Dynamic Andover QB Papa chooses Husson football

Andover’s Dominic Papa was willing to wait for the perfect college football fit.

But from the time he closed out his prolific Golden Warrior career in the fall, Husson University began to feel like the right spot.

“Husson started talking to me at the end of the season, and they showed me what they would do with my skill set and how they would work with my abilities on the field,” said Papa. “Their offense is similar to the Andover offensive I played in, and they offered me the chance to play football right away. That’s all I could ask.”

The two-time Eagle-Tribune All-Star quarterback Papa will play his college football at Division 3 Husson (Bangor, Maine), he announced this week.

“It was a really long, difficult decision,” he said. “I really waited until the last minute to make the decision. It wasn’t easy. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I think I made the right decision. I feel like I will be going into this fall at Husson with the opportunity to show what I can do and play football.”

In two seasons as Andover High’s starting quarterback, Papa threw for 4,180 yards — fourth most in Golden Warriors history — and 42 touchdowns. He was twice named All-Merrimack Valley Conference first team, and as a junior led Andover to a 10-1 record and a trip to the Division 1 state semifinals.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder believes Husson’s offense is an ideal match for his talents.

“It’s a lot like Andover with the RPO (run-pass options), air raid attack,” said Papa, who will study exercise science. “Those similarities are a big reason they started recruiting me. They want to let me use my feet to get around in the pocket and make plays. I went up for a visit two or three weeks after the season ended, and they showed me what they could do with me on the field. After the visit they offered me a spot on the roster.”

But it wasn’t a simple decision, thanks to a big push from Division 3 Vermont State University Castleton.

“That was my second option and it was a very close decision,” he said. “I almost chose them because they talked about me starting my freshman year. They had a big role for me. But I feel like I made the right choice.

“Husson has a starting quarterback, but they are giving me the chance to battle for second string and show my talent. I can’t sit around. I want to be out there contributing to wins. I feel like I can do that and I’ll put in the work to compete for time.”

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