Salem-Fenwick promises to be ‘Theater in the Ground’

As early-season non-conference matchups go on the North Shore, the Salem-Fenwick game on Friday night (7) at Donaldson Field in Peabody is arguably one of the better ones around.If you are a fan of talented running backs, this is probably the game to see as both teams have a fleet of ball-carriers that get the job done.”Salem is very good,” Fenwick coach David Woods said. “We’ve played very well on defense in both our games, but we haven’t faced a team with as many weapons as Salem has.”The Crusaders’ (1-1) job would seem simple: shut down Witches star Malikke Van Alstyne.Van Alstyne, who torched the Crusaders for over 200 yards as a sophomore in 2006, rushed for over 100 yards and a game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 12-0 win over Danvers last Friday.But Woods knows that Van Alstyne isn’t the only weapon at coach Scott Connolly’s disposal.”All three backs they have can hurt you, and their quarterback (T.J. Larivee) is a great athlete,” Woods said. “Malikke is the best running back we’ve faced so far, and he’s two years older and better since we last played them.”Fenwick isn’t without its offensive weapons, though, and it needed all of them in a 15-12 comeback win over Newton South last week.Quarterback Pat Holleran, who missed the first game with a knee injury, returned to efficiently engineer the Fenwick offense to 198 yards, while tailbacks Dale Crispin, Dan Kennedy, Chris Renzulli and Kyle White all gained significant yardage on the ground.Renzulli, in fact, provided the Crusaders with the winning points when he scored on a 30 yard punt return in the fourth quarter.Woods is also excited to see two local teams face off with each other.”It’s great, I think, for North Shore football. Salem-Fenwick is a great matchup, and it’s our alumni night, so we’re expecting a big crowd,” Woods said.Danvers at EnglishAt Manning Field (7), the Bulldogs’ (0-1) defense was outstanding, holding Beverly to under 200 yards of offense, but the offense failed to convert on three chances inside the Panther 30. The biggest miss came with just over two minutes left when English fumbled at the two.Quarterback Jesse Fowler was outstanding in English’s first game running the spread offense, rushing for 65 yards and passing for 88. Justin Young caught six passes for 66 yards.The Falcons (0-1) hung tough against NEC North power Salem, but dropped a 12-0 decision on the road to the Witches. Colin Cooper led Danvers with 57 yards on the ground.Tech at MarianAt Bowditch Field in Framingham (7), the Tigers (1-0) look to build on an opening-day win over Dorchester against the Mustangs out of the Catholic Central League.Tech got touchdowns from four different players in the 28-6 win last Saturday. Steven Caisse led the Tigers with 92 yards rushing and returned the opening kick for a touchdown.Cambridge at PeabodyAt Lee Field (7), the Tanners (0-1) hung tough against St. John’s in the opening game for new coach Scott Wlasuk. Despite losing 35-14 to the Eagles, the Tanners got 126 yards and a touchdown on the ground from Nick Hiou, and their defense kept the Prep within striking distance until a pair of late first-half touchdowns.Marblehead at ChelseaAt Chelsea Memorial Stadium (7), the Magicians (1-0) pulled one out of the fire against Ipswich, scoring a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to get past the Tigers. Brandon Lee and Hayes Richardson both ran for scores in the late going to seal the win.Richardson also threw for 114 yards while Nick Haller rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in the win.Masco at GloucesterAt Newell Stadium (7), it’s a rematch of a Division 2A Super Bowl playoff game at Cawley Stadium in Lowell that saw the Fishermen run to a 41-0 win. Gloucester (1-0) got a fight last Friday from Winthrop, needing all of its horses to pull out a 28-14 win on the road.The Chieftains (0-2) come in off a tough 8-7 loss at Norton last Friday. Quarterback Chris Splinter ran for a 58-yard touchdown and 74 yards in all on the rainy evening.Wi