LOWELL – Lowell left no doubt as to who was the better team this Thanksgiving.
Playing in front of a spirited crowd in the frosty air at Cawley Memorial Stadium, Lowell blanked Haverhill, 49-0, to win its second consecutive Thanksgiving game against the Hillies.
In a year that had to be considered a total rebuild coming in, coach Rob Pike remained positive about the strides the Hillies made throughout the 3-8 campaign.
“Overall, the seasosn had a lot of positives for this team,” said Pike. “Michael Bayko emerged as a talented QB. Jathian DeJesus showed his skills with a prolific receiving season. Ethan Jalbert showed himself as one of the best two-way linemen in the area.
“We had lots of guys who did some great things and created a lot of memories. Most importantly, we had a lot of guys continue to work had and show character in all walks of life.”
In Thursday’s finale, George Papanikolaou provided a highlight or two with an interception on defense and 56 receiving yards on offense. Marc Gagne led the defense with 10 tackles.
The scoring took place early and often. Lowell (9-2) capitalized off Haverhill turnovers, beginning with senior defensive lineman Seth Ly picking off Hillies junior quarterback Michael Bayko. Starting the possession with the ball only Haverhill’s 17-yard line, the Red Raiders handed the ball to junior running back Joshua Amankwaah four straight times. That concluded with a three-yard sprint from Amankwaah into the end zone at the 4:55 mark of the first, effectively opening the offensive flood gates for Lowell.
After Benjamin Durkin kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead, Lowell senior linebacker Steeven Many Mwanish recovered a Haverhill fumble. Mwanish was rewarded with three straight rushes, breaking past the goal line for a 16-yard score to extend the lead to 14-0 with two-and-a-half minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Lowell’s defense then forced a quick three-and-out, which was the prelude to the offense’s most impressive drive of the game. Starting on their own two, the Red Raiders marched 98 yards over 10 plays, with Amankwaah rushing for 85 yards on the drive–and scoring on a nine-yard run with 7:26 to play in the half to make the score 21-0.
“We did this for our seniors,” said Amankwaah. “I’ve been working with them since my freshman year, and it means a lot that they could go out with a win.”