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Hand the keys to the city of Andover to Zack Winter.
He earned it with 35 points for the Jaguars in a 70-66 triple overtime win over Andover Friday night.
"He's our team leader," said Andover Central head coach Jesse Herrmann. "It was just a great game. Their guys played with tremendous effort, our guys played with tremendouns effort; it just looked like nobody deserved to lose tonight."
It's no surprise that the Battle of Andover would go beyond regulation but maybe surprising considering the way it started. Andover, on their court, blistered the Jaguars with four straight three-point baskets and looked like they would run away with the game.
Thanks to Winter and Darraja Parnell, Andover Central countered and clawed their way back in it. The Jaguars got as close as six points in the first half but the first 16 minutes belonged to the Trojans with a 31-21 lead at halftime.
The excellent effort in the first half - remember it, but it didn't matter in the final three minutes of the ball game. Andover Central trailed 52-51 when Cameron Hurley kicked a pass to a wide open Winter at the top of the key for a three that sent the visiting crowd screaming and gave Central a one point lead.
Neither team able to give much ground until the final possession for Andover. Working the ball around the perimeter to a open Brady Carter but his three point attempt was too strong, popping off the back iron to his teammates hands. Inside of 10 seconds, the next attempt wouldn't fall but Adam DeKoning was able to wrangle the ball and drop it in right at the buzzer, tying the game at 54-54 and sending it to overtime.
"After the middle of fourth quarter, I don't think anyone had a two possession lead - maybe," Herrmann said. "It was always one, two, three points... maybe."
A rather uneventful first overtime, save for a tying free throw from DeKoning sent us to a second overtime tied at 58-58. Neither team really gave much ground in the second overtime, either. Winter broke free with a pick at midcourt and got fouled on his way to another layup.
"He made a great pass to the corner for a three-pointer that finally gave us more than a two possession lead," Herrmann said.
But Miles Lester of Andover nullified that with a triple play of his own, tying the game once again at 62-62.
The teams finally went for broke in the third overtime. Right off the opening tip of the period, Winter drove into the lane and then found teammate Jarrett Whitcomb in the corner for a three that finally gave them some breathing room. Free throws were what separated the two cross town teams down the stretch, ultimately sealing the deal for the Jaguars. _________________________________________________________________________________
Andover's Hana Bruner threw up a left handed hook as time expired, coming up short in a 49-48 loss to rival Andover Central at home Friday night.
Jaylyn Agnew scored 17 points for the Trojans but in a losing effort. Skyler Snodgrass dropped in a team high 14 for Andover Central, including some clutch baskets down the stretch as the game got tighter.
Andover Central led by only two points at halftime, surviving a 6-0 run from the hosts to close out the first half. Turned out to be a harbenger of things to come in the second half.
Back and forth game from both teams with Snodgrass and Agnew connecting to keep the lead tight. Neither team separating until the final second.
"We talk about playing with composure with the girls all the time, and they handled it well," said Stana Jefferson, Andover Central head coach. "Rivalry games are fun and it's a great atmosphere and obviously to win to makes it even better."