Bishop Guertin football capitalizes on Merrimack miscues to get win (video)

NASHUA - The Merrimack High School football team had plenty to give Saturday night and Bishop Guertin was happy to receive.

The Tomahawks turned the ball over seven times, and had a bad snap on a punt that gave the Cardinals a first down inside the Merrimack 10-yard line. Bishop Guertin didn't take advantage of all those turnovers, but it did on enough.

The Cardinals scored a touchdown in each quarter and saw the Tomahawks cough up the ball, as Bishop Guertin came away with a 28-7 win in a Division I West Conference game at Stellos Stadium.

Mike MacDonough led the way for Bishop Guertin (1-2 in D1, 2-2 overall), going 21 of 31 passing for 210 yards and a two touchdowns to go with 39 yards and two more scores on the ground. Cody Szymansky caught nine of those passes for 89 yards and a score while also getting two interceptions on defense.

"I thought we found a way to win (Saturday), where last week, we found a way to lose," Bishop Guertin coach Anthony Nalen said. "We knew it was going to be a tough one. It’s a rivalry. They prepared really hard during the week in practice and being able to come out and execute was a big part. There’s a standard here at BG and we want to try to uphold that."

Ronan Balistreri added four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals and Sam Franco had two interceptions on defense. All four Bishop Guertin touchdowns came off Merrimack's mistakes.

"Turnovers, plus the snap on the punt," Merrimack coach Kip Jackson said. "You’re not going to beat anybody, much less a good team, when you turn the ball over like that. I don’t think it had anything to do with the weather, I just think we were careless with the ball. We just have to be better."

Sahil Mujawar completed 17 of 28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, but was picked off four times, while Garron Brown had 65 total yards and lost three fumbles. Logan Day caught seven passes for 123 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown from Mujawar that put the Tomahawks (1-3) up 7-0.

But after an interception late in the first quarter, MacDonough connected with Balistreri for 37 yards to tie the game. Merrimack went three-and-out on its next possession, but the snap on the punt went over the head of Matthew Schmitt, who recovered it at the 4-yard line.

The Cardinals needed just two plays to score, as MacDonough made his way in from 1-yard out to make it 14-7 with 11:08 left in the second quarter.

That's where the score stood at halftime and Bishop Guertin looked poised to add to it on its first possession of the third. The Cardinals got down to the 1-yard line again, but this time, when MacDonough bulled his way into the end zone, officials ruled he was aided by his teammates.

Instead, Bishop Guertin lined up for a 20-yard field goal attempt, but Connor Lennon's kick was no good.

The Cardinals would get another change though, when a Brown fumble was recovered at Merrimack's 45. Five plays later, MacDonough connected over the middle with Syzmansky for a 13-yard score.

"The kids, they weren’t defeated by it," Nalen said of the sequence. "They said we’ll get it on the next one and it showed a little bit of character. Being able to punch it in that second time was important for sure."

Merrimack moved the ball on its next drive, but it again ended in a turnover, and Bishop Guertin took advantage of the short field again. MacDonough ran in from 15 yards out with 7:31 left to close out the scoring.