a little more,” said Dugan. “We challenged them to show up and show up angry, that’s what they did.”
The Rangers don’t have time to celebrate, not with Friday night’s home date against Central Catholic looming.
Yes, Central-Methuen still matters in these parts, with them seeing each other for the first time since 2022 — with conference implications.
Dugan has a unique thought on facing Central coming off such a giant win. It’s a positive for sure.
“Early in 2009, 2011, 12, 13, we played up the underdog thing here, but I feel like at Methuen that might have an opposite effect,” said Dugan. “Confidence in high school football is such a key. In that way, how Andover went the other night helps us vs. Central Catholic. Our kids will be ready.
“Central is still the biggest game on the schedule. In fact, back in May, when we had signups, we had the kids write down their individual and team goals. On a lot of those lists there was ‘beat Central Catholic.’”
Methuen’s last win over the Raiders was in 2009, Dugan’s first year as an assistant.
“The Raudy Minaya game,” he said.
Raiders: Let’s get physical
Central coach John Sexton has been around a long time. He’s endured battles with the Catholic Conference powerhouses first as a player and then as a coach in multiple sports.
“Anytime you play a Catholic Conference team, one of these state powers, nine times out of 10 the more physical team goes home happy,” said Sexton, whose club absorbed a painful version of that last against St. John’s.
The Raiders weren’t going to let it happen when Xaverian came to Lawrence on Friday night.
“I thought that we stood up to them and maybe got the better on both lines. We played very hard, we were physical in the front seven on defense. We didn’t just let them do whatever they wanted in the run game, and we were able to run the ball enough,” said Sexton.
“We’re trying to improve and get to a certain level. (St. John’s) gave us a good lesson two weeks ago.
“This was a great win, a great effort by our kids, a signature win. Those are all important, but now we have to turn our attention to Methuen, which is coming off a great win of their own.”
Of course, the key to the Raiders in the trenches is junior Brian Waller-Reitano, a two-way dominator.
“We’re at the point we need Brian to play well for us to do well, and I thought he did on both sides of the ball (against Xaverian),” said Sexton.
Still just a junior, Waller-Reitano has developed into one of those “must-see linemen,” a tradition not just at Central but in the entire MVC – see Chelmsford 2025 grad Thomas Brown for the latest reference.
Reggies hoop it up
Greater Lawrence Tech coach Tony Sarkis chuckled as he opened the newspaper on Saturday morning.
“I thought I was looking at a basketball score,” laughed the coach after his Reggies used a full-court press and a Gustavo Varela-driven fast-break to knock off Groton-Dunstable, 79-57.
“Watching the film, there’s a little bit of excitement with a little bit of disappointment, emotions all over the place,” said Sarkis. “It was a wild, good and bad win, all in one, if that makes sense. If you’re on the losing end of that, it’s not good. But I see the kids’ resilience. Limiting them to 16 points in the second half as a huge positive. It was fun, frustrating and a little bit crazy at times.”
No way anyone could have expected this. The Reggies, while explosive, haven’t been this prolific offensively.
And G-D had three games played in which a total of 135 points were scored, one less than the 136 the teams hung on the scoreboard Friday.
While Varela was in the midst of streaking to his second straight 300-yard rushing week, Sarkis pointed to the defense and adjustments — X’s and O’s and attitude-wise – at halftime that made the difference after the Reggies gave up 41 points in the first half.
“We put it on the kids defensively and motivated them. We challenged them, and they took it personally. As a coach, it’s nice when your words hit home with the kids,” said Sarkis. “Our defensive coordinator Dave Thompson put some different packages in place, going with two high safeties. The way we played defensively in the second half made the difference.”