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# John Stark football starts season with second-half comeback win
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/john-stark-football-starts-season-with-second-half-comeback-win/
- Published: 2023-09-06T20:25:41.000Z
- Updated: 2023-09-06T20:25:41.000Z
- Description: WEARE - There haven't been many moments like last Saturday for the John Stark Regional High School football team. Down 21 points after the opening drive of the second half, the Generals looked like they were on their way to another loss at the hands of Milford. They'd turned the ball over three time
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, football, John Stark, Milford, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

WEARE - There haven't been many moments like last Saturday for the John Stark Regional High School football team.

Down 21 points after the opening drive of the second half, the Generals looked like they were on their way to another loss at the hands of Milford.

They'd turned the ball over three times in the first half, had missed a field goal and an extra point, and had a handful of penalties, including a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike foul.

So when Cade Cloutier rumbled across the goal line for his third touchdown, capping the Spartans' opening drive of the second half to make it 27-6 Milford, it put the Generals in a tough spot.

But not an insurmountable one.

"All week in practice, we reminded them, and we worked on it, what they were up against and what it was going to be like," John Stark coach Ray Kershaw said. "We reminded them, if you get down early, don’t give up because it’s going to be a battle all the way to the end.

"They’re finally starting to come together and believe. The biggest problem they’ve had is having that heart and staying together and not getting down on each other, which is good."

John Stark scored on its next three possessions, getting a two-point conversion on each one, as the Generals outgained Milford 211-77\. They ran 30 plays, to just 19 for the Spartans, and had the ball for 13:53 of the second half, including almost all of the final six minutes to put away a 30-27 win.

"Our line really got the second push in the second half and we all came together," Joh Stark junior Joey Dykstra said. "We knew we could do it from the beginning. It was great to come out and put it on the scoreboard.

"It’s all on the field. We’ve got to keep chipping away. We knew we had a lot of time left, so we came back."

Dykstra was in the thick of it, as he ran for 108 yards and a touchdown in the second half and completed his only pass, a 36-yard touchdown to Joseph Antognoni in the third quarter.

After playing mostly on defense in the first half, Dykstra came in when the John Stark coaches decided to switch up the offense at halftime.

"We were just waiting," Kershaw said. "That was the game plan, wait and see how things went in the first half with our double tight (formation), see how that went. If we needed to open up in the second half, we would. When we change our formation to that single wing, Joey is one of the ones back there running the ball.

"It helped. It was good. Blake (Sutkus) in the first half did a great job running and throwing the ball. He did a great job. I’m happy with both of (Sutkus and Dykstra)."

Donnie White added two rushing touchdowns, including a 66-yarder in the second quarter, and a 1-yard dive with 9:07 left in the game that put the Generals ahead for the first time.

Defensively, John Stark did enough in the second half to keep Milford off the field. After the opening drive, the Spartans ran a total of 13 plays on the next three possessions.

"We struggled a little bit at first, then we settled down," Kershaw said. "We started doing what we’re supposed to do (defensively) and what we’re coached to do. A lot of times in the first game of the season, a lot of guys are trying to get in shape. That’s why we were trying as much as we could to run no-huddle. We could see they were a little tired, but we were tired, too."

The Generals were, at least until the end. With under a minute to play, John Stark's attempt to run out the clock stalled and the Generals were forced to punt.

The kick bounced in front of Milford's returners, but near a pair of Generals covering. Michael Lima tried to grab the ball for the Spartans, but it came free, and John Stark's Lucas Belliveau scooped it up.

Although the play was dead when Belliveau recovered it, the senior raced toward the end zone and the Generals did the same on the sideline, celebrating the game-clinching play.

"Just go play, live in the moment, and keep playing," Dykstra said. "We’re 1-11 against them now. It’s great going into Hanover (next Saturday). We’ve got to keep our heads up and keep the momentum going."