Merrimack hosts West on homecoming

The Merrimack High School got a little bit of its confidence back last week by blowing out Spaulding.

The Tomahawks are going to need it all back, and then some, to stay alive in the Division II playoff chase and that includes Saturday’s homecoming game against Manchester West; kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

“We talked about a good program coming out and taking it to a team that they really should take it to,” Merrimack coach Joe Battista said after his team’s 47-6 win last week. “And we were able to do that from the opening kickoff to the end of the game. The fact that we were able to keep our intensity throughout the game, up until we took our starters out, was a good sign.”

Merrimack will need to keep that intensity to have a chance at staying alive in a postseason picture that has become very cloudy for the Tomahawks (3-3 in division, 4-3 overall).

After Friday night’s action, the Tomahawks not only needs to win their final two games against West (1-4) and Winnacunnet (4-2), but Merrimack needs some help.

But first comes the game against the Blue Knights, who are coming off a 55-0 loss to Bishop Guertin. Although West has struggled getting in the end zone this season, it has had success moving the football.

“They’ve moved the ball on everyone this year,” Battista said. “I was watching the Winnacunnet tape (of a win over West) and they took the ball right down the field the first two drives. They do have athletes on their team, and they have kids who, if they’re given an opportunity to make a play, they’ll make a play. We can’t have any let down at all.”

It helps in that area to be coming off a game where so many things went right for Merrimack, which snapped a three-game losing streak with last week’s win.

“To get our confidence going again, I think it was important we got a good game offensively and defensively and put it all together,” Battista said. “Regain our confidence that we are a good football and when we put it all together, this is what we can do.”