Monadnock football focused on finishing off season with a D3 title

Ryan Avery has been around the Monadnock Regional High School football program long enough to know what works and what doesn't.

So when the longtime assistant coach slid over to fill the vacancy at head coach during the offseason, he was well aware of what needed to be done.

The Huskies were returning just three starters total but many of this year's varsity players were already familiar with their new coach and the system that was already in place. Monadnock (10-0) will have a shot at completing a perfect season Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Division III final against Campbell (10-0).

"It’s been great," Avery said of his first season in charge. "It’s a good bunch of guys. We don’t have a lot of them, but the ones we have are so dedicated. I’ve been in the program for eight years, so it’s not like I’m new. That made it an easy transition.

"We didn’t change anything we did. We just keep doing what we do."

What Monadnock has done this year is avoid the small pitfalls that can send a season spiraling in the wrong direction. After coming up short in the semifinals a year ago against eventual-champion Stevens, the Huskies have been an intently focused group this year.

"They’ve been very focused, they don’t mess around a lot," Avery said. "When they mess up, they want to fix it. They make a big deal about all the little things that are a side effect of not being focused. It’s cliché, but it’s been one game at a time for us, trying to focus what’s at hand."

The task on Saturday will be trying to figure out a Campbell team that has been almost a mirror image of Monadnock. Both teams are undefeated, having put up a ton of points all year (Campbell averages 52, Monadnock 41.6) and not allowing many points (Campbell 3.8, Monadnock 5.3).

Both teams also have run-first offenses that feature two backs with contrasting styles.

"If you look at us, we’re two of the same kind, with two great running backs," Avery said. "Chandler Matson is kind of our power back and Tim Hart is more of a slasher. Those guys have been great for us. They’re very supportive of one another.

"They realize one week, someone might gear up against them and so someone else gets more yards. They really compliment one another."

And with quarterback Tim Santaw running the show under center, the Huskies have been able to get out in front of teams early and turn things over to the defense to keep the opponent at arm's length.

Avery doesn't expect that will be the case this week.

"I think it’s going to be tight," the coach said. "Obviously, both teams haven’t given up many points. I think at the end of the day, we both score a bunch of points, but when you face teams with a good defense, it slows down an offense that scores a lot."

With Monadnock playing in its first championship game since 2012, when the Huskies won the Division V title over Somersworth, Avery expects that there will be a lot of people making the trip out to the University of New Hampshire on Saturday morning.

"I’m sure it will be eye-opening," Avery said. "We’re from a little town in the corner of the state. I don’t know how many of the kids have been to UNH. I think there’s going to be a little bit of ‘holy cow, this is cool.’ Hopefully, we can get there early enough and get that over with."