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# Bishop Guertin football uses big plays to beat Nashua North
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/bishop-guertin-football-uses-big-plays-to-beat-nashua-north/
- Published: 2014-10-19T19:38:09.000Z
- Updated: 2014-10-19T19:38:09.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - Big plays haven't been normal for the Bishop Guertin High School football team this season, but on Saturday night, the Cardinals got just enough of them.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Fall Sports, Bishop Guertin, Division I, footba;;, Nashua North, West Conference, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

![Bishop Guertin's Chase Hughes tries to fight off a tackle by Nashua North's Connor Baldassaro during Saturday's game.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmbgnnfball101814-b6n24-1.jpg)

Bishop Guertin's Chase Hughes tries to fight off a tackle by Nashua North's Connor Baldassaro during Saturday's game.

NASHUA - Big plays haven't been normal for the Bishop Guertin High School football team this season, but on Saturday night, the Cardinals got just enough of them.

Bishop Guertin scored on the game's first play from scrimmage and it's defense survived a grueling first half to beat Nashua North 22-0 in a Division I West Conference game at Stellos Stadium.

![Nashua North's Matt Lavallee tries to bring down Bishop Guertin's Kelvin Rivera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmbgnnfball101814-b23n56-1.jpg)

Nashua North's Matt Lavallee tries to bring down Bishop Guertin's Kelvin Rivera.

The Cardinals scored on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Hiscoe to Kyle Cushion just 10 seconds into the game, and Cushion hit Dylan Fagan for a 30-yard score in the fourth quarter. Hiscoe added a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter following an interception and Bishop Guertin carried that 15-0 lead into halftime, despite running 15 plays to North's 43.

"The first half, our defense was on the field a lot and we couldn't get much going offensively, except a couple of plays," Bishop Guertin coach Travis Cote said. "I told them it was bend, don't break. We gave them yards, we gave them plays, but when we needed to we shut down and got stops and kept them out of the end zone. It's not about the yards, it's about the points, and (Saturday) we didn't give up any points."

The Titans (2-5) outgained the Cardinals 153-83 in the first half and moved into Bishop Guertin territory on seven of their eight possessions. But North turned the ball over on three interceptions and was 3 of 9 on fourth-down conversions.

"We had the ball inside their territory all night and came away with nothing," North coach Jason Robie said. "To say they were opportunistic is an understatement."

Cushion finished the night with 89 yards rushing on 12 carries to go with the 65-yard touchdown reception, and the senior was also 1 of 2 passing for 30 yards on the touchdown to Fagan. Myles Cassin-Reed led North with 122 yards rushing on 20 carries and Levi Gosselin caught five passes for 50 yards.

The Cardinals (2-5) got all the points they needed when Hiscoe found Cushion streaking down the far sideline behind the North defense. Bishop Guertin lined up in a swinging gate on the extra point and snapped the ball into a crowd of linemen, one of which crossed the goal line with the ball.

"We thought we'd take a shot and try to get up early and that was some good momentum," Cote said. "To try to get up early and get the kids fired up and excited and playing from ahead, because it’s a lot easier when you get some momentum on your side."

An unsportsmanlike penalty on the Titans and a deep kickoff by Chase Hughes put North back on its own 7, but the Titans put together a drive that lasted 13 plays and took more than six minutes off the clock. But on fourth-and-5 from the Cardinals' 13, Connor Baldassaro was dropped for an 11-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs.

![Nashua North's Colby Gunter throws a pass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmbgnnfball101814-n8-2.jpg)

Nashua North's Colby Gunter throws a pass.

"We came back, we moved the football and we came away with nothing," Robie said. "It doesn't feel like it should have worked out that way, but that's how it worked out. We've got to find ways to put the ball in the end zone."

After a punt by the Cardinals, North's next possession ended when Colby Gunter was intercepted by Drew Sanborn, who returned the pick to the Titans' 6-yard line. Three plays later, Hiscoe scored to make it 15-0 with 1:25 left in the opening quarter.

North, which had the ball for 16:36 of the first half, went on drives of 11 and 10 plays, respectively, in the second quarter, but came up empty on both, as one drive ended at the Bishop Guertin 14 and the other in an interception by Sarveen Shafian-Raad at the 2.

"The best defense is a good offense, and right now, we're not being a good offense," Cote said he told his players at halftime. "Our defense has had to play a lot and we've got to get first downs and keep the ball. We did just enough."

The Cardinals were able to do more offensively in the second half, outgaining North 178-106 and possessing the ball for 13:04, but the Titans were still able to get into Bishop Guertin territory on all three of their drives in the second half.

"How many times were we inside their 20- or 30-yard line and came away with nothing?" Robie said. "That's a credit to them, they played stingy defense, but we shot ourselves in the foot with stupid penalties and turnovers."

The win keeps Bishop Guertin alive for a postseason berth, as the Cardinals still have to play Alvirne (4-3) and Nashua South (4-3). A win in both games by Bishop Guertin, and if South loses to Londonderry or Alvirne falls to Timberlane, and the Cardinals would be in the conference championship game.

"Who would have thought with the start we had that we'd have a chance to be playing for those things at the end of the year," Cote said. "It makes games meaningful from here on out. You've got win two and you have a chance to make the postseason."