By Andrew Bartholomew ’26
The Beverly Panthers (4-3) traveled to Peabody Veterans Memorial High School on October 30th, 2025, to face off against the Tanners. The Panthers entered the matchup with a two-game losing streak following Masco and Marblehead, while the Tanners held a 0-7 record.
In wet, rainy, unpleasant conditions, the game kicked off. The first half was rather messy, with both driving down the field, successful in their passing and running games, but unable to score due to turnovers. Beverly intercepted Peabody’s passes three times in the opening 24 minutes of the game, with two of those interceptions translating to points. The first of these came when Beverly senior receiver and defensive back Floyd White intercepted a pass on Peabody’s 45-yard line, taking it another 40 yards. On the next play, senior running back Sean Costa powered forward for the touchdown. Luca Guevara made the extra point, and Beverly took a 7-0 lead late in the 1st quarter.
Later in the half, Peabody’s quarterback Luke Maglione threw a pass intended for the endzone, but senior linebacker and running back captain Sean Costa stepped in front of the underthrown ball for another interception. Beverly continued to attack with a crucial 17-yard run by junior Sean Okhuozagbon and a 34-yard quarterback play by Danny Pierce, moving the team quickly down the field. Two plays later, Sean Costa completed his second rushing touchdown for 5 yards with only 11 seconds remaining. The extra point was successful, extending Beverly’s lead to 14-0 before halftime.
Both teams held a strong defense while struggling to hold the ball in the rainy conditions. The next score of the game came via a safety with Beverly senior defensive lineman Colin Moloney, senior linebacker Elvis Heredia Perez, and others, teaming up to sack the Peabody quarterback on a bad snap in the endzone. As a result, the Panthers added two points to their total, increasing their lead 16-0 in the middle of the 3rd quarter.
The final score took place in the 4th, with Sean Costa scoring his third rushing touchdown that day, but the extra point was missed due to the rough conditions. The rain continued to pour, and neither team managed much action in the remaining minutes. A bit of conflict ended the game with around two minutes left when a Peabody player pushed a Beverly player to the ground.
Beverly now moves to 5-3 on the season, securing a spot in the MIAA D2 Playoffs and a home game at Frank Forti Field. Their final game of the season takes place on Thanksgiving against the Salem Witches, who are currently 3-5 on the season. The Peabody Tanners will play in three consolation games before facing the Saugus Sachems on Thanksgiving.
Individual Statistics
RUSHING:
Beverly:
Sean Costa 15-87
Stephan Sullivan 5-56
Sean Okhuozagbon 13-50
Pierce 6-43
Floyd White 2-7
George Frost 1-4
Xavier Auk 1-(-8)
Peabody:
Yadiel Villanueva 5-16
Christ Jeune 4-11
Jaoquim Chaves 10-11
Vincent Alexandre 1-(-2)
Luke Maglione 4-(-10).
PASSING:
Beverly:
Pierce 4-12-46-0-0
Peabody:
Maglione 9-17-79-0-3.
RECEIVING:
Beverly:
Costa 1-24
White 3-22
Peabody:
Cory Dooley 4-27
Brian Collins Dixon 2-23
Mark Mendonca 1-16
Gabriel Casiano 1-7
Jack Smith 1-6.
