English football coach Molea nets 100th win

PEABODY ? Even if it hadn’t celebrated Gary Molea’s 100th career win, the Lynn English High football team would have considered this a special night.Charlie Rucker caught just three passes, but all three went for long touchdowns as the Bulldogs romped past Peabody, 29-12, Friday night, at Lee Field in Peabody.Molea got the traditional Gatorade shower late in the fourth quarter and was awarded the game ball, which he said will be signed by every player on the English team and preserved.”It’s good to get it over,” Molea said. “It’s not about me, it’s a tribute to this team and all the teams I’ve coached at Lynn English. Now we can focus on beating a very good Classical team.”Rucker had already caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Jesse Fowler on the third play from scrimmage and the Bulldogs (4-6; 2-2 NEC Large) led, 7-6, when Taron Seaforth picked off a Peabody pass at English’s 35-yard line with 1:37 left in the first half. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Justin Young found Rucker one step behind the Tanners’ defense and midfield and Rucker rumbled down the right sideline for a 65-yard touchdown.After a three-and-out by Peabody, Young hooked up with Rucker on a 79-yard bomb and in just over a minute, the Bulldogs had taken a 23-6 lead.”Flat out blown coverages,” Peabody coach Dick Woodbury said. “We blew the coverages on all three of their (passing) touchdowns.”Troy Adgurson’s 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter capped off a 58-yard, 11-play drive that was kept alive when Jesse Fowler found Young for a 10-yard pass play on fourth-and-five from the Tanners’ 35.Peabody (1-9; 0-5) tacked on a 3-yard touchdown run by Scott Diefenbach with 32 seconds left in the game.The Tanners’ first score came on a bizarre play that resulted in a 39-yard interception return by Kevin Skop early in the second quarter. Fowler tried to throw a quick sideline pass, but Skop got in the passing lane. Despite being only about three feet away from Fowler, Skop managed to hold onto the ball and there was no one between him and the end zone.Except for the opening drives of each half, neither of which resulted in points, English’s first team defense managed to control Peabody’s offense.”Milestones are always nice, but what makes me the ecstatic is the way we played defensively tonight,” Molea said. “If the players had a little extra incentive, that’s fine. Our record may not show it because we’ve lost three games at the end, but this is a great group of kids that’s been a privilege to coach.”