By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
The strategy worked in the past, so Pinkerton Academy coach Brian O’Reilly used it again in Saturday’s Division I championship game.
O’Reilly had his team crowd the line of scrimmage in an attempt to contain Nashua South running back David Zocco and force the Panthers to beat the Astros through the air.
That defensive game plan was effective when Pinkerton upset Nashua South in last year’s Division I championship game, and it also worked when Pinkerton shut out Nashua South during the regular season this year. It didn’t work Saturday though.
Nashua South quarterback Keith Farkas, a sophomore, completed 17-of-21 passes for 255 yards in windy conditions to help second-seeded Nashua South beat top-seeded Pinkerton, 33-32, in overtime.
Nashua South junior Nick Haskell caught six passes for 149 yards.
“We spent the last two games (against Nashua South) filling the box with people and leaving ourselves open to the pass,” O’Reilly told the Nashua Telegraph. “We did it last year and got away with it and did it in the first game (this season) and got away with it.
“You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I could have stuck another person in the secondary, which would have helped out, but that would have opened up another lane for Zocco.”
Pinkerton’s strategy didn’t stop Zocco, who is widely considered to be the best running back in the state. Zocco was held to 48 yards in a 10-0 loss to Pinkerton during the regular season, but rushed for 122 yards on 29 carries and scored five touchdowns in the championship game.
Zocco’s fifth TD helped Nashua South take a 33-26 lead in overtime. Pinkerton responded with a 14-yard scoring pass from quarterback Ryan Simpson to Matt Mangano, which pulled the Astros within a point.
Shawn Clukey, Pinkerton’s place-kicker, was injured earlier in the game, so O’Reilly elected to go for two, but Simpson’s pass on the two-point conversion fell incomplete.
In Saturday’s other championship games, Bishop Guertin defeated Exeter, 14-7, in Division II; Pelham beat St. Thomas, 22-0, in Division V; and Franklin topped Campbell, 8-0, in Division VI.
Division II: Quarterback Andy Vailas scored two first-quarter touchdowns to help the top-seeded Cardinals win their fourth state championship in the last five years.
Exeter scored on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Kukesh to tight end Alexander Blomeke with 1:01 remaining in the first half, but the second-seeded Blue Hawks were held to 29 yards of offensive in the final two quarters.
Exeter and BG have met in each of the last four Division II championship games.
Division V: Running back Bruce Vieira rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries to help top-seeded Pelham extend its winning streak to 22 games.
St. Thomas tailback Zach Merrigan was injured in the second quarter and was limited to one carry in the second half. Without Merrigan, third-seeded St. Thomas was held to 32 yards on the ground.
Pelham also took advantage of five St. Thomas turnovers, including three interceptions.
Division VI: Running back Austyn Turner gained 164 yards on 37 carries as Franklin won its first state championship since 1991.
Turner scored the game’s only touchdown on a 7-yard run in the first quarter, and then added the two-point conversion.
Roger Brown is the editor and publisher of the New Hampshire Football Report. He covers New Hampshire and Vermont for MaxPreps.com.
