PEABODY — The Marblehead football team couldn’t have gotten off to a better start Friday night against host Bishop Fenwick at Donaldson Stadium. 

Marblehead head coach Jim Rudloff said before the game that after coming off an 0-4 start in 2023, his goal was to get off to a good start. It did. The only problem was, it didn’t last long.

The Magicians took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 5-yard touchdown scamper into the endzone by Bannis Bernando to grab a 6-0 lead.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the Magicians, who struggled to move the ball against a stingy Crusaders’ defense, which helped out with five forced turnovers en route to a 25-6 win.

Fenwick head coach Dave Woods highlighted the play of Shane Conway (in his first varsity start) and Dylan Patterulli (11 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD).

“Shane had a great week of practice and was our practice player of the week and had a phenomenal game,” Woods said. “And so did Dylan at running back and linebacker. In fact our whole offensive line was  outstanding tonight. It was a great start for us.”

Fenwick didn’t take much time to answer the Magicians. Thanks to a textbook display of blocking from the O-line, Patterulli was barely touched on a 57-yard run to knot the score, 6-6, with 2:34 left in the first quarter.

On the second play of its next drive, Marblehead fumbled, handing the ball to Fenwick on the Marblehead 39. Woods showed his own bag of tricks to keep the drive alive. On fourth-and-7 at the 50, Aidan Silva dropped back to punt, but faked it, instead finding Odin Garren for a 14-yard pickup and first down. Two plays later, Patterulli, again untouched, ran it in from 23 yards out to put the Crusaders on top, 12-6, with about 11 minutes to go in the half.

Fenwick picked up where it left off in the third quarter. Conroy recovered a fumble at the Fenwick 41. Marblehead came up with a big defensive play when Crew Monaco tackled Patterulli for a 5-yard loss on a third-and-goal from the 4. But Fenwick quarterback Brayden Clifford turned tables, running it in from 9 yards out to stretch the lead to 18-6 with five minutes left in the third.

Fenwick’s final score was the cherry on top of the sundae. Marblehead had driven to the Fenwick 14. Silva snagged an interception in the endzone to give the ball back to the Crusaders. Three plays later, Craig Masone electrified the crowd when he turned on the jets and, simply put, outran everybody 70 yards into the endzone. Silva tacked on the extra point for good measure.

Rudloff said “we got our pants pulled down.”

“It was anyone’s game still at the half, but we have done this all preseason long,” he said. “Then, we came out with more of the same in the second half and you’re not going to win games playing poorly. They were the better team.”

Fenwick beat Marblehead, 14-10, in the season-opener last year.

It doesn’t get any easier for Marblehead next week, when the Magicians hit the road Friday night against defending Division 2 Super Bowl champion King Philip (7 p.m.). The Magicians lost, 34-6, to the Warriors in Week 2 of the regular season last year.

Fenwick has a bye week before returning to action Sept. 21 against Catholic Central League rival Bishop Stang at home (1 p.m.). The Crusaders hope to avenge last year’s 24-14 loss.