On Football: Pinto gives Peabody defense a jolt

Sep. 24—BEVERLY — There are a lot of different ways to define a bolt of lightning.

One would be a 1.21 gigawatt jolt of electricity that might take out a clock tower in Back to the Future, or a scoreboard at Beverly’s Hurd Stadium.

Another is Peabody High senior Will Pinto.

Playing like a man possessed, the 170-pound Pinto assumed a massive role on the Tanners’ defensive line in his team’s convincing 40-0 win over Beverly Saturday afternoon.

With a lightning-quick first step, Pinto came up with two sacks and four tackles-for-loss. Each one seemed to spark even more heart and hustle from the erstwhile senior, who celebrated every tackle as though it had produced a Super Bowl victory. It’s the sort of contagious hunger to swarm the ball that every good defense thrives on.

“Being the main source of energy has always been my thing,” said Pinto, who first became known to North Shore football fans when he scored a touchdown as a freshman just a few days after his mom, Evelyn, was killed in a car accident that also gravely injured his father, William.

That inspirational story earned a 2019 ‘High 5’ from the legendary broadcaster Mike Lynch of Swampscott and warmed hearts all over the state. Pinto wound up sitting out the Fall2 football season after the pandemic, returned to the gridiron for his junior year, then found a passion with the Peabody/Saugus co-op wrestling team.

He took being captain of the wrestling team so seriously that he almost didn’t play football this fall to prepare for the winter. Deep down, however, he knew he couldn’t step away from the football teammates that always had his back.

“I had to show up for the boys and now I’m happier than ever,” said Pinto, who also ran the ball with authority and gained some tough yards in the fourth quarter Saturday.

The Pinto family lost the elder William in July 2021, nearly two years after the accident. Young Will certainly gets some of his passion from his father, who came to America from El Salvador when he was only 16 and made an incredible life by starting his own business and raising four children.

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“Will’s been through a lot in his life. Football is his release,” said Tanner head coach Mark Bettencourt. “His personality and his energy are electric … every time he’s on the field he gets everybody motivated.”

Originally a linebacker, Pinto was playing defensive tackle on the scout team recently and causing problems for Peabody’s starting offensive line. With captain Giovanni Guglielmo out with an injury and Beverly being a team that loves to pull its guards, defensive play-caller Justin Powers and line coach Marcus Vieira decided to deploy Pinto as an undersized, quick and penetrating tackle for Saturday’s rivalry clash.

Any hesitation taking on offensive linemen that might outweigh him by 50 or even 100 pounds?

“Absolutely not,” Pinto said. “I love being the underdog. I’ve always been the smaller guy and I embrace it.”

Neither Pinto nor his defensive line partner, Jose Lendor, weigh more than 200 pounds; on the field they appear smaller, combined, than hulking sophomore middle linebacker Jimmy Festa. Yet in the stack (3-3 nickel) defense the Tanners employ, quickness on the defensive line often proves more valuable than girth.

“Will’s a different breed,” said Bettencourt. “He’s a wrestler with very strong hands who can rip hands off guys trying to grab him. Jose’s the same way: strong and tough. Their quickness can be very disruptive for blocking schemes.”

Senior Sam Merrill was immense in the middle of Peabody’s defense Saturday while outside ‘backers Alex Silva and Don Cavanaugh didn’t give the Panthers much of anything in terms of cutback lanes. In the secondary, the first two Beverly pass attempts were picked off by Alan Paulino (who also recovered a fumble) and Eli Batista.

The end result was Peabody’s second shutout in three games; the eight points they’ve allowed through 12 quarters are the program’s fewest to start a season since the ’02 team conceded a mere six. That stout defense is perhaps the most surprising thing about this 3-0 start for the Tanners, who are unbeaten through three weeks for only third time since 2005.

Most everyone expected electrifying offense from QB Shea Lynch and his receivers — and they’ve been as advertised, with copious yardage and 115 points scored. If this defense continues to play at a black out level, with jump-starting jolts from Pinto and Company, the Tanners just might be wired to pull off some shocking results this fall.

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Matt Williams is in his 15th season covering high school football for The Salem News. You can contact him at MWilliams@salemnews.com and follow along on Twitter @MattWilliams_SN