Football Notebook: Bishop Guertin clearing a path to victory

Bishop Guertin High School quarterback Matt Santosuosso can score from anywhere on the field. That is a statement repeated time and again by coaches in the West Conference. Actually, those words have been spoken by coaches throughout Division I.

Santosuosso didn’t hesitate with a response to such praise.

“It’s all on the line,” the junior signal caller said. “If those guys aren’t getting it done up front, then I don’t have time to throw. If our offensive line isn’t doing the things they are supposed to do, then I have no room to run. Charlie (Bellavance) would have no room to run. Without those guys playing their best, our offense wouldn’t be operating as well as it has been.”

Finding room to run has not been a problem for Santosuosso, who has gone over 100 yards rushing in all four Cardinals games, including wins over Keene and Salem, and a loss to Londonderry. Even with the QB’s success, it was a breakout game by junior running back Charlie Bellavance that really put the spotlight on the five guys up front.

In Week 4’s 48-35 win over Merrimack at Stellos Stadium, Bellavance rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. In that same game, Santosuosso scampered for 166 yards and two scores – he’d add a third TD as a receiver.

“It’s amazing to have Charlie as our lead running back,” Santosuosso said. “He’s big. He’s fast. He hits the hole hard, and he’s definitely a playmaker. Without the line going as hard as they do, neither one of us would be able to make some of the runs we have. Those guys are working so well together. They are athletic and not afraid to hit. They’re making all the holes for us to run through.”

Under the guidance of their new offensive line coach, Jack Messinger, the Cardinals’ offensive line is firing on all cylinders from senior left tackle CJ Junod to junior right tackle Jakob Baker. Sandwiched between them is junior left guard Zach Connerty, senior center Matt Ha and junior right guard Rocco Geraci.

Messinger, a longtime friend of fourth-year BG head coach John Trisciani from their days playing football together at Manchester Memorial, has been coaching college ball in recent years.

After four years as student assistant to the offensive line at Merrimack College, he spent six seasons (2012-17) as an assistant coach at Division III Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham where he worked primarily with the offensive line, and he’s spent the last few years as an assistant at Division III University of New England. A new job that didn’t afford him the time to stay in the college ranks opened the door for a stint at BG with his longtime friend.

The reunion has been spectacular.

“We feel Jack is as good as anybody out there,” Trisciani said. “I’m not sure you’ll find a better coach working with the offensive line. The linemen are buying in to his methods. They’re taking in all the knowledge he has and he’s getting the most out of each and every one of them. He’s helped a lot with the offensive game plans, and I think the kids have responded to somebody who knows exactly what’s going on and is going to help put them in a position to be successful. So it’s been a good experience, and they’re just really seeing the dividends.”

In nine years at BG, five as an assistant and now his fourth as head coach, Trisciani is witnessing a rebirth of the Cardinals’ ground game.

“We’re still trying to find the best way to utilize the players we’ve got, and trying to figure out how this offense is going to kind of evolve,” Trisciani said. “But we’ve never run the ball like this since I’ve been here. We’ve never really been able to consistently run the ball. A lot of it has to do with the clientele.

“It’s a small school. We get a lot of skill position kids. There’s not a lot of big linemen in the past. You know, we’d get a couple, but we rarely get size. These guys are big and athletic. All these kids are returning from last year, so they’re all a little bit bigger, a little bit better and a little more confident.”

That’s exactly what Baker, a captain, is feeling with his linemates, who haven’t allowed a sack yet this season.

“Every kid on that line with me is so tough and we’re all working really hard,” Baker said. “We all work together really well. Our team chemistry is the best I’ve ever seen. We never get in arguments or fights, and we’re always helping each other out. Nobody is perfect, but if one of us makes a mistake we’re all there to pick up our teammate and move forward. I thinks that’s the key to our line and our team overall.”

As for Coach Messinger’s immediate impact with the 3-1 Cardinals?

“Oh, man. Coach Mess is amazing,” Baker said. “He fully changed our line with tons of stuff, and I really think that’s a main factor to why our line is performing so well. Everyone listens to him because he has that college knowledge. He has years of experience playing and teaching the position. The information and training he’s given us is paying off.”

Down the stretch Baker and Co. are hoping that payoff turns into a playoff berth.

With Nashua South (1-3) Friday, Nashua North (3-1) next week and Pinkerton Academy (3-1) the week after, the trenches will be where games are won.

“We know how important these next three games are,” Baker said. “We have a tough schedule playing in the West and having games with the South Conference. Nothing comes easy. We know what we have to do. It will all come down to execution and we’ll have to be at our best on the line to keep this going.”

By the numbers: Points allowed

You want a crazy statistic? How about looking at points allowed through four weeks of action. Three teams have allowed 171 points or more through four games.

Leading the way with 175 points allowed is Nashua South. The Panthers have allowed 40 or more points in three of their four games, including a season-opening 62-36 loss at home to preseason favorite Salem. South followed that up with a 43-0 loss at Londonderry and a 28-26 loss at Merrimack, before securing its first win of the season a week ago against crosstown rival Nashua North, 43-42. South (1-3) takes the field again tonight at Stellos Stadium against Bishop Guertin (3-1). BG is coming off a 48-point effort in a win over Merrimack a week ago.

Franklin is next up, allowing just one point less at 174. The Golden Tornadoes’ defense has allowed 50 or more points in all but one game. Franklin opened the season with back-to-back losses – 52-0 on the road in Raymond and 50-0 at home to Epping-Newmarket. The Golden Tornadoes offense put up its first points in Week 3 against a powerhouse and defending-champion Newport team, but still came up on the wrong end of a lopsided score of 54-8. Franklin’s latest loss wasn’t as harsh, losing 18-0 at home to Newfound. Friday in Week 5 action, Franklin (0-4) visits a Somersworth (2-1) team that has put up points in its last two games, beating Mascoma Valley 49-8 and Bishop Brady 58-7 after a season-opening 24-7 loss to Newport.

Rounding out the top three is Hollis Brookline with 171 points allowed. The Cavaliers opened with 12-6 win over Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton at home. It’s been a different story the last three weeks. HB has dropped three straight – 77-28 at Lebanon, 50-8 at Souhegan and 38-14 to visiting Milford. HB (1-3) takes the field again Friday with a trip to Manchester to face West (2-2), which has scored 39 and 40 points in the last two weeks. The Blue Knights have rebounded nicely from big home losses to Lebanon, 60-14, and Hanover, 35-14, over the first two games. West beat John Stark 39-30 and HDH 40-24 heading into the matchup with visiting HB.

Timberlane tackling hunger in Plaistow area

The Timberlane Regional football and cheer captains participated in the WMUR NH Tackles Hunger program, shopping for and purchasing more than $500 worth of food for the TRHS Food Bank. While the Owls are not able to collect canned goods this year at home games, they are asking the community to help by donating to the online link. Donations will be split between three local food banks within the community. Donate by going to https://nhfoodbank.org/nh-tackles-hunger/ and typing Timberlane in the required comment box.

Quick Hits

• Nashua South running back Josh Compoh carried the ball 35 times for 226 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 43-42 upset over crosstown rival Nashua North in Week 4 Division I action.
• Goffstown hadn’t played in two weeks due to a COVID pause at Manchester Central and Memorial that forced a cancellation of games scheduled for Sept. 11 and 17. The Grizzlies hit the ground running out of their brief hibernation, led by Aaron Duval (20 carries, 129 yards, two touchdowns) and Peyton Strickland (eight catches, 132 yards, two touchdowns) in a 28-7 win over Bedford. Strickland, a tight end, also saw time at quarterback, during which he completed a 50-yard pass and ran for 27 more yards.
• Portsmouth-Oyster River quarterback Will Hindle threw for a 146 yards and pair of touchdowns on 10 completions, and rushed for three more scores on 108 yards to lead the ClipperCats in a 48-28 win over Concord last week.
• Somersworth steamrolled Bishop Brady 58-7 in Week 4, courtesy the three-headed monster also known as Jeff DeKorne, Calvin Lambert and Tayshawn Sheppard. Dekorne had 207 all-pupose yards and three touchdowns. Lambert rushed for two TDs and a 2-point conversion on 171 yards. Sheppard had 161 all-purpose yards with a TD and 2-pointer of his own.
• Monadnock kept its unbeaten record intact in Week 4, improving to 3-0, with a 45-0 win over Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough. Ethan Jarvis was a two-way standout for the Huskies, recording a sack and fumble recovery as a linebacker, and taking 17 carries for 201 yards and three touchdowns as a running back.

George Scione writes for NH-HighSchoolSports.com and has covered high school sports in New Hampshire since 1995. To report standout gridiron performances, or offer ideas for the football notebook, send an email to scioneg@gmail.com.