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Beverly football duo make their college choices

Playing football at the college level never really crossed the minds of Beverly High teammates Brian Kureta and Greg Pierce.

That is, until they were both preparing for their senior years.

Both have chosen to continue their careers at the Division 3 college level, with Kureta heading off to powerful Curry College while Pierce will ply his trade at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

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.

Beranger's 4 TDs push Winthrop past Beverly

BEVERLY | Fans at Hurd Stadium on an overcast, chilly Saturday afternoon in November got to see the future of Northeastern Conference football.

His name is Chris Beranger.

A junior halfback for the Winthrop High football team, Beranger had a career game here Saturday, scoring four touchdowns as the Vikings guaranteed themselves a winning season with a 34-21 triumph over the Panthers.

Pierce closing in on record

When Beverly's superb running back, Pat Bailey, graduated last spring and moved on to Tufts, it was thought that his school rushing record of 1,498 yards in 2006 would be safe for a while.

But it's not. Bailey's understudy from last season, Greg Pierce, already has 1,379 yards with two games remaining. Pierce gashed Swampscott for 156 yards on 19 carries last weekend. At that rate, he'd break Bailey's record against Winthrop at home tomorrow.

Swampscott takes charge

Beverly's Greg Pierce owned the first 12 minutes of yesterday's Northeastern Conference Small football showdown between his Panthers and host Swampscott at Blocksidge Field.

The final 34 minutes, however, belonged to Big Blue quarterback Peter Kinchley.

Small school showdown, huge implications

Beverly (5-3, 3-0 NEC Small) at Swampscott (7-1, 2-0 NEC Small)

What's at stake

With the new two-tier system in the Northeastern Conference, there's a high probability that the winner of this game will secure a spot in the postseason playoffs. If Beverly triumphs, it would clinch its first league championship in 19 years. If Swampscott comes through Saturday, it still must beat divisional foes Danvers and Marblehead to claim the crown | but those two teams have a combined record of 4-12 heading into this weekend.

Coach's Corner: Beverly's Dan Bauer

Dan Bauer has coached the Beverly High football team for five years, but he has deep Midwest roots.

Growing up in Ballwin, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, Bauer played football, baseball and was a wrestler at Parkway South High School.

Visiting Beverly casts spell on Magicians

Beverly's dominance over Marblehead continued for an 11th straight season as both Greg Pierce and Rashad Sims each surpassed 100 yards on the ground as the Panthers once again beat Marblehead, 28-7,last night.

Can Magicians end Beverly's dominance?

There isn't a football coach in the Northeastern Conference that Marblehead's Doug Chernovetz respects more than Beverly's Dan Bauer.

Bauer introduced Chernovetz to NEC football when he hired him as an offensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Panthers in 2003. Bauer was later sad to see him leave the program two years later.

Beverly football stymies upstart Saugus

Beverly High's work-in-progress football team is 2-0 in the Northeastern Conference small school division after downing upstart Saugus, 19-14, at Hurd Stadium Saturday.

But it's an uncomfortable 2-0 record, which isn't necessarily such a bad thing for the Panthers.

Quarterback by committee

Is it quarterback controversy, quarterback competition or quarterback by committee?

Let's scratch quarterback controversy from that list right off the bat because that casts such a negative light over a program. However, it seems we do have both a quarterback competition and a committee situation right here on the North Shore in Marblehead and Beverly, respectively. While neither Marblehead coach Doug Chernovetz nor Beverly coach Dan Bauer planned on using two quarterbacks during the preseason, both are making the best of it.

Sims (3 TDs) helps Beverly run all over Danvers

DANVERS | It seems as though the Beverly High football team got the memo that the Second Season | better known as the Northeastern Conference Small schedule | began in earnest last night.

Apparently, Danvers High didn't get the same message. Junior running back Rashad Sims scored three rushing touchdowns and senior captain Greg Pierce rambled for 155 yards and another score as the visiting Panthers blew out the Falcons, 34-6, last night at Dr. Deering Stadium.

Beverly football overcomes Peabody

BEVERLY | The snarl was back for the Beverly High football team on a sun-kissed day here Saturday.

It didn't matter that the Panthers didn't completely dominate struggling Peabody in a 13-6 win. It made no difference that the offense wasn't exactly crisp and that the passing game is still lacking (1 for 3 for a total of six yards). Beverly still has time to fine tune those things, although it had better hurry up since every game the rest of the way has postseason implications in the Northeastern Conference small school division.

Beverly searching for confidence before hitting NEC South schedule

There may be a sense of urgency in the Beverly High football program this week, but head coach Dan Bauer isn't showing any signs of it.

The Panthers played well early in the season and looked like a team that would compete for the Northeastern Conference South Division crown. But now, in the midst of a three-game losing streak | including telling losses to Gloucester (34-7) and Revere (7-0) | the Panthers appear to be reeling.

Revere football upends Beverly

REVERE | Every football team has its ups and downs during a long season. Beverly High has to hope that last night's game will represent its lowest point.

Lacking any kind of spark on offense, Beverly allowed Revere to dictate the flow and the physical nature of the game in a 7-0 loss to the Patriots at Della Russo Stadium.

Gloucester football makes up for last two years, rolls past Beverly

BEVERLY | Gloucester High School football captain Andrew Fulford and his fellow seniors had never tasted victory on the varsity level against Beverly.

The Fishermen had a chance to finally get that elusive win against the Panthers on Saturday afternoon at Hurd Stadium, and it's safe to say that Gloucester played like a team with revenge on its mind.

Beverly football team, Pierce come up short against Lynn Classical

LYNN | Beverly senior running back Greg Pierce ran for more than 200 yards again last night, adding to what has already been a phenomenal start this season.

But it is a simple half-yard that he and the Panthers will agonize over for the next week.

Is 200 the new 100?

One weekend, 83 carries and a mind-boggling 907 yards rushing.

No, it's not what you probably think one college running back tearing up the hapless Notre Dame or Michigan defenses last week.

Rather, it was the combined rushing totals of four of the North Shore's elite running backs on the opening weekend of the high school football season.

Beverly hopes streak continues against Classical

Beverly High football coach Dan Bauer didn't actually hear any preseason rumblings about the subject. But he wouldn't be surprised if some people expect his Panthers to fall short of the level of play they established last season.

Beverly football wins season opener as Greg Pierce rushes for 250 yards, scores 3 TDs

BEVERLY | A stifling hot weightlifting room that didn't have a fan in sight.

A calendar that teased them at the time of a season that was still months away.

And of course, a whole lotta Greg Pierce.

Panthers want to keep the good times rolling

BEVERLY | Senior co-captain Greg Pierce stepped into the Beverly High football coaches' room before a recent practice to ask a question. But before he could get the words out, he was stopped cold by a playful verbal joust from one of the Panther assistants.