Defense shines as Pinkerton football rolls past Nashua South

DERRY - The solution sounded simple for the Nashua High School South football team.

“We just need to player better.”

That was a post-game sentiment by South coach Scott Knight following Friday's a 28-6 loss at Pinkerton. The Panthers had a very slow start, but that slow start can also be credited to the execution of the Pinkerton defense, which hadn’t given up a point all season, until the end of the third quarter.

Pinkerton, coming off a 48-0 win against Alvrine, opened up the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Gannon Fast. Fast, who finished the game with 66 yards on 13 carries and one reception, was a constant and consistent back for a Pinkerton team who used seven different ball carriers.

Following Fast’s touchdown were two very methodical drives, which ended with rushing touchdowns by senior Terrell Hicks. On the first of Hick’s two touchdowns the Pinkerton offense seemed to catch the South defense unprepared for play with a quick snap on the ball.

One of the big plays in the game was a 60-yard run by Astros quarterback Aiden Goujon. On this play in the first half, Goujon took a designed bootleg run, changing the field position, but throughout the game it kept the opposing defense aware of this potential attack.

In the second half, Goujon was rewarded with a QB-sneak touchdown on the opening, six-minute drive of the second half, pushing the score to 28-0.

“I trust every one of my backs running with the football," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "I am happy with the win, but we still have some things to work on, especially involving special teams.”

On the other sideline, Knight was also concerned about special teams, especially as it related to field position. The Panthers face three of their toughest opponents – Salem, Pinkerton, and Merrimack – the first three weeks of the season.

“My team better be motivated after this loss," Knight said. "They didn’t play well and next week is an important game for the rest of our season."

The Panthers did score at the end of third, on a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sean Holland and receiver Derek Downing.

Holland was the center of everything on the field for the Panthers, running the ball 22 times as well as throwing 29 times.

South will try to get its first win Friday at Merrimack (2-0), while Pinkerton heads to Salem (2-0) on Sept. 16.