> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # DeCarteret gave Nashua South football an extra punch - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/decarteret-gave-nashua-south-football-an-extra-punch/ - Published: 2013-11-29T20:04:54.000Z - Updated: 2013-11-29T20:04:54.000Z - Description: Scott Knight thought of the perfect way to describe Andrew DeCarteret, a junior running back and linebacker for the Nashua High School South football team. - Author: Joe Marchilena - Tags: Division I, Fall Sports, football, Nashua South, Turkey Bowl, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 ![Nashua South's Andrew DeCarteret takes a handoff from Trevor Knight.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/jmnsfball110913-ns20-1.jpg) Nashua South's Andrew DeCarteret takes a handoff from Trevor Knight. Scott Knight thought of the perfect way to describe Andrew DeCarteret, a junior running back and linebacker for the Nashua High School South football team. “He’s like a bowling ball,” Knight said. “He’s not a tall kid and he runs with good leverage, and when you have a kid who is that powerful, he’s going to knock you back. You’re never going to get his torso, so you have to go low, and you’re not going to get lower than him.” DeCarteret started showing the rest of Division I that toughness running the ball this season, but he’s been doing it on defense since he was forced into the starting lineup two games into his freshman season. Injuries depleted the Panthers at the linebacker position, and Knight and the coaching staff had no choice to call upon a freshman to step in and save them. DeCarteret played well enough that the job has remained his since. “Some years, you pray that you don’t have to use freshmen,” Knight said. “For a kid to play as a freshman, they have to have the physical tools. They have to be big and strong enough. Some of the freshmen we get, they have skills, but they’re physically not there. When he came in, he was probably about 170 pounds. He was big and strong as the older kids, and he’s got some skill. We put him there out of necessity and he was able to hang in there.” Since then, DeCarteret has done more than just hang in there. He’s been able to deliver plenty of punishment to anyone who carries the ball in his direction, although it took a little while to get to that point. “It was pretty scary to say the least, at the beginning,” he said of playing varsity as a freshman. “It was like light speed going from freshmen (football) to varsity. It was a big jump. I was getting blown up, but that’s part of the game and I learned from that.” DeCarteret, who was recently inducted into the National Honor Society and is working toward becoming an Eagle Scout, learned that in order to keep improving, he needed to find his way into the weight room. “I think it’s helped a great amount,” DeCarteret said. “I’m in there every day after school. There’s a great group that we have who will stay after and workout. I feel like having that helps me during the season. It gives me an extra edge.” It’s not surprise to Knight that DeCartert has had so much success in making himself a stronger, more physical player. “Andrew is a natural in the weight room,” the coach said. “Going into his junior year, he’s benching 335 (pounds) and squatting around 440\. He’s a powerful kid. That’s a kid who has chipped away through the years. He’s never let up and he’s a quality kid.” Another injury over the summer helped get DeCarteret into the lineup, this time on offense, in 2013\. He stepped in at running back, and after rushing for 60 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against Spaulding, DeCarteret broke out in a Week 2 win over Alvirne. With quarterback Trevor Knight sidelined with a thumb injury, DeCarteret put the Panthers on his back and rushed for 156 yards and two scores in the first two-plus quarters against the Broncos. “He can be deceptive,” Scott Knight said. “He’s had some pretty long runs. Andrew has played the bulk of time at tailback, but he’s more a fullback type of kid.” Now that the football season is over, DeCarteret will focus on lacrosse, his other sport, which he plays indoor and outdoor. And he’ll also be preparing for next year. “We know what we need to do in the offseason,” he said. “We need to be focused and if we are, we’ll have a great turnout.”