Defense continues to improve as Goffstown football keeps winning

The Goffstown High School football team had no problem taking a chance on fourth down Saturday against Nashua South.

The Grizzlies went for it five times in their 23-12 win against the Panthers, all of which came on their side of the 50-yard line, and they converted two of them.

That aggressiveness looked like it might cost Goffstown early, especially when the Grizzlies tried to convert a fourth-and-2 from their own 24-yard line in the first quarter, and came up a yard short. Four plays later, South's Christopher Keefe hit Brendon Frost for a 26-yard touchdown to put the Panthers up 6-0.

"It’s kind of our philosophy," Goffstown coach Justin Hufft said. "You get fourth down and short, you should be able to convert that. You get four downs in football and there’s no rule that says you have to punt on fourth down.

"We like to ride our kids. We think we have a strong offensive line, so we’re going to go for it in those situations. South stepped up and made some big stops."

The Grizzlies' defense made some of their own, holding the Panthers on two other possessions that started on the plus side of the field for South.

"The nice thing was that our defense bounced right back and was able to hold South a couple of times in plus territory," Hufft said. "It’s a team game and the calls didn’t work out. I can look like a bozo sometimes, that’s fine."

It's a long way from where the defense was earlier in the season, when the Grizzlies allowed an average of 44.3 points while starting the year 0-3. In the four games since then - all wins - Goffstown's allowed 15.5 points per game, and at 4-3, the Grizzlies are in line for a playoff spot.

If it was to get in, Goffstown would be just the second team since 2013, when the Division I format expanded, that a team that started 0-3 would make the postseason.

"We’re not too worried about that," Hufft said. "We’re trying to work on stuff each week. Even within those first three games, I think we got better. It doesn’t always mean you’re playing poorly when you lose games. The kids are working hard in practice. The kids like to practice and they work hard at it."

After Goffstown failed to pick up those fourth-down attempts on each of the first three possessions, the Grizzlies converted the other two. Facing a fourth-and-1 at their own 45-yard line, quarterback Charlie Keith ran for 18 yards to continue a drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by David Gibson.

Later in the first half, Goffstown again faced a fourth-and-1, this time at its 41, and the Grizzlies were able to get South to jump offsides. Three plays later, Jarrett Henault - who came in after Keith was hurt in the first quarter - connected with Josh Juneau for a 13-yard touchdown.