Big plays made a big difference for Nashua North football in title-game victory

The play was a bit of foreshadowing for the remainder of Saturday's Division I football championship game.

It was the sixth offensive snap for Goffstown High School, a second-and-25 after a holding call pushed the Grizzlies back.

Nashua North's Spencer Whiting came through the middle of the Grizzlies' line untouched, and just as he was closing in on Goffstown quarterback Jarrett Henault, teammate Max Ackerman got off his block and put pressure on as well.

Henault saw Caden Perry flashing across the middle, but his throw was behind the receiver, and right to Curtis Harris-Lopez, who bounced outside and ran untouched to the end zone.

With just 80 seconds off the clock, the Titans turned in the first of many big plays, most of which came on defense and special teams, in a 49-21 win over the Grizzlies to win the program's first football title.

North (7-0) also got a 72-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Isaac Smith, moments after Goffstown (8-1) had scored to cut the Titans' lead to seven. And after scoring on the opening drive of the second half, Jayden Espinal returned a Goffstown fumble 27 yards for a touchdown that put the game into running time with over seven minutes left in the third quarter.

"Key turnovers and a kick return, that obviously does some things," North coach Dante Laurendi said. "We scored in all three phases, and when you do that, it ups your chances of winning the game.

"Tribute to our coaching staff, they did an amazing job of being prepared. They put the kids in the right spot. The kids were focused and able to make plays. We have some athletes who can run with the ball in their hands."

Harris-Lopez also had two rushing touchdowns in the first half, including a 63-yard run that gave North a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Espinal and Smith also had a rushing touchdown apiece, but it was Smith's kickoff return that seemed to be a back-breaker.

After bobbling the kick, Smith was able to scoop it up and when he started to run, he saw an opening.

"The sun was in my eyes," he said. "I couldn’t see it and I didn’t know when it landed. Then I saw it roll left and I picked it up and thought I can’t lose any more (yardage). I saw a gap and the blockers were doing their job and I just hit the hole. It gave me more time to look at the situation."

For the second week in a row, the Titans' defense found ways to get off the field despite giving up more yardage than they had all season. Goffstown had a 358-272 edge in yards, but North was able to get pressure on Henault, sacking him four times and forcing the senior to leave the pocket early on several occasions. Toby Brown, Jr., had a 1.5 sacks for North and Whiting and Jack Peters had one a piece.

"I think we put some pressure on consistently, and he made some great plays and escaped and threw the ball," Laurendi said. "They’re so balanced. They can throw it deep and score, and then they turn around and they’re getting the ball six yards a pop running the ball. You try to find a stop someway somehow and try to get up one (touchdown). We were able to do that."