Marblehead pulls away from Danvers, 42-20

DANVERS ? If there were any lingering doubts about the legitimacy of the Marblehead High football team before Friday night’s game in Danvers, there aren’t anymore.The Magicians scored three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter and pulled away from a feisty Danvers team to win, 42-20, at Dr. Deering Stadium.Hayes Richardson (346 yards of total offense) ran for two scores and threw for another while Marcell Hardmon ran for two touchdowns as the Magicians improved to 7-1 (2-0 NEC South).Alex Haigis caught four passes for 107 yards and a TD, and intercepted a pass and forced a fumble, with both turnovers leading to Marblehead scores.”We felt very strongly going into this game that a lot of people didn’t think we were for real,” Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. “I don’t know if this proves we’re for real, but it proves we’re a pretty good football team.”Danvers (4-4; 1-2) got a pair of touchdown passes from Greg Ladd and a 13-yard touchdown run from John McInnis in the first half, but turned the ball over three times and was limited to just two first downs in the second half.”They put up a lot of points against us, and not a lot of teams put up a lot of points against us,” Danvers coach John Sullivan said.Richardson completed 12 of 17 passes for 267 yards, including four throws that went for 30 yards or more. The Magicians also came up with some big plays on the ground, including a 54-yard touchdown run by Richardson and a 37-yard run by Will Quigley.”They made us tackle, and we didn’t tackle,” Sullivan said. “It looked like we had them stopped a couple of times and they converted some big third down situations.”The turning point in the game may have come late in the third quarter. Danvers trailed, 21-20, but was driving and had a first down at Marblehead’s 29-yard line. Ladd tried to hit Clinton Lutz with a short curl, but Haigis jumped the route perfectly and intercepted the ball.Three plays later, Richardson found Sam Perlow (4 catches-106 yards) for a 37-yard pass on a fly pattern down the left sideline, and Hardmon (15 rushes-78 yards) capped off the drive with a 21-yard scoring run.”(Haigis) has done that for us all season,” Rudloff said. “He has six or seven interceptions for us, and it always seems like he makes a key play when we need one.”Haigis came up with another big play on the Magicians’ next drive, catching a 74-yard pass from Richardson that moved the ball to the Falcons’ 5. Two plays later, Hardmon dashed into the end zone and Marblehead led, 35-20, with 5:59 left in the game.Haigis forced a fumble that was recovered by Oliver Gregory at the Danvers 45. Quigley’s 37-yard run was the big play in a quick drive that culminated with Quigley’s 9-yard scoring run with 3:34 remaining.”We asked (Quigley) to play a whole new position this week, and he excelled,” Rudloff said. “That also let us put the ball in Marcell Hardmon’s hands, and he responded to what we asked of him.”The teams scored three touchdowns apiece in an exciting first half. Danvers received the opening kickoff went on a 66-yard, 7-play drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown run by McInnis. The Magicians answered with a quick 64-yard drive that featured a 54-yard pass to Perlow and a 5-yard touchdown run by Richardson.The Falcons then marched 84 yards on a drive that finished with a fine fingertip catch and run by Dan Skinner from 29 yards out. Marblehead came right back again with a long scoring drive that was capped off by a 12-yard throw to Haigis on a slant at the right hash. The key play was a 30-yard screen pass to Hardmon on third-and-9 on the third play of the drive.Marblehead took its first lead with 2:08 left in the first half. Two plays after a Danvers punt, Richardson made a great fake to Hardmon up the middle and ran around right end on a keeper for a 54-yard score.Danvers moved quickly down the field, with Ladd completing six passes on a drive that ended with a tremendous catch by Zach Ryan, who toe-tapped just inside the right si