Classical loses to Peabody

PEABODY – Lynn Classical?s 28-6 loss to Peabody Thursday night at Coley Lee Field can be boiled down to two words: Doug Santos.His stats might not have been as glittering as they have been in terms of total rushing yardage (153), but you can add in an 85-yard kick return to open the game, and five receptions for 89 yards and you have an all-purpose yardage tour de force.?He?s their horse, no doubt about it,” said Classical coach Tim Phelps afterward.?He?s so resilient,” said Peabody?s Mark Bettencourt. “You take him out for a breather, he takes a sip of water, and he?s pulling on your shirt wanting to go back in.”The junior running back got the Tanners started by taking the opening kickoff on his 15, bursting through the middle and then out to the far sideline, where he sprinted in for the score. Patrick Tuohy added the first of his four PATs to make it 7-0.Classical responded, however, going 71 yards on 13 plays, with quarterback Matt Lauria hitting Chandler LaGuerre for the 17-yard scoring pass. But the Rams still trailed, 7-6, when the PAT failed.Classical had a great opportunity to pound another stake in Peabody?s heart when the Tanners fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Rams recovered on their opponents? 41. But a Classical fumble, which the Rams recovered, sent them 15 yards backward, and when Lauria got sacked, Classical had a third and 35 and couldn?t complete a pass. That gave Peabody its first possession, and when the Tanners went three-and-out, it became evident how much of an opportunity Classical had frittered away.Classical could get nothing going from that point on. Santos finished off an eight-play, 59-yard drive with a 7-yard run to make it 14-6. And when Classical couldn?t return the score, even though the Rams had a first down from the Peabody 21, one got the sense this game was getting away.And that?s exactly what happened. Peabody got the ball back on its 24 and nine plays later, Santos ran it in from the 11 for his third score. The Tanners almost had a fourth TD, but Santos, who had caught a pass from quarterback Mike Raymond, was dropped at the 2-yard-line as time in the half ran out.The 4-0 Tanners, who face Winthrop next Friday, pounded home another long drive, this one going 70 yards in 11 plays, with Santos covering the last eight.?We have to start making more plays on offense,” said Phelps. “Nothing we tried worked tonight. We have to step up and start making plays.”