WINTHROP — All it took was a few big plays to separate the Beverly and Winthrop football teams in Friday night’s season opener at Miller Field.
Beverly’s offense made those big plays, Winthrop’s offense didn’t and the Panthers found themselves on the winning side of a 21-6 final.
“They got the big plays and we didn’t,” Vikings coach Jonathan Cadigan said. “They were grinding, we were grinding. They got a few more big plays and that’s the difference.”
Beverly capped the first half on an 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Danny Morency to University of New Hampshire commit Duncan Moreland. Joe Loreti’s touchdown scampers in the fourth quarter sealed the deal.
“We knew Winthrop would be gritty and tough,” Panther coach Andrew Morency said. “We wanted to play to our strengths. We made a couple adjustments at halftime. With the rain we knew we had to pound the ball. It shows character when you’re facing a team taking away your strong suit and going back to that strong suit.”
Winthrop’s lone score came on a 20-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Bobby Hubert (5-of-13, 55 yards) to Austin Daigneault.
“It comes down to the execution, that’s what it was,” Cadigan said of his team’s offensive struggles. “In the preseason, when we had pretty good scrimmages the execution was there. When we struggled, we didn’t execute. It’s a credit to Beverly.”
Both offenses were sluggish at the start. Beverly’s first two possessions of the night were inside Winthrop’s 30-yard line but the Panthers couldn’t make much of either drive.
Winthrop’s defense created a spark midway through the second quarter. Heavy Vikings pressure forced Morency into a scramble, the Beverly signal-caller fumbled and Winthrop pounced on the free ball on its own 37. Hubert sealed the drive with a 20-yard touchdown toss to Daigneault for Winthrop’s first touchdown of the season (kick failed). Beverly salvaged the half thanks to an 80-yard touchdown from pass from Morency to Moreland, who made the catch between two Winthrop defenders near midfield and sprinted his way into the end zone (Loreti kick). The Panthers led 7-6 at halftime.
“That’s the type of play Duncan makes,” Morency said. “Even though it seems fluky in the sense of ‘Wow, that was kind of a jump ball,’ that’s a Duncan Moreland play. We’re hoping to see more of that. He was starving to get those touches at receiver.”
“There’s a reason (Moreland’s) going to UNH,” Cadigan said. “I thought he made some nice plays. He’s a difference maker. We had opportunities to make big plays. We didn’t make them, they made them and that’s the difference.”
After a scoreless third quarter, the Panthers gave themselves a chance to stretch their lead in the fourth. But a muffed snap erased Loreti’s 35-yard field goal attempt before the Beverly junior got his foot on it. Loreti (120 rushing yards) iced the victory on a pair of touchdown runs (65 yards with 5:30 remaining and 30 yards with under a minute to go, Loreti kicks) in the closing stages.
“I felt good about our defense,” Cadigan said. “The disappointing part about it was the fourth quarter. We played three solid quarters of football. We really ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and that’s a credit to them. They took it to us in the fourth quarter.”
The Vikings (0-1) have a bye next week. They’re back to the drawing board before hosting Saugus Sept. 20 (7).
“It’s conference game at home,” Cadigan said. “No excuses.”
Beverly, also with a bye next week, hosts English Sept. 21 (1).
