ANDOVER — After coming up short the last two years against Andover, Central Catholic and sophomore quarterback Caden Smith were not about to come up short again.
Smith rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders bolted out to a 21-0 first half lead en route to a 28-14 win over the Golden Warriors at Lovely Field.
“It’s always nice to beat Andover, no matter whether it’s Thanksgiving Day, October 24th or Christmas Day,” Raiders coach John Sexton said. “It was a battle all the way. We had that great start and kind of went out to lunch in the second and their kids kept fighting.”
Any time it needed a big play on Friday, Smith was there to deliver it for Central (4-3).
He rushed for 141 of his yards and two of his three scores in the first half. Then after Andover shaved the lead to 21-14 late in the third quarter, Smith scored the put away touchdown early in the fourth.
“Caden is only a sophomore but he’s so much more mature than that,” Sexton said. “He’s a tough kid and a tough competitor.”
The Raiders came out flying, scoring right off the opening kick when Caden Chase dashed 39 yards for a 7-0 lead just over three minutes in.
Andover (5-2) drove into the red zone on its first possession thanks to four completions from Dominic Papa (17-of-34, 221 yards, 2 TD, INT) but saw a field goal doink off the right upright.
Smith wasted little time in getting the Raiders into scoring position thanks to gains of 22 and 42 yards. He capped the 80-yard drive with a one yard keep on the next to last play of the first quarter.
He ripped off another 42-yard gain on Central’s next series to set up his second one-yard score of the night and a 21-0 Raiders lead.
The Golden Warriors needed something good to happen and they got it late in the second when Papa found a wide-open Nick Ilsley for a 16 yard score that cut the deficit to 21-7 at halftime.
The third quarter was penalty filled as both teams took multiple personal foul penalties. Through it all, Andover made it a seven-point game when Papa hooked up with Ben Hnat on a 24-yard aerial late in the third.
Andover got the ball back early in the fourth but turned it over on downs at the Raiders 40. Jefferson Morales’ 43-yard gain on the next play set up Smith for the insurance score.
Andover’s last gasp went by the boards with 5:21 left when Papa was picked in the end zone by Connor Grella.
“We had a perfectly timed bye last week,” Sexton said. “I felt like we’d come out ready to play and fortunately we did.”