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# Pinkerton football hit the ground running in win
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/pinkerton-football-hit-the-ground-running-in-win/
- Published: 2020-10-06T17:00:21.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-06T17:00:21.000Z
- Description: It may be early October, but the high school football season is less than a month old. Preseason practices began just four weeks ago, and with that in mind, the Pinkerton Academy football team focused on where it would be in a normal season going into Friday's 33-7 win over Nashua South.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, Nashua South, NH High School Sports Insider, Pinkerton, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

It may be early October, but the high school football season is less than a month old.

Preseason practices began just four weeks ago, and with that in mind, the Pinkerton Academy football team focused on where it would be in a normal season going into Friday's 33-7 win over Nashua South.

"We went back to basics," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "Normally, this would be the third week of August, so we’re where we want to be. We did a much better job of executing on both sides of the ball. It makes sense."

Nine different players carried the ball for the Astros (1-1), with four of them rushing for more than 40 yards. Jacob Albert led the way with 104 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries while quarterback Nathan Campos had 44 yards and two scores on eight carries.

Evan Wilson added 48 yards and a touchdown and David Clark had 44 yards on four carries and also had two catches for 66 yards, including a 53-yard reception that helped set up a score late in the third quarter that made it 27-0.

Pinkerton went into the game expecting South (0-2) to come out with a different defensive look than it had shown in its opener against Nashua North.

"They tend to put eight or nine guys in the box (against the Astros)," O'Reilly said. "They didn't do that against North. They brought everybody down. We felt it was important to run the ball."

While O'Reilly was prepared to have Campos throw the ball if he had to, the junior led the rushing attack well enough that Pinkerton didn't throw a pass in the first half.

"Nate is a good Wing-T quarterback," O'Reilly said. "He can run with the ball. I hold him back a little bit (in the passing game). The results were what we wanted from Nate. He knows how to run the offense."

Campos picked up one of two key third-down conversions on Pinkerton's first drive that gave the Astros momentum.

After Clark returned the opening kickoff to South's 31-yard line, the Astros were called for a block below the waist on first down. They managed to turn a first-and-25 situation into third-and-11 at South's 32, and Clark picked up 12 yards for a first down.

Three plays later, Pinkerton faced another third down, this time needing five yards to move the chains. Campos picked up 14, and two plays later, Wilson barreled in from a yard out for a 7-0 lead.

South went three-and-out on its first possession and Pinkerton responded with a 10-play, 57-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Campos for a 14-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

"It was important for us to run the ball," O'Reilly said. "It didn't hurt that we scored the first two times we had it. Had we gone punt, punt, then I probably would have gone to the passing game."

Pinkerton did go to it in the third quarter and stamped out any momentum South picked up after halftime.

The Panthers finally got their offense moving on the second possession of the third, when Drew Fleury opted to keep the ball on fourth down and ran for 17 yards.

South drove down to the Pinkerton 28-yard line, but after an Astros timeout, the defense stepped up and forced a turnover on downs. Campos hit Clark, who was open behind the South defense, down to the Panthers' 10 and the quarterback ran it in himself on the next play.

"We felt the middle was open for the play-action pass," O'Reilly said. "They brought pressure and (Campos) hurried a little bit, but Clark wasn't covered. ... I was pleased with our offense."

Pinkerton will host Windham at 2 p.m. on Saturday.