Peabody 11-22

T2
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880
THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL
This year was all about change
By Anne Marie Tobin
2018 was all about change for
the Tanners football team. With
a new spread offense, there was
plenty of room for optimism
heading into the new season.
But the year turned out be upand-down.
Peabody managed
to secure a spot in the North
Division 2 playoffs, only to lose
a clunker to Reading to fall back
into the non-playoff rotation.
Malden Catholic transfer
quarterback Matt Jandrisevits
led the offense to a 36-7 win
over Somerville in the Tanners'
opening game of the season
at home in week one. Angel
Paulino and Luis Guridys ran
for two touchdowns each, while
Jandrisevits also scored. Kyle
Maglione converted two 2-point
conversions and Austin Leggett
tacked on two extra points.
In week two, the Tanners
traveled to Danvers to take on
the Falcons. Dropped passes,
costly penalties and a defense
that couldn't keep up with the
faster, quicker Falcons added
up to an ugly night of football.
By the time the dust settled, the
Falcons walked away with a
30-3 win. The bright light for
the Tanners was Leggett, who
split the uprights from 40 yards
out late in the first half to put
Peabody's only points on the
board.
Peabody's offensive woes continued
at Marblehead in week
three. Brandon Caniff broke up
a couple of Marblehead pass
plays in the end zone to keep it a
seven-point game at the half, but
the Tanners did themselves in
the second half with a boatload
of penalties wiping out several
long gains on runs by Paulino
and Guridys and some costly defensive
penalties and it all added
up to a 28-7 Magicians' win. The
Tanners’ only touchdown came
late in the game when Alex
DeNisco hit Dylan Peluso with
a 43-yard strike.
Week four went right down
to the wire before Revere survived
a wild final couple of
minutes to hold on for a 27-25
win. Peabody dug a huge 20-6
hole for itself in the first half,
thanks to a slew of costly penalties
along with three ill-timed
fumbles.
"Mistakes killed us and
we just couldn't make plays
when we had opportunities,"
said Peabody coach Mark
Bettencourt. "Things are not
falling our way."
But the Tanners battled back
and closed to within 27-19
after a fumble recovery by
Abe Kaba and a 3-yard run by
Paulino made it 27-25 with
18 ticks on the clock. Joshua
Tanzer recovered a Leggett onside
kick at the Revere 43. But
a bobbled snap on what might
have a game-winning 52-yard
field goal by Leggett sealed the
Tanners' fate.
The Tanners' three-game skid
came to a halt in week five with
a 21-6 win at Masconomet,
thanks to a great defensive
effort.
"This was a game that we
knew we needed after not getting
it done last week against
Revere," Peabody coach Mark
Bettencourt said. "This was
basically an all or nothing
situation."
Tanzer led Peabody with two
sacks and a forced fumble.
Colby Therrien added two
rushing touchdowns, while
Jandrisevits also scored.
The Tanners made it two in a
row with a 42-14 rout over visiting
Malden in week six as the
Tanners execution in all three
phases of the game was nearly
flawless. Paulino, Sousa, Therrien
and Guridys scored rushing
touchdowns, while Peluso and
Caniff hauled in TD receptions
from Jandrisevits. Defensively,
Maglione (interception), and
Colten Cole (fumble recovery)
shined, while Leggett was a perfect
6-of-6 in extra points.
The Tanners were never able
to get their offense on track in
PHOTO | BOB CARBONE
Luis Guridys breaks open a run against Somerville.
week seven, losing at Beverly,
28-7. There was good news
after the game when the Tanners
learned their 3-4 record was
good enough to clinch a spot in
the North Division 2 playoffs.
"They beat us up up-front,"
Bettencourt said. "They outplayed
us in every facet of the
game. We didn't show up at any
phase of the game. They just
outmanned us."
Therrien scored Peabody's
only touchdown late in the
game on a 3-yard scamper.
In week eight, the Tanners
got off to a disastrous start in
the quarterfinals of the North
Division 2 playoffs at Reading.
They battled to the end, but
never recovered, falling to the
Rockets, 35-21.
The Rockets scored on their
first three possessions to lead
21-0 after the first quarter and
still led 28-0 late in the first half
before Therrien broke the ice
with a 5-yard run. Maglione ran
a punt back 31 yards for a TD,
while Declan Russell caught a
10-yard TD pass from DeNisco.
Tyler Norman was a bright spot
on defense filling if the injured
Sousa at linebacker.
In week nine, the Tanners took
on a familiar foe in Haverhill
and played with a heavy heart.
The team honored beloved
English teacher Lawrie Bertram,
who died suddenly, with a moment
of silence prior to the game
and also wore back tape across
the bulls logo on their uniforms.
A defensive battle, the game
turned in the fourth quarter
when Joe Mastromatteo forced
a fumble, recovered by Chris
Glass, to set up a 6-yard TD run
by Paulino (2 TDs). DeNisco,
in his first varsity start, threw a
TD pass to Jared Ridley. Dylan
Peluso sealed the win with an interception
as time wound down.
In week 10, it was a battle
for Tanner city bragging rights
Friday at rain-drenched Coley
Lee Field as the Peabody
took on their Woburn Tanner
counterparts.
The game was back-andforth,
but in the end, the
Peabody Tanners came up
short, 28-24. Guridys had a
monster game with two TDs,
the first on a 79-yard fumble
recovery and the second on a
61-yard run, and also recovered
a key onside kick to keep
Peabody's hopes alive in the
fourth quarter. Therrien (2-yard
run) and Leggett (37-yard FG)
also scored.
Inside this special section
you will see game-by-game accounts
from the regular season.
Find out who is going into
the Hall of Fame on page 5,
while game scores of every
Thanksgiving Day classic since
1944 can be found on page 16
and Saugus and Peabody results
from 2018 can be found on page
17.
Bishop Fenwick takes center
stage on pages 20-21, while St.
John’s Prep is featured on pages
22-23.
Finally, the Peabody Weekly
News would to applaud the
efforts of photographers Bob
Carbone and Al Perez, who
shared all of the beautiful
photos featured in this special
section. Both Bob and Al have
been there through the oppressive
heat of the early season
right through that driving rainstorm
the night the “other’
Tanners came to Tanner City.
They have been there every
step of the way to capture the
Tanners’ season in pictures and
we are very grateful for your
generous support.
Wishing You a
Happy Thanksgiving!
Good Luck Tanners & Pioneers
Maria Salzillo, Realtor | 508.527.6910 | mrsreagent@gmail.com