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# Goal-to-go situations worked out just right for Salem football
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/goal-to-go-situations-worked-out-just-right-for-salem-football/
- Published: 2019-10-15T15:00:54.000Z
- Updated: 2019-10-15T15:00:54.000Z
- Description: The Salem High School football team found itself in almost identical situations on its first offensive drive of each half Saturday against Windham. On the game's opening drive, the Blue Devils ended up with a first-and-goal from the Jaguars' 1-yard line. In the second half, after forcing a punt on W
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, NH High School Sports Insider, Salem, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

The Salem High School football team found itself in almost identical situations on its first offensive drive of each half Saturday against Windham.

On the game's opening drive, the Blue Devils ended up with a first-and-goal from the Jaguars' 1-yard line. In the second half, after forcing a punt on Windham's first possession, Salem found itself with another goal-to-go situation, this time from the 10.

But Salem's decision making on each drive, and the result, ended up being a bit different in its 17-7 win over the Jaguars.

The Blue Devils got to the 1 on that first possession thanks to a 49-yard completion from quarterback Kaleb Bates to receiver Michael Ference. On Salem's first two tries, Windham was able to stop Josh Maroun on runs up the middle, and before the offense could snap the ball on third down, the Blue Devils took a timeout.

"It was huge," Salem coach Rob Pike said of the moment. "We called the timeout because we had a play that we didn’t like. They were lined up to take it away. We shifted it."

But Windham stopped Riley Mulvey on a sweep to the short side, and it looked as if the Jaguars might come up with a big momentum-turning play to start the game, but on fourth-and-goal, Jacob Brady plowed through the middle of the line for the touchdown.

"It all comes down to execution," Pike said. "Fourth and goal, the kids executed and that’s what wins football games. If you execute when the time is right, you win, and if you don’t, you lose. That was a huge play."

The touchdown gave Salem (5-1) a 7-0 lead it held throughout the first half and left Windham chasing for the rest of the game.

"There were a lot of those almosts," Windham coach Jack Byrne said. "They drove right down. If you take that one away, it’s a whole different game, for sure."

Salem did the same on its first possession of the third quarter, this time using shorter running plays - and 20 yards of penalties against Windham - to set up a first-and-goal from the 10\. Maroun picked up four yards on first down, but Windham's defense stepped up, stopping Brady for no gain and dropping Mulvey for a loss of a yard on third down.

This time, the Blue Devils settled for the field goal and Brady delivered with a 23-yard kick to make it 10-0\. For a team that hadn't allowed a point since Week 2, it felt like more than just two scores.

"We knew this was going to be a slugfest in the second half and our defense was playing well," Pike said. "We wanted to get it to a two-score game. We have all the confidence in Jake. Early in the game, we wanted six (points), but he could have hit on that first one."

Salem was able to put the game away with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:18 off the clock and ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bates to Mulvey on third-and-goal. That gave the Blue Devils a 17-0 lead with 4:45 to play.

"We came up with a couple of key ones (Saturday), big downs where (Bates) threw it right on the money," Pike said. "It’s tough on a quarterback sometimes in this offense. You almost lull yourself to sleep you handoff so much. When you’re number is called, you’ve got t make the play, and he’s been doing it."