Defense did more in Bedford football's win over Nashua South

One look at the results will tell you what you need to know about the defense of the Bedford High School football team.

The Bulldogs don't give up a lot of points.

In fact, they've allowed just 17. All season. And none in three-plus games.

But what the final score of each game doesn't tell you is that, while Bedford doesn't let teams score, that doesn't mean opponents haven't been able to move the ball.

In the season opener against Nashua North, the Bulldogs needed two stops inside their own 15-yard line in the first half to keep the Titans off the scoreboard. Against Goffstown, they actually trailed, 7-6, at the end of the first quarter.

"They (opponents) are moving the ball on us," Bedford coach Derek Stank said. "They’re bending us, they’re just not breaking us. It’s a tough group of kids to get down. They’re a group of kids you can beat here and there, but to completely shut them down for 70- or 80-yard drive, we’ve proven it’s a tough thing to do."

And against Nashua South last Friday, the Bulldogs needed the defense to make plays because the offense was having a tough time against the Panthers' defense.

Bedford's first two touchdowns came on short fields, as South was able to limit the Bulldogs' inside running game and put pressure on quarterback Thomas Morgan. Bedford had just 91 yards in the first half, with 47 of that coming on the three touchdowns the Bulldogs scored before halftime.

"I thought run defense, and our secondary, they played pretty good," South coach Scott Knight said. "We got a couple of sacks, a couple of pressures. They’ve been running all over everybody with those zones and stretches, and I thought we did a good job with that. Overall, we held it down pretty well."

The Bulldogs came in averaging 212.8 yards rushing per game, but had only 159 against the Panthers, and a good chunk of it came on sweeps or delayed handoffs.

"When we were able to get on the outside, it started to open a lot of things up," Bedford senior Harrison LeGoullon said. "It was good because they have a tough front seven, and they play pretty tough."

LeGoullon's second touchdown of the game - and Bedford's second overall - came on one of those outside runs, where the play started to the left, but he was able to cut back across the field and outrun the defense to the end zone. Lucien Mumpini also had a big game running to the outside, while Ryan Toscano's first touchdown of the night came on a delayed handoff that caught South by surprise.

"I think we found ourselves better in the second half, got a little more methodical," Stank said. "They did a great job run blitzing and shutting down our inside zone. We need to maybe look to hit the bubbles (screens), but they play such good press. They have a great defense that put a lot of pressure on us and caused a lot of havoc. At the end of the day, I think we were able to get to a couple of outside plays, and that helped us out."

After recovering two fumbles in the first half, the Bulldogs recovered two more in the second - all four came on strip sacks - and also had an interception. Bedford was able to score off all five turnovers.

"I think the defensive ends, I’ve got some very smart, very fast and physical, defensive ends," Stank said. "Not overwhelming when you look at them, but when you watch them play, and the quality of their pass rush, it’s a special thing. We’ve been working with those guys for two years now and the (defensive tackles) are doing well, and we have a good linebacking core."

Bedford (6-0) is the only undefeated team left in Division I, and with wins over five of the six other teams still fighting for a playoff spot, the Bulldogs have already clinched a spot in the postseason.

A win Saturday over Bishop Guertin would clinch first-place in the North Conference for Bedford, something the Bulldogs have done twice before. Both times, they advanced to the championship game.