Beverly football bowls over Swampscott

BEVERLY – Where to begin? Is it Beverly?s 533 yards of total offense and nine total touchdowns that resulted in a modern-day series record of 61 points? Perhaps the six scoring plays of 45 yards or longer is a good jumping-off point.However you examine it, the Panthers? precise, aggressive and altogether dominant 61-25 dismantling of Swampscott on Senior Day Saturday at Hurd Stadium was startling. Beverly (3-1, 4-3) did what it wanted when it wanted, snagging a share of the NEC North championship with Marblehead and Gloucester.Next up for Beverly is Friday?s Div. 3 Northeast quarterfinal game against Gloucester at New Balance Field at Newell Stadium (7). The Fishermen (3-1, 5-2) won the regular-season meeting between the teams, 18-14, on Sept. 27 and enter the playoffs rested off a bye week.Senior Isaiah White eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season, cramming a couple of weeks of production into the first half with 11 carries for 204 yards and touchdowns of 52, 3 and 45 yards. He added a 39-yard interception return for a score in the second minute of the second half.The defense did its part, sacking beleaguered Big Blue quarterback Brendan McDonald five times for losses totaling 32 yards. The Panthers contained Swampscott?s feature back Desmond Wilhelmsen in the first half, holding him to 53 yards although he eventually finished with 198 yards and two TDs.?We?re going to savor this — it?s a huge win. We started (the season) slowly but were so close. Our kids have been working hard since the start and we still think our best football is ahead of us,” said Beverly coach Dan Bauer.?As far as we knew, this might have been the seniors? final game at Hurd and that?s always emotional. They were focused Monday through Friday and prepared hard and it showed,” he added.Coach Steve Dembowski felt Swampscott experienced the after-effects of its gut-wrenching 32-30 double-OT loss to Gloucester on Oct. 19 that effectively removed the Big Blue from the playoff mix.?No excuses, though. They executed their core plays, their backs ran hard and we didn?t tackle well or play as a team,” he said.The avalanche began on the game?s second play when White bolted 52 yards on his first carry and Matt Madden tacked on the PAT.Madden?s first carry resulted in a 47-yard scoring jaunt and his PAT made it 14-0 with 6:53 left in the first quarter. Peter Malumba got into the act as his only carry of the day produced a 62-yard TD. Madden?s kick stretched the score to 21-0 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.Swampscott stitched together a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive on which Wilhelmsen shook free for 46 yards on five carries, including a one-yard TD plunge to make it 21-6.Any momentum the Big Blue hoped to garner evaporated immediately when White sprinted 60 yards on the first play after the ensuing kickoff. He inadvertently stepped out of bounds on the Swampscott 10 but scored from five yards two plays later for a 28-6 lead.White?s third TD, from 45 yards, and quarterback Nick Manthorne?s 55-yard scoring pass to Sam Malumba bracketed McDonald?s six-yard TD flip to fellow captain Toby Hale on a tackle eligible play. That left it at 42-12 at the half.?We run that play once a year and it was the right time. It?s a memory Toby will always have,” said Dembowski.White?s interception return and Jordan Rawding?s six-yard run ballooned Beverly?s lead to 55-12 after three quarters.The sophomore Rawding answered Wilhelmsen?s 79-yard TD gallop with a tackle-busting, weaving 78-yard kickoff return for a score. Swampscott?s Maleek Newsome punched in from three yards in the final minute to account for the final.Of the rematch with Gloucester, Bauer said: “It?s a conference rival and it?s always going to be emotional. They played us tough the first time and they?re coming off a break.”