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# Tripp bringing more than physical abilities to Nashua South football
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/tripp-bringing-more-than-physical-abilities-to-nashua-south-football/
- Published: 2025-09-12T21:09:10.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-12T21:09:10.000Z
- Description: Josh Porter has watched Josh Tripp develop throughout every step of his football career at Nashua High School South. It took just three weeks as a freshman for Tripp to get the call up to the varsity. That season, Porter was coaching the Panthers wide receivers, and he got to see firsthand the raw t
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, Josh Tripp, Nashua South, NH High School Sports Insider, Panthers, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

Josh Porter has watched Josh Tripp develop throughout every step of his football career at Nashua High School South.

It took just three weeks as a freshman for Tripp to get the call up to the varsity. That season, Porter was coaching the Panthers wide receivers, and he got to see firsthand the raw talent that Tripp possessed at a young age.

The following year, Porter was switched to coaching the defensive backs, Tripp's position on the other side of the ball.

Now, with Tripp in his senior year, and Porter in his first year as South's head coach, they spent the summer doing whatever they could to help the Panthers reach their full potential. They face their first in-state test Friday night when South hosts Bedford at 6:30 p.m. at Stellos Stadium.

"I’ve been able to work with him directly every day for four years now," Porter said. "He’s been phenomenal. He works hard, he leads by example, but he also has the vocal leadership as well. Even on defense, he’s been our quarterback back there. He’s making all the checks."

While Tripp was surprised when long-time coach Scott Knight stepped down in the offseason, he was excited to see Porter get the opportunity to be a head coach after spending four years as an assistant with South.

"I thought Coach Knight was going to stay through our senior year, but then he kind of sprung it on us out of the blue," Tripp said. "We love (Porter) and he’s a great coach."

When South's returning players began to ramp up during the offseason, Porter pulled aside a handful of them and decided to give them more incentive to not only put in their own work, but get their teammates involved as well.

"I picked six returning vets as leaders and they got to draft teams and had to motivate them," the coach said. "They got points for who was coming and going. From the jump, (Tripp) has been kind of the alpha of the room, getting kids here, holding them accountable."

That was a big key for the offseason. Despite coming off a year where the Panthers won their first playoff game since 2008, Tripp knows none of that matters for this year.

"We’ve got to hold ourselves accountable," he said. "We have high hopes and dreams, but we haven’t achieved anything yet. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and take it one game at a time. But we definitely have high aspirations, same as last year, if not better. Hopefully, we can achieve those."

Along with football, Tripp has been a member of the varsity basketball team at South since freshmen year, and he's played both sports for as long as he can remember. He started with flag football, switched to tackle in middle school, and once he reached high school, he saw his focus on the two begin to shift.

That shift has opened the door to the opportunity of playing football at the next level, something he didn't think possible at the start of high school.

"Basketball had always been my main sport, but freshman year, I developed more as a football player," Tripp said. "I’ve been a good athlete, but I thought that was out of the question. Going to (play in) college was a fun thought, but now that I’m here and it’s a reality, it’s cool."

When not in the weight room or between the lines on a field or court, Tripp comes off as laid back, something that college coaches have asked Porter about, and he tells all of them the same thing.

"They ask, is he a quiet kid, and no, he just picks his spots," Porter said. "He’s got a swagger to him that comes out and he’s very selective with it. It’s definitely in there. He’ll be barking at a kid to get one more rep.

"He's one of the hardest workers, whether that’s in the classroom or in the weight room. He was always an elite talent and his hard work has stopped him from plateauing. He’s always pushing, always getting bigger, faster, stronger. We’re looking for a big year for him."