Bedford football looking to change result in this championship game

Derek Stank has seen the Bedford High School football team get to this point before, and the ending has always been the same.

Three times prior to this season - in Division III in 2011, in Division II in 2012 and Division I in 2014 - the Bulldogs have reached their respective division championship game, only to come up short.

Stank, who was an assistant coach for those three title games, hopes that Saturday's Division I title game will be a lot different. Bedford, 11-0 and the No. 1 seed from the North/South cluster, takes on Exeter, 10-1 and No. 1 from the East/West, in the championship game at 6 p.m. at the University of New Hampshire.

"There's a definitely a lot more, I don't want to say worry or stress, because I don't think that would be the right word," Stank said. "I'm more anxious. I'm ready to go, I'm excited. There's a lot more emotion to it.

"I feel like, as a head coach, we've put so much work into this in the last two years, since we walked off that field (after the 2014 loss to Pinkerton) with a sour taste in our mouths. To go back as a head coach with the same program, I'm excited to do that."

Bedford needed a remarkable comeback against Merrimack in the semifinals to get to the title game, as the Bulldogs rallied for a 27-20 overtime win against the Tomahawks. They needed a 78-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:31, scoring on an untimed down to force overtime.

For the first time all season, Bedford was shut out in the first half of a game, and took advantage of two Merrimack interceptions in the second half to say within striking distance.

"There were a handful of things we needed to tighten up," Stank said. "I don't know if we were a little lax in the first part of the game, or what, but we were missing some tackles, which isn't normal for the defense. We weren't completing drives, which is unfortunately common for our offense, and we were putting ourselves in bad positions with field position that just wasn't good."

While quarterback Connor Robert was almost perfect on Bedford's two late touchdowns drives, what helped save the Bulldogs was some outstanding performances from players who don't always get a lot of the spotlight.

Included in that group were sophomore Lucein Mumpini, who had three interceptions on defense, and senior Liam Greene, who made all four of his catches on the game-tying touchdown drive.

"We need everyone to step up," Stank said. "Lucein as a sophomore had to step in because we needed secondary coverage guys because of everything they (the Tomahawks) do through the air. He just needed to learn quickly.

"Liam Greene has been a star for us all year. Maybe not with the biggest numbers every single game, but he's always there as a rock, and we were able to get the ball to him."

After dealing with spread offenses for most the year, including Merrimack's last week, Bedford will work on a way to slow Exeter's run-heavy attack. It's been two years since the teams have faced each other - Bedford beat Exeter in the regular season and the semifinals in 2014 - and the Blue Hawks still have a few players left from that season, including quarterback Kyle Ball.

"We have to worry about all of their personnel," Stank said. "We have to worry about their skill sets, starting with the quarterback, who is a very talented athlete and a great leader for that program. We have to be able to shut him down and minimize the amount of running that they're going to do on us."

Bedford gave up yards to Salem and Merrimack in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the defense found ways to make stops and not give up points.

"They've been our rock all year," Stank said of the defense. "They are a physical, fast-flowing bunch of football players. They're smart and they love to play defense."

And it will need to come up big again if Bedford is to win the program's first championship.