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# Windham football continuing to work its way through education of D1
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/windham-football-continuing-to-work-its-way-through-education-of-d1/
- Published: 2018-10-01T21:00:33.000Z
- Updated: 2018-10-01T21:00:33.000Z
- Description: Bill Raycraft may have been to Londonderry High School before his Windham football team played there on Saturday, but there were plenty of Jaguars who never had. In fact, every road game Windham has played this year has been a learning experience off the field, never mind on it.
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, Londonderry, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

Bill Raycraft may have been to Londonderry High School before his Windham football team played there on Saturday, but there were plenty of Jaguars who never had.

In fact, every road game Windham has played this year has been a learning experience off the field, never mind on it.

"It sounds silly, but just showing up to a new school and trying to figure out where you get off the bus is the first challenge," Raycraft said. "Then you’ve got the band the size of our freshmen class."

Windham got to see just how big that Londonderry band is when it lined up across the back of their end zone in the final minutes of the first half. It's just another among several new things the Jaguars have had to get used to this year.

After Saturday's 35-23 loss to the Lancers, Windham finds itself in a position it hasn't been in a while. At 2-3 and fourth place in the Division I South Conference, the Jaguars would be out of the playoffs if the postseason started this week, something that has only happened once in program history, back in 2010, the program's first varsity season.

"Like I told the guys though, if we had stayed in Division II, I don’t know how satisfying it would be as here," Raycraft said. "It is a challenge for the coaches. The kids are working hard. You want to be on the winning side, but if you can hang with these teams, it speaks volumes for where the program is."

Windham's three losses have been by an average of 7.7 points, against three teams - Winnacunnet, Exeter and Londonderry - that were all in the playoffs a season ago.

While the Jaguars' two wins have looked like games they would experienced in D2, in which they outscored Spaulding and Dover 93-0, it's been a season-long lesson on what the players can and can't get away with against their new opponents.

With Windham back to punt on its first possession, Londonderry's Jake Holland was the lone player rushing the kick, but he was still able to come in untouched and blocked the kick by Cody Stevens, and then return it for a 28-yard touchdown.

Holland was at it again on special teams, returning a short kickoff 75 yards for a score in the second quarter. The reason the kickoff was short was because Windham's Christopher Burke had to kick from his own 25 after the Jaguars were called for a personal foul on a retaliatory late hit after scoring a touchdown.

The Jaguars first drive of the second saw them throw an incomplete pass on first down and then get called for a false start on second - twice. Windham eventually fumbled on the drive, leading to a Londonderry touchdown that made it 35-9 Lancers just 1:03 into the third quarter.

"There’s teams you can get away with mistakes and you’re fine," Raycraft said. "There’s teams that you can’t and they capitalize on those mistakes. That was evident (Saturday). They’re a young group. We’ve got a great senior class. I think they’re going to take the leadership."

There's still time for Windham to bounce back and still make it to the postseason, but it will require wins over Salem on Friday and Pinkerton on Oct. 19.