PEABODY — It was a wild Friday night at Coley Lee Field. The Tanners (4-0) remained undefeated with a 41-21 win over the visiting Mablehead Magicians (0-4), who are still seeking their first win of the season.
While the game had more than its fair share of highlight-reel worthy plays on the part of both teams, it also had some of the most unexpected plays you’ve ever seen.
Both teams had long touchdowns wiped out by penalties. For Peabody, it was a 56-yard completion from Luke Maglione to the speedy Eli Batista; for the Magicians, a holding penalty nullified a 70-yard kickoff return by Cam Quigley with under a minute to play in the first half.
The Tanners came ready to play, scoring on their first three possessions to lead 21-7 after the first quarter. Jayce Jean-Pierre got things started just four minutes into the game, making a leaping catch off a Maglione pass and taking it 46 yards to the house to put the Tanners on top, 7-0, after Dom Scalese’s extra point.
Scalese was immense. Nearly every one of his kickoffs was fielded in the endzone for touchbacks, putting the Magicians in field position holes. He converted two field goals, the second one a booming 48-yarder late in the third quarter to put Peabody on top, 41-21.
Marblehead needed about a minute-and-a-half to even the score 7-7 on a 7-yard quarterback keeper by Colt Wales and point after by kicker Greg Motorny. Wales and Finn Gallup alternated snaps for much of the game.
Twenty seconds later, Peabody’s Alex Silva (3 touchdowns) regained the lead for the Tanners on a 16-yard run up the middle. The score was set up by Batista’s 70-plus yard kickoff return that set Peabody up at the Marblehead 16-yard line.
After the defense forced a punt, Peabody’s offense got back to work, needing just six plays to travel 65 yards and make it a 21-7 game. Maglione did the honors with a 9-yard quarterback keeper. Marblehead answered right back less than a minute into the second quarter. Captain Jake Scogland was in the right place at the right time, intercepting a Maglione pass over the middle and returning it 37 yards to the house. Motomy tacked on the extra point to make it a one-score game at 21-14 with 11:15 left in the half.
Both teams stalled offensively on their next couple of possessions, but made up for it in the last couple of minutes. With 2:31 left in the half, Scalese split the uprights from 27 yards out to bump the Tanners’ lead to 24-14. Facing third-and-5 from its own 19, Silva turned on the jets down the right sideline, going 81 yards thanks to a great block from Dorlyn Morel to bump the lead to 31-14.
The Tanners weren’t done yet. On the ensuing kickoff, the Magicians failed to field a live ball, giving the Tanners a first-and-goal from the 4 with under a minute left. Silva converted on the very first play, making it a 38-14 game at halftime.
Marblehead showed some life and scored on its first possession of the second half to cut the deficit to 38-21 with 6:36 to go in the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-20 at the Peabody 40, Marblehead gambled, and it paid off with a Wales strike to Sam Thompson.
But that was as close as the Magicians would come in this one.
The Tanners are back in action Friday at Leominster (7). Marblehead’s next game is Friday at Masconomet (6:30), the second of three straight road games for the Magicians.
