> ## 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. # Salem football runs all over Nashua South to win opener - URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/salem-football-runs-nashua-south-win-opener/ - Published: 2017-09-02T13:38:20.000Z - Updated: 2017-09-02T13:38:20.000Z - Description: NASHUA - Momentum can mean a lot in high school sports. The Salem High School football team knew the exact moments to snatch it back Friday night against Nashua South. Big plays at opportune times, and an unstoppable running game, lifted the Blue Devils to a 40-14 win over the Panthers in Division I - Author: Joe Marchilena - Tags: Division I, football, Nashua South, Salem, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44 NASHUA - Momentum can mean a lot in high school sports. The Salem High School football team knew the exact moments to snatch it back Friday night against Nashua South. Big plays at opportune times, and an unstoppable running game, lifted the Blue Devils to a 40-14 win over the Panthers in Division I action at Stellos Stadium. After stopping South's opening drive at its own 9-yard line, Salem needed just three plays to find the end zone. And when the Panthers took the momentum with a touchdown right before halftime, the Blue Devils opened the second half with an 87-yard kickoff return by Brandon Wall to squash the hopes of a comeback. "Probably a little (surprised by the final score), but momentum is so big in high school football," Salem coach Rob Pike said. "It’s good to come here and get a win against a quality opponent. We know we have some good weapons. There are some good players in our backfield. It’s nice to coach a team like that, it’s fun." All of Salem's 423 yards of offense came on the ground, as three players went over a hundred yards. Josh Sibanda led the way with 133 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while quarterback Matt Soldano added 126 yards and two more scores on four carries. Dom Paci also rushed for 113 yards on five carries, including an 83-yard run on Salem's second play from scrimmage that shifted field position and set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Sibanda. That touchdown came after South took the opening kickoff and drove 56 yards on seven plays, but the Panthers turned the ball over on downs at the Salem 9-yard line. Paci's long run came two plays later, and after a three-and-out by South, Salem went 65 yards in seven plays, capped by Soldano's 21-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 in the first quarter. "There were a lot of things we had to just keep fighting," South coach Scott Knight said. "We get inside the 10 and don’t score. We get down there again and turn it over. Then the kick return. We could get a little momentum and then a brick wall. It came down to blocking and tackling and they out played us, simple as that." The Panthers appeared to catch a break, when a fumble by Salem's Adam Maroun was recovered by Jarret Bieren, giving South the ball at the Blue Devils' 10\. But two plays later, came another bad bounce. South quarterback Sean Holland tried to connect with Taevon Olson in the corner of the end zone, but the pass was tipped by Aidan Holland and Soldano came up with the ball in his hands. The Panthers' sideline thought the ball hit the ground before being scooped up by Soldano, but the officials ruled it hit Aidan Holland and was still a live ball. That turnover set up Soldano's second touchdown run, this time from 47 yards out. Sibanda added another score to make it 27-0 with 2:16 left in the first half, but the Panthers responded with a seven-play, 69-yard drive. On the drive, Sean Holland found Olson for a 38-yard completion, and Jaylan Pacheco (13 carries, 56 yards) scored from three yards out three plays later to make it 27-8. But any momentum the Panthers generated with that score disappeared when Wall returned the opening kickoff of the second half right through the middle of South's coverage team. "At the end of the half, they came back," Pike said. "They went on a good, long drive and had a little momentum going in. They’re a great team and they’re going to play hard. To open the second half with the huge kickoff return, that was a huge score for us." South came back with a 13-play, 70-yard drive, getting a 22-yard touchdown pass from Holland to Olson on fourth-and-5 to make it 34-14 with 7:18 left in the third. Sibanda looked like he had his third touchdown on the next offensive play for Salem, but what would have been an 81-yard scoring run was called back on a hold. Instead, the Blue Devils went 81 yards in five plays, finding the end zone on Josh Maroun's 3-yard run. The Panthers put a drive together midway through the fourth quarter, getting down to the Salem 28-yard line, but the drive stalled and South turned it over on downs. Holland finished 15 of 29 for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Alex Amigo caught five passes for 53 yards and Olson finished with two catches for 60 yards. Salem (1-0) returns home to face Keene on Sept. 8, while South (0-1) goes on the road to take on Pinkerton.