RallyNorth.net

Pinkerton stumbles into postseason

Saturday, November, 07 By Jeff Hamrick

DERRY N.H. — This is not the way Pinkerton Academy wanted to go into the playoffs.

For the third time in four weeks, the Astros were unable to score more than two touchdowns as Nashua North dominated the second half and ran away with a 23-14 victory in the final game of the regular season. Pinkerton (5-5 overall, 5-3 Division I) will travel to top-seeded Salem in the semifinals next week. Nashua North (8-1, 7-1) qualified for the postseason for the first time in the school's six-year history and will play host to Manchester Central in the other semifinal.

"We need to go back to the drawing board and get our offense going," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "We'll tweak on it. We have to find the weaknesses in the other team and try to exploit it. Most of the times for us it works. Sometimes it doesn't."

Pinkerton took a 14-3 advantage on 1-yard scoring runs by Kevin Davies and Ryan Simpson in the second quarter. A 39-yard completion from Simpson to Cameron Cote highlighted a 9-play drive for a 7-0 lead. A blocked punt attempt by Mike Mazzola then set up the Astros at the Nashua North 11 before Simpson scored with 45.9 seconds left.

The Titans, however, went into intermission feeling good about themselves with a quick four-play, 69-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession. A 31-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Karkhanis to Trevor Rancourt with 7.2 seconds remaining cut the Astros lead to 14-10.

"It took us almost a half to get our heads into the game," Nashua North coach Jason Robie said. "Not to make any excuses but we had a bye week and I think we forgot what it took to play a football game. But that touchdown definitely helped us momentum wise and we knew we were getting the ball back to start the second half."

The final two periods belonged to a Nashua North rushing attack that gained 153 yards on 38 second-half carries. Although they only scored once on a 2-yard run by Dylan Brodeur, the Titans consumed 15 minutes, 21 seconds of the first 19:32 of the second half. The Astros, which lost a total of 3 yards on seven carries the final two stanzas, managed only seven plays from scrimmage while Nashua North took 39 snaps the first 22 minutes.

"It was very similar to last week's game against Manchester Central," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said refering to his team's 21-10 defeat. "The long drives that kept us on defense and kept the ball out of our hands. But this isn't anything (the Titans) haven't been doing all year long to everybody. They're a running team that throws the ball effectively. We'll see if we get a shot at them later. Right now, we just have to worry about Salem."