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# Exeter football dominates from start to finish in win over Bishop Guertin
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/exeter-football-dominates-from-start-to-finish-in-win-over-bishop-guertin/
- Published: 2019-09-07T11:30:25.000Z
- Updated: 2019-09-07T11:30:25.000Z
- Description: EXETER - Ever since last season ended without a playoff berth, the Exeter High School football team has aimed to make sure that doesn’t happen again this season. The Blue Hawks got off to a desired start in dominating fashion on Friday night. Exeter stopped Bishop Guertin on fourth down early in the
- Author: Dan Doyon
- Tags: Division I, Bishop Guertin, Exeter, football, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

EXETER - Ever since last season ended without a playoff berth, the Exeter High School football team has aimed to make sure that doesn’t happen again this season.

The Blue Hawks got off to a desired start in dominating fashion on Friday night.

Exeter stopped Bishop Guertin on fourth down early in the first quarter and never looked back for a 29-6 Division I season-opening victory at William Ball Stadium. Exeter went 4-5 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and it was only the second time it failed to reach the playoffs in the now 27-year tenure of coach Bill Ball.

“As soon as the last game ended, we all went through an emotional spell. It’s been a long time since an Exeter team had a season like we had,” Exeter senior quarterback Ryan Grijalva said. “We knew we had to redeem ourselves, comeback and really fight for it. In the winter, spring, summer and back to the fall, we’ve been working hard and we were just really looking forward to this one game. And we really showed up.”

Grijalva completed 8 of 11 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 36 rushing yards and a score. Senior running back Jaedon Cliche caught one of Grijalva’s touchdowns passes, finished with 89 scrimmage yards, and added an interception defensively.

“We’ve been working really hard. We’ve been in the weight room three or four times a week since last November and we’ve done everything we could to get back on the field to prove ourselves,” Cliche said. “We want to prove we’re not last year’s team. We’re a new team.”

Bishop Guertin (0-1) came into the game a week removed from losing senior quarterback Hayden Moses to a season-ending knee injury suffered in the Queen City Football Jamboree.

“There have been a lot of different things going on,” Bishop Guertin coach John Trisciani said. “They’re young. When things aren’t going well, you just try to stay positive and try to stay together. This past week was tough.”

Trisciani immediately gambled on the first drive of the game, when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 32-yard line. Bishop Guertin quarterback Josh Larson kept the ball off a fake handoff, but Exeter linebacker Dayton Christenson stuffed him for a 2-yard loss.

“My thought process was - and it has been like this the past two years - is that to just be aggressive,” Trisciani said. “Sometimes as a coach you want to take chances and show confidence in your kids. Clearly from an execution standpoint, it didn’t work out too well.”

“That was a big stop by Christenson on a zone read,” Ball said. “It was huge. He came up with a big hit, stopped him in his tracks, and gave us momentum and field position.”

Exeter (1-0) capitalized on the short field in three plays, capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run by Thomas Lamar to give Exeter a 6-0 lead with 8:38 left in the first quarter.

After suffering through ups-and-downs in his first season as the starting quarterback last year, Grijalva gave a glimpse towards an improving passing dynamic he can add to the run-heavy approach Exeter has excelled at throughout the years.

Grijalva connected with Lamar for a 23-yard completion and finished an eight-play drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cliche to give Exeter a 12-0 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter.

“He played all year last year, he’s had nine games under his belt and it showed,” Ball said. “He had poise. Even on a broken play, he made something happen. He’s a great athlete and it just opens things up for us.”

Grijalva added a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:09 left in the second quarter, and Nolan Elmore kicked a 20-yard field as time expired to give Exeter a 22-0 lead at halftime. Exeter held a 214-38 yard advantage in the opening half.

The Blue Hawks opened the second half with a 12-play drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Grijalva to Nathan MacDonald that gave Exeter a 29-0 lead with 6:39 left in the third.

“All summer, I’ve been working on my passing and it’s just been a grind,” Grijalva said. “Coach trusts me and I trust him. I have good blocking and I trust my teammates to do a good job.”

Bishop Guertin’s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Lawson (6 for 15, 105 yards) found Kyle Baker for a 9-yard touchdown pass.

Exeter will visit Keene (0-1) next Friday, while Bishop Guertin plays Nashua South (1-0).

“It was a solid effort and we played well on both sides,” Ball said.