Unbeaten Lawrence stuns No. 14 Andover for first win in series in 37 years

“After the beating and the whoopings that we took in that spring season, we didn’t have an offseason,” Audate said. “Everyone’s doubting us, doubting me, doubting our ability. Everyone took that personally. We grinded it out. We got to work and this is what happens when you work hard.”

The Lancers (3-0) earned their first Merrimack Valley Conference win of the season in the upset of the No. 14 Warriors (2-1). In a physical affair in which mouth guards flew onto the field several times, the Lancers were able to control the line of scrimmage. Janiel Herrera, a 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound junior, rushed 21 times for 76 yards, and 5-11, 195-pound junior Jadiel Gomez finished with four carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.

“We knew what we could do today,” Audate said. “We knew that we could be more physical than them. We knew that we were stronger than them. We knew the heart of these kids. Right now, they have it and they are showing it.”

Audate wanted to incorporate more passing into the game plan, knowing Andover would stack the box. When the Lancers dialed up a pass, it worked. Sophomore quarterback Jayden Abreu finished 10-for-11 passing for 170 yards and two touchdowns, both to senior wideout Joenel Figueroa.

The Lancers scored on their third play from scrimmage, as Figueroa leapt over senior cornerback Tyler Fabbri to secure a 50-50 ball and scamper 75 yards for the score. With less than two minutes remaining in the second half, Audate called for a short pass. When the defender in the flat didn’t adjust to the motion pre-snap, Abreu went through his progressions, looked off the outside linebacker, and found Figueroa in the corner of the end zone. Figueroa reached over a defender to grab the ball while tiptoeing past the pylon.

“He’s a sophomore, we don’t chuck it a lot, but to the things that we’re doing, he’s really dialing in and focusing,” Audate said. “I’m proud of him for having the guts to throw that, Joenel for having the wherewithal to make that play and not push off.”

The Lancers incorporated trickery to incredible success. With 12 seconds remaining in the first half, Herrera found junior wide receiver Andy Medina on a flea-flicker for a 34-yard touchdown. Figueroa completed his only pass, a touchdown strike off a double reverse on fourth and goal to senior Estarling Morales, who caught the pass on his backside in the end zone with Warriors linebacker Brian McSweeney shielding him.

For the Warriors, junior standout Lincoln Beal finished with 12 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown.

The Lancers’ joy was palpable, as they achieved a program-altering win, beating a highly ranked rival.

“It feels amazing,” Figueroa said. “We made history for each other and we believe in each other.”