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# Panthers fail to capitalize in loss to Astros
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/panthers-fail-to-capitalize-in-loss-to-astros/
- Published: 2010-09-11T04:50:50.000Z
- Updated: 2010-09-11T04:50:50.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - The opportunities were there for the Nashua High School South football team against Pinkerton Academy. All the Panthers had to do was make a play. First-and-goal from the Pinkerton 5-yard line. Defense forcing a third-and-long at the end of the half. Kickoff to the left corner and fielded a
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Fall Sports, football, Nashua South, Pinkerton, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/southfball0910-nsparadis1.jpg "SouthFball0910 NSParadis1")

NASHUA - The opportunities were there for the Nashua High School South football team against Pinkerton Academy.

All the Panthers had to do was make a play.

First-and-goal from the Pinkerton 5-yard line. Defense forcing a third-and-long at the end of the half. Kickoff to the left corner and fielded at the 1.

Each time, South couldn’t make things swing its way, and it ended up costing the Panthers in a 23-14 loss to Pinkerton at Stellos Stadium in the Division I opener for both teams.

The Panthers failed to score from inside the Astros’ 5 and gave up a big gain on that third down, which led to a field goal just before halftime. And that 99-yard kickoff return by Manny Latimore, right after South took its first lead of the game, was the final straw.

“This was a real disappointing loss,” Knight said. “The way we lost, it’s one thing if you get spanked up and down the field. The kick return and to get to the 2 and come up with nothing; what can you do? We’ve got to make plays when it counts and we didn’t do that.”

South picked up at least one first down on eight of its 10 drives, but every time it seemed like the Panthers were going to start churning out the yardage, the offense stalled.

\[[Want to see more photos from this game? Then click here.](http://nh-highschoolsports.smugmug.com/Sports/Pinkerton-South-football/13717298%5FLQHkX?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com#1002736826%5FxLpdj)\]

A week after putting up over 500 yards on offense, the Panthers had half that against the Astros. Quarterback Keith Farkas completed 11-of-20 passes for 123, but had just 22 yards through the air in the first half.

Pinkerton got on the board after a short punt by Farkas gave it a first down at South’s 42\. Kevin Davies carried the ball five times on the drive, including a fourth-and-2 conversion from the 34 and a 1-yard plunge into the end zone on third down. The extra point by Ryan Coombs gave the Astros a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

After South’s next drive stalled, Faraks pinned the Astros deep in their own territory after Emmitt Smith fielded a punt inside the 10\. Pinkerton went three-and-out and Coombs had a botched kick of his own, giving South the ball at the Astros’ 16.

A 9-yard run by Derek Paradis and two runs by Farkas got the Panthers to the 2, but a false start pushed South back and it eventually turned the ball over on downs.

“That was enormous for us,” Pinkerton coach Brian O’Reilly said. “We messed up by taking a punt inside the 5\. You almost expect them to score. That was an emotional lift for us, to have them not score.”

With 1:15 left in the half, Pinkerton drove 82 yards to the South 10 before Coombs nailed a 29-yard field goal as time expired for a 10-7 lead.

South survived a fumble by Paradis on its first drive of the second half, and put together a five-play, 66-yard drive and a six-play, 59-yard drive – both capped by scoring runs by Farkas – to take a 14-10 lead with 23.5 seconds left in the third.

Chris Dennis did what he had with his previous kickoffs and sent the ball deep toward the left corner. But unlike the first two, this kick didn’t go into the end zone and Latimore fielded it at the 1\. The Pinkerton freshman found a hole near the sideline and outraced everyone to the end zone.

“It was a great kick,” Knight said. “We’ll take the ball at the 1 in the corner, that’s almost a perfect kick. That should not have happened. That was the turning point.”

South ended up punting on its next possession and Pinkerton went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 5:25 of the fourth quarter and ended on a 23-yard touchdown run by Smith.

“As a football coach, you want your team to dominate in the fourth quarter,” O’Reilly said. “They knew what we were going to do. We probably ran the same play the last 20 plays. We just ran left and right. That’s domination.”