Bishop Guertin's Bob Fahey tries to bring down Nashua North's Andre Williams during Saturday's scrimmage.
NASHUA – The preseason isn’t about winning.
It’s about finding out how to win when it finally counts.
That’s how Bishop Guertin High School football coach Tony Johnson summed up Saturday’s scrimmage against Nashua North at Stellos Stadium. Although plenty of fans would love to see the teams play in a competitive game, both Johnson and North coach Jason Robie were more interested in what their own players were doing right.
On each team’s first two sets with the ball – 10 plays followed by a standard possession – it was offense that ruled. The second time around, it was the defenses stepping up to make stops.
“I think the offenses had a little bit of an edge,” Robie said. “We moved the ball pretty well. Of course, they’re working on some things defensively. They didn’t game plan for us just as we didn’t game plan for them.”
Nashua North's Jahmar Gathright stiff arms a Bishop Guertin defender.
According to Robie, the Titans are further along on the offensive side of the ball and that was evident on their first drive. Running backs Andre Williams and Jahmar Gathright turned a handful of big plays apiece, and quarterback Brandon Karkhanis looked sharp with his passes, including a touchdown pass to Eric Muite.
“This North team is one of the best in the state,” Johnson said. “Andre is the real deal. (Gathright) is as quick as a cat, too.
They’ve got tremendous speed. We responded better as far as our speed, our intensity and our ability to hit.”
The Cardinals used a successful ground attack on their first offensive set, with running back Mike Kelly and quarterback Steve Cuipa each getting into the end zone. Bishop Guertin didn’t even attempt a pass until backup quarterback Bob Fahey came into the game.
Bishop Guertin's Mike Kelly runs with the ball during Saturday's scrimmage.
“The intensity was at a much higher level,” Johnson said. “(In the first scrimmage against Manchester Memorial), we were just passive. We couldn’t be passive against this team.
“We do our own thing and try to figure out what we’ve got. We’re still light with our linemen. We tried some young kids in the linebacking corps and that worked. Bottom line is, we’re making progress.”
Robie felt the same way about North, based how his team looked against the defending Division II champions.
“Bishop Guertin is a good football team, and if that’s an indication of where we are, if we stay together, we can be OK, too,” Robie said. “I was more looking for what kids were running to the football, what kids were hustling. I saw a lot of good things today.”
Both teams have on scrimmage remaining before the start of the regular season. North will take on South Burlington, Vt., on Tuesday at noon at Stellos Stadium. Bishop Guertin will play in the Queen City Jamboree at Gill Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. against Pinkerton.