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 annihilated Haverhill, 49-0, to win its second consecutive Thanksgiving game against the Hillies.
“This is a group of seniors that are great football players and great kids,” said Lowell coach Scott Boyle. “I’m happy they were able to see their potential and end their season year like this.”
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.”
It wouldn’t take long for Lowell to return to the end zone. Two plays into the ensuing possession, junior defensive lineman Vincent Nuon stripped the ball loose. Mamadee Kamara recovered the loose ball, then rumbled 22 yards into the end zone for his first-ever high school touchdown.
“Vinny made a play, and it was right there for me to take,” said Kamara, whose TD gave Lowell a 28-0 lead with 6:34 remaining in the half. “But it’s not about me. This is a team sport. We did it together.”
Haverhill (3-8) pieced together an eight-play drive, but simply could not beat the Lowell defense. A turnover on downs gave Lowell the ball on Haverhill’s 43. Six rushes then led the Red Raiders to the end zone as Mwanish added to his stellar performance with a four-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 35-0 with 22 seconds left in the half.
“We worked four years for this, so it’s a special way to end it,” said Mwanish. “We’ve been on the other side of this too, and there have been some tough times, but we knew this was our year. This group of seniors, we knew we were the leaders and knew we had to set the tone.”
The pendulum then swung from bad to worse for Haverhill. A turnover on the ensuing kickoff allowed Lowell to regain possession and Ly needed only one play to connect with classmate Ryan Conley for a 12-yard throw as time expired in the half, building the lead to 42-0.
The lone score of the second half happened in the third quarter when Ricky Phom made a spectacular one-handed catch in the end zone for a 21-yard TD pass from Ly.
As Boyle watched his seniors celebrate on the field for one final time as high school football players, he reflected on the significance of his team’s holiday victory.
“Ever since I was a kid, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday,” said Boyle. “When you lose, it doesn’t feel good. I’m happy this will be such a good Thanksgiving for our players and coaches–they earned it.”
