HAVERHILL — KIPP Academy traveled to face Whittier Tech for a Thursday night football matchup, but came up short in a 28-20 final. The Panthers’ (2-4) two-game winning streak was snapped, while Whittier Tech improved to 4-2 and snapped a two-game losing streak.
Despite the loss, KIPP coach Jim Rabbitt praised Whittier Tech’s performance. Some things were bigger than football, too. Whittier Tech coach Kevin Bradley rang the bell Thursday in his fight against cancer.
“Sometimes, it’s more than just football,” Rabbitt said. “I’m so happy for coach Bradley and everything he’s going through. We’re always thinking about him and proud of him. His guys certainly showed up and played for him tonight”
KIPP trailed, 14-6, at halftime with Joan Ortiz scoring the Panthers’ lone touchdown in the first half. Despite two early turnovers, the Panthers kept themselves within striking distance and showed plenty of fight on both sides of the ball.
The Panthers carried that momentum into the third quarter, showcasing their offensive potential with two scoring drives that tied the game, 20-20, heading into the fourth.
Although KIPP knotted things up, Rabbitt said the Wildcats just “wanted it more.
“They beat us in all three phases. It’s tough to win a game when you’re evenly-matched and turn the ball over three times,” Rabbitt said. “We had a lot of turnovers and a lot of missed assignments. After a bye week, I expected us to be a bit more tuned up, but we didn’t look sharp in any phase of the game.
“Defensively, we were waiting for things to happen and against that offense, you can’t afford to do that,” Rabbitt said. “Offensively, we were just too inconsistent. Our quarterback play was inconsistent, our line play was inconsistent, and our wide receivers just didn’t show up for the job today. It’s hard to win a game against a tough opponent like Whittier.”
Unfortunately for KIPP, it couldn’t find a way to contain Wildcats’ running back Noah Allen, who powered Whittier Tech’s offense all night. Allen scored all four of the Wildcats’ touchdowns — three rushing and one receiving — while racking up 140 yards on the ground.
“We didn’t bring him down. We had times when we had a couple hats to the ball, but he’s a tough runner and an elusive runner. We knew all week to focus on No. 9, but there were times when he just outwilled us,” Rabbit said. “A lot of what Whittier did today was just will power. He was a guy that just wanted it more than us.”
KIPP will travel to face Nashoba Valley Tech next Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
