Top Games From 2010: No. 1
Kearsarge 37, St. Thomas 36
at North Sutton
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
It doesn't get much better than a matchup between two unbeaten teams on the regular season's final weekend and the outcome isn't decided until the third overtime.
That's what happened in this contest between the Saints and Cougars. Kearsarge prevailed when Sam Morgan made a point-after kick following Jordan Barthol's 10-yard touchdown run in the third OT. Morgan had attempted only two PATs entering the contest and missed one of the two.
The victory earned Kearsarge the No. 1 seed for the Division V playoffs.
"It's like a fairy tale," Kearsarge coach Dennis Hoffman said. "I'm just glad it ended the way it did."
Kearsarge outgained St. Thomas 142-39 in the first half and led 14-0 entering the third quarter. The second half belonged to St. Thomas, which outgained Kearsarge 213-112 and outscored the Cougars 14-0 to force overtime.
Each team scored a touchdown and added the two-point conversion in each of the first two overtime sessions. St. Thomas took a 36-30 lead when Nick Hutchings scored on a 1-yard run on second down in the third OT. Hutchings was stopped short on the two-point conversion attempt, however, and the Cougars took advantage on their next possession.
"It doesn't get any better than that," Hoffman said.
The teams met again two weeks later, and Kearsarge won the Division V championship with a 12-6 victory.
Earlier in the year Hoffman announced that this would be his final season as Kearsarge's coach. It turned out to be the final season for St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton as well. Wotton announced his retirement in December.
Just missed the cut: BG 14, Winnacunnet 13 (Division II championship game); Winnacunnet 27, Nashua North 21.
SOUHEGAN 24, PORTSMOUTH 21
at Amherst
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
It was more of the same for the Clippers, who lost to Souhegan in the Division III championship game for the third consecutive year.
It looked like Portsmouth would celebrate a title when Billy Lane capped a seven-play, 42-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Clippers a 21-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. Things looked even better when Aiden O'Leary intercepted a Mike Luks pass to preserve Portsmouth's five-point lead later in the quarter.
Souhegan still had some fight left however. The Sabers took possession on their own 16-yard line with 5;02 to play. Luks orchestrated an 84-yard TD drive that gave Souhegan the lead for good. Luks scored the touchdown on a 3-yard run with 51 seconds to play.
"These kids know how to win," Souhegan coach Mike Beliveau said. "They find a way to win."
Portsmouth had three timeouts when it started its final drive on its own 40, but the Clippers failed to earn a first down.
Luks completed 31 of 54 passes for 305 yards.
Portsmouth, which led 14-7 at halftime, received a 289-yard passing performance from quarterback Quinn McCann, who completed 15 of 32 pass attempts. O'Leary (6 for 115) and Sam Marousek (3 for 101) each had more than 100 yards receiving.
"My kids put up a heck of a fight out there," Portsmouth coach Bill Murphy said "We just didn't make the plays we needed to at certain times."
Coming Wednesday: Top Game No. 1.
WINNACUNNET 30, DOVER 27 (OT)
at Hampton
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
There was plenty of drama when these teams met in the Division II semifinals.
Winnacunnet prevailed when Winnacunnet quarterback Steve Cronan tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Matt Sullivan on Winnacunnet's first offensive play in overtime. The TD came one play after Aaron Anderson kicked a 27-yard field goal on Dover's overtime possession.
Cronan threw four TD passes in the game. The Warriors rallied from a 24-10 second-half deficit when Cronan hooked up with Ben Fee for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds left in the third quarter, and a 5-yard TD pass from Cronan to Michael Kean with 4:58 to play.
Winnacunnet was in position to win the game in regulation, but Cronan fumbled the ball inside the Dover 1-yard line and the Green Wave recovered with 1:22 to play.
It was a game of big plays for Dover, which received a 70-yard touchdown run from Corey MacKoul and a 94-yard kickoff return from Ian Seawards.
Dover took advantage of a Winnacunnet turnover and grabbed a 24-10 lead when quarterback Tyler Zabkar completed a 17-yard TD pass to Seawards early in the third quarter.
"Cronan was the difference today," Dover coach Ken Osbon said. "They made one more play than we did."
Coming Tuesday: Top Game No. 2.
PINKERTON ACADEMY 14, NASHUA NORTH 7
at Derry
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
This score came as a surprise to many. Not so much that Pinkerton prevailed, but that the Astros held a powerful North offense to one touchdown in the Division I championship game.
North defeated Pinkerton 33-7 in Derry during the regular season, but the Pinkerton defense stood tall in the rematch. North did everything it needed to to win -- except score when it was within shouting distance of the Pinkerton end zone.
North ran 46 plays on Pinkerton's half of the field and had a first down inside Pinkerton's 20-yard line four times in the second half.
"Give our defense credit," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "Our defense has bent and bent and bent and does not give up scores. Somehow, it manages to make it happen."
The Astros grabbed the lead on its first possession, when Kevin Davies (17 carries, 94 yards)scored on a 2-yard run. The PAT failed, and Pinkerton led 6-0.
North scored its only touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Quarterback Brandon Karkhanis connected with Anton Marinchik for a 35-yard TD pass. Kyle Regan's point-after kick put the Titans in front 7-6, which is how it stood at halftime.
Marinchik made nine catches for 130 yards in the loss.
North had a first-and-goal situation from the Pinkerton 3-yard line on its first possession in the thrid quarter, but came away with no points.
The Astros took the lead when they put together a 12-play, 77-yard drive capped by Mike Mazzola's 15-yard TD. Emmitt Smith ran in the two-point conversion, which made it a 14-7 game with 7:24 to play.
North's final possession began with 1:04 to play. The Titans moved the ball to the Pinkerton 10, but the Astros didn't allow North to get any closer.
Coming Monday: Top Game No. 3.
MEMORIAL 34, EXETER 33
at Exeter
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
EXETER -- Most schools postponed games on this wet and windy night, but not Exeter and Memorial.
Ivan Valcarcel's 1-yard run plus Devin Magglio's point-after kick in the second overtime session gave Memorial a 34-33 victory over Exeter at a Eustis Field.
Exeter scored on its possession in the second overtime, but faked the PAT and kicker Logan Laurent was stopped about a yard from the goal line. The TD gave the Blue Hawks a 33-27 lead.
"We're a program that's on the move," Memorial coach Peter Colcord said. "They're getting better."
With the score tied, Magglio missed a 22-yard field goal attempt with 2:51 left in regulation.
The Crusaders blocked two kicks in the game: one on the PAT the followed Exeter's fourth TD, and the other a field goal attempt in overtime that would have handed the Blue Hawks the victory.
Memorial scored on its first three possessions and led 20-7 at halftime. Memorial received two TD passes from quarterback Cody Dalton and three TD runs by Valcarcel. In addition to his TD in overtime, Valcarcel scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter and an 18-yard run in the second quarter.
Halfback John Abizaid scored three TDs for Exeter, including the TD in overtime that gave the Blue Hawks a 33-27 lead.
"This really encourages us because there were times in this game when past Memorial teams would have folded," Colcord said. "Are we going to fall into that trap of what we used to be? The kids didn't let that happen."
Coming Sunday: Top Game No. 4
SALEM 67, NASHUA NORTH 54
at Salem
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
If you like offense, this was the game for you.
Salem put 67 points on the scoreboard even though it failed to score in the third quarter. The Blue Devils led 28-0 after one quarter and 54-28 at halftime.
"I guess you have to be happy with a win, but I'm perplexed that we gave up so much on defense," Salem coach Jack Gati. "They're a good offensive team, but we have to do a better job than that."
Salem, which scored 10 touchdowns, rushed for 421 yards and had 542 yards of total offense.
No one had gaudier offensive statistics than Salem running back Max Jacques, who rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned a punt 90 yards for a score.
Jerickson Fedrick, Jacques' backfield mate, gained 168 yards and scored four TDs.
North quarterback Brandon Karkhanis completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 241 yards. The Titans also received 170 yards rushing from Andre Williams.
Despite the leaky defense on this night, each team ended up qualifying for the Division I playoffs.
Coming Saturday: Top Game No. 5.
DOVER 7, BISHOP GUERTIN 0
at Nashua
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
There was plenty of shock value when this score was first reported. Not only did Dover defeat mighty BG, but the Cardinals were held off the scoreboard as well.
The game's only touchdown came on Corey MacKoul's 1-yard run with 5:42 left in the first quarter. The TD came on a fourth-down play, and capped a six-play drive.
BG was held to 98 yards rushing, and committed 12 penalties for 120 yards. One of the penalties, a holding call, negated a 5-yard touchdown pass.
"They beat us up in the trenches," BG coach Tony Johnson said.
It was the first time a BG team had been shut out at Stellos Stadium.
"We just tried to force Cuipa [BG quarterback Steve Cuipa] out of his element a little bit and force him to go someplace where he's not comfortable," Dover coach Ken Osbon said.
Although both teams qualified for the Division II playoffs, there was no rematch. Winnacunnet defeated Dover in the Division II semifinals. BG beat Winnacunnet to win the Division II championship.
Coming Friday: Top Game No. 6
LEBANON 14, TRINITY 6
at Manchester
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
This was a statement game for Lebanon, which knocked off a Trinity team many figured would cruise to the Division IV championship.
Senior running back Cody Patch rushed for 214 yards and scored twice in the victory, which ended Trinity's 19-game winning streak. It also allowed Lebanon to finish the regular season with a 9-0 record.
After a scoreless first half, Lebanon opened the third quarter with a six-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Patch carried on all six plays, and capped the drive with an 8-yard run. The point-after kick gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead with 10:07 left in the third.
Josh Hughes scored Trinity's TD on a 5-yard run with 4:03 to play. The TD was the final play in a 16-play, 94-yard drive.
The Pioneers elected to go for the two-point conversion, but Hughes was stopped short of the goal line.
Lebanon added to its 7-6 lead when Patch scored on a 20-yard run with 2:07 remaining.
"He's unbelievable," Lebanon coach Chris Childs said. "We rode him a the end."
Trinity still had a chance to tie the game, but Lebanon's Micah Morton sealed the victory when he intercepted a pass with 1:14 to play.
Hughes finished the game with 169 yards on 28 carries. It was Trinity's only regular-season loss.
Lebanon proved the victory was no fluke by beating Trinity two weeks later in the Division IV championship game (24-14).
Coming Thursday: Top Game No. 7.
KENNETT 29, HANOVER 28
at Kennett
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
The game's unusual ending earned this contest a spot in the top 10.
Kennett trailed 28-26 when Logan Spoor missed a 38-yard field goal with 47.8 seconds to play. Hanover took possession on its own 20 and attempted to run out the clock, but on fourth down Hanover quarterback Sam Carney was tackled with .5 seconds remaining.
It was enough time for Spoor, who had already missed two field goal attempts, to kick a game-winning 27-yard field goal as time expired.
"It was definitely one of the most crazy games I've been involved in," Kennett coach Mike Holderman told the Conway Daily Sun.
Hanover held a 28-19 lead with 8:28 to play, but Kennett began its comeback when Nick Massa scored on a 23-yard run and Spoor added the PAT with 8:07 left. Kennett got the ball back with 5;37 to play, but that possession ended in a missed field goal attempt.
Kennett had two timeouts remaining when Hanover took over with 47.8 to play, and seven second were left on the clock when Hanover snapped the ball on fourth down.
Coming Wednesday: Top Game No. 8.
GILFORD 44, EPPING-NEWMARKET 42
at Epping
Both teams learned something about finishing strong in this Division VI contest.
Gilford, the No. 1 seed for the Division VI playoffs, led 38-13 at halftime, but had to hold of a furious second-half rally to preserve the victory.
Gilford seemed to be in control when James Seager scored on a 1-yard run that gave the Golden Eagles a 44-28 advantage with 10:11 to play, but Epping-Newmarket made sure the crowd didn't leave early when it answered with a 15-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Dan Espo capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run, and when quarterback Mike Seaman hooked up with Bernie Hutchinson for the 2-point conversion Gilford's lead was reduced to eight points.
Things became more interesting when Epping-Newmarket's Greg Osgood recovered the onside kick, and Seaman scored on a 1-yard run seven plays later. The TD made it a 44-42 game with 1:13 to play.
Gilford came up big on the game's most important play, however, as Espo was stopped 1-yard short of the goal line on the two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the contest.
Epping-Newmarket's second-half comeback overshadowed a dominating first-half performance by Gilford's Brendan Murphy, who scored five touchdowns in the first two quarters. Four of Murphy's TDs came on Gilford's first five plays.
Seaman completed 12 of 14 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He also rushed for two TDs.
Coming Tuesday: Top Game No. 9.
