English turns in better effort against Peabody

PEABODY – Though the Lynn English football squad had been victorious last week against Salem, coach Peter Holey wasn’t at all pleased with how his team looked. He was more than pleased, however, with how the Bulldogs performed last night against Peabody, as the team scored on its first possession and never looked back with a 42-13 crunching of the Tanners at Coley Lee Field.The Bulldogs (8-2) came out with the passing game, with a 27-yard strike from quarterback Tyllor McDonald to receiver Melvin Tavares, and then an eight-yarder to teammate Taron Seaforth, putting English at Peabody’s 38. McDonald (19-130) gained eight yards on the following play, then added a weaving 18-yarder a few minutes later to place the ball at the 20. He capped off the 11-play, 73-yard drive with a two-yard keeper to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead just over four minutes in.”We emphasized the need all week long for our offense to play with confidence,” said Holey. “Our offense plays with swagger, and that was something we needed to get back. We were flat last week. We did that with the first possession, and the kids showed that confidence.”The Tanners (3-7) picked up a pair of first downs in their opening drive, including an 18-yarder by Mark D’Addario (11-82). The team was able to get to the English 32, but D’Addario was stonewalled at the line on fourth-and-1, and English took over.McDonald (10-16-0-219) found teammate Travonne Berry-Rogers (3-104) along the far sidelines for 52 yards, in which Berry-Rogers spun off the Tanners defender for the ball and down to the Peabody 15. The Bulldogs were then hurt by a fumble (though recovered) and incompletions before fullback Jermaine Patterson (9-40) extended the lead with a two-yard score early in the second period.”McDonald is a great athlete, and he has all those players on the perimeter,” said Peabody coach Scott Wlasuk. “They’re all very skilled.”Peabody had a quick retort for the Bulldogs. Knowing that the Tanners had been burned by a pair of consecutive onside kicks last week, the Bulldogs attempted the same play, but Peabody recovered at its 49. After quarterback Mike O’Brien ran for five yards to put the ball at English’s 46, O’Brien (1-4-0-46) found a wide-open Jamal Abu-Hijleh all alone at the English 10, and the receiver caught the pass in stride to put Peabody to within 14-7.Yet McDonald engineered another scoring drive that would increase the English lead. He hit Seaforth on a 35-yard screen to midfield, then brought the squad to the Peabody 37 with an 18-yard run. Moments later, with a third-and-1 at the 28, McDonald was momentarily tripped up, but was able to regain his footing for a 21-yarder and a first down at the 7. McDonald soon added his second score to give English a 21-7 lead.The Tanners converted a fourth-and-1 situation from their 34 with a three-yard keeper by O’Brien, but a pair of sacks moved Peabody backwards, and English regained possession late in the quarter. A 15-yard pass to Berry-Rogers opened the drive to give English breathing room at its 43; then a 37-yarder from McDonald to Berry-Rogers placed the Bulldogs at the Tanners 8. Christian Figueroa gave the Bulldogs a 28-7 halftime edge right before the half with his one-yard score.”Tyllor (McDonald) throws very well on the run,” explained Holey. “We told him to let the ball go and to let ‘er rip, and if he throws an interception, that’s on us. Our receivers ran the routes, and Tyllor was able to find them.”Seaforth (15-yard reception) and Tavares (35-yard run) added fourth-quarter scores. Peabody halfback D.J. Henrick (2-36) closed the scoring late in the contest with a 10-yard run.