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# It's Deja vu for Bishop Guertin, Keene
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/its-deja-vu-for-bishop-guertin-keene/
- Published: 2010-11-13T15:18:13.000Z
- Updated: 2010-11-13T15:18:13.000Z
- Description: For the second time in two weeks, the high school football teams from Bishop Guertin and Keene will take the field against each other.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Fall Sports, Bishop Guertin, Division II, football, playoffs, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

For the second time in two weeks, the high school football teams from Bishop Guertin and Keene will take the field against each other.

The Cardinals (7-1 in Division II) defeated the Blackbirds (5-3) 14-0 in last Saturday’s regular-season finale at Stellos Stadium. That win gave Bishop Guertin the No. 1 seed in the division and dropped Keene down to fourth, meaning the Blackbirds will come back to Stellos – at 7 p.m. tonight – to once again take on the Cardinals, this time for a berth in the Division II championship game.

While seeding was determined based on the result of last week’s game, whether either team gained an advantage from playing just a week ago is yet to be seen.

“It didn’t do anything,” Bishop Guertin coach Tony Johnson said. “We got a good idea of their personnel. They didn’t play a few kids, we didn’t play a few kids.”

Johnson did see enough of the Blackbirds to confirm one thing he feels has always been true about teams from Keene.

“They’re big,” he said. “Maybe it’s the water out there, but they’re always big. I’ve never seen a Keene team that hasn’t had sized that’s amazed me.”

Although both teams were resting players a week ago, they were also bringing back a few who hadn’t played in a while because of injuries. Keene running back Chris Lacroix returned from a knee injury suffered against Merrimack on Oct. 8 and carried the ball 19 times. For Bishop Guertin, Kyle Karaska, who hadn’t played since Week 1, was able to return, as were a couple of other kids.

“We knew we had to get our legs back,” Johnson said.

The Cardinals enter the game having won four in a row after dropping two straight games in the middle of the season. During that stretch, Bishop Guertin has allowed 21 points total and shutout two opponents while averaging 34 points a game.

But despite the defensive success, Johnson still feels that unit still have room to grow.

“I still think we’re a young defense, a work in progress,” he said. “We’ve gotten much quicker to the ball. One thing we’ve always been is quick on defense. Our defense now, it is a very different lineup than the beginning of the season.”

There have been changes at linebacker, including the insertion of Jim Carver, and the return of some injured players have helped to solidify the Cardinals on that side of the ball.

“The makeup is very different,” Johnson said. “The philosophy behind it is similar. We’ve never been big, but always more of a fast-moving, attacking style defense.”

Last week’s return of Lacroix could prove to be key for Keene. Since the back’s injury, the Blackbirds were just 1-3, their lone win coming against Timberlane in what proved to be the difference in keeping the Owls out of the postseason.

For the Cardinals, every game since they lost to Dover on Oct. 9 has been like a playoff game.

“We were stressing to the kids, losing two (in the division) was going to hurt us,” Johnson said. “We survived Winnacunnet and we did a good job against the other teams. We’ve got some experience in the playoffs, probably the most experience out of the four teams.”

A win gives Bishop Guertin the opportunity to once again experience a title game. The Cardinals have played in the last six Division II championship games, winning five, and if they’re to make it again, they’ve got things to improve on from a week ago.

“Were going to have to play better,” Johnson said. “We have to maximize our field position and completely eliminate the penalties that have been hampering us for weeks. We’ve got our work cut out for us, no doubt.”