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HAVERHILL — After a season of late-game setbacks, John Tricomi and his Whittier teammates wanted to take care of business right away yesterday.

"We set the tone early," said the senior linebacker following the Wildcats 49-12 rout of Cathedral that started when he took a fumble 34 yards into the end zone for an early score.

Whittier Tech coach Kevin Bradley figures this is the final Thanksgiving meeting between the Wildcats and Cathedral High in Boston.

"It looks like this will be it," said Bradley. "Now, we just have to find the right team to play on Thanksgiving." Cathedral, which plays in the Division 4 Catholic Central Small, brings a 5-5 mark into this one. The Cats have pushed around the Panthers, who did play the 2006 Super Bowl-bound Whittier as tough as anyone a year ago.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10 a.m.

Coach: Kevin Bradley

Quarterback: Dillon Ryan

Parking: Most parking is in the rear of the school, on the left as you enter the school grounds by the guard house. There is usually plenty of room and it requires only a short walk to the field.

HAVERHILL | Pride helps teams endure challenging seasons. Pride delivered Whittier a victory yesterday.

After Lynn Tech returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown to end the first half, then opened the second half with a 55-yard drive for the go-ahead TD, the youthful Wildcats could have buckled.

HAVERHILL | Greater Lowell slipped past Whittier Tech in a fumble-filled Saturday morning contest. As rain fell steadily, both sides struggled to keep their footing and their hold on the ball. When the final seconds ticked away the Wildcats were on the losing end, 21-20.

It's hard to stop what you know nothing about.

That's the lesson Whittier Tech learned yesterday as the Wildcats fell to Shawsheen Valley, 20-0. Last week, the Rams had to plug running back Cory Foss into the backfield due to a rash of injuries. In his first high school game, the sophomore torched Chelsea for 135 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns. Yesterday, it was more of the same as Foss ran over the Wildcats for 149 yards on 20 carries and a TD.

If the rebuilding Cats don't figure in the CAC Large race, they should be spoilers.

Coach Kevin Bradley says:

Midseason Mr. Reliable: "Bryan Trickett. I always knew he could run with the football, but defensively he makes plays that you can only shake your head at. He's been that good."

The scoreboard read a depressing 35-28 defeat, but how could Whittier Tech coach Kevin Bradley gripe?

He had just watched his young Wildcats come up with big play after big play, only to be answered by Manchester Essex magic man Pat Orlando.

The Manchester Essex football team will have revenge on its mind Saturday when it faces off against Whittier Tech at Endicott College (5:30).

The Wildcats blew out the Hornets 44-8 last season. But this season things should be different. The Hornets come in with a 4-1 record, while Whittier is 2-3 and both teams come into tomorrow's contest on a one-game winning streak. Last week the Hornets defeated Greater Lowell 23-22, while Whittier knocked off Chelsea 22-18.

HAVERHILL | After three straight losses, Craig Eaton and the senior class had a message for the rest of the Whittier Tech football team.

"We got them together and said we are sick of losing," said Eaton. "We said that we had to attack and we had to win this one."