BROCKTON — Andover senior captain Dominic Papa completed 23-of-46 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown, while junior Nicholas Ilsley sprinted for the game-clinching touchdown as Andover delivered coach EJ Perry his 100th career win in dramatic fashion with a 24-21 victory over Brockton on the road.

“We just kept pounding their head in,” said Papa. “That was really our game plan. After a tough loss to Methuen, our game plan was to just keep it simple, let’s keep it effective. We came in here, ready to win. Tough first half, but other than that, we came out in the second quarter, the third quarter, ready to play. I’m actually proud of this offense and this defense for stepping up the way they did.”

The Golden Warriors (4-1) were met with a stiff challenge, as Brockton remained determined to establish the rush. With some impeccable offensive line play, the Boxers opened up a 14-3 advantage midway through the second quarter, with Luke Turco and Christian Flaherty each scampering for a touchdown. Defensively, the Boxers forced Papa and his teammates into rushed plays, resulting in a series of interceptions, and Andover suddenly found itself in a war, down 11 at the half.

“They definitely caused some panic in my eyes,” Papa said afterward. “Three picks, wasn’t usually our best performance. But we just kept up our pressure. I knew our guys could be held accountable up front. I knew our guys would be making plays on the offensive side.”

Andover opened the second half with a prolonged drive, capped off by Ilsley’s first TD rush of the day from three yards out to cut it to 14-9.

With 1:49 to go in the frame, Papa connected with James Capachietti for a six-yard touchdown off a slant pass, and Andover had stormed back to seize a 17-14 edge.

Led by Marcio Semedo, the Boxers responded by driving deep into enemy territory. The sophomore quarterback scored on a one-yard keeper as Brockton made it a 21-17 game with 9:47 left.

With five minutes to play, Papa launched a 30-yard pass down the sideline to Julius Martinez, setting up Andover for a possible clinching score.

“Our offensive coordinator just told us that we needed to play better,” Martinez said. “We’ve been down before, we just have to come back. I’ve just got to put the team where we need to be.”

With 4:19 left, Ilsley put the Golden Warriors ahead for good, spiraling off a defender on fourth down for a three-yard touchdown rush. Andover’s defense come away with a clutch stop defensively to seal the deal on the ensuing drive.

“There is no better place (than Marciano Stadium),” said Perry. “Like I said, my brother coached with Tommy Colombo at Northeastern. So I knew Tommy, I knew the family, I know the Colombos, and like I said — Marciano. To get my 100th win here? It’s a nice place to do it. Against a program (like Brockton)… when I was growing up, this was the Taj Mahal of football. They still have the great facilities, the great venue, and this was a great football game.”