Winthrop football defeats Danvers

DANVERS – The Winthrop football squad needed a few quick plays early in last night’s game against Danvers to help ease the sting of last week’s last-minute setback against Swampscott. The Vikings received two straight plays in the game’s first moments that set the tone for the night. Winthrop tamed the Falcons, 27-7, at Dr. Deering Stadium.Danvers moved into Winthrop territory on the game’s first play when back Justin Shairs (5-26) gained a first down with a ten-yard gain to the Vikings’ 47. Yet the hosts could only pick up an additional five yards on the next three plays, putting Danvers in punt formation. Cody Croft went back to kick, but it was blocked by lineman Kenny Quist, with the ball bounding back to the 43 of Danvers. Quarterback Will Milano (4-9-88) went deep on the Vikings’ first offensive play, finding halfback Chris Beranger down the near sidelines, before being tackled at the 1. Beranger carried the ball into the end zone for the first of his two scores, and Winthrop held a 7-0 edge just over three minutes into the game.”I told the team before the game that we had four games left, and to always try hard,” said Winthrop football coach Sean Driscoll, when asked how he made sure his team didn’t feel the effects of last week’s loss heading into the game with Danvers. “That blocked punt set up the first play for us and I’m happy with how we came out on our first drive.”Danvers (1-7) had a chance to cut into the Vikings’ lead on its next possession. Quarterback Greg Ladd (13-18-1-154) connected with receiver Colin Cooper for 32 yards to Winthrop’s 26. The team eventually moved to the Vikings’ 21, where kicker Nick Pellino attempted a 38-yard boot. His kick fell short, and the Falcons stayed off the board.The teams traded possessions throughout the first half, with Winthrop failing to convert on a pair of fourth-down calls early in the second quarter. Yet the Vikings (4-4) used a 32-yard punt return late in the period as the catalyst for their next score. Beranger returned Croft’s kick back to the Danvers 23. Two running plays netted just one yard, before Milano took to the air. He hit sophomore Nick McCarthy at the 5, and the receiver did the rest to get into the end zone, boosting Winthrop’s advantage to 13-0 with 40 seconds remaining in the half.”We fought hard, and got some good stops in our own end in the first half,” said Danvers coach John Sullivan. “But we let them score that late touchdown, and that, along with the blocked punt and big reception, really hurt us.”Winthrop regained the ball to begin the second half, and put together a solid drive, chewing up most of the clock as a result. Beranger picked up a key first down, gaining six yards on third-and-5 to the Falcons’ 46. Moments later, Milano teamed with receiver Dan Ramos for 15 yards to the 25. McCarthy added an important 11-yard run two plays later, spotting the ball at the 11, and Quist extended the lead to 20-0 soon after on a 1-yard score.Danvers came right back in just four plays with a very solid and rapid four-play, 80-yard drive. Ladd connected with Cooper for 29 yards to the Danvers 49. Shairs then ran through the Vikings’ defense for 17 more to the Winthrop 35. Ladd then found teammate Eric Burgos for another 15-yard completion at the 20, before Cooper snagged his second reception of the drive, bringing the Falcons to within 20-7.The Vikings marched right downfield after the score, taking time off the board and continuing the drive well into the fourth quarter. Yet Beranger was stopped several yards short while trying to convert a fourth-and-8 from the Falcons’ 17. Burgos went in to replace Beranger, but his pass was picked off by Ramos, and returned to the Danvers 28. Beranger added his second score of the day with a 16-yard sweep moments later, closing out the scoring.