NORTH ANDOVER — Andover had a heroic performance in the semifinals of the 2025 Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, but that was not to be.
Beverly and Central Catholic basked in the glory of Tuesday’s final, but the semifinal between Beverly and Andover had all the makings of a classic.
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Both teams have a potential all-school defender in Eagle Forum Super Bowler Josh Rooks for the Warriors and reigning Salem News Player of the Year Jacob Krass for the Panthers.
Roux probably won the battle, scoring a game-high 25 points. But Klaas also received some reinforcements, scoring 18 goals himself.
Beverley’s balance ultimately made a difference.
“It’s always the next guy to pick each other up. It’s like a brotherhood here and we love that,” said Klaas, whose three other teammates scored between 12 and 17 points.
The Panthers led in all four key moments, turning a 16-14 lead into a 36-29 halftime advantage. The lead grew from three to a dozen, and Andover never really posed a threat.
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Charlie Tutwiler scored 13 points for Andover, now 4-1, but no other Warriors scored in double figures.
Andover will now play in the third-place game against Greater Lawrence Tech on Tuesday.
Reggie team is not enough
Central’s Harvey Lopez played perhaps the best half of his illustrious four-year career Sunday night.
The returning Eagle-Tribune Player of the Year scored 22 of his 31 points before halftime to help Central lead 38-20 at halftime.
Everything is tangible—Lopez loves it.
“They are a great team, well-coached. I knew from the start it was going to be a bloody battle. We grew up together,” he said. “Just like our game against Lawrence – foul calls, a tough game, I knew that’s how it was going to be. We came in with the right mentality and got things done.”
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Greater Lawrence Tech reached the Division 3 state quarterfinals a year ago but failed to reach this moment. Central struggled from the start, a fact that had to please Lopez.
“Of course, that’s the plan all along. We haven’t had a serious win since the start of the season, so this is a big win,” he said.
Amarion Lopez was the only player to score in double figures in the game. He scored 14 points for the Reggies.
