ANDOVER - Ten straight times now, the Central Catholic boys have disappointed Andover.
D.J. Fazio, Golden Warrior point guard and coach's son, has felt every one. Yet, it can't stop him from getting fired up one more time.
"Central-Andover is always a lot of fun. The fans go crazy, and they can be a little tough sometimes, but it's a lot if fun," said Fazio, who has never beaten the Raiders.
"You just have to keep trying. I don't know what's going to be different, but we can't think about the past, no matter how much it motivates us."VIDEO: Click here for Warriors predictions.
VIDEO: Click here for Raiders predictions.
Whether it is for the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney title or tonight's Dunn Gymnasium clash for first place in the Merrimack Valley Conference Large, Central-Andover has become an event.
"Last year's game at their place was the loudest gym I've ever played in," said Central All-Scholastic Carson Desrosiers, whose club is 6-0. "When the schedule comes out, they are the games you always look for and look forward to."
In the 59-44 Christmas Tourney win, Desrosiers and the Raiders doused the Warriors with some serious work up front. Andover had little answer for junior Jimmy Zenevitch (17.7 ppg) in the paint, while the Wake Forest-bound Desrosiers (10.7) turned the tide in the second half with some intimidating defense.
"We have to bring a lot more energy," said Fazio. "We came out and hit them the last time, and they recovered. They hit us and we didn't get up. We have to do more."
The Golden Warriors, 6-1, feature plenty of firepower of their own. Junior slasher Joe Bramanti paces Andover at a 14.6 point a game clip. Both he and versatile Jimmy Johnson have been nursing nagging foot injuries, though.
Desrosiers may have never lost to the Warriors, but he understands that this one won't come easily.
"Both teams just get into these games, and it might even be a stretch to say that we play harder than them," said Desrosiers, who noted you can't put a ton of stock into the Christmas tourney win. "Every single game with them is a war. For us, the win is a little bit of confidence. For them, it's just another reason to want to beat us."
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