Nashua North's Joel Pacheco busts his way into the Winnacunnet backfield during Friday's game.

While the Nashua High School North football defense struggled at times with tackling Friday, there was one player who was consistently on the Winnacunnet side of the line  of scrimmage.

Anyone watching film of the game will see North’s Joel Pacheco getting through the line, either forcing plays in different directions or making a big stop himself. On one series, Pacheco had two tackles for a loss, including a sack of Winnacunnet quarterback Steve Cronan.

“We played pretty good up front,” North coach Jason Robie said of his defensive line’s play.

But there were too many breakdowns in other areas for the Titans in their 27-21 overtime loss to the Warriors, things that Robie was disappointed to see a veteran team do.

So what did we learn? With the 2009 title game contestants from Division II beating both their counterparts from Division I – Bishop Guertin also defeated Salem – the gap between the state’s top two classifications may not be as big as some would like to believe.

Nashua South 49, Portsmouth 14

With top running back Derek Paradis bottled up early, South coach Scott Knight knew he and his coaches needed to find another way to move the football against the Clippers on Saturday.

“They were pinching their tackles down and the linebackers were two yards off the ball,” Knight said. “I don’t care who you play, you can’t run inside. You can run a lot of other things and that’s what we did.”

Instead, the Panthers found ways to get Armand McRae the ball on the outside; answered the call with nearly 200 yards on offense. South also found early success in the passing game on a number of short throws from Keith Farkas, which his receivers were able to turn into big gains.

So what did we learn? South may not miss Nick Haskell and Nick Frederickson as much as it thought. Also, the Panthers and Clippers are a long way removed from the 1984 Division I championship game, which Nashua won 17-14 in overtime.

Manchester Memorial 38, Milford 17

The Spartans got a big game from John Forte, but struggle overall against the Crusaders. Forte had 124 of Milford’s 174 rushing yards and added two sacks on defense, but the rest of the Spartans gained a total of just 60 yards. Milford hosts Pembroke on Friday to open the Division III season.

So what did we learn? Not a lot, other than Memorial should be concerned about converting extra points. As for Milford, the Spartans should be fine as long as they have a consistent ground game and it looks they’ve found someone to carry the load for now.

Souhegan 34, Londonderry 19

Perhaps the most surprising game of opening week, especially since the Sabers trialed 13-0 at halftime and 19-0 early in the third quarter. Souhegan got help from everyone on offense, as five different players scored and the defense held up despite being put in some tough spots early. The Sabers face another challenge on Friday, when they head to Portsmouth for the Division III opener.

So what did we learn? The faces may be new, but the cupboard certainly isn’t bare at Souhegan. And as only one of two Division III teams to win this weekend – Bedford was the other – maybe its still the Sabers’ title to lose after all.

Manchester Central 21, Alvirne 10

The Broncos had an early 7-0 lead in this one, but Alvirne couldn’t find a way to stop Central’s KK Haliburton, who had 228 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Despite being outgained 380-70, Alvirne was down just 13-10 in the fourth quarter before the Little Green went on a long drive to put the game away. The Broncos open Division II play on Friday when they host Keene.

So what did we learn? Alrine may not be on the same level as teams from Division I, but the Broncos – who made the playoffs last year – should be able to compete for a postseason spot in Division II.

Merrimack 28, Hollis/Brookline 14

Merrimack avoided what was a big trap game to open the season thanks to three touchdowns from Brody Williams, who finished with 102 yards on the ground. His 59-yard touchdown run just seconds after the Cavaliers pulled within a score helped solidify the win for the Tomahawks. While his numbers weren’t eye-opening, H/B’s Kyle Gervais completed 10-of-19 passes for 65 yards in his first varsity start. Merrimack heads to Dover on Friday for its Division II opener, while H/B has a bye week.

So what does it mean? It means both teams got what they needed out of a non-division game. Merrimack gained the confidence that comes with a win, while H/B should gain confidence knowing it hung with a school that has nearly double its enrollment.

Bishop Guertin 48, Salem 21

The Cardinals manhandled the defending Division I champs thanks to Mike Kelly’s 312 yards of total offense. At the same time, BG’s young defense was holding Salem’s running back duo of Max Jacques and Jerikson Fedrick to just 97 rushing yards combined. The Cardinals head to Timberlane on Friday to start their Division II schedule.

So what does it mean? Maybe the Cardinals aren’t as far removed from the team that won back-to-back Division II titles as everyone thought. Or maybe Salem – which also lost to Goffstown in the Queen City Jamboree – is suffering a bit of a championship hangover to start the 2010 season.

Bedford 51, Manchester West 6

This game was all about Bedford’s Jordan Garron. The junior running back carried the ball just 17 times, but rushed for 219 yards – 166 in the first half – and five touchdowns. Garron also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 85 yards for a touchdown. The Bulldogs host Goffstown on Friday in the Division III opener for both teams.

So what does it mean? The Bulldogs might already have a good understand of the new spread offense the coaching staff installed in the preseason. And maybe Manchester West hasn’t dropped down far enough.

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Brookline, football, Hollis, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan

Nashua North's Jahmar Gathright walks off the field as Winnacunnet players celebrate after Friday's game.

NASHUA – It’s hard to win football games going scoreless for an entire half.

The Winnacunnet High School football team avoided its own goose egg by getting on the board late in the first half, and the Warriors didn’t allow a point in the second half, as they rallied from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Nashua North 27-21 in overtime Friday at Stellos Stadium.

The Titans led by three touchdowns in the first half, but the Warriors turned an interception into a score at the end of the second quarter and then went on a long drive to open the third – aided by a roughing-the-kicker penalty on the Titans – to make it a 21-14 game.

Penalties, dropped passes and poor tackling doomed North in the second half, as the closest the Titans came to the end zone was on their sole possession of overtime, which by rule started at the Winnacunnet 10-yard line.

“In my opinion, we gave them two touchdowns, and to their credit, they shut us out in the second half,” North coach Jason Robie said. “When you can do that to our offense … we need to look at the film and see where we were tipping our hat or how they were coming at us.”

Brandon Karkhanis threw for 203 yards and a touchdown, but completed just 13 of 28 passes, while Jahmar Gathright had 108 yards of offense. Andre Williams (94 total yards) and Mark Lavine each had a touchdown run, while Anton Marinchik had a 21-yard scoring catch-and-run for North.

North's Anton Marinchik gets away from Winnacunnet's Brent Edmunds.

Although the Titans piled up 323 yards on offense, only 93 of those came in the second half, when drives were repeatedly stalled by a penalty, a dropped pass or both.

“We let them in because we did some things that are uncharacteristic of us,” Robie said. “We had some drops, we had some penalties. We didn’t tackle well. We had them bottled up and their kids kept churning out yards.”

Winnacunnet ran for 249 yards, with 183 of those in the second half. Quarterback Steve Cronan led the way with 85 yards on the ground while Benjamin Fee (68 yards, touchdown), Brett Taylor (72) and Michael Trainor (23, two scores) got in the mix as well.

The Warriors were able to pick up those yards on the ground because coach Ron Auffant decided to stick with the game plan, and he was able to do that thanks to Trainor’s touchdown before halftime.

“The key play was that turnover at the end of the half because 21-0 and 21-7 (at halftime) is a big difference,” Auffant said. “Who knows, I could have got out of the game plan and spread it out and thrown the ball.”

Up 21-0, Williams intercepted a Cronan pass inside North’s 10-yard line; a personal foul on the Titans moved the ball inside the 5.

After Gathright ran for no gain on first down, Karkhanis was intercepted by Winnacunnet’s Michael Kean, giving the Warriors the ball on the 6. Two plays later, Trainor went in from 5 yards out with 1:19 left in the half.

“That’s on me,” Robie said. “We had a 21-0 lead and we’ve gotta get out of the half there.”

The Warriors got the ball to start the second half, and after two tackles for loss by North’s Joel Pacheco, Winnacunnet lined up to punt on fourth-and-16. The snap to Fee was off the mark, but he was able to regroup and got the kick off.

But North was called for roughing Fee and Winnacunnet got the ball back on the Titans’ 27. Four plays later, Trainor went in from 1 yard out to make it a 21-14 game.

Winnacunnet then went on a nine-play, 55-yard drive on its next possession to tie the game at 21 with 2:09 left in the third quarter.

North got the ball first in overtime, but Lavine missed a 25-yard field goal attempt wide left. Needing a score to win, Cronan scampered into the end zone from 4 yards out to give the Warriors the win.

“We had an opportunity and we let it slip out of our hands,” Robie said. “That’s not characteristic of a team of veterans. They scored on a broken play at the end and our inability to tackle cost us.”

The Titans open the Division I portion of their schedule on Sept. 10 when they travel to Londonderry, while the Warriors head to Spaulding to start Division II play.

Technorati Tags: Division I, football, Nashua North, Winnacunnet

Brandon Karkhanis and the Nashua North football team opens the season against Winnacunnet on Friday.

Whenever things get tough for the Nashua High School North football team and the players need some inspiration, they can just look at each other and think of “Coop.”

“We’re playing for Cooper Doucette,” North coach Jason Robie said of the sophomore who suffered a serious neck injury during practice Aug. 14. “He’s a terrific young man, he’s got a fantastic family and we think about him every day. We know what we’re playing for this year. When we think we can’t do that one more sprint, when we think we can’t toughen up for one more play, we think of that young man and that’s going to give us the focus that we need.”

The Titans hope to combine that focus with the talent they have returning to build off last year’s Division I championship-game appearance. In 2009, North not only reached the postseason for the first time, but advance to the title game before falling to Salem.

With a number of players back, the Titans will try to be in the mix in what should be a highly contested division.

“There are so many good teams, you’re not going to sneak up on anybody,” Robie said. “There are no guarantees other than that on Friday night, you’re going to step on the field and know that anything can happen.”

What did happen last year usually went the Titans way, according to the coach.

“We were a good football team, but we got lucky in a couple of situations,” Robie said. “You create your own luck, but we were in some games that could have gone either way. The year prior we were losing those games.”

Going into 2010, the Titans have few holes to fill, but the ones that are there are big.

North lost one of the best all-around players in the state last year in Dylan Brodeur, who saw time at quarterback and tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. Also gone are offensive linemen Nick Cummings and Mitch Gaffney, as well as receiver Trevor Rancourt.

After splitting time with Brodeur last year, senior Brandon Karkhanis takes over at quarterback and he’ll have offensive standouts Andre Williams and Jahmar Gathright, who returns from a broken collar bone that kept him out of the playoffs. Eric Muite and Anton Marinchik return as receiving options on offense as well.

Up front, North returns John Murphy, Zach Hunnewell and Tim Coy to the offensive line, which was a unit Robie described as “a strength” last season. Joining them is Adam Leith, who is stepping at center, while Eric Hazard, Jake Pollard, Everton Parkinson and Lucas Daigle battle for the right tackle position.

“We’ve seen some good things in camp,” Robie said. “We’ve got to find the right mesh.”

On defense, North looks to replace Kevin Rosenberg and David Duong, along with Brodeur, Rancourt and Jeff Taylor, from a unit that allowed 21 points per game.

“We’ve got some athletes on the field and we can do some things, but we’ve got some holes we need to fill,” Robie said.

Joel Pacheco and Wilson Pena will be counted on to shore up the inside of the line, while Tim Croteau returns at defensive end. Devin Blais is the lone returning linebacker and Cam Duval and Chris Anderson will by trying to step into those starting positions. Marinchik, Gathright and Williams will team up with Mark Levine in the secondary.

“It’s a team that has a lot of individual talent,” Robie said. “The big thing we’re going to have to do is come together as a team. They’re hard working kids and a lot of veterans that understand what they’re supposed to be doing. They’re ready to start the season.”

The year begins Friday against Winnacunnet, in a matchup of last year’s runners-up in Division I and II. North is on the road the following two weeks, going to Londonderry and Pinkerton, respectively.

“We face the iron right up front,” Robie said. “The schedule is difficult, but we get one game a week and we’ll prepare for one game a week.”

Technorati Tags: Division I, football, Nashua North

Nashua North goalie Stacy Peterson makes a save during Tuesday's loss to Concord.

NASHUA – Giving up four goals in a soccer game isn’t typically considered a strong defensive showing.

But given the circumstances of the Nashua High School North girls soccer team’s 4-0 loss to Concord on Tuesday at Stellos Stadium, Titans coach Elizabeth Fotopoulos saw it as one.

With just 15 varsity players, the Titans are unable to substitute for anyone on their back line, meaning that the starters played all 90 minutes against the Crimson Tide. After leading 2-0 for most of the game, Concord tacked on two more goals in the final 13 minutes as North began to wear down.

“Our defense is solid,” Fotopoulos said. “I have no subs for defense. They’re playing for 90 minutes. There’s only so much time you can be a brick house. We made runs, we got back, and we were tired and sweating and hot.

“Everyone just came together and was outstanding. I’m very proud of everyone.”

Concord scored in the 25^th minute on a shot that North goalie Stacy Peterson had no chance to get. The Tide added another score just before halftime on a direct kick from the top of the penalty box.

[Go here for more photos from this game.]

Peterson turned in a solid performance for the Titans, keeping North in the game at times with a some big plays and key saves.

Soyna Theriault played well defensively in front of Peterson, while Angelique Gosselin, Rachel Eaton, Molly Hemond and Tori Sousa also turned in solid performances for the Titans (0-1 in Division I).

North had two potential breakaway chances early in the first half, but neither opportunity could materialize. The Titans had a scoring chance on a corner kick early in the second half, but a shot sailed over the net.

“We have some small things we need to work on,” Fotopoulos said. “Little things that we could do, less touches on the ball, one-touch passes up and down the side of the field. We tend to clump in the middle and those are things we need to work on in practice. These are things we know now.”

North returns to action on Friday at Manchester Memorial.

Technorati Tags: Division I, girls soccer, Nashua North

Nashua North's Arjun Khatiwada battles with a Londonderry player during Friday's game at Stellos Stadium. For more photos, go to the Photo Album.

NASHUA – The goal was unbelievable.

Not unbelievable in the sense that it was a spectacular move, but more because it happened in the blink of an eye.

It was so unbelievable that one Nashua High School North boys soccer player held up his hands, looking to an official, figuring that something had to have been done wrong. Another just fell to his knees, as much out of surprise than anything else.

The goal scored by Londonderry’s Kyle Willis came off a corner kick a little more than five minutes into the second half and broke a scoreless tie. The Lancers would make the score stand up to beat the Titans 1-0 Friday at Stellos Stadium in the Division I opener for both teams.

Andre Simmond got an assist on the goal, as he took the corner kick and just tapped a low drive toward the near post. Willis used some fancy footwork to redirect the ball as he did a spun around and sent the ball past a diving Kevin McAleese for the only score of the game.

“It took one good touch to beat our goalie,” North coach Rick Carvalho said. “We gave up one too many corner kicks in the end. Londonderry is a good team. They beat us. This is going to be one of the teams in Division I, and one of the best teams that we play all year. We’re pretty happy, not with the result, but with the way we played.”

While Londonderry controlled the tempo for most of the game, North found ways to keep the Lancers from getting many quality scoring chances.

[For more photos from this game, click here.]

“We were kind of unfortunate to not finish a couple of chances,” Londonderry coach Shawn Diaz said. “I think their two center backs did a real good job of clogging up the back and not letting us get in behind. When we did get in behind, they always got pressure. We never had a lot of chances to take shots.”

When the Lancers were getting shots off, McAleese was either in position to make the save or they were missing the net completely.

After having just 10 days from the start of the season to the first game, both coaches were happy with what they saw from their teams.

“We did a good job controlling the pace, but give credit to North,” Diaz said. “For us to come to Stellos and get a good result, we’re really happy.”

Despite the loss, Carvalho thought it was a result on which the Titans can build.

“I think it was good for us to put it under our belts and get it passed us,” Carvalho said. “We stayed really strong. They showed that they weren’t going to give up. Our guys made a decision to not get beat, or at least not to beat ourselves, and we didn’t.”

The Titans return to the field on Tuesday, when they travel to face Concord at 4 p.m.

Technorati Tags: boys soccer, Division I, Londonderry, Nashua North

The first-year Nashua High School North coach had to let the players see it for themselves.

With only a week of practice under their belts, the Titans scrimmaged Hollis/Brookline on Monday, and after falling behind early, North rallied for a strong finish. It was then, Carvalho said, that his team began to understand what he was telling them.

“It’s tough to come into a place like that and say you guys can compete,” Carvalho said. “Sometimes they question whether it’s real. I think the first few days, they thought it was just going to be another year. You can already see (after the scrimmage), you could see them asking why not. The attitude right now is really good, and that’s the most exciting thing. It’s an exciting time in the program, and they recognize that.”

It’s an exciting time for Carvalho, too.

For the first time, Carvalho is the head coach of a varsity program. A 2005 graduate of Hollis/Brookline, he helped lead the Cavaliers to a Class I title as a senior, and he’s hoping to pass some of that experience on to his current group of players.

“If I can help some of these guys get better and help them grow, then that’s better for me (than playing),” Carvalho said. “When I was in high school, I was hoping for something bigger, like playing. realized, there’s only so much men’s league soccer you can play.”

This year, North had over 40 kids come out for the team. While Carvalho is encouraged by the interest in the sport, his focus now is to mold his players into a cohesive group.

During the first week of practice, the Titans had double sessions. In between practices, Carvalho tried to get players to hang out with teammates they might not normally hang out with.

“The biggest thing is not skills or that the numbers aren’t there, I think it’s more within the team, what’s going on,” he said. “This team was 5-2 last season and you think this team is a contender. I guess there were some clashes of egos and maybe leadership wasn’t there. It should be a good mix of guys getting in there and helping out.”

The Titans have 12 players returning this season, including senior captains Nathanael Pike and Chris Vincent. Also back are seniors Kevin McAleese, Jhonatta Ferreira, Simon Ciza, Chris Long,  Josh DaCosta, and Arjun Khatiwada.

They’re joined by juniors Andres Bueno, Alejandro Alcerro, Alejandro Soto and Devin Motivala.

“We have some very good players,” Carvalho said. “(Pike and Vincent) are good guys, serious when the ball touches the field, but they know how to have fun, too. I’ll be interested to see which guys surprise me. Every player on this team is capable at any given moment of doing something that is going to make us that much better.”

North opens the season Friday at 7 p.m. against Londonderry at Stellos Stadium.

Technorati Tags: boys soccer, Division I, Nashua North

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.

Technorati Tags: Bishop Guertin, Division I, Division II, football, Nashua North

Nashua North's Jahmar Gathright runs through a drill during the Titans' first day of practice.

To say the play on which Jahmar Gathright was hurt last season was a fluke wouldn’t be right.

It was certainly a fluke, but it didn’t happen on anything close to a play. If it had been, perhaps Gathright would have been OK.

During a pregame walk-through before the first football playoff game in Nashua High School North history, Gathright corralled a pass between his helmet and his arm, locking the ball in just above his shoulder. Had it been a full practice, or even a game, he probably wouldn’t have caught the ball, thanks to the bulk of shoulder pads that would have been under his jersey.

Instead, Gathright landed awkwardly on that arm, breaking his collar bone and ending his 2009 football season.

For the following two weeks, the junior stood on the sidelines and watched as the Titans defeated Manchester Central for their first playoff win, and as North lost to Salem in the Division I championship game.

It was about as painful as the injury itself.

“I was on the sideline and it was hard to watch because I was there the whole season,” Gathright said. “Not to play the last few games was hard. People knew I was hurting.”

North coach Jason Robie was one of them.

“I know looking at him before the playoff game, before the championship game, before Thanksgiving, he was just very upset,” Robie said. “You could see he wanted to be out there with his teammates, helping them. He’s a competitor and when you can’t compete, that makes it hard.”

It’s also tough not to ask what might have been different for the Titans had Gathright been able to play. North lost to Salem, 28-21, in a close game that came down to the final minutes.

“He can do so many things,” Robie said. “He can run down hill with the football and he can beat you to the outside with speed. He is a multi-dimensional kid. When he is on the field, he can line up at any one of three or four different positions. Our offense, we have the flexibility to do that, so it really suits him.

“He put in a lot of hard work in the offseason. He’s a leader and he doesn’t run off at the mouth. He just goes out and does his job.”

Gathright and his teammates spent a large portion of the offseason lifting and running together, trying to stay in shape and enter the preseason a step ahead.

“We worked out all offseason to get ready,” Gathright said. “Lifting, running, staying in shape and getting strong. Working out together, you know, you’ve been through it and we know how it feels to lose and we don’t want to experience that again. We want to get back and win it.”

Both Gathright and Robie believe that the injury can not only help out the player, but serve as a lesson to the rest of the team, especially the seniors.

“Don’t take anything for granted because you never know,” Robie said. “I mean, he got hurt in a pregame walk-through. It can happen to anybody. We have a new group of seniors. And next year, we’ll have a new group of seniors. You get one shot at this thing as a senior.”

For Gathright, that means working hard every day.

“You’re not guaranteed every game,” he said. “You slack, and you never know when your last game will be.”

The Titans will take part in their second scrimmage of the season when they face Bishop Guertin at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Stellos Stadium.

Technorati Tags: Division I, football, Nashua North

North sophomore Cooper Doucette suffered a broken neck during practice and was scheduled for surgery at Children’s Hospital in Boston, where he has been since Saturday. According to a Facebook page set up to provide updates, Doucette suffered a break at the C5 vertebra, and while he has feeling in his arms, he has no feeling below his chest.

Doucette went in for surgery at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and according to two different posts on the page, it would take between four to six hours or five to nine hours. The injury was suffered during a tackling drill on Saturday.

Technorati Tags: football, Nashua North

Nashua North football coach Jason Robie talks to his players during a break in Wednesday's morning practice.

NASHUA – Jason Robie stood with over a hundred sweaty high school kids around him.

The Nashua High School North football coach talked to his prospective players while they caught their breath and chugged some water, telling them that every football team in the state was doing the same thing they were Wednesday morning.

That probably didn’t matter to most of them as they battled the heat that always seems to come on the first day of football practice.

But there probably wasn’t any place else they’d all rather be.

“It feels good,” Robie said. “The kids worked hard in the offseason. I think they’re pretty excited to run around a little bit and get the pads on and start hitting. It’s been a while, but the kids have been champing at the bit since Thanksgiving to get this started again.”

About 112 kids attended the first practice of Wednesday’s double session, including a new group of seniors who will be looking to build on the team’s first Division I championship appearance.

Before the Titans start talking about Saturday games in November, they have a long way to go.

“We’re very pleased with the turnout, but we have a lot of work to do,” Robie said. “We have to move forward and build on last year. It’s a different season.

“The goal of this camp is to find some second and third, even fourth, tier guys who can help us on Friday nights. I think we’ll have the ability to do that. But still, we lost some talented kids from last year. We have to plug some holes in and hopefully we can do that.”

North has its first scrimmage on Aug. 18 against Souhegan – the two-time defending Division III champion – at Stellos Stadium, just one of many tough opponents the Titans will see in the preseason and regular season.

“We have the hardest schedule ever created,” Robie said. “The only team that isn’t on there is the New England Patriots. It’s going to be a tough road. Our scrimmages are tough, our regular-season schedule is tough.”

The Titans open the season on Sept. 3 at Stellos against Winnacunnet, a team that’s expected to challenge for the Division II crown.

Technorati Tags: Division I, football, Nashua North