DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 2 Nashua South vs. No. 1 Pinkerton Academy

•When and where: Saturday (noon) at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.
•Team records: Nashua South is 8-3 overall, 8-1 in Division I. Pinkerton is 8-3 overall, 8-1 in Division I.
•Regular-season result: Pinkerton won, 10-0, in Derry.
•Noteworthy: This is a rematch of last year's Division I title game, which Pinkerton won in Nashua 14-2. The Astros are attempting to win their fourth consecutive state title. ... This is the third time the Astros and Purple Panthers have faced each other in a state championship game. Pinkerton beat Nashua 46-6 to win the Class L title in 1991. ... Pinkerton reached the championship game by beating fourth-seeded Londonderry, 19-15, in the semifinals. The Astros trailed 9-0 at halftime and 15-6 with 7:19 to play, but scored on an 84-yard screen pass from quarterback Ryan Simpson to Matt Mangano and then took the lead on Colby Verge's 40-yard touchdown run - his second TD run in the game - with 44 seconds to play. ... Nashua South intercepted four passes in its 24-9 triumph over third-seeded Manchester Central in the semifinals. The Panthers scored on a 24-yard pass from quarterback Keith Farkas to Nick Haskell, a 10-yard run by running back David Zocco, a 2-yard run by Cory Boudreau and Cameron DiCecca's 26-yard field goal. Zocco ran for 162 yards in that game and will enter Saturday's contest with 1,417 yards on the ground this season. ... Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly has a 9-1 record in championship games. ... Pinkerton fullback/linebacker Chris George ran for 100 yards on 16 carries when Pinkerton beat Nashua South during the regular season. He scored the game's only touchdown on a 6-yard run with 8:11 to play, and made a team-high eight tackles. The Astros also received a 36-yard field goal from Shawn Clukey. Pinkerton held Zocco to 46 yards on 15 carries. The Astros had the ball for nearly 34 minutes. ... Farkas has completed 95-of-181 passes for 1,164 yards this season. ... The Panthers haven't won a state championship since 1997, when they beat Londonderry 20-0. That was before Nashua had two public high schools. ... This game will be televised live by CN8.