Tyrrell helps Marblehead pound Bulldogs

MARBLEHEAD ? The Marblehead High football team solidified its hold on a high seed in the playoffs Friday. English will have to wait and see if it’ll join the Magicians.Taking advantage of seven English turnovers, including six interceptions, the Magicians rolled to a 41-14 win over the Bulldogs at Piper Field. Brooks Tyrrell scored four touchdowns and rushed for 177 yards. The win likely nailed down the second seed in the Div. 3 Northeast playoffs for Marblehead (6-1) and will probably result in a first round matchup with Wilmington.The win may have come at a cost to the Magicians, however, as four starters – linebacker Liam Gillis, receivers Brian Daly and Dylan Cressy and lineman Sam York – left the game due to injury.”Most of the injuries are minor, and we’re hoping they’re going to be fine for next week,” Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. “English is a big, strong team that hits hard, and they never quit, even when they were behind.”Despite falling to 2-4, the Bulldogs can still qualify for the Div. 2 North playoffs, depending upon the outcome of other games.”We’ll know by the end of the weekend,” English coach Peter Holey said. “We’ve still got a shot.”The turnovers doomed the Bulldogs, who fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter and 35-0 at halftime. Jordan Lark threw a pair of touchdown passes to Kyle O’Connor in the second half, but it was far too little, way too late.”We challenged the kids at halftime to play hard in the second half, and I’m proud of the way they responded,” Holey said. “But you can’t turn the ball over seven times and beat anyone, much less a good team like Marblehead.”English fumbled on its first play from scrimmage and the Magicians quickly cashed in with a 36-yard touchdown run from quarterback Matt Millett. Marblehead scored on its next two possessions, which ended with touchdown runs of 23 yards and 1 yard by Tyrrell. He added a 36-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and then Millett found Daly for a 40-yard scoring strike with 14 seconds left in the first half.English scored on its first possession of the second half with a good-looking drive that featured a 38-yard pass to Anthony Delacruz from Lark, who hit O’Connor on a swing pass on the next play for a 7-yard touchdown. Marblehead’s final scoring drive included a 27-yard throw to Trey Blackmer from Millett, who ran 20 yards on the next play. Tyrrell scored five plays later from one yard out.Late in the fourth quarter, Lark found O’Connor again for a 26-yard touchdown pass.