Beverly (7-1) at Gloucester (8-1)
Tomorrow night at Newell Stadium, Gloucester, 7 p.m.
What's at stake
Winthrop is a lock to win the Northeastern Conference title and a postseason berth, but finishing the season with just one loss would be an admirable feat for either Beverly or Gloucester. In Gloucester's case, it can win the NEC's North Division title this season, but it carries no postseason implications.
3 keys to victory
Beverly
1. Force the Fishermen into long drives. Gloucester averages more than 32 points per game and has the ability to strike quickly. Last week against Winnacunett (N.H.), for example, the Fishermen scored 14 points in a couple of minutes and went on to a resounding 41-14 win. Beverly has a capable defense and if it can force the Fishermen into having to make more plays than they're accustomed to, there is a greater chance for turnovers and mistakes. An even better scenario, of course, would be Gloucester being forced to punt a few times.
2. Be unpredictable on offense. The numbers don't lie. Beverly's Pat Bailey is the elite class of NEC running backs with 1,062 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Greg Pierce has been a terrific complementary back with 505 yards and six touchdowns. Gloucester will surely put its defensive emphasis on the ground game, which could open things up for some play action passes. Beverly quarterback Nick Tanzella has been accurate, hitting on 37 of 65 pass attempts, and has thrown just one interception. A couple of well-placed surprise passes by Tanzella could make the difference in this matchup of outstanding teams.
Tomorrow night at Newell Stadium, Gloucester, 7 p.m.
What's at stake
Winthrop is a lock to win the Northeastern Conference title and a postseason berth, but finishing the season with just one loss would be an admirable feat for either Beverly or Gloucester. In Gloucester's case, it can win the NEC's North Division title this season, but it carries no postseason implications.
3 keys to victory
Beverly
1. Force the Fishermen into long drives. Gloucester averages more than 32 points per game and has the ability to strike quickly. Last week against Winnacunett (N.H.), for example, the Fishermen scored 14 points in a couple of minutes and went on to a resounding 41-14 win. Beverly has a capable defense and if it can force the Fishermen into having to make more plays than they're accustomed to, there is a greater chance for turnovers and mistakes. An even better scenario, of course, would be Gloucester being forced to punt a few times.
2. Be unpredictable on offense. The numbers don't lie. Beverly's Pat Bailey is the elite class of NEC running backs with 1,062 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Greg Pierce has been a terrific complementary back with 505 yards and six touchdowns. Gloucester will surely put its defensive emphasis on the ground game, which could open things up for some play action passes. Beverly quarterback Nick Tanzella has been accurate, hitting on 37 of 65 pass attempts, and has thrown just one interception. A couple of well-placed surprise passes by Tanzella could make the difference in this matchup of outstanding teams.
3. Make history come to life. Beverly coach Dan Bauer would downplay this angle, calling it a distraction, but why not let the players know that they're still on target for the school's best season since 1998, when the Panthers finished 9-1? Coaches consider it scandalous to look beyond the next game, but this is a pretty mature Beverly team that won't lose its focus against a powerhouse Gloucester club. The Panthers can be proud of what they've already done and they have two meaningful games remaining to reach a long term goal that few people would've thought possible at the beginning of the season.
Gloucester
1. Start Strong. The Fishermen have outscored their opponents 73-0 in the first quarter. Getting out to a strong start will aid their chance of winning.
2. Stop Bailey. Pat Bailey torched Gloucester for 263 yards and three touchdowns last year. The Fishermen may not be able to totally stop Bailey, but containing him is a must.
3. Work the clock. The best way to stop Bailey and company would be for them to watch from the sidelines. The only way that happens is if Gloucester can go on long, time consuming drives. Gloucester must grind out drives and run the clock to win.
Individual Leaders
Scoring
Beverly
Player TD-PA-PTS
Pat Bailey 15-0-90
Greg Pierce 8-0-48
*Llazar Cuko 0-23-27
Pat Abate 3-0-18
* Includes two field goals
Gloucester
Player TD-PA-PTS
Andrew Fulford 18-1-110
Luis Hernandez 5-1-32
Bryan Sanborn 4-2-28
Tom Salah 4-1-26
Rushing Yards
Beverly
Player Att. Yds. TDs
Pat Bailey 127 1,062 12
Greg Pierce 61 505 6
J. Michael Nardella 32 218 2
David Mock 14 183 2
Gloucester
Player Att. Yds. TDs
Andrew Fulford 92 646 18
Tom Salah 46 529 4
Luis Hernandez 35 409 5
Angel Hernandez 37 295 2
Brian Harnish 44 237 3
Passing Yards
Beverly
Player Comp. Att. Yards
Nick Tanzella 37 65 398
Gloucester
Player Comp. Att. Yards
Bryan Sanborn 25 54 398
Receiving Yards
Beverly
Player No. Yds. TDs
Sean Deady 12 122 0
Matt McAniff 5 95 0
Pat Abate 8 83 3
Gloucester
Player No. Yds. TDs
Mike Burbine 6 129 1
Tom Salah 5 69 0
Cam Marston 5 99 1
Did you know?
Beverly is gunning for its first five-game winning streak since 1999...the Panthers are averaging more than 28 points per game and allowing 13 points per game...although Beverly has thrown the ball infrequently this season, quarterback Nick Tanzella has connected with eight different receivers...Beverly has rushed for more than 1,900 yards this season, a figure that couldn't be achieved, said coach Dan Bauer, without the stellar blocking of center Brian Kureta, tackles Nick Traicoff and Nick Doig, guards Liam Blodgett and Nate Verry and tight end Pat Abate...Beverly's Llazar Cuko has proven to be a reliable kicker with 21 extra points and a pair of field goals...Gloucester is looking for its first seven-game winning streak since 2004...the Fishermen are averaging 32.3 points per game and yielding 10.8 points per game...Gloucester halfback Andrew Fulford is 31 points away from passing Jason Thompson for the single season point scoring record...The Fishermen have amassed 2,873 total yards this season...Gloucester has averaged 275 rushing yards per game....Beverly has not won at Newell Stadium since 1994.
