> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Nashua North football rushes past Merrimack - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/nashua-north-football-rushes-past-merrimack/ - Published: 2014-10-03T14:59:09.000Z - Updated: 2014-10-03T14:59:09.000Z - Description: NASHUA - After five weeks, it's no secret the Nashua High School North football team is going to try to run the football. - Author: Joe Marchilena - Tags: Fall Sports, Division I, football, Merrimack, Nashua North, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 ![Nashua North's Connor Baldassaro breaks up a pass to Merrimack's Ian Roberts during Thursday's game.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmmernnfball100214-m85n24-1.jpg) Nashua North's Connor Baldassaro breaks up a pass to Merrimack's Ian Roberts during Thursday's game. NASHUA - After five weeks, it's no secret the Nashua High School North football team is going to try to run the football. Against Merrimack on Thursday, the Titans ran the ball the best they have all season. North compiled over 400 yards of offense, including rushing for 294 yards, and rallied in the second half to beat the Tomahawks 28-14 at Stellos Stadium. The win keeps the Titans (2-3) hopes of postseason play alive in the Division I West Conference. ![Nashua North's Myles Cassin-Reed escapes a tackle by Merrimack's Andrew Dichard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmmernnfball100214-n3-4.jpg) Nashua North's Myles Cassin-Reed escapes a tackle by Merrimack's Andrew Dichard. Myles Cassin-Reed ran for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries and Max Fay rushed 23 times for 148 yards to lead a North offense that had 418 total yards. The success of the running game also allowed Colby Gunter to complete 8 of 14 passes for 124 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Levi Gosselin in the third quarter. "We had a solid outside game, and at the end, I thought we wore them down a little with our trap game," North coach Jason Robie said. "We're able to run that trap out of so many different formations and if it's working, we're going to keep doing it. Even if it's not working, we're going to keep doing it, because that’s what our offense is. They gave us some things." "This is how we're capable of playing. Unfortunately, we haven't shown that. We know we can play like this. It's just putting it all together." North won the turnover battle, 4-0, and was penalized just seven times, four on special teams, an improvement over last week's loss to Nashua South. Joe Giampietro led Merrimack (2-3) with 118 yards rushing on 12 carries, including a 78-yard touchdown run to open that second half that gave the Tomahawks a 14-7 lead. Justin Grassini was 8 of 19 passing for 99 yards, but turnovers once again hurt Merrimack, as the sophomore quarterback was picked off three times - once in the end zone - and Ryan Barry lost a fumble in the third quarter at North's 9-yard line. "Losing the turnover battle is always going to kill you, especially when you do it in crucial situations and then don’t cause any," Merrimack coach Dante Laurendi said. "In the past, we've been able to get in there and force turnovers and we weren't able to do that." After North opened the game by turning the ball over on downs at midfield, Merrimack went on a nine-play, 50-yard drive, with Barry rushing for 20 yards on the possession. The drive ended when Grassini executed a fake handoff so well that it fooled the official on the near sideline and he ran into the end zone from 9-yards out. But the Titans responded, going on an eight-play, 70-yard drive finished off by an 8-yard touchdown run by Cassin-Reed. The drive started with a 30-yard pass play from Gunter to Cassin-Reed that quickly changed field position for North. The game was still tied 7-7 at halftime, but Giampietro broke the tie on the first play of the third quarter. "We lost contain and I think we got lazy," Robie said. "We had him bottled up and that's a big strong running back. He bounced it out and our outside guys went inside. That was a big run." ![Merrimack's Justin Grassini passes as a Nashua North player tries to get a hand on the ball.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jmmernnfball100214-m15-1.jpg) Merrimack's Justin Grassini passes as a Nashua North player tries to get a hand on the ball. North answered Merrimack's score again, this time with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Gunter's touchdown pass to Gosselin, but Sushant Niroula's extra point was wide left and Merrimack still led 14-13. The Tomahawks were driving to extend the lead, moving the ball behind a couple of long runs by Giampietro and Barry, and on the arm of Grassini. But on second-and-goal from the North 6, Barry lost the football and North recovered. "We had a chance to change the complexion of the game and didn't do it," Laurendi said. "That was the momentum shift. We had them down and we go on a great drive and put the ball on the ground. That's a big momentum shift and then they were able to move the ball out and answer on their own." The teams traded punts, North got the ball back at its own 6-yard line and put together a 94-yard drive that took 13 plays and ended with Cassin-Reed's 3-yard touchdown run. The Titans lined up to go for two, but a false start pushed them back and North was forced to take a timeout when it lined up incorrectly. After the break, Gunter hit Fay for the conversion and a 21-14 lead with 10:01 to play. On the drive, Fay carried the ball five times for 39 yards and Gunter hit Shane LeGraw for a 33-yard completion to get the Titans away from their goal line. "The inside-outside game, when you commit to something, it's going to open up something else," Robie said. "We were able to use motion and change formations and obviously it's working. We can line up in different formations to take advantage of what people are doing against us. Our line did a good job blocking. I think we maybe wore those guys down a little bit." Merrimack looked like it would answer, as a big return by Barry gave the Tomahawks the ball at their own 47, and on first down, Grassini scrambled for a 23-yard run. North was flagged for a late hit on the play, giving Merrimack a first down at the Titans' 15. But after two runs for a loss of 4 yards, Grassini's pass to Ian Roberts in the end zone was intercepted by Cassin-Reed. The Titans needed eight plays to go 80 yards and Cassin-Reed ran in from 15 yards out to make it 28-14 North with 4:51 left. "I thought the kids played their hearts out," Robie said. "We'll enjoy this one and then we've got to start getting ready for Pinkerton." The Titans travel to Derry to face Pinkerton next Friday, while Merrimack returns home to host Londonderry.