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# More to Windham football's victory than just offensive outburst
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/windham-footballs-victory-just-offensive-outburst/
- Published: 2017-09-05T12:00:26.000Z
- Updated: 2017-09-05T12:00:26.000Z
- Description: When a football team scores five touchdowns in the first half of a game, it's hard not to look at the offense as being the reason. But for the Windham High School football team, a lot of that success on offense Saturday came from a defense that was playing at midseason form. The Jaguars moved the ba
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division II, football, Hollis Brookline, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

When a football team scores five touchdowns in the first half of a game, it's hard not to look at the offense as being the reason.

But for the Windham High School football team, a lot of that success on offense Saturday came from a defense that was playing at midseason form.

The Jaguars moved the ball almost whenever they wanted to - they faced just four third downs among the 35 offensive plays run in the first half - and they put up 35 points in the first 24 minutes of a 49-18 home win over Hollis Brookline.

But of the eight first-half possessions for Windham, five started on HB's side of midfield, and four of those ended in touchdowns. The Windham defense repeatedly set the offense up with great field position, while at the same time keeping itself off the field for any extended length of time.

"They were kind of relentless and we didn’t do a good job when they started to stack those linebackers to the outside," HB coach Chris Lones said of the Windham defense. "We’re aggressive and sometimes that comes back to bite you. I trust that these kids are going to make a play and that’s how we practice and how we play. Sometimes you pay a price. We didn’t make those plays."

Windham recorded 10 sacks on the day, forcing fumbles on two of them, and while the Cavaliers ended up with 214 yards of offense, 124 of that came on their final two drives of the game. HB also lost senior quarterback Joey Delaney to injury on its seventh offensive play of the game.

"Defensively, to keep a high-powered offense like that, regardless of who is at quarterback, out of the end zone, says a lot for where our program is," Windham coach Bill Raycraft said.

The difference really came in the first quarter, when HB ran just 17 plays, gained 29 yards - or 1.7 yards per play - and had the ball for 4:50, an average of just 58 seconds per possession.

"It’s huge because it deflates a team," Raycraft said. "They know they didn’t make the plays they should have when they’re on offense, then to turn around and give it up on defense, it’s demoralizing.

"That’s what we want. In years past, it was the onside kick, where we score and get the ball right back. Here, it’s a defensive stop and we’re able to get into the end zone. Those are the things that we want."

While Windham was able to get pressure on backup quarterback Sander Wimmer, who was making his first varsity appearance, the Jaguars put a lot of the focus on defense to contain receiver Matt Simco. Although the senior finished with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, the scores came on the final two drives of the game.

Cody Stevens drew the assignment of covering Simco most of the time, and on passing downs, the Jaguars shaded a safety over to that side of the field. At one point, they had someone lining up on Simco's side of the field, 20 yards deep.

"He’s a stud and he’s going to have a ton of touchdowns this year," Raycraft said of Simco. "He deserves it. He’s that type of player. Coach (Jack) Byrne had a couple of things lined up to give us some coverage, and some help on him. If we can slow down someone’s best player, that allows us to feast on other people."

HB will try to bounce back from the loss when it hosts Sanborn Friday in its annual night game. Windham also plays Friday at Milford.