NORTH ANDOVER — After 15 months without competition and weeks of nervous anticipation leading up to the Fall II season, football players from North Andover and Central Catholic were finally able to test their mettle against a live opponent Wednesday.
In the first (and only) scrimmage for the Merrimack Valley Conference rivals, Central showcased a quick-hitting attack with junior quarterback Ayden Pereira at the controls, and North Andover demonstrated great physicality at the point of attack during a competitive affair at Joe Walsh Stadium.
“For a first scrimmage after six practices and 15 months off, it was something to build off,” said North Andover coach John Dubzinski. “It was a good litmus test.”
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The afternoon started with coaches directing their players to space out on the sidelines and make sure their masks were on properly. Then it was business as usual with all the hard-hitting, quick-paced action normally associated with these elite MIAA programs.
Pereira opened the action with a 55-yard bomb to senior tight end Jermaine Wiggins Jr., who also hauled in a one-handed catch later in the afternoon. Pereira finished the opening drive with a wrinkle on the traditional read-option; he started to sprint toward the end zone before stopping on a dime to throw a lateral out wide to his receiver for a touchdown.
“It’s awesome to be out here going against someone,” said Central coach Chuck Adamopoulos. “Everything’s just rushed. Normally we have three scrimmages to get ready for a season, and we need them. But now you get one, and it’s game time.”
Adamopoulos spent most of his time on the field directing his young defense against a sizable North Andover attack. The Scarlet Knights ran the ball right down the Raiders’ throats with Steven Ferullo setting the tone. After one 15-yard run, the referees stopped the game to tell Ferullo to get his mask over his nose, but that was the only stoppage due to COVID protocols.
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“That’s the beauty of it,” Dubzinski said. “The sport is the exact same thing, the biggest thing is just the masks. Other than that it’s business as usual.”
The sidelines were less crowded than usual with the JV squads from each program scrimmaging simultaneously at Central Catholic. Instead of 50-plus kids, Dubzinski dressed fewer than 35 players for the scrimmage, which he said will be the typical number on gamedays this season.
Still, that sideline erupted with energy from the time senior tight end Max Wolfgang caught a touchdown pass on North Andover’s first drive despite drawing a pass interference call, until junior Nick Ankiewicz closed the action with another contested touchdown grab.
Junior safety Nate Dussault came up with the lone turnover of the day when he picked off Pereira in the end zone, and reveled in celebration with his teammates.
“It was a long wait, but it was worth the wait,” Dussault said. “It was a good evaluation, because we didn’t practice all fall, and we got to see where we stood against a very good team.”
