PEABODY — The short week didn’t seem to affect the Peabody football team very much, as the Tanners started strong on both sides of the ball in a 24-7 win over Northeastern Conference rival Danvers at Coley Lee Field Thursday night. Peabody’s defense continued to shine as it has all season, forcing three turnovers and not allowing a point until late in the third quarter.
Senior captain running back/linebacker Kyle Maglione had a strong return to the field after missing last week’s game with an injury, rushing for two touchdowns on offense and notching one interception and two sacks on defense. Sophomore quarterback Shea Lynch continued to impress under center, completing 9-of-14 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown. Senior receiver Nick Vecchio added 55 total yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, while senior kicker Joe Swanton hit one field goal and made three extra points in the win.
Peabody had everything going its way from the start, winning the coin toss and electing to receive. Senior Brandon Pszenny sparked things with a big kick return on the opening play of the game, bringing it deep into Danvers territory. The Tanners ended up capitalizing when Swanton knocked a 26-yard field goal through the uprights to take a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
Peabody then kicked off to Danvers, and two plays later the Tanners jumped on a fumbled snap to get the ball right back in Danvers territory. Peabody didn’t score on that drive, but the Tanners pinned the Falcons deep again and got the ball back on an interception from Pszenny after just three plays. After Lynch found freshman receiver Eli Batista for a nine-yard gain to make it first-and-goal, Maglione punched one in from two yards out to make it 10-0 Peabody.
The score remained there until late in the second quarter, when Peabody got the ball back and went on a 10-play drive that covered 73 yards. Maglione scored on another two-yard run to make it 17-0 with 1:35 to go, and the Tanners took that lead into the halftime break.
Danvers came out strong to start the second half, taking the opening kickoff and going on a 15-play drive that took up more than nine and a half minutes of game time. The Falcons capped the drive with a touchdown run from Brad Wilichoski to make it 17-7, but they took a lot of time off the clock.
Peabody turned right around on the ensuing drive and pushed all the way down the field, eventually getting a touchdown when Lynch rolled out to the left and found Vecchio on a wheel route for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 24-7.
Danvers tried to keep its momentum going on the next drive, but Maglione ended that with a clutch interception that allowed Peabody to run out the clock for the win.
Peabody (2-1) plays on the road at Beverly next Saturday (1).
