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HAVERHILL — Talk about sending a message.

EDFORD — By the time Medford ran its first play for positive yardage, Haverhill was up three scores.

HAVERHILL — No matter what the records are, the Thanksgiving Day game matters.

A lot.

If one didn't know how Haverhill and Lowell were doing this season walking into Trinity Stadium yesterday, the game easily could have been confused for a conference title battle instead of a fight for respectability. Both teams wanted victory badly, maybe a little too much as 10 personal foul penalties would indicate, but team and personal pride was on the line.

DRACUT — Haverhill’s offense was quite impressive against Dracut last night.

Behind workhorse Chance Brady, the Hillies turned a Blaine Joia interception into a 97-yard drive to the end zone to take the lead at halftime. On a sharp 25-yard pass from Tommy Morgan to Joia, Haverhill scored on the last play of the game. And in between, a pair of 60-yard marches yielded nine more points.

HAVERHILL — Before Hillies coach Tim O’Connor awarded one of the game balls to quarterback Tommy Morgan last night, he made a quick speech, saying, “I ride him like a dog, and I always say he’s going to win me a game eventually.”

HAVERHILL — Lawrence High's football championship pulse faded into the night on at least three occasions last night.

Somehow, some way, this morning, the Lancers count themselves among the MVC Division 2 living, stunning Haverhill High, 33-32, last night here at Trinity Stadium.

HAVERHILL — The answer, Thanksgiving 2007.

The question, what day no longer represents Haverhill High football futility?

Haverhill swaggered into Nicholson Stadium here and bumped off Methuen, 13-0, for its first Merrimack Valley Conference win in nearly four full calendar years.

See interviews and highlights from Pentucket football's win over Haverhill.

HAVERHILL — Nolan Dragon did his best to downplay the moment, but the smile on his sweat-covered face said everything.

“This was a good day,” Dragon said, in the understatement of the year.

See video highlights and interviews from Andover football's victory over Haverhill.