Pinkerton football makes statement with victory over Alvirne

HUDSON - The Pinkerton Academy football hasn't gone anywhere and the Astros did their best to show it Friday night against Alvirne.

Many pundits around the state were down on Pinkerton, coming off a 4-5 season, but it revealed the state that the Astros were back with a 48-0 victory, and in the process, showed off a plethora of talent.

Pinkerton utilized 13 ball carriers, had seven different players catch passes, all while looking dominant up front at the point of attack.

The scoring opened up on Pinkerton’s opening drive, with a 30-yard pass from lefty junior quarterback Aiden Goujon to his classmate Ryan Auger. This seems to be the year of the quarterback throughout New Hampshire, and Goujon looked poised completing four out of his first five passes, was mobile in the pocket, and maked smart decisions on when to throw.

On Pinkerton’s next two drives, sophomore half back Avery Battle punched in touchdowns, followed by two touchdowns by senior half back Ty Hicks. Out of the 13 ball carriers, eight of those carriers had touches in the first half and none of them ran for more than 33 yards total.

“It was nice to get everyone involved in the first game of the season," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "It was nice to score on every possession but one, and shutting them out, even though they drove the ball a few times, is something I am happy with.”

On the other sideline, Alvirne is clearly a building and young program. Their field general is freshman Kyle Gora, replacing Hayden Callery at quarterback, who is now at fullback. In the second half, the Broncos had success moving the ball with Gora using misdirection and giving the ball to Alexander Giuffrida.

"We are starting a lot of sophomores and juniors, and throughout the game they kept their head up and competed," first-year Alvirne coach Terek Rothe said of his young roster. "I was proud that they never got down on themselves regardless of the scoreboard."

Pinkerton (1-0) looks to continue its momentum next week when it hosts Nashua South (0-1). Alvirne looks to put some points on the scoreboard as the Broncos head to Nashua North (1-0).