LAWRENCE – The Lancers have been playing football for 134 years now, with some legendary alumni coming through the program since its inaugural season in 1889.
For almost 100 years, Lowell and Lawrence met every year on Thanksgiving, until the early 1990s.
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, the rivalry was renewed in the newly formed Mill City Classic game. Not only were the two rivals fighting for the Classic title, the foes also were fighting for the MVC small championship title.
Despite Lawrence leading for a majority of the first half, Lowell took down the Lancers, 27-13, after a second half scoring party.
“We fell flat today, it didn’t help after losing how we did last week, and a lot of guys were still down about the loss,” said Lawrence head coach Rhandy Audate. “Lowell’s defensive line dominated our offensive line. The weather is not an excuse, they made plays on both sides of the ball, and that was the game changer.”
After a first quarter with virtually zero stops, Lancers quarterback Jayden Abreu began the second with a beautiful 28-yard pass to Jaydes Cartagena, putting Lawrence on the board first.
The Lawrence defense held strong, until Lowell QB Jack Casey connected with sophomore Ryan Conley for a 27-yard touchdown, evening the score at 7-7, and that’s how it stayed into halftime.
Conley had his breakout game, totaling 133 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on the afternoon. On the first drive of the second half, Conley broke away from the defense for a 15-yard score, giving the Red Raiders the lead.
Cornerback Yariel Corsino was able to quickly intercept Casey and return it for a 35-yard touchdown, but the PAT was blocked as the Lancers attempted to tie.
Lowell wouldn’t trail again.
Despite the defeat, Audate is proud to share his love of football with his squad and looks forward to taking on Haverhill next Friday night.
“I love football, I’ve had great experiences since high school, college, and now coaching,” said Audate. “Win or lose, it does not matter, I just want to teach kids that passion for football. Whether it’s cold, raining, or snowing, you have to learn to love it. I love the game of football, and I’ll never stop loving the game, no matter the results.”
Follow Evan Applebaum on Twitter at EvanApplebaum2.
Lowell 27, Lawrence 13
Lowell: 0 7 20 0 – 27
Lawrence: 0 7 6 0 – 23
Second Quarter
Lawrence – Jaydes Cartagena 28 pass from Jayden Abreu (Dany Mejia kick), 9:58
Lowell – Ryan Conley 27 pass from Jack Casey (Cam Durkin kick), 2:12
Third Quarter
Lowell – Conley 15 pass from Casey (Durkin kick), 9:44
Lawrence – Yariel Corsino 35 INT return (kick wide), 5:05
Lowell – Conley 34 pass from Casey (Durkin kick), 1:50
Lowell – Casey 13 rush (conversion failed), 0:37
Individual Lawrence Leaders
RUSHING: Thomas Rodriguez 13-27, Jayden Abreu 4-17, Ozarien Ventura 4-7, Euryn Reyes 1-(-4), Jaydes Cartagena 2-(-6)
PASSING: Abreu 8-15-0, 112 yards
RECEIVING: Frendy Soler 3-38, Reyes 3-30, Cartagena 1-28, Justin De La Rosa 1-16