DANVERS — It was one step forward, two steps back for the Peabody football team, which was manhandled by Danvers, 30-3, Friday night at Dr. Deering Stadium.
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.
“We had our opportunities, but we simply didn’t play well,” Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said. “We took way too many penalties, we lined up incorrectly way too many times, we didn’t read defensive keys, and we didn’t do a good job blocking. We knew exactly what Danvers was going to do. Our feet were slow, but in the end penalties just strangled us. Every time we had some momentum, a flag was thrown and that killed us.”
Peabody had no answers for quarterback Brendan Treacy and running back Matt McCarthy. Treacy threw for 230 yards, and completed touchdown passes of 47 and 54 yards, while McCarthy ran for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Falcons racked up 345 yards of net offense, while Peabody mustered only 147.
“We absolutely knew that McCarthy was their big threat, but we allowed him to control the game,” Bettencourt said. “The kids need to pay more attention to what we are doing and focus on fundamentals. They need to know their responsibilities and do their jobs.”
Danvers served notice on Peabody’s first possession, forcing a three-and-out. After a 37-yard punt by Declan Russell, the Falcons methodically drove to the Tanners’ 9-yard line before the drive stalled. Max Leete converted a 26-yard field goal to give the Falcons an early 3-0 lead.
After the Tanners turned the ball over on downs at their 49, Danvers needed only three minutes to make it 10-0, with McCarthy doing the honors from 9 yards out (Leete PAT).
The Tanners let a golden opportunity slip on the next drive when, from the Tanners’ 22, quarterback Matt Jandrisevits had Russell open at the Falcons’ 40, but Russell couldn’t hold on.
Another penalty on the Tanners on Danvers’ next drive set up the next Falcons touchdown — a 45-yard strike from Treacy to McCarthy (Leete PAT) to make it 17-0.
The Tanners finally broke the ice when Austin Leggett nailed a 40-yard field goal to end the half.
It went from bad to worse in the second half for Peabody, which put up only 45 yards of offense, 46 of them (including 36 on one rushing play by Jared Ridley) coming on the game’s final drive.
Danvers added two more second-half scores on a Treacy to Ezra Lombardi 54-yard strike and a McCarthy 2-yard run.
It’s back to the drawing board for Peabody.
“I don’t know if we’re moving too fast and losing kids, but if you ask the coaches, they and I would agree that we are not,” said Bettencourt.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Tanners as they travel to Marblehead’s Piper Field next Friday night (7).