Owen Cote and his Andover High football teammates, he says, have left the painful loss from 13 months ago in the rearview mirror.
But that doesn’t mean the Golden Warriors aren’t hungry for another shot at powerful Pinkerton Academy.
“What happened last year is in the past,” said Cote. “But we’re looking forward to the matchup against a great team. We’re ready for a great challenge.”
A year ago, in the season-opener for both teams, Pinkerton crossed the border into Massachusetts and rolled to a 40-17 victory over Andover, the first step towards the program’s first state title in a decade.
This time, it’s the Golden Warriors’ turn to venture into the Granite State — for a clash of two of the most storied and successful programs in the history of this region — on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
With eyes set on a state title repeat, Pinkerton has rolled to a 6-0 record and is ranked No. 1 in New Hampshire. The Astros are scoring 36.3 points a game, while on the other side of the ball are only allowing 12.2 points defensively.
Andover, the No. 9-ranked team in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings, is scoring 41.2 points a game and allowing 13.8 points a game.
“We know we are up against a powerful run game and some formations that we have been preparing for,” said Cote, referring to Pinkerton’s use of the run-heavy wing-T offense rarely seen in Massachusetts over the past 10-plus years. “They have accomplished a lot, but we’ll be ready.”
Cote — a 5-foot-11, 185-pound safety-turned-linebacker — will be one of the Golden Warriors that will be counted upon to slow Pinkerton’s offense that has topped 30 points four times and has not been held below 24 points in any game. He has turned in 30 tackles so far this season, after recording 65 stops last fall.
“The first half of last year I was at safety before moving to outside linebacker,” he said. “But the linebacker role from last year is much different than the one this year. As an outside linebacker often on the edge, my primary role is containment, pressure the quarterback, make tackles, and be a leader on the defense. Linebacker is a fun position, especially in this defense. I enjoy tackling and this week team tackling will be important.”
Cote grew up surrounded by football, following around his brother, former Andover High standout linebacker Patrick Cote (class of 2024) — who made 153 tackles in three varsity seasons — and learning from his father, former Lowell High star and Harvard University running back Mark Cote.
“It was great to see (Patrick) play three varsity seasons and play in some memorable games like the Thanksgiving game at Fenway Park,” said Cote. “Watching him play increased my motivation to be a part of Andover football. My dad played at Harvard for coaches (Joe) Restic and (Tim) Murphy. He doesn’t talk much about his playing days, but he does coach me up often.”
Cote is also a star in the classroom. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and enrolled in four Advanced Placement classes.
“Owen is a great kid and a very valuable player on our defense,” said first-year Andover head coach Jay Fielding. “He’s also one of the smartest players on our defense, and is an excellent student.”
Next up, Cote will look to take down New Hampshire’s best team, then turn his attention back to making a statement in Massachusetts.
“Every year, our goal is to win at Merrimack Valley Conference title,” he said. “This team has a lot of talent to compete against anyone.”
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