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Salem baseball rally falls shorts against Grey Ghosts

WESTFORD | Not once did Westford Academy catcher Scott Graham reach second base on his warmup throws between innings yesterday.

Salem, meanwhile, prides itself on being an aggressive baserunning team.

Salem earns first tournament win in a decade

SALEM | What's the recipe for snapping a 10-year postseason drought?

Start with a loose, confident and jitterless group. Add a pinch of great hitting and a dash of excellent pitching, and you're in business.

Andover opens tourney in style

ANDOVER | Andover wanted to open the tournament with a statement.

"We knew going in that we are the sixth seed, and that is a lot lower than we have been in the past," said Golden Warriors tri-captain Kelly Driscoll of her club, which was a top-3 seed the last three years. "We wanted to come out tonight and show that, even though we have lost a few more games, we're still the same team we have been."

Witches capture NEC Large title with season sweep over Beverly

SALEM | Of the tens of thousands of words that Mike Ward has spoken to his Salem High baseball team over the last two-and-a-half months, the four he chose to use following yesterday's Northeastern Conference Large title-clinching win over Beverly may have been the most meaningful of all.

Dwyer, defense lead Beverly past Salem

BEVERLY | A hot goaltender can be a great weapon | and yesterday Breezy Dwyer was just that for the Beverly High girls lacrosse team.

Dwyer came up big on countless occasions as the Panthers rode the senior's terrific play in goal to win this defensive battle against Salem, 6-4, on Senior Day at Hurd Stadium.

Four homers propel Salem

The Witches (12-6, 10-4 NEC) used the longball to thump Revere, smashing a total of four homers and 19 hits in a 17-1 rout of Revere. Harry Noone bashed two 3-run dingers and totaled seven RBI to lead the hit parade while T.J. Larivee also had a homer and four RBI and Matt Paine knocked one out of the park.
Justin Williams earned his fifth win of the year with five strong innings on the hill, scattering four hits and one run.

Hard luck

Coach Dan Bertone isn't about to make excuses, but his Salem High team would be the winner of the Hard Luck Award if such a thing existed.

The Witches (5-9) have lost three games by a run and two others by two runs. If they had been a little more fortunate, they would be a .500 team and scuffling to make the state tourney for the first time since 2000.

Theriault's suicide squeeze gives Salem a share of first place

SALEM | Now it's a race in the Northeastern Conference Large baseball standings.

For the second time this season, Salem knocked off neighboring rival Peabody by a run. This time, it was Beau Theriault's suicide squeeze that scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, leading to his team's 7-6 victory at the Salem State College baseball field.

Salem bewitching opponents with teamwork, pitching

Picture yourself looking around a baseball diamond in the seventh inning of a tie game. You wouldn't be surprised to find some knocking knees in the outfield, or a tense stance or two throughout the infield. Perhaps the pitcher takes an extra second staring into the catcher's eyes, looking for his signals.

Reddy helps Salem drop English

Justin Williams shut down English with 2<2/3> scoreless innings of relief to save Salem's 4-3 win over the Bulldogs. Dan Reddy set the table for the Witches (9-6) with a 4 for 4 effort that included two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI as the co-captain was involved in three of his team's four runs. Colby Boulay and Beau Theriault also knocked in runs while Wes Koen earned the win on the hill with 4<1/3> innings of two hit work.

Chasse, Salem drop English

Freshman Sarah Chasse threw a complete game gem, allowing only one run and four hits, to stop the Bulldogs 2-1. Jen Nguyen scored on a Suzy Barnes single in the first and added an RBI single which brought Julia Jennings home in the second as the Witches (5-8) led 2-0 early and held on thanks to Chasse's effort and outstanding defense from shortstop Ashley White and second baseman Kelly McCarthy.

Marblehead softball team tops Salem

SALEM | Marblehead High ace pitcher Courtney Colantuno strapped an ice pack on her right shoulder immediately after last night's game. She needed it.

Colantuno & Co. have played three games in three days and, in terms of competitiveness, the Salem Witches have played them as tough as anybody else in the Northeastern Conference. Fortunately for the Magicians, they had more than the usual incentive as the players' mothers rode the bus with the team to Mack Park for the second straight year. Marblehead is 2-0 in those games.

Santos powers Masco

Ben Santos scored four goals to help the Chieftains (10-3) officially qualify for the postseason with an 8-4 win over Ipswich. Danny Clark chipped in a pair of goals and Mike Braums dished out three assists as Masco mounted a 5-2 lead by halftime. Cobb Mathey scored three of the four goals on the Ipswich side.

Complete effort paces Salem

Senior Justin Williams mastered the Magicians to the tune of just three hits over the complete game shutout to earn his third win of the year, 12-0 over Marblehead. The Witches (7-5) led 4-0 after one inning and never looked back. John Pegnato paced the 13-hit attack with four hits, three RBI and three runs scored while Aiden Church added two RBI and three runs, Beau Theriault had two hits and an RBI and Matt Paine blasted a two-run homer in the sixth.

Church has new home

Salem's Aiden Church has made a seamless transition across the diamond this spring. The Witches' cleanup hitter, who made first base his home the last two seasons, accepted a move to third base for the good of the team.

Danvers tops Salem

The Falcons hiked their record to 7-3, led by Anna Dokina (6-1, 6-4), Kat Pavlow (6-3, 6-1) and Rachel Gershaw (6-0, 6-0) in singles, and Kristen Parker-Alicia Franklin (6-1, 6-0) and Danielle Kurman-Darcey Cherlin (6-3, 6-0) in doubles.

Streaking Salem steals one from Beverly

BEVERLY | A month from now, the Salem High baseball team might look at yesterday morning's extra-innings triumph over rival Beverly as one of the galvanizing moments in a season that suddenly has as much promise as any on the North Shore.

Sizzling Salem wins fourth straight in baseball

Playing for the first time on Salem State College's new synthetic turf field, the Witches had it going on both offense and defense in the 10-4 triumph over Revere in the Northeastern Conference. Senior right-hander Justin Williams went six innings for the win, allowing eight hits and just two earned runs. Wes Koen pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Witches get better of Gloucester

Meghan Wilkins won the long jump, Ali Moncao won the triple jump and the pair tied for the win in the 400 to spark Salem (2-1) over Gloucester 85-37. Desiree DeLeon qualified for the state meet with a 13.2 in the 100 while Rebecca Bennett won the 800, Monique Gallant took the mile and Nicole Maurice came out on top in the two mile.

Witches down Fishermen

Ben Dibble recorded wins in the low (45.0) and high (17.0) hurdles to lead the undefeated Witches (3-0) over Gloucester 72-64. Zach Gilbert won the shot put (42-11) and the discus (119) to round out the double winners while Matt Johnson won the triple (38-11) and Tyler Daniles took the javelin (139-2). Nick Sinclair (200, 23.9) and Melikke Van Alstyne (100, 11.0) won sprints and teamed with Eugene De La Cruz and Mike Nagrambe to take the 4x100 relay.

Nguyen's lead off homer sparks Salem

Jennifer Nguyen got the Witches (3-3) started with a lead-off homer and Jill Robinson and Erica Mendez also knocked in runs as Salem prevailed 4-2. Freshman Sarah Chasse was spotless after allowing two first inning runs, going the distance with five strikeouts to nab her third win of the year.

Late comeback not enough for Fishermen

Gloucester boys lacrosse coach Drew Dominick has a seemingly simple philosophy on what is the key to playing winning lacrosse | play solid for four quarters.

 Unfortunately for the Fishermen, they turned in just one quarter of solid play in their 5-4 loss to Salem yesterday at Salem High School.

Salem rallies from five down to haul in Fishermen

There is no quit in this Salem High baseball team.

The Witches, who trailed by five runs in the fifth inning at Gloucester yesterday, rallied behind Harry Noone and Ben Henderson for an 11-8 triumph over the Fishermen for their third straight win.

Noone shuts down Peabody

Most would agree that pitching and defense are the cornerstones of championship baseball. Both were on display in prime fashion yesterday at Peabody High, where Salem (2-2) scrathed out a 1-0 win over the host Tanners.

Palmieri's blast lifts Tanners

Tawny Palmieri blasted a solo shot to the opposite field for the only runs of the afternoon as the Tanners (3-0) survived Salem (2-3), 1-0, to stay unbeaten. The Witches' Sarah Chasse, a freshman, shined with a complete game, three-hit effort but the Salem offense couldn't muster any runs despite putting runners on second and third twice.

Bulldogs' big inning dooms Witches

The Bulldogs plated four runs in the third inning and the Witches (1-2) could never climb out of the hole, falling 5-2. Aiden Church tripled and Harry Noone's sacrifice fly brought him home to give Salem a shortlived 1-0 lead and Matt Paine drove in a run in the fourth. Matt Bertone shined on the mound with four innings of two-hit relief work.

Falcons top Witches

A trio of double-winners paced the Falcons (1-0) to an 82-54 win in the season opener for both teams. Maria Pantazelos took the 300 low hurdles (51.3) and the 200 (27.8), Liz Burgess took first place in the mile (5:51.5) and the high jump (4-10) and Taryn Pydynkowski was victorious in the triple jump (29-9) and the javelin (62-9).

Salem High Boys Track Runners to Watch

Coach: Scott Connolly (3rd year)

Last year's record: 9-1

Runners to watch: Melikke Van Alstyne, Jr., 100/4x1 Relay; Niko Takis-Welch, Sr., 200/400/3x4 Relay; Wayne Renard, Sr., Mile; Mike Ngarambe, Sr., 200/4x1 Relay; Nick Sinclair, Jr., 400/4x4 Relay; Paul Siebensohn, Jr., 800/Hurdles; 4x4 Relay

Salem Girls Track Runners to Watch

Coach: Rich Stafford (14th year)

Last year's record: 3-7

Runners to watch: Camille Whatne, Sr., Hurdles/Triple Jump; Monique Gallant, Jr., Middle Distance/Jumps; Meghan Wilkins, Jr., Sprints/Long Jump; Tatyana Janes, So., Throws/Sprints; Ali Monaco, So, Middle Distance; Marissa Osgood, So, Distance

Coach: Scott Connolly (3rd year)

Last year's record: 9-1

Runners to watch: Melikke Van Alstyne, Jr., 100/4x1 Relay; Niko Takis-Welch, Sr., 200/400/3x4 Relay; Wayne Renard, Sr., Mile; Mike Ngarambe, Sr., 200/4x1 Relay; Nick Sinclair, Jr., 400/4x4 Relay; Paul Siebensohn, Jr., 800/Hurdles; 4x4 Relay

Salem Softball Preview

Last year's record: 8-12

Coach: Dan Bertone (5th season)

Returning players: Susie Barnes, Sr., CF; Jennifer Nguyen, Sr., C; Lisette Reynault, Sr., 1B; Ashley White, Jr., SS; Kelley McCarthy, Jr., 2B; Jessica Ngo, Jr., LF; Maggy Duffy, Jr., INF/OF; Jillian Robinson, Jr., INF/OF.

Salem Baseball Preview

Last year's record: 8-12

Coach: Mike Ward (Sixth year, 45-55)

Key returnees: T.J. Larivee Jr., C; Aiden Church Sr., 1B; Dan Reddy Sr., CF; Ben Henderson Jr., 2B; Harry Noone Sr., P/1B; Justin Williams Sr., P; Colby Boulay Sr., P/OF; Beau Theriault Sr., SS; Matt Paine Sr., OF; Mack Ryan Jr., OF.

Swampscott stops Salem in OT

A fluky goal with 36 seconds left in overtime was the only thing that could stop the Salem boys lacrosse team's second half run last night.

Powered by Salem senior Frank Lento, the Witches erased a six-goal second half deficit to force overtime, only to lose 11-10 when Swampscott capitalized on a failed clear.

Salem's Chasse tosses one-hitter

Salem freshman Sarah Chasse celebrated her varsity softball debut with a near no-hitter, struck out nine and walked two as the Witches routed Somerville, 11-1, in their season opener at Mack Park. Chasse was two outs from a no-hitter, giving up a single that was the only ball that Somerville hit to the outfield.

Powerful Lexington too much for Salem in tourney opener

LEXINGTON | Lexington head basketball coach Bob Farias looked around before the opening tap last night and said it was the first time in memory that his team's bandbox gym wasn't sold out for a playoff contest.

Salem buries Big Blue with 16 treys

Swampscott High coach Paul Moran must have thought Salem was going to set the world record for 3-pointers against his team last night.

The Witches shot trifectas at a dizzying pace, making an improbable 16 of them in thumping the Big Blue, 85-60, in the regular season finale for both state tournament-bound teams.

Reyes heating up

Freshman Antonio Reyes is heating up and the timing couldn't be better for Salem High, which heads into the Division 1 North Tournament next week.

Reyes, a 5-foot-10 guard who plays more of a power forward spot because of Salem's lack of size, poured in 29 points against Beverly last Friday and followed it up with 24 points against Haverhill Sunday. Salem finished the regular season at 15-5, winning their seventh straight game last night, 85-60, over Swampscott.

Salem looking to play spoiler

Coming off of its best win of the season | an 8-0 pounding of Rockport last Saturday | Salem plays its final game of the regular season tonight at home on Senior Night. The Witches (5-14) would love nothing better than to end their season with a two-game winning streak while at the same time ending Pope John's (7-8-3) dreams of a postseason berth.

Complete team effort sends Salem rolling over Rockport

Playing its best game of the season, the Witches got a goal and four assists from senior defenseman and captain Chris Smith in hammering Rockport, 8-0, Saturday night at the Talbot Rink in Gloucester.

Freshman Reyes sparks late Salem rally past Beverly

Antonio Reyes has the poise of a Scoonie Penn or a Rick Brunson at the freshman level | and that's not a reach. The 6-foot all-star and pride of Prospect Street is probably the best fresman prospect to wear the Salem High Witches uniform since Erik Groszyk.

Marblehead a state-tourney qualifier

Freshman Chris McLeod picked an opportunistic time to score his first goal of the season, stuffing home Alex Whitmore's pass in a 3-1 Marblehead victory over Salem that earned the Magicians a ticket to the state hockey tournament.

Division 2 North Sectional

Six days after the New England Patriots failed to make history, the Greater Lawrence wrestling team made a lot of it yesterday at the Division 2 North Sectional at Beverly High School.

The Reggies, who are the defending Division 2 dual-meet champions, overwhelmed the 12-team field to finish first with 278 points, placing seven in the finals, crowned four champions, placed all 14 wrestlers (top six) and advanced 12 to next week's Division 2 state meet at Reading.

Hambleton, Barton pace Swampscott shutout of Salem

Senior Brendon Hambleton scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season to help Swampscott shut out host Salem, 4-0, at the Rockett Arena.

Junior Conor Barton had 13 saves for his second shutout this winter (and the team's fourth) for the victorious Big Blue (10-4-3).

Byors breaks through in Salem's narrow victory

When Salem forward Chris Dunston got into second half foul trouble, Tommy Doyle needed to find a solution.

The Witches are undersized to begin with, but going small against a Lynn Classical team that features a pair of athletic big men in Jarrell Byrd and Tony Johnson just wasn't an option. So Doyle, on a hunch, went with 5-foot-11 widebody Danny Byors, hoping the junior could provide a little rebounding and toughness in the post.

Maxson's last-second heroics power Salem to improbable win

There are late-game dramatics, and there are fantastic finishes.

Then there are those ultra rare, simply unbelievable scenarios that seem hard to believe if you weren't there to witness it yourself.

Teen shows fighting—and team—spirit after disabling accident

Gregory Martinez accomplished something yesterday that his parents never thought could happen six months after a bicycle accident that left the teenager with severe brain and spinal injuries.

Greg was back in the Salem High School gymnasium, surrounded by friends and cheering on his basketball teammates. He was the star of the show, joking with his parents and his coach Tom Doyle, and dribbling a basketball with his left hand from his wheelchair.

North Andover rules CAL

The gap is closing just a bit, but North Andover continues to rule the Cape Ann League.

The Knights captured the CAL meet at Wilmington for the seventh straight time, and 10th time in the last 11 years by scoring 205 points. Masconomet was second (170) and Lynnfield/North Reading (138) came in third.

Salem holding onto playoff hope

Salem is holding onto hope that it can still make the tournament with a 5-9 record. The Witches are beginning their second run through the NEC Large teams, and they need to go 5-1 the rest of the way.

Goodwin, Salem icemen ground Jets

Salem's Stan Goodwin hasn't seen much time between the pipes throughout his hockey career. In fact, the sophomore just moved to the position fulltime at the start of this season. That didn't stop him from taking control last night at Rockett Arena, as he stopped 10 shots in relief of Cody Grondin to lead the Witches over Lynn, 2-1, and earn his first varsity win.

Marblehead snaps Salem's winning streak

The Salem High boys basketball team's seven-game winning streak came to a halt last night. Not surprisingly, it took a great defensive team to slow them down.

The two teams came into the contest with identical 7-3 records, but the Witches could not handle the much taller Magicians, who owned the boards at both ends in a 61-49 decision.

Salem midseason grade: C

First half analysis: A young, inexperienced with a new head coach has taken its lumps as they adjust to a new system. The loss of one of their few veterans, Justin Engdahl, for the season to injury hasn't helped as the Witches have been shut out in five of their 11 games.

Torrid Salem has overcome major adversity

Salem High has such a rich basketball tradition that fans aren't surprised the team is 7-3 at the halfway point. But it's safe to say that the Witches have never had a season like this.

Coach Tommy Doyle has his smallest team in five years at the helm. His biggest player, Chris Dunston, tops out at 6-foot-1 and still manages 10.2 rebounds and 7.2 points per game. Other than that, Doyle essentially starts four point guards in seniors Junior Lugo and Chris Maxson, sophomore Bryan Ortiz and freshman Antonio Reyes.

Sherry scores 32 as Danvers dumps Salem

Danielle Sherry is only eight points away from reaching the coveted 1,000-point mark after pumping in 32 in Danvers' 65-38 win over Salem last night.

Sherry was explosive all night, hitting three unanswered shots to key a 21-0 run by the Falcons in the first quarter after the Witches went up, 6-0 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Karly Henderson and Ashley White to start the game.

Hot-shooting Salem too much for Gloucester

The Gloucester boys basketball team was hoping to get the second half of their season off to a positive start last night.

The only problem was a white-hot Salem team was standing in the way. The Witches came into the contest playing their best basketball of the season, riding a four-game winning streak.

Salem knocks out Haverhill

Junior Lugo and the Salem boys basketball squad didn't cool off a bit yesterday against Haverhill. The senior scored a team-high 15 points as the Witches cruised by the Hillies 70-42.

"It was a close game after one, and we really turned the pressure up in the second quarter," said Salem coach Tom Doyle. "We were able to get a ton of steals, and that turned the tide."

Salem wins fourth in a row

Salem's 0-3? The Witches' lethargic start in boys basketball rasied some eyebrows in the Northeastern Confence.

"The players never hung their heads and or got down," Salem coach Tom Doyle said last night after the Witches (4-3) won their fourth in a row in an impressive 62-57 victory over Winthrop, 62-57, at Salem.

Salah, Engdahl stay positive despite injuries

Josh Salah admits he "hates" being forced to watch from the sidelines, but takes solace in the fact he should be able to return before season's end.

For Justin Engdahl, however, there is no such solace to be found. His season is definitely finished, so he must find other ways to remain positive.

Strong effort powers Salem to second win

Salem High hockey coach Brian Addesa is still looking for his team to put a 45-minute effort together. He'll surely take the dominating effort his Witches provided in the first and third periods last night en route to a 3-2 win over Rockport at Salem State College's Rockett Arena.

White's 3-pointers key Salem past Beverly

SALEM | When the pressure of the game got hot, Ashley White stayed cool | and came up big for the Salem girls basketball team.

White came up with clutch baskets when the game was on the line to power the host Witches to a 61-48 win over archrival Beverly last night at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse.

Despite missing two starters, Witches knock off Beverly in Tobin's return

BEVERLY | There wasn't much the Salem boys basketball team could feel good about coming into the Henry Cabot Lodge Fieldhouse last night.

Losers of three of their first four games, the visiting Witches also had to deal with the proposition of battling a Beverly team amped up on the return of senior forward Matt Tobin without two of their own starters.

Gloucester too strong for Salem

The Witches (1-5) jumped out to a surprising 1-0 lead on a goal by Nick Jalbert 45 seconds into the game, but visiting Gloucester was too strong and scored six unanswered goals the rest of the way to knock off the Witches, 6-1, at Rockett Arena in Salem.

Salem gets revenge for buzzer beater

Call it redemption. The Salem High girls basketball team suffered a one-point loss at the buzzer in Waltham Thursday night, but reloaded behind Ashley White (22 points, three 3s), Louie Rijo and Karly Henderson (15 each) to handle the Hawks, 66-46, on Salem's home floor last night.

Salem nets first win of the season

Though it was a loss, the Salem High hockey team gathered a lot of momentum from its contest against Winthrop last Saturday night. Last night, they were able to parlay it into their first victory of the season, a 2-0 triumph over Marblehead (0-3).

Peter Doyle remembered by area coaches

The death last week of Salem's Peter Doyle, the Salem State Hall of Fame player (1958), basketball guru and father of current Salem High coach Tommy Doyle, triggered an emotional memory from Swampscott coach Paul Moran.

Peabody survives late Salem scare

The Tanners outlasted Salem last night 56-53 in overtime to send their fans home happy from the Veterans Memorial fieldhouse.

Peabody controlled last nights action for the first three quarters, 39-25, without much resistance from Salem as both teams looked to pick up their first win of the young season. "We played great defensively in the first half. Anytime you hold a talented team like that to 11 points for a half that's great," said Peabody's head coach Chris Mastrangelo.

Salem Wrestling Preview

Last year's record: 5-13

Coach: Adam Schroeder (first year)

Key returnees: Garrett Cauley, Sr., 215; Billy Murphy, Sr., 135; Ben Henderson, Jr., 125.

Strengths: The Witches have a young roster, but with a strong work ethic they're learning fast and have great potential to improve.

Pentucket bests Salem (Mass.)

Pentucket had no trouble crushing Salem (Mass.) 66-15. The Sachems (1-2-1) recorded 11 pins, the fastest being by 189-pounder Ben Stasiuk, who needed just nine seconds to record a fall. Chris Meuse was almost as fast, needing just 20 seconds for a pin at 119.

Rodgers powers Peabody's rout of Salem

SALEM | It took Peabody High hockey co-captain James Noftle just 46 seconds to score Peabody's first-ever goal in Northeastern Conference play last night at the Rockett Arena.

There were plenty more where that came from.

Salem High will miss Mr. Doyle

Opening night in high school basketball is all about excitement, shaking off the jitters and playing as hard as you possibly can.

Salem High played tenaciously and unevenly in a 69-56 Northeastern Conference loss to Lynn English last night, but there was absolutely nothing normal about this game for the Witches, who were missing their greatest fan and quiet confidence builder in Peter Doyle.

Catching Up With ... Salem wrestler Garrett Cauley

What do you remember most about your first varsity match?
It was my freshman year against Greater Lowell. I had just started wrestling and was extremely nervous. Scott Connolly was our coach and he let me go (in the heavyweight class). He said, "I think you can take this guy." From what I can remember, I pinned him in the second period.

Salem Boys Basketball Preview

Last year's record: 16-6

Coach: Tom Doyle (5th season)

Key returnees: Chris Maxson, 5-10, Sr., G; Junior Lugo, 5-10, Sr., G; Chris Dunston, 6-1, Jr., F.

Strengths: Salem will put pressure on opposing teams with its speed and the guard play of Maxson and Lugo. Dunston came on strong last season, averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds down the stretch. Look for Beau Theriault to help, too. He's a scrappy senior guard who got limited minutes last season.

Salem Girls Basketball Preview

Last year's record: 10-11 (lost to Andover, 87-30, in Division 1 North first round)

Coach: John Fortunato (4th season)

Key returnees: Karly Henderson, Sr. G; Ashley White, Jr. G.

Salem, MA Boys Ice Hockey Preview

Last year's record: 13-9-0 (won NEC South title; lost to Savio Prep, 4-2, in Division 3 North quarterfinals)

Coach: Brian Addesa (1st year, 0-0-0)

Key returnees: Chris Smith, Sr. D (3-9-12); Adam Maccario, Sr. C (8-6-14); Justin Engdahl, Jr. C (4-8-12); Nathan Daniels, Jr. RW (1-4-5); Zach Gautreau, F/D (2-7-9); Stan Goodwin, Soph. F (0-0-0).

Film study bodes well for Beverly

SALEM | They were so enthusiastic talking about the films they watched that you have thought the members of the Beverly High football team were referring to such modern teenage staples as "Knocked Up", "Wedding Crashers" or the instant classic, "Superbad".

Beverly football running star Pierce burns Salem with arm -- and legs

SALEM -- Irony smiled down upon the Beverly Panthers late yesterday morning.

How else will you be able to explain the biggest play of the 109th meeting between the Beverly and Salem football teams to folks 10, 20, even 50 years from now?

Beverly/Salem remains the premier Thanksgiving football showdown on the North Shore

Nothing to play for?

You say there's nothing to play for?

You obviously have no clue what the Beverly vs. Salem football rivalry is all about.

Take the records | both the visiting Panthers and host Witches enter tomorrow's game with identical 5-5 marks | and toss them aside. Literally.

Bridging the Gap

Salem High School football player, Chris Al-Nabulsi hands a Salem High t-shirt to Beverly High School football player, Greg Pierce. The two schools met on Veterans Memorial Bridge for the 24th-annual Bridging the Gap Ceremony. In the middle is Beverly High player, David Patnaude.

Cousins play for opposite sides in Beverly-Salem rivalry

Beverly High sophomore linebacker Nick Kozlowski lets his performance do the talking on the football field.

Otherwise, his silence is deafening.

"Yeah, Nick is a man of few words," Beverly head coach Dan Bauer says with obvious amusement. "We had him out there with our younger group taking every snap in 90-degree heat against Wakefield in the preseason | and he didn't say 'boo'."

Thanksgiving Day Preview: Beverly at Salem

Where: Bertram Field

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22

Time: 10 a.m.

Coaches: Dan Bauer, Beverly; Scott Connolly, Salem.

Captains: Beverly: Liam Blodgett, Sr. OG/DE, Greg Pierce, Sr. RB/DB; Salem: Chris Al-Nabulsi, Sr. FB/LB, Taylor Charlton, Sr. HB/DB, Matt Paine, Sr. WR/DB, Garrett Cauley, Sr. OG/DT.

Fulford scores 20 in first half, leading Gloucester to playoff spot