Marblehead falls; Beverly in control of the NEC/South

BEVERLY – Behind a strong and punishing running game Beverly laid claim to supremacy in the Northeastern Conference (Small) with a 32-14 win over Marblehead at Hurd Stadium Saturday.The win, combined with Swampscott’s win over Saugus, could put the conference championship on the line next Saturday at Hurd Stadium.Marblehead14Beverly32 “It doesn’t matter because we have a showdown next week,” said Beverly coach Dan Bauer of first place. “We’re looking to get better every week and next week is another step forward.”For Beverly (5-5, 5-0), sophomore running back Brendan Flaherty rushed for 208 yards on 21 carries and all five Beverly touchdowns.Kenny Pierce (8 carries, 104 yards) helped the cause, along with Nick Theriault (13 carries, 93 yards).”What it comes down to is that we don’t have those backs and that line on our scout team. We can look good all week but then we come up against the real-deal,” said Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff. “Their guys are stronger than us, they are more physical than us, they executed better on offense; we were simply outplayed, outmatched, and over-manned.”Beverly opened the game with a six-play drive, which culminated in a Flaherty score from three yards out. The drive was highlighted by a 42-yard dash outside of the lines by Pierce.Marblehead (5-5, 2-2 NEC(S)) responded with a nine play drive of their own. The Magicians capped their 6- yard drive with Will Quigley’s two yard plunge. The score tied the game at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. The score was the closest it would stay as Beverly permanently took the lead two plays into their next possession, when Flaherty’s 44 yard rumble led to a 13-7 lead.The Panther’s defense would not allow for Marblehead to get any momentum for the remainder of the half, forcing the Magicians into a disjointed five-play possession and also a Theriault interception with 2:25 remaining in the half.Beverly was able to capitalize on both opportunities, with Flaherty scoring on rushing plays of five and three yards.At the intermission, the score stood at 26-7.Marblehead opened the second half with a 62 yard drive in which Dan Colbert found Matt Perlow for a 13-yard touchdown. After holding Beverly to a three-and-out, the Magicians put together a long drive that extended into the fourth quarter. But Beverly’s George Kastrinakis and Dom Abate made a momentum-stuffing tackle on fourth-and-five from their own 14. And Flaherty’s interception of a subsequent Marblehead pass set up his last score, a 38-yard touchdown run.