> ## 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. # Fast start helps lift Pelham football to win over Souhegan - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/fast-start-helps-lift-pelham-football-to-win-over-souhegan/ - Published: 2023-10-21T17:15:11.000Z - Updated: 2023-10-21T17:15:11.000Z - Description: PELHAM - Tom Babaian has seen his Pelham High School football team get off to great starts all season long. The Pythons coach didn't expect Friday night's game against Souhegan to be any different. Pelham scored the first three times it had the football, including two touchdowns off turnovers, givi - Author: Joe Marchilena - Tags: Division II, football, Pelham, slider, Souhegan, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 PELHAM - Tom Babaian has seen his Pelham High School football team get off to great starts all season long. The Pythons coach didn't expect Friday night's game against Souhegan to be any different. Pelham scored the first three times it had the football, including two touchdowns off turnovers, giving the Pythons enough of a cushion to hold off Souhegan the rest of the way for a 40-21 victory in a battle for first place in the Division II West Conference, and likely, the top seed in the playoffs. Connor Travis had the first two touchdowns for Pelham (7-0), getting one on the ground and one through the air, while Memphis Patterson and Justin Bowlan each had defensive touchdowns. "I think that was important, we knew that," Babaian said of the start. "I think our kids did a great job (Friday). I wasn’t surprised. We’re a good football team, so aren’t they, but we did what we had to do. We know it’s going to be tight every time we play them and the kids just did a fantastic job. Credit to them." Travis ran for a 36-yard score on fourth-and-3 to cap Pelham's first possession, and one play after picking off Souhegan's Romy Jain, Travis caught a 35-yard strike from Nick Muise to make it 12-0 just 4:30 into the game. Pelham's Russell Leonard strip sacked Jain on the Sabers' next possession and Patterson was there to scoop up the fumble, returning it 28 yards for a score and a 19-0 lead. "Putting ourselves in that position is obviously tough," Souhegan coach Robin Bowkett said. "Any time you play a great team like that, you can’t start like that. We had them on fourth down and then they make a play and score. You can control your response, so I felt good about the way we responded. You can’t turn the ball over and try to win football games, especially when they turn those turnovers into 14 points." Souhegan (6-1 in D2, 6-2 overall) held an edge in yards, outgaining Pelham 321-269, but lost the turnover battle, 4-1. Travis finished with 78 yards on the ground and had two catches for 40 yards while Jake Ciulla had 66 yards rushing. Dom Herrling added 51 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, as the Pythons ran for 225 yards, averaging 7.03 yards per carry. Jain ended up 20 of 34 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns, but with three interceptions, including one Bowlan returned 28 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. JJ Bright had 82 yards rushing and another 83 yards on six receptions while Brody Smith had three catches for 68 yards and two scores. Muse scored on a 1-yard run with 3:32 left in the first half to give Pelham a 26-0 lead, but Souhegan responded before halftime. The Sabers went on a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Jain as time expired on the half. Souhegan got the ball to start the third quarter, and went on another long scoring drive, this time covering 75 yards in nine plays, with Jain hitting Smith for a 13-yard score to make it 26-14. After forcing Pelham to turn the ball over on downs on the next possession, the Sabers were in a spot to try to make it a one-score game. "Scoring right at the end of the half, with zeros on the clock, doing that was huge," Bowkett said. "Getting the ball back in the second half and responding with a touchdown, and then we get a stop on defense on the next drive ... "And then we went three-and-out. I think if we get a couple of first downs there and move the ball a little better, maybe it’s 26-21\. We just didn’t execute at other times where we really needed to." Souhegan gave the ball back to Pelham at its own 38-yard line, and three plays later, Herrling ran in from 21 yards out for a 33-14 lead with 2:20 to go in the third. Bowlan's pick-6 came with 6:31 remaining in the game and Jain hit Smith for a 42-yard touchdown on the next possession to finish out the scoring.