Letter to the Editor

LETTER: Raiders Excited to Team Up With Bettencourt, Tanners' Football

The youth football league says it hopes to serve as a feeder system to the high school squad for the future.

[The following letter was submitted by Joel Saslaw on behalf of Peabody Readers Youth Football.] On behalf of the Peabody Raiders Youth Football & Cheering we would like to congratulate Mark Bettencourt on his new position as the Head Coach of the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Football Team. As we enter our fourth year, we look forward to working closely with Coach Bettencourt and his staff on their goals and to also continue the pride and respect in Peabody football. With four Super Bowl championships in our brief existence, we know that the desire our our players, parents, and coaches leaves no questions about the future success that lies ahead for Peabody Tanners football. We hope our Raiders program will be a feeder system for …

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Bettencourt Named Head Football Coach at Peabody High

Tanners' baseball coach Mark Bettencourt will be taking the reigns of the high school football team as well.

Bettencourt Named Head Football Coach at Peabody High

Tanners' baseball coach Mark Bettencourt will be taking the reigns of the high school football team as well.

Peabody native Mark Bettencourt is the new head football coach at Peabody High. Athletic Director Phil Sheridan announced Thursday that Bettencourt, who is also the Tanners' head baseball coach, was hired this week after being recommended by a football coach search committee. The Salem News reports that Bettencourt was a finalist for the job back in 2008 when Scott Wlasuk was hired instead to lead the Tanners' football club. "The committee felt strongly that Mr. Bettencourt has the necessary skills and personal attributes that are needed in our football program right now. We believe that his passion, discipline, organizational skills and knowledge of both the game and our community uniquely qualify him as we move forward," said Sheridan in…

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Peabody High Closes in on Hire for New Football Head Coach

An official announcement on the hire for a new high school football coach is anticipated to come out Thursday.

Everyone should know later this week who the new head football coach will be at Peabody High. Principal Ed Sapienza, who is on the search committee tasked with finding a new coach, said he expects an announcement will be forthcoming on Thursday with the news. The job became available halfway through the football season this past fall after Scott Wlasuk resigned. Sapienza said 17 candidates applied for the job and described many of them as “excellent” picks. He did not elaborate further on their merits, but there may be at least one Super Bowl winner among the candidates, according to the Salem News. “It’s not just a shot in the dark,” Sapienza said. “We have the kids’ best interests in mind as well.” He noted the committee has worked hard …

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Daubach

4:27 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

We get it buddy...you love Niz. However, I couldn't disagree with you more about your assessment of his character. I am extremely glad that Peabody High decided to go in another direction and felt that they should have done so EVEN SOONER than they did. Winning isn't everything folks.   more ›

PHOTOS: Tanner Footballers Never Lose Spirit

On a beautiful Thanksgiving Day, 21 inductees to the Peabody High School Hall of Fame were recognized, a football game was fought against conference rival Saugus, the band played at halftime and all adjourned to turkey dinner.

The Peabody High football club finished the season winless after all, losing to Saugus Thursday, 43-0, in the annual Thanksgiving game between the two North Shore rivals. The tally is now 39-27 -- Saugus still has a ways to go to eat away at Peabody's all-time lead. Prior to the game, this year's inductees into the Peabody High Athletic Hall of Fame were escorted onto the field for special recognition.

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Lobel Has Words of Wisdom for Thanksgiving Rivals

As Peabody and Saugus prepare to face off on the gridiron once again for their Thanksgiving rivalry, the two teams sat down for a meal together last week and heard from former sportscaster Bob Lobel.

Longtime Boston sportscaster Bob Lobel had a few words of wisdom to share with Peabody High and Saugus football players last week at a dinner jointly sponsored by the Lions Club of Saugus and the Torigian Family YMCA. The Daily Item of Lynn reports that the annual dinner tradition for coaches and seniors from both teams took place at the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus. The Turkey Day rivalry between the Tanners and Sachems has spanned decades -- Peabody leads the all-time series 39-26 -- and will resume again this Thursday at 10 a.m. at Coley Lee Field. Lobel, a former WBZ-TV sports anchor, told coaches, players and guests last week his big ambition in life before getting into the business was actually to become a football coach, reports the…

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A Little Bread With That Scoreboard?

New scoreboard at Peabody High's football stadium gets dedicated on Senior Night.

Not only did Peabody High's senior football players and cheerleaders get special recognition Friday night for the last home game of the season, so did Nancy Krouse and the stadium's new scoreboard. The scoreboard was actually installed this past March, but a few moments to dedicate it were set aside before Friday's game. Krouse won $5,000 toward a scoreboard in an online contest she entered last year from Freihofer's Bread and WROR -- "Pride of the Neighborhood - Score Big." For a chance to win a brand new scoreboard, contestants were asked to submit an essay explaining what made their hometown sports team special. Dan Hutchinson of Freihofers said Friday that entries came in from all over New England. Krouse came out a winner last July …

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Wlasuk Steps Down as Football Head Coach

Scott Wlasuk submitted his resignation late Tuesday afternoon, citing personal reasons, according to school officials.

Midway through his fifth season at the helm of the Peabody High Tanners' football program, Scott Wlasuk has just stepped down as head coach. School Superintendent Joe Mastrocola informed the School Committee, and thereby the public, Tuesday night that Wlasuk had turned in his resignation late that afternoon. Mastrocola said he knew Wlasuk had spoken with and emailed Athletic Director Phil Sheridan and PVMHS Principal Ed Sapienza, but could not offer further details to reporters Tuesday night other than that Wlasuk was resigning for personal reasons. Mastrocola said that, for now, assistant coach Matt O'Brien has been promoted to replace Wlasuk. In an interview with the Salem News, Wlasuk indicated the poor start to this season, 0-5 and …

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M. Larry Reynolds

8:23 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013

why is this inappropriate?   more ›

VIDEO: Tanners' Football of Old

Vintage football footage from four decades ago.

Here's a walk down memory lane for any Peabody football fan. This video, which was recently posted on YouTube, shows the Tanners on the gridiron in 1969. They were the Class A state champs that year. This was also one of two unbeaten seasons racked up by the Tanners under the guidance of one of Peabody High's legendary coaches. Do you know who that is? He coached football for 21 years.  You can find more Peabody football videos here.

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Eddie Begley

11:52 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013

As for embarrassed ? Not if you ever wore the BLUE+WHITE! FULL PADS FULL CONTACT! think very carefully R>A>C.   more ›

PHOTOS: Peabody Football Smiles for the Camera

The PVMHS football and cheerleading squads convened for a photo session for local media outlets, the yearbook and high school archives.

The Peabody High football squads, coaches and cheerleaders all converged on Coley Lee Field Saturday for their time honored photo session with local media outlets, the team boosters and school yearbook staff. This year's varsity captains are: Max Gordon, Brian Norwood, Frank Lowry and Jared Vachon, with head coach Scott Wlasuk at the helm for his fifth year. Wlasuk is also a Peabody police lieutenant and former Tanner football player. Prior to opening night (Sept. 7, 7 p.m.) the Tanners will scrimmage against Malden at home on Aug. 28 (6 p.m.) and Pentucket on Sept. 1 (10 a.m.). The season opener is in Salem this year for the next chapter in an ongoing rivalry between the two schools. You can find more information about the Peabody …

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