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# Momentum from 2nd quarter helped keep Trinity football rolling in D2 final
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/momentum-from-2nd-quarter-helped-keep-trinity-football-rolling-in-d2-final/
- Published: 2025-11-26T01:35:44.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-26T01:35:44.000Z
- Description: DERRY - Ollie Service had just thrown an interception that felt like it could be a big turning point in last Saturday's Division II football championship game. The Trinity High School senior saw his pass get tipped by two Souhegan defenders before ending up in the arms of Brody Smith, giving the Sab
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, championship, NH High School Sports Insider, playoffs, slider, Souhegan, Trinity, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

DERRY - Ollie Service had just thrown an interception that felt like it could be a big turning point in last Saturday's Division II football championship game.

The Trinity High School senior saw his pass get tipped by two Souhegan defenders before ending up in the arms of Brody Smith, giving the Sabers a chance to extend a seven-point lead with just under five minutes remaining in the first half.

Instead, Service took his spot on defense, and when Souhegan quarterback Michael Fiengo tried to hit on a deep pass to Smith, Service was a step ahead to make an interception of his own.

"Our coaches do a great job with the game plan, so we knew exactly what was coming at us," Service said. "We knew what their offense was running at us. I saw the quarterback put the ball in the air and I just went and got it."

Two plays later, Davey Durepo took a handoff from Service and ran 73 yards to tie the game at 14 with 4:21 to go until halftime.

"When I took a shot, after the interception, we should have been running the ball and killing clock," Souhegan coach Robin Bowkett said of the play call. "We gambled, took a shot, and it didn’t work out. We took shots last week (in the semifinal) and it worked out. It is going to eat at me for a while."

Souhegan was able to get another chance before halftime. The Pioneers forced the Sabers to punt on the ensuing possession, but two players later, another pass from Service was tipped and picked off again by Smith with under two minutes to play in the half.

But Trinity's defense looked like it was going to keep the game tied going into half, leaving Souhegan with one final play from the Pioneers' 36-yard line. Fiengo threw toward the end zone, where Ryland Raudelunas was heading, but covered by two Trinity defenders.

All three players went up for the ball around the 2, and somehow, Raudelunas not only came down with the catch, but broke free. It looked like the Souhegan senior was going to get into the end zone, but Trinity senior Connor Bishop came in to bring Raudelunas down at the 1 with no time left.

"I was dropping into coverage," Bishop said. "I was following my guy and the ball got thrown to another guy. Two of our guys hit him and he bounced out somehow. I was just there and I knew I had to make that hit and prevent him from getting in the end zone. The clock is running out and we needed a stop there to keep it at 14 apiece. I just him as hard as I could to make sure he wasn’t getting in the end zone."

As Bishop and his teammates went into the locker room at halftime, he could already tell the play was going to be a big one for the Pioneers.

"This sport is so much about momentum and I knew that I could help our guys," he said. "Whether he scores there or not, I still think we’re going to win the game, because I have that much confidence in my team and my brothers. But that was huge to be able to keep it tied going into halftime."

Keeping it a tie game felt like a huge deal to Trinity coach Rob Cathcart, as it was a scenario that Souhegan hadn't faced all season long, while the Pioneers had faced more adversity throughout the year, including a stretch of having to play three games in eight days.

"We had a three-game stretch where we had to do a makeup game, and all three games were on the road," Cathcart said. "We had about two or three days off in between the games. When we did that, it’s hard. It’s like you’re running in the sand against a team that you otherwise might beat easily. It was sluggish. I told them at halftime, we’re used to this. Souhegan is not used to that. This is foreign territory and let’s take advantage of that."

A short kickoff by Souhegan and a good return by Service gave Trinity the ball at the Sabers 41-yard line to start the second half. The Pioneers kept the momentum, going on a nine-play drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Alex Garand to give them their first lead of the day, 20-14.

After forcing a Souhegan punt, Service broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run, and then ran in the two-point conversion, to give Trinity a two-score lead. And even though the Sabers were able to cut the lead back down to seven points on their next drive, by the time they got the ball back again, just over four minutes remained and the deficit was 10 points.

"We knew Souhegan didn’t face a team all year as quick and as athletic as us, so I think we used that to our advantage, getting outside when we needed to," Service said.