BEVERLY — A demoralizing loss looked imminent for Beverly on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half, but held a slim two-point lead over Haverhill late in the fourth quarter with a first-and-goal situation looming. That’s when the Panthers’ defense stepped up, forcing a turnover on downs and helping the team secure a 28-26 victory.

This came just one week after the Panthers (1-1) squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a 15-7 loss to Gloucester. Head coach Jeff Hutton said that his team learned from that experience and was prepared to make the necessary changes.

“We were in the same situation last week, ahead in the fourth and we kinda folded,” Hutton said. “We were in the same spot, but we found the way to get the stop.”

The Panthers combined for 329

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