A look into the past gives Salem football motivation for win

Once a football season begins, coaches don't usually use film from a previous season's meeting to prepare for an upcoming opponent.

But while the Salem High School team was getting ready to face Concord last Thursday, Blue Devils coach Steve Abraham pulled out some clips from last year's game, a 48-26 loss to the Crimson Tide.

"I challenged our guys, and we actually watched last year’s game film, and what we saw was Concord came off the ball more physical than us," Abraham said. "I showed them a play that Concord ran against us, where the backside tackle crossed the field and made the home-run block for a 77-yard touchdown for them.

"It was just that they wanted it more and they believed their coach and each other more. I challenged our guys to play to the whistle on offense and defense."

Salem did, particularly on offense in the second half, as the Blue Devils came back, scoring 22 unanswered points for a 28-14 victory at Concord's Memorial Field.

But it wasn't just the comeback that was impressive; it was the way Salem did it, using its run game to control time of possession and keep the ball away from Concord.

The Blue Devils picked up 21 first downs on the night, and in the second half, had the ball for 19 minutes, 11 seconds, and ran 43 plays, to just 15 for the Crimson Tide. Eight of those came on Concord's final drive, as it didn't pick up a first down until that last possession.

"I told the kids, the tougher team definitely won (Thursday)," Concord coach Jim Corkum said. "They wanted it more and they performed. They made plays, they made stops, they got first downs, and we didn’t. It was pretty simple."

Salem ran the ball 62 times for 374 yards (6.03 per carry) and scored all four touchdowns on the ground, with seven players registering at last three rushing attempts.

Kevin Todisco led the Blue Devils with 132 yards, but Felix Gonzalez (84 yards), Talen Walton (47) and quarterback Nolan Lumley (48) had their fair share, and each contributed a touchdown. And when those guys needed a break, Jordan Zannini (22), Daniel Hughes (31) and Colin Salkovitz (10) stepped in to help.

"We instilled our will and that’s what we wanted to do," Abraham said. "Our depth at running back at the end is what helped us because our guys were still a little bit fresher. Then we can play them on defense. I’ve got to give those hogs up front some credit because they were moving some bodies."

That group includes Ralph Tashjian, Lucius Mosher and Bennett Atkins at tackle; Roman Mosher and Ryan Todt guard; Aaron Masson and Cody Stys at center; along with tight ends Ivan Colon and Jimmy Donovan.

Salem was also 7 of 11 on third downs, including 5 of 7 in the second half, and also went 2 of 4 on fourth down. The only two the Blue Devils missed were on plays inside the Concord 25-yard line, the second of which came on the first drive of the third quarter and gave the Crimson Tide a little momentum.

But that was short lived, as on Concord's first play, quarterback Colby Nyhan was picked off by Calen Smith, giving Salem the ball right back and the Blue Devils went right back to work.

"That was a huge play," Abraham said. "We were moving the ball well and not getting the results. That’s something we have to learn. We don’t finish all the time, but after that interception, we started finishing offensive drives.

"A couple of things went against us, with no score in the red zone down there, twice. What I love is, we went in at halftime and it was just 'play our football.'"