BEVERLY — Four white letters were written on Sean Okhuozagbon’s eye black Saturday afternoon.
Spelled out was ‘L-A-N-K’, which the Beverly High senior running back explained stood for ‘Let A Naysayer Know’. He got the idea, he said, from former University of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who used the phrase to inspire his Crimson Tide teammates during the 2023 season.
Okhuozagbon, the Panthers’ 5-foot-10, 180-pound bellow back, quieted many of his doubters on this day at Hurd Stadium. He ran for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 30 carries, leading the Orange-and-Black to their first win of the season, 35-16 over Revere.
“I know what I can do from last year,” Okhuozagbon, who led Beverly in rushing a year ago with 616 yards, said. “I’m the starting running back, and I know it’s up to me to get the running game going so we can get the pass game going, too. It’s on me.”
Okhuozagbon, who had just five yards on three carries in an opening game loss at Haverhill, said he took that “very personally” and came out to make amends Saturday. In doing so he became the first Panther back in eight years to eclipse 200 yards on the ground, when Marje Mulumba set a school record with 315 yards vs. Winchester in a playoff game.
“We know Sean can do that. He can run like a thoroughbred,” said head coach Jeff Hutton. “And the more he runs, the stronger he gets.”
Beverly (1-1) scored on its first four possessions Saturday and ran more offensive plays in the first half (35) than they did in the entirety of their opening game setback (29). The line pushed the visiting Patriots back time and time again to open up holes for Okhuozagbon and junior Jaylen Hernandez (52 yards and a TD on 7 carries).
When Revere stacked the box with nine men, the O-line went into pass protection mode, giving quarterback Tommy Collins time to find his receivers in space. The result was a 10-for-13 showing from the first-year senior starter, good for 118 yards and touchdown tosses to Jordan Downey (12 yards) and fellow junior Stephan Sullivan (53 yards).
“Before the game Coach Hutton challenged us offensive linemen,” said captain and left guard Teddy Fisher, who led Beverly in tackles from his linebacking position as well. “He said, ‘There’s six of you seniors’ — including our tight end (Will Johnson) — ‘and you should be kicking butt.’ He put it on the O-line to win the game, put a chip on our shoulders … and I’d say we did our job. There was a lot of juice flowing.”
“Our focus all week was to get better at the little things, and re-establish our strength at the line of scrimmage. It was like, ‘Let’s go; it’s your time. We should be able to put the game on your shoulders’,” reiterated Hutton.
Okhuozagbon’s second 5-yard TD run of the day made it 14-7 late in the first quarter before Revere’s Amari Miller-Tobey ran the ensuing kickoff back to tie the game. Undaunted, the hosts got two more scores in the second quarter on Downey’s 12-yard quick slant reception and a 9-yard inside handoff to Hernandez that reached the end zone. Another quick slant, this one from Collins to Downey in the third quarter, went for 53 yards to give Beverly a 21-point lead.
Revere’s only points after the first quarter came on a safety, when the ball was snapped over the Panther punter’s head and out of the end zone in the fourth quarter.
“It feels really good to win our home opener, especially after we felt we let our fans down last week,” said Okhuozagbon, whose Panthers next play an early game against host Lynn Classical at the Manning Bowl Friday (5 p.m.).
Linebacker Will ‘Fridge’ Johnson also had an excellent game for the winners, as did outside ‘backer Hunter Roccio. Fisher praised the play of senior Myles Garry, who got his first varsity minutes filling in at center after starter Jason Reyes had to leave with an injury.
Beverly 35, Revere 16
at Hurd Stadium, Beverly
Revere (1-1);14;0;0;2;16
Beverly(1-1);14;14;7;0;35
Scoring summary
B — Sean Okhuozagbon 5 run (kick failed)
R — Anthony Pelatere 8 run (Emmanuel Lopera kick)
B — Okhuozagbon 5 run (Okhuozagbon rush)
R — Amari Miller-Tobey 83 kickoff return (Lopera kick)
B — Jordan Downey 12 pass from Tommy Collins (Tyler Singelais kick)
B — Jayden Hernandez 9 run (Singelais kick)
B — Stephan Sullivan 53 pass from Collins (Singelais kick)
R — Safety, ball snapped out of end zone
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Revere — Anthony Pelatere 11-41, Reda Atoui 8-38, Joseph Angiulo 2-6, Sergio Peguero 4-6, Ismael Romeo-Gonzalez 1-2; Beverly — Sean Okhuozagbon 30-203, Jayden Hernandez 7-52, Charlie Frost 4-18, Tommy Collins 3-5, Colin Renaud 1-(-4).
PASSING: Revere — Joshua Farro 8-18-71-0-1; Beverly — Collins 9-13-118-2-0.
RECEIVING: Revere — Angiulo 1-33, Pelatere 2-23, Manuel Alejo 3-16, David Cruz 1-2, Atoui 1-(-3); Beverly — Stephan Sullivan 4-83, Jordan Downey 3-31, Hernandez 1-3, C. Frost 1-1.