Scuzzarella, Classical overcome Peabody

LYNN ? If you dismissed the Classical High football team after its first two games, you might want to reconsider.Brad Scuzzarella scored three touchdowns and ran for 101 yards to lead the Rams (2-2) to their second straight win, 40-0, over Peabody, Friday night, at Manning Field in the nightcap of a football doubleheader. Devin Crayton and Justin Avery added one touchdown each, while Jordan Brown tossed a 49-yard touchdown pass to Romario Louidhon.As the score suggests, the Rams were in control of this game from box-to-wire. Classical scored on its first two drives and three out of four in the first half, and then put the game away with two more touchdowns in the first 3:21 of the second half.It wasn’t a perfect game for Classical, but it was pretty close.”There are always things you can do better,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “We’ll look at the film and we’ll pick up some things. We’re 2-2 after four games. There are ways we can improve.”After beating Somerville in its second game and a last-second loss to Danvers last week, the game was a step back for the Tanners (1-3), who moved the ball occasionally in the first half but only got as far as Classical’s 26-yard line during the game.”I told the kids after the game that we’ll live to fight another day, but today they were just the better team,” Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said. “If we play these guys again, maybe things are different. I think their speed took us a little by surprise early in the game, and it kind of went downhill from there.”Crayton capped off Classical’s first drive of the game – which went 52 yards in seven plays – with a 1-yard touchdown run, and a 49-yard run by Scuzzarella set up the Rams’ second score, which came on another 1-yard run, this time by Scuzzarella, with 9:40 left in the first half.Highlighted by a 13-yard run by Bill Teehan, Peabody made it to Classical’s 28-yard line on its ensuing possession, but Teehan was stuffed for no gain on 3rd-and-2, and then Morvyn Belice tackled Ryan Collins for a 4-yard loss on 4th down. The Rams then went 68 yards nine plays for a touchdown with just 14.4 seconds left in the first half.An offside penalty on Peabody on 4th-and-2 from the Tanners’ 43-yard line kept the drive alive, and two plays later Brown found Belice for a 23-yard gain. Scuzzarella bowled into the end zone from two yards out two plays later.”That was a big change of momentum,” Bettencourt said. “If we score there, maybe we’re only down by one touchdown going into halftime, but we can’t convert and they come down and score to make it 22-0.”Classical took the second half kickoff and scored after just three plays. Brown scampered for 22 yards and then hit Louidhon on the right hash marks for a touchdown. The Rams next drive started at Peabody’s 5-yard line after a high snap on a punt attempt, and Avery blasted into the end zone on the next play.Adam Lovett forced a fumble to end Peabody’s next series. Crayton picked up the loose ball and ran it back, but the score was called back due to a block in the back. The Rams scored anyway five plays later. Scuzzarella’s third touchdown of the game put the Rams on top, 40-0, with 2:57 left in the third period.