DANVERS — Fultz & Houston sounds like it be virtually anything. A law firm, a fancy steakhouse, a high end department store, a soft rock duo … the possibilities are endless.
In reality, however, sophomore Zach Fultz and junior Jack Houston are the 1-2 punch out of the Danvers High football team’s backfield, capable of doing serious damage when the opportunity arises.
It did in the second half of Friday night’s game against visiting Peabody, and the Falcons’ two-headed monster took advantage. Fultz had 136 of his 157 total rushing yards over the final two quarters and scored three times, while Houston combined for 145 yards of offense and had two scores of his own as the hosts pulled away from the Tanners for a 35-12 victory on Senior Night at Dr. Deering Stadium.
Trailing by three points after 36 minutes, the Falcons (now 5-2) scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter on touchdown runs of 6 and 23 by Fultz sandwiched around a 1-yard scoring plunge by Houston.
All told, Danvers ran for 291 yards out of its Double Wing offense and slowly but surely wore down the Peabody defenders. Many of their chunk plays came from the formation’s basic plays: traps, waggles and particularly double reverses between the tackles.
“Staying together and keeping together as a team is the best thing you could ask for,” said Houston, the 6-foot, 180-pounder. “‘We just kept pushing them. The Double Wing can be a killer to stop.”
An interception by Danvers sophomore cornerback Julian Capece immediately after Fultz’s go-ahead score led to Houston’s blast up the middle three plays later, giving the Blue-and-White a 10-point lead (25-15) with eight-and-a-half minutes to play.
“We were all able to move the ball better (in the second half) because of better reads, blocks and cuts,” said Fultz, who only turned 15 years old in late August. He leads the squad with 716 rushing yards and a dozen touchdowns. “With our big line and (Houston) in front of me driving the pile, it makes my job a lot easier.”
“What really speaks to our offense is there’s no breather when the other guy gets the ball, because you’ve got to block for him,” added head coach Ryan Nolan, who admitted last week’s bye was good “both physically and mentally for our team.”
“When you have that type of expectations, you don’t want to let the other guy down when it’s your responsibility to block. It’s really about all 11 guys sacrificing on every play.”
The hard luck Tanners, who had only 36 players dressed Friday night, fell to 0-7 despite taking a lead into the fourth quarter. They got 159 yards passing from senior captain Luke Maglione connecting on quick hitters while using a semi-hurry up attack, not to mention a strong game out of the backfield from fellow senior Joaquim Chaves (64 yards and a TD, just Peabody’s second on the ground all season). But ultimately, the visitors couldn’t match Danvers score-for-score.
“It’s frustrating. We’re trying everything to find something that works,” admitted veteran head coach Mark Bettencourt. “I thought we executed well offensively, ran the ball better than we have all season, simplified things and it worked for the most part. I knew Danvers’ defense would be physical and I was impressed with the way we matched it for three quarters, too.
“We were right there with them … then fatigue sets in, that’s what (Danvers) counts on, and it works. You can’t replicate a scout team running a Double Wing to prepare for it, especially when you have such a young team like we do. It’s like when we used to play Everett back in the day.”
Scoreless at halftime, Peabody scored first midway through the third quarter on Chaves’ 5-yard run around left end on fourth down. Danvers answered after Houston got behind the Tanner defense and brought home a touchdown pass but the PAT missed, making it 7-6.
The hosts successfully pulled off an onside kick, however, and cashed in on an 11-yard TD run up the gut by Fultz. That touchdown was precedent by an incredible one-handed leaping catch for Houston, who had his back to the defense but went straight up to pick the ball out of the air with one hand for a 22-yard gain to the Tanners’ 11-yard line.
“It was instinctive. I just went up and said, ‘I gotta have that’,” said Houston.
Peabody then went 64 yards in seven plays and took a 15-12 lead when Maglione found Mark Mendonca in the left corner of the end zone from 18 yards out. A trick play where Chaves threw a halfback pass to Brian Collins Dixon added on another two points.
It was all Danvers in the fourth quarter, though. On the Falcons’ final score, the 5-9, 160-pound Fultz got two terrific downfield blocks from lineman Lucas McGloin and tight end Nick Xerras, both juniors.
Nolan, whose team ends the regular season at Marblehead Halloween night, lauded the play of sophomores Grayson Haskell on the defensive line, the toughness of Ethan Schweitzer at safety, and linebackers Juan Martinez and Dario Santos. Juniors Logan Travers at guard, Matt Nikiforov at linebacker and classmate Colby Medeiros in the defensive backfield also were noted.
Bettencourt’s Tanners, who return home next Thursday to take on Beverly (7 p.m.), liked what he saw from Chaves, Maglione, Collins Dixon, among others.
Danvers 32, Peabody 15
at Dr. Deering Stadium, Danvers
Peabody (0-7);0;0;15;0;15
Danvers (5-2);0;0;12;20;32
Scoring summary
P — Joaquim Chaves 5 run (Jake Marcotuillo kick)
D — Jack Houston 45 pass from Nate Wise (kick failed)
D — Zach Fultz 11 run (rush failed)
P — Mark Mendonca 18 pass from Luke Maglione (Brian Collins Dixon pass from Chaves)
D — Fultz 6 run (kick failed)
D — Houston 1 run (Colby Medeiros kick)
D — Fultz 23 run (Medeiros kick)
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Peabody — Joaquim Chaves 13-64, Luke Maglione 7-(-1); Danvers — Zach Fultz 24-157, Jack Houston 13-78, Kaio Borghorst 5-50, Nate Wise 3-(-4).
PASSING: Peabody — Maglione 21-33-159-1-1; Danvers — Wise 2-3-67-1-0.
RECEIVING: Peabody — Cory Dooley 4-52, Mark Mendonca 5-50, Brian Collins Dixon 7-37, Jack Smith 2-10, Chaves 3-10; Danvers — Houston 2-67.