Falcons hit ground to rumble over Andover

ANDOVER – After watching his offense churn out chunk after chunk of rushing yardage against a weary Andover defense, Heights coach Terry Harrison was mostly satisfied with the Falcons’ maiden voyage into Class 5A district football on Friday.

“Games like that really make you feel good about what you’re doing,” Harrison said after Heights pulled away for a 42-13 victory in its District 5 opener. “We play two-platoon, and they don’t have that luxury. I think we were able to wear them down a little bit.”

Heights, No. 3 in 5A, overpowered Andover with 466 yards – all on the ground. Senior Trenton Autry led the way with 18 carries for 126 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Tre King (114 yards) and junior Rodney Murphy (107) provided balance that enabled Heights (6-1) to ultimately impose its will after it led 14-7 at halftime.

“This is just what we’ve been working for,” said Autry, who went over 100 yards for the third consecutive game. “We want to win the district, and this was a step tonight.”

Andover (5-2) moved the ball effectively in the first half with strong inside running from senior back Garrett Farha and quarterback Coen Rasmussen. But the Trojans’ inability to pass – Rasmussen was 1 of 13 for 20 yards with two interceptions – and establish a perimeter rushing attack limited their options.

“I thought we played pretty physical in the first half, but they just wore us down,” Andover coach Mike Lee said. “They’re going to keep coming at you, and they’re going to pound on you and pound on you.

“You have to stay close. Once you get in that two-score range, then you’re in trouble.”

Autry, who has rushed for 428 yards and five touchdowns since Heights’ 70-15 loss to No. 1 Bishop Carroll, broke free for a 37-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Andover, which had a first-quarter drive stopped by an interception, answered in the second with a 12-play, 63-yard march to tie the score. Rasmussen sprinted up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown.

But Heights, which moved down from 6A this season for the first time since the state’s district system was implemented in 1981, quickly regained control. Sean Deshazer’s 33-yard kickoff return put the Falcons at midfield. Three plays later, Murphy raced down the left sideline for a 44-yard touchdown to give Heights a 14-7 lead.

The Falcons put Andover in the two-score hole that Lee feared with a six-play, 58-yard drive to open the third quarter. Quarterback Garrett Haskins, who sustained a left ankle injury late in the game, gained 45 yards on a keeper to set up his own 1-yard touchdown.

Andover’s best chance to stay within reach came on the ensuing drive. The Trojans kept the ball for more than 6½ minutes, thanks in part to Nate Brewer’s fumble recovery on a muffed punt at Heights’ 18. Andover marched to the 5, but Farha was stopped for a 4-yard loss on second-and-goal, and two incompletions later, the Trojans turned it over on downs.

“That was big,” Lee said. “We had to score there, and we had some things that were working. We had one bad play, and that put us in a bind. … You’ve got to be right all the way into the end zone, because Heights is just too good.”

Heights made Andover’s missed opportunity sting with a 13-play, 91-yard drive that Autry capped with a 3-yard run, pushing the Falcons’ lead to 28-7 with 10:29 remaining. After Andover’s Eli Renoux returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown, Heights countered with scoring drives of 53 and 34 yards.

King became Heights’ third back to go over 100 rushing yards on the Falcons’ final scoring drive, which Autry completed with a quarterback sneak one play after Haskins was injured.

Heights outgained Andover 252-68 in the second half.

“Our O-line can get out and run, so we just run behind them,” King said. “All of our running backs have the speed to do it, so we just try to get vertical – north and south – and make plays like we did.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Falcons hit ground to rumble over Andover."