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# Field position helped Pinkerton football stay step ahead of Salem
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/field-position-helped-pinkerton-football-stay-step-ahead-of-salem/
- Published: 2022-10-05T23:32:51.000Z
- Updated: 2022-10-05T23:32:51.000Z
- Description: It's not often after high school football games that both coaches single out one of the punters as being a key contributor to the outcome. But after Pinkerton Academy's 27-0 win over Salem last Friday night, both Astros coach Brian O'Reilly and Salem coach Steve Abraham acknowledged how senior Matt
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, NH High School Sports Insider, Pinkerton, Salem, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

It's not often after high school football games that both coaches single out one of the punters as being a key contributor to the outcome.

But after Pinkerton Academy's 27-0 win over Salem last Friday night, both Astros coach Brian O'Reilly and Salem coach Steve Abraham acknowledged how senior Matt Feole repeatedly gave his team an advantage.

"Hats off to Matt Feole, our punter," O'Reilly said. "Not once, but twice, he put them deep in their territory and that helped a lot. In both cases, I wasn’t happy I had to punt, but as soon as I saw the punt, I was like ‘that was a great decision.’ Matt Feole did a great job and he made a nice catch, too, down in the corner."

Feole did have a 21-yard reception in the third quarter that helped set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Cole Yennaco for Pinkerton's final score, but his contribution on special teams put the Astros in command early.

With Pinkerton (4-1) already up 7-0, Feole's first punt of the game was downed at Salem's 1-yard line. That set up a pick-6 by teammate Caden Michaud two players later that gave Pinkerton a two-score lead at the end of the first quarter from which the Blue Devils (1-4) were unable to recover.

Of Feole's three punts, two were downed inside Salem's 5-yard line and were a big factor into Pinkerton winning the field position battle. The Astros averaged starting field position was their own 47-yard line, while the Blue Devils' was on their own 19.

"Their punter should get the MVP for the game for pinning us at the 1-yard line," Abraham said. "We had (the pass on the interception). They gave us the angle on it and we knew it was going to be open. We repped that and adjusted for it."

But Nolan Lumley's pass was short of the intended receiver and Michaud made a great break on the ball to intercept it before it hit the ground.

"Big play by Caden Michaud, picking off the pass and getting the score," O'Reilly said. "That put them back on their heels."

### New special teamer

While Feole was handling the punting, there was someone new doing the placekicking for Pinkerton, wearing a jersey without a name on it.

O'Reilly revealed after the game that senior Craig Coventry was an addition to the varsity roster last week.

"He’s a senior, he doesn’t play on the soccer team here, he plays club," the coach said. "He came on his own and I kind of told him ‘I don’t really know.’ I’ve tried soccer kids in the past and it’s not the same kind of ball. We’re up here practicing and I said if you want to hang here and kick from the 40-yard line, we’ll see."

But once Coventry started kicking, O'Reilly changed his mind. While his first field goal attempt wasn't a success, as Coventry missed a 34-yard attempt on the last play of the first half, he was 3 for 3 on extra points.

"I think this whole first game got to him," O'Reilly said. "In practice, he’s kicking them from 55\. He’s a lot better kicker than he showed (Friday)."