With each year, it becomes more evident that Phillips Academy Andover vs. Phillips Exeter is not your typical high school football game.
This is the 130th anniversary of games between the academies - the nation's longest active prep rivalry. Andover leads the series, 67-49-10.
Today's game, at 2:30 at Exeter's Phelps Stadium, will be viewable online at www.exeter.edu, giving alumni throughout the world an opportunity to watch the teams' 127th meeting.
With a victory, Andover would earn a third consecutive trip to the NEPSAC Class A championship game. The NEPSAC bowl lineup will announced tomorrow.
Andover (6-1) is led by senior quarterback Bryan Farris (Derry, N.H.), who has passed for 1,743 yards and 16 touchdowns. His favorite targets have been Newton native Ryan McCarthy (31 receptions, 790 yards, 6 TDs) and former Acton-Boxboro star Michael Ciummei (34 receptions, 517, 4 TDs).
Exeter (5-2) hasn't beaten the Big Blue since 2004. Andover won, 43-14, last year.
Senior quarterback Alex King leads Exeter with 1,209 yards passing and 12 scores this season. Former Masconomet standout running back and Globe All-Scholastic Eric Bunker is the team's top ground gainer, rushing for 752 yards and seven touchdowns on 99 carries.
"He's a great player and a wonderful young man," said Exeter coach Bill Glennon. "He is all and more than what he was advertised as."
Defensive cohesiveness has been one of the Big Red's strengths, the team allowing a mere 13.5 per game. The Big Red have won three of their last four games.
rising
falling 