Saugus beats Peabody for second straight year

SAUGUS – For two teams looking to the future, Saugus certainly seems to have a turkey leg up on Peabody.Vew Photo GalleryThe Division 4 Sachems took an early lead and never looked back Thursday, defeating visiting Division 1 rival Peabody, 25-15, at Stackpole Field under clear skies accompanied by frigid temps and howling winds.The Sachems rode the play-making ability of junior quarterback and co-captain Justin Winn and stellar play on both sides of the ball by freshman Marcus Atkins to secure consecutive Thanksgiving Day victories for Saugus in the series for the first time since 1987-88.Winn ran for two scores, 88 and 49 yards, and connected on a 45-yard screen pass to Atkins for a touchdown scamper right past the deflated Peabody bench as the first half wound down.After the game a jubilant Saugus coach Mike Broderick lauded Winn for his “great reads” and said his 88-yard run “really bailed us out of a jam.” Broderick also was quick to credit his offensive line for excellent play.Both head coaches mentioned the scouting job done by the Saugus coaches on Peabody as being a big factor in the final score.After some early success with the run, Peabody fell behind and had to switch to a passing offense, which was foiled by the swirling winds. Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said his team switched up their blocking schemes to counter Saugus’ defensive game plan, but that the Tanners “could not run the ball well enough to win.”Bettencourt labeled it a tough loss, citing fatigue and the cold as contributing factors while crediting big plays by Saugus for ruling the day.After Saugus won the coin toss but elected to kick off, Peabody ran its first series, gathering small gains. After a Peabody timeout, Atkins opened up the scoring when he caught up to a tipped pass from Peabody quarterback Michael Raymond intended for junior running back Tanner Moquin.Atkins corralled the spinning ball in the center of the field and sprinted left down the sideline to score. Jacob DeMonte converted on the kick, making the score 7-0. That’s how the first quarter ended.Early in the second quarter, Peabody mounted a long drive, power running inside the tackles, relying on senior running back Cody Wlasuk and sophomore back Doug Santos to carry the load. The latter part of the drive was highlighted by a 15-yard run by junior William Teehan, who used an outstanding “stiff arm” to reach the Saugus eight for a first down.Peabody stalled out on the Saugus 2-yard line when a fourth-down play-action Raymond pass fell incomplete in the right corner and the Sachems took over, backed up to the goal line.Saugus moved the ball up toward midfield using the option series to its advantage, the drive featuring a long gain on a pitch left to junior co-captain Dan Cacciola to the 45 as the half loomed. Three plays later, Winn and Atkins connected on the screen to score. The kick was blocked, making the score 13-0 at the half.Peabody kicked off and Winn’s 88-yard keeper on the fourth play sealed the deal. After Winn split the defense and roared down field, the conversion run failed and the score stood at 19-0.Peabody then went to the hurry-up offense, working out of the shotgun, and finally got on the board with a Wlasuk 1-yard run. The conversion run was no good and Saugus led 19-6 at the end of three quarters.After Winn scampered 49 yards for his second touchdown, Peabody’s Ryan Collins took to the ensuing kickoff to the house, 82 yards, to finish the scoring.”We didn’t want to walk out of here at 3-8,” said Bettencourt. “But we just couldn’t get it done.”Bettencourt had strong praise for the play of Wlasuk, saying he “gave it everything he had on every play” and also credited Santos’ play on both sides of the ball. “We’re a young team and can build off this,” the resolute Bettencourt said. We’ve got nine (seniors) going and 49 (underclassmen) coming in… It’s only a matter of time”While Bettencourt preferred to look toward next season, Broderick was only interested in his