RallyNorth.net

Sat, Nov 15, 2014 01:00 PM @ Windham

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Hollis-Brookline	0	0	7	0	7
Windham	7	10	7	8	32

Windham earns berth in Division 2 title game with victory over Hollis-Brookline

Saturday, November, 15 By David Willis
Staff writer

WINDHAM — It had become the mantra of the Windham football team:

“Thirty-eight miles down the road,” said QB Brendan McInnis. “That’s been our motto, 38 miles.”

That is the distance between Windham High School and the University of New Hampshire — the home of the New Hampshire state championship football games — and the length of the journey that the Jaguars will be taking on Saturday.

Led by three touchdown passes from McInnis, Windham punched its ticket to the title game yesterday, defeating tough Hollis-Brookline 32-7 in the New Hampshire Division 2 semifinals.

“It is a terrific feeling,” said senior Joe Frake. “I couldn’t imagine it any better. We have been driving to achieve this for so long, and we came through in the end. I can’t wait for the title game.”

The top-seeded, undefeated Jaguars will now face No. 3 seed St. Thomas in the Division 2 state championship game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at UNH’s Cowell Stadium. St. Thomas blew out Kennett 48-22 in the other semifinal.

“We are definitely excited to win (the semifinal),” said running back Kellin Bail. “But nothing matters until UNH. No one’s goal was to just make the state finals. Our goal is to win a championship. If we win, then we will really be happy.”

The title game will be a rematch of Windham’s other trip to the finals in the five-year history of the program, the 2011 championship that St. Thomas won 49-28.

“It broke our hears when we lost to them three years ago,” said Frake, a four-year starting defensive back. “So for the last three years we have remembered that and used it to fuel us. We are ready to face them again.”

The prolific McInnis was once again brilliant behind center for Windham, completing 11 of 18 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception.

McInnis connected with Bail for a pair of scores, Matt Shea for his third TD and threw a fourth bomb for a touchdown that despite a highlight-reel diving catch by Frake in the end zone was ruled incomplete.

“I felt like everything was clicking in the passing game,” said McInnis. “Guys like me and Kellin and Joe (Gallo) have been playing together since fourth grade, so we have a terrific connection. Their ability to make adjustments when things break down is awesome.”

Gallo, who had four receptions for a team-high 76 yards, returned the credit to his QB.

“Brendan just threads the needle every time,” said Gallo. “He makes the game easy. It is the result of years of hard work.”

McInnis gave the Jaguars the lead late in the first with his TD pass to Shea, and Kurtis Jolicoeur made it 14-0 on a 42-yard score.

But the Hollis-Brookline squad that the Jags beat 56-0 in their opener, began to show life by driving 65 yards to make it first-and-goal from the Windham 1-yard-line.

But the Jaguars stuffed two runs, forced and incomplete pass and Frake ended the threat with his first of two interceptions on the day.

“It doesn’t matter if we are on our 1 or their 1-yard line,” said Frake. “We don’t want to allow an inch on any play. We drill goal line defense every day. On fourth it was kind of a desperation pass and I picked it out of the air.”

The Cavaliers would advance inside the Jaguar 30-yard-line three more times only to be turned away without points before finally breaking through late when the Jags had taken control.

“We are a bend-but-don’t-break defense,” said Bail. “Put us anywhere on the field and we are going to hit and we feel like we can stop them.”

Now, on Saturday, Windham will play for not just its first ever state football title, but a perfect 11-0 season.

“This is awesome, and Saturday will be the culmination of all of our hard work,” said Gallo, who also booted a 39-yard field goal. “This is exactly how we pictured it. We feel good. We lost our freshman year and we want to win it this time.”