Football: Swampscott hopes to stay hot against Beverly

There will be plenty of talent on display Saturday (1) at Hurd Stadium when Swampscott and Beverly meet in a game that could go a long way towards deciding who represents the Northeastern Conference’s South Division in the postseason.The Big Blue come in at 7-1, winners of seven straight, and are unbeaten (2-0) in South play following a 42-21 win over Saugus last Saturday. Beverly was in that group until suffering a 33-30 loss to resurgent Marblehead last week, falling to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in league play.Suffice to say, the winner on Saturday will take a giant step towards a date with the Catholic Central League/Large champion on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.”We control our own destiny,” Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski said. “We’ve been down this stretch before and we have to make sure that we’re ready to play.”For the Panthers and coach Dan Bauer, putting last week’s loss behind them was task one in practice this week.”We’ve had a good week of practice,” Bauer said. “The team really has put that one behind them and have done a good job in moving forward. We’ll show up on Saturday and play hard and see what happens.”Both teams run the spread offense and have put points up in bunches this season.Swampscott’s spread is averaging nearly 36 points a game, while the Panthers haven’t been too shabby either, putting up almost 22 per game. The prolific offenses can be nightmares for defenses, but also can make the game fun to watch.”It’s fun to play in these wide-open games, and I know the players are looking forward to it,” Dembowski said. “Beverly is good and we certainly have our work cut out for us.”The similarities between both teams are striking.Each has a talented quarterback (Beverly’s Mark Hannable and Swampscott’s Chris Cameron) that manages the game well, and both teams have bruising ground attacks, along with defenses that have a habit of making big plays.Cameron played perhaps his best game of the season last week in the win over Saugus, completing 20 of 26 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Hannable, meanwhile, threw four interceptions but helped lead Beverly to 23 fourth-quarter points and a near-miracle comeback.”(Cameron) obviously is good. He runs, throws and manages the offense well,” Bauer said. “And Mark struggled early but didn’t hang his head and played good at the end of the game.”For Swampscott and Dembowski, their biggest challenge might be halting Panther running back Rashad Sims.The senior has been playing as well as any back in the NEC recently, continuing that fine play with a 181-yard, three-touchdown effort against Marblehead.”He is exceptional,” Dembowski said about Sims. “Obviously, he is one of the best backs in the conference and he makes their offense go. You have to account for him at all times.”Bauer also is keenly aware that he can’t spot the Big Blue 21 points like his team did against Marblehead or it could be a long day for the Panthers.”You can’t spot anybody points,” Bauer said. “But we didn’t quit last week. And in terms of character, last week certainly was a positive.”Tech at ShawsheenAt Billerica (1:30), the Tigers (3-5) offense had its struggles in a 28-8 loss at Greater Lawrence last week, gaining only 104 yards in total. Ryan Murphy provided the only Tech touchdown with a 56-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.Danvers at SaugusAt Stackpole Field (11), a pair of teams desperately in need of a win will get together.The Sachems (4-3, 0-3 NEC South) hung tough with powerful Swampscott team last week before falling 42-21. Quarterback Bret Reid had a stellar effort in the loss, rushing for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns.Danvers, meanwhile, ran into a tough Winthrop team in a 27-7 loss. Quarterback Greg Ladd was a bright spot for the 1-7 Falcons, hitting 13 of 18 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. Colin Cooper caught six of those balls for 104 yards and the lone Danvers score.Ipswich at LynnfieldAt Lynnfield Middle School (11), the Pioneers return from a bye week to f