Big call, big plays did the trick for Goffstown football in win over Pinkerton

The third quarter of a tie game is not usually the time a football coach decides to take a gamble.

Not when the team has just made a furious comeback to knot the game up. Not when facing fourth down on his own 18-yard line.

But that was the situation the Goffstown High School football team face late in the third quarter of Saturday's 35-29 win over Pinkerton Academy, and Grizzlies coach Justin Hufft gave his team the green light to take that gamble.

Goffstown had the momentum, having scored on its first two drives of the second half and then getting the ball back at its own 11 when Jeremy Henault picked off a Jeff Potvin pass intended for Evan Wilson. Runs on first and second down netted the Grizzlies eight yards, but third-and-2, Zach Picard was dropped for a loss, setting up fourth-and-3.

"The game was a slugfest and Pinkerton was moving the ball well on us," the coach said. "I thought the odds were to try to convert that and hold on to the ball. It could have backfired. It’s stuff we talk about as a staff ahead of time, we try to look at the percentages and factor in what was the previous drive like or what is the team’s state of mind.

"A lot of it is just respect for Pinkerton, knowing what they’re going to do when they get the ball. It feels like every time they have the ball, you’re holding on for your life. If we can keep one less possession from them, or keep the ball a little longer, we’re going to try to do it."

Jarrett Henault took the snap and fired a pass toward the visitor's sideline, intend for Jonah Lopez. The throw was low, but Lopez went down and got it, and then kept going for a 7-yard gain. Two players later, Jarrett Henault connected with Caden Perry for a 32-yard gain, but on the final play of the third quarter, the junior quarterback was sacked for a 9-yard loss.

After the teams switched sides, Henault found Lopez wide open behind the Astros' secondary and the sophomore receiver beat the defense to the end zone for a 45-yard score that put Goffstown up for the first time.

A touchback on the kickoff gave Pinkerton the ball at its own 20 and Jake MacInnis immediately changed field position, running for 45 yards to the Grizzlies' 35. The Astros kept coming, getting down to the 23 when, on second and 9, Potvin turned to handoff to Jacob Albert.

Before the Pinkerton quarterback could make the exchange, Goffstown's Brad Baxter was on him, knocking the ball free. The fumble bounced away from them and Wilton Geissenhainer ran up to scoop up the loose ball and return it 72 yards for a touchdown.

"Just a super tough kid," Hufft said of Baxter. "He’s not the biggest kid on the field, but he is so strong in the weight room. Works his tail off, he’s smart. He knows everybody’s rules and responsibilities. He works harder than anybody we have. Super proud of a kid like that."

Gofftown had the ball for nearly nine minutes in that quarter-plus, gaining 191 yards while running 22 plays. Meanwhile, Pinkerton ran just eight plays in the third.

"We had to fix some things and find some stuff that we liked in the second half," Hufft said. "We had to get them in the right positions, but a lot of it is kids just stepping up and being leaders."