RallyNorth.net

BEVERLY | The Winchester boys basketball team had a big-time spurt over the first 2<1/2> quarters, when time wasn't an issue. Beverly, on the other hand, answered with an impressive run of its own, but it came against two opponents | the Sachems and the clock.

Heavyweight Brian Nicoll put an exclamation point on an impressive statement made by the Timberlane wrestling team yesterday at the 54-team Lowell Holiday Tournament.

The Owls, who finished second last year by a point and a half, came back with a vengence to claim their third team crown in four years with 241 points, comfortably ahead of runners-up Concord, N.H., and Winchester, who tied with 210. Pinkerton (120) was sixth, Central Catholic (111) came in eighth and Salem, N.H. (102<1/2>) tied for 10th.

Mukena Mbiye picked a good day to turn in his best game of the season.

The senior forward scored twice to lead No. 7 Central Catholic to a 2-0 victory over No. 15 Winchester in the quarterfinals of the Division 2 North tourney.

PEABODY | For the second year in a row, the Winchester girls soccer team ended Peabody's season. The seventh-seeded Sachems bounced No. 2 Peabody, 3-1, yesterday in the quarterfinal round at Donahue Field.

There was a reason Winchester finished the season 8-6-4 before facing Triton in the first round of the state tournament. The Middlesex League host to teams like Stoneham, Lexington and Woburn qualified six teams for the state tournament, and Winchester was not shy about establishing its style of play on the game right away, going up 4-0 at the end of the first half. The game eventually finished 4-1.

Pentucket was bested by Winchester, 2-1, in double-overtime in the Division 2 North Quarterfinals. Katie Studzinski scored while goalie Stephanie Hallowell blocked 18 for the Sachems.

SWAMPSCOTT | Swampscott's 99th high school football season opened in ulcerated fashion when the resilient Big Big Blue twice repelled major scoring threats by Winchester in the final 89 seconds to hang on for a 14-12 victory when Stephan Khouri blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt to preserve the margin at broiling Blocksidge Field.