MC overpowers Peabody in second half

MALDEN – Maybe the best moment for Peabody during its game against Malden Catholic came at halftime, when MC honored the Peabody West Little League team that reached the Little League World Series this past summer.MC took control in the second half in a 30-7 win over Peabody at Donovan Field at Bro. Gilbert Stadium Friday.”We don’t come through in the clutch, and we give up the big play,” Tanners coach Scott Wlasuk said. “I take responsibility for that. I’m the head coach.”Quinn McDonough compiled almost 400 total yards and scored all five MC touchdowns, three on the ground, one on a kick return and one on a pass.”(McDonough) had all (of the MC touchdowns) last week, too,” Lancers coach Robert Almeida said.It remained a ballgame early in the second half. Trailing 12-7 at intermission, Peabody took the second-half kick and reached the Lancers’ 34, but quarterback Mike O’Brien threw two consecutive incompletions and MC took over. Three plays later, Quinn bolted for a 57-yard TD that put MC up 18-7 with 6:15 left in the third.Peabody threatened on the ensuing drive. Former Item Player of the Week Mark D’Addario converted a third-and-4 with a 23-yard burst to the Lancers’ 30. Two plays later, the Tanners were on the 24. On third and four, MC tackle William Cannon, a Lynn resident, stopped D’Addario for no gain.”I’m glad (Cannon) went in there,” Almeida said.Wlasuk went for it and D’Addario ran for a first down at the 19. O’Brien, en route to what Wlasuk called the first 100-yard passing game for Peabody in “probably a long time,” found Brian DeAngelis for 14 yards to the six with 1:34 left in the third. On the first play of the fourth quarter, though – fourth-and-goal at the 2 – MC forced a fumble. Peabody recovered, but was short of a first down. That gave MC the ball on its five. On the first play of the possession, McDonough raced for a 95-yard score and a 24-7 lead with 10:36 left in regulation.Peabody recovered an MC onside kick and reached the Lancers’ 36. The drive stalled on three straight incompletions, the last one on fourth-and-17, giving MC the ball on its 47. MC closed out the scoring with Tyler McVicar’s TD pass to McDonough.The teams scored all their first-half points in the first quarter. McDonough took the opening kickoff 89 yards for a 6-0 lead 12 seconds into the game. Peabody responded on its second play, when O’Brien found Jamal Abu-Hijleh for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Justin Provencher kicked the PAT and Peabody led 7-6. The Lancers retook the lead for good on McDonough’s 52-yard scoring run at 7:31 of the first.Shortly before halftime, the Tanners made Wlasuk hopeful. An illegal-block call wiped out a McVicar pass to Cory Gaff in the end zone on fourth-and-3. When the teams replayed the down, Nick Pigulski deflected the pass. That, however, only delayed the Lancers’ momentum until after halftime.