WILMINGTON — North Andover got its scoring from a familiar face, but an unlikely person kept the Scarlet Knights conference-title hopes alive.
Playing on the road for only the third time this season, North Andover eked out a 14-12 victory over Cape Ann Conference rival Wilmington last night.
Leading rusher Zac Iovanella scored both touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights (7-2 overall, 2-1 conference).
Kicker Dylan Lurvey, however, was the difference maker. He converted both conversions while consistently putting the Wildcats into bad field position with his booming punts.
The senior Lurvey averaged 40 yards on his six punts. His first punt — a 48 yarder — got North Andover out of a deep hole. His final one went 45 yards and put Wilmington at its own 1-yard line with 5:37 left.
"To be honest, I go to bed at night hoping they won't need me to punt," said Lurvey, who also starts at defensive end. "(Wilmington) had a hard rush, and I was just trying to pin them back at the end zone."
Wilmington (6-3, 2-2) went 69 yards on the game's first possession. It used 12 plays and consumed 5 minutes, 34 seconds. The Wildcats had a first-and-goal at the North Andover seven yard line, but were stymied four plays later at the two.
"That stop was huge," North Andover coach John Rafferty said. "Obviously they had us reeling on that drive. But our kids dug in their heels and made that stop. That was really early on, but quite frankly it might have been the turning point in the game."
The Scarlet Knights managed 25 yards on the ensuing possession, but it was Lurvey's leg that got them out of trouble with a non-returnable punt to the Wilmington 25.
The difference in special teams was evident when the Wildcats went three-and-out, then managed only 16 yards on their punt setting up North Andover at the 47.
Six plays later the Scarlet Knights took the lead for good when Iovanella made a nice end zone grab on a 38-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Brandon Walsh on a fourth-and-11 play at the end of the first quarter.
Lurvey also set up North Andover's second touchdown — a 13-yard run by Iovanella late in the second quarter — with a 42-yard punt to the Wilmington 3.
An illegal forward pass negated a 35-yard completion and forced the Wildcats to punt, which was returned 15 yards by David Foote setting up the Scarlet Knights at the 21.
Although Iovanella went over the 1,000 yard rushing mark the play before his second touchdown, North Andover managed only 34 yards on the ground in the opening half.
North Andover 14, Wilmington 12
North Andover (7-2, 2-1 Cape A):7âÇ7âÇ0âÇ0 — 14
Wilmington (6-3, 2-2):0âÇ6âÇ6âÇ0 — 12
First Quarter
NA — Zac Iovanella 38 pass from Brandon Walsh (Dylan Lurvey kick), 0:00
Second Quarter
W — Brian Hurley 17 pass from Sean Hanley (kick blocked), 7:24
NA — Iovanella 13 run (Lurvey kick), 3:22
Third Quarter
W — Evan Butters 14 run (pass failed), 1:39
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: NA (36-145) — Zac Iovanella 21-92, Jack Murphy 13-57, Brandon Walsh 1-0, David Foote 1-(minus 4); W (35-228) — Evan Butters 24-154, Sean Hanley 5-47, Kevin Moriarty 6-27.
PASSING: NA — Walsh 8-20-109 (1 interception); W — Hanley 10-20-94 (1 interception).
RECEIVING: NA — Jon Swanton 4-42, Foote 2-24, Iovanella 1-38, Sarif Hamdi 1-5; W — Chris Fissore 4-29, Bryan Fennely 2-21, Butters 2-20, Brian Hurley 1-17, John Parsons 1-7.
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