Football Notebook: Cancellations lead to must-win situations

Manchester West’s Tom Bozoian and Monadnock’s Rob Lotito find themselves in similar, yet very different, positions courtesy of COVID-19 and the protective protocols instituted by their school districts and the NHIAA.

Both head coaches were looking at bettering their team’s playoff positioning as game day approached in Week 7. Now as Week 8 kicks off Friday, neither team appears in great position for a playoff berth at all.

Already having lost one game earlier in the season when the Kearsarge program was hit with COVID, Monadnock was forced to cancel its Week 7 home game against Winnisquam for similar reasons despite no student athletes testing positive.

According to Lotito there was a staffing issue at the school, which paused in-school classes for four days from Tuesday through Friday the week of Oct. 10. That decision to go remote forced the school to shut down extra curricular activities until the following Monday. An effort was made to reschedule the Winnisquam game for that Monday, Oct. 18, but Lotito says the offer was rejected by Winnisquam because according to Lotito there was a transportation issue.

“All we asked Winnisquam to do was move the game to Monday,” Lotito said. “Our AD reached out to Winnisquam and their AD says ‘Nope, I can’t travel on Monday.’”

Issues surrounding bus driver shortages affecting schools have been widely reported nationwide, causing problems with securing busses during regular school hours and for extra curricular activities.

“I don’t know what the situation is, but I would have went there to play them,” Lotito said. “We need that game. Between Kearsarge and that we have a big mountain in front of us. I’m no idiot, but if we do beat Pelham and Stevens I don’t think we even make it. I don’t think there’s a way for us to get in the playoffs now. We’d be a half a point to a point short on the ratings system. Losing those two games really hurt us.”

Right now, Lotito is taking the win-out approach with his players. These last two games – at undefeated Pelham (6-0) on Friday and hosting Stevens (3-4) on Oct. 29 – are playoff games for the Huskies (3-2).

“If we win out I think we deserve to be in,” Lotito said. “If we don’t win out we don’t deserve it. The kids know what’s going on. They know we have to win out to even make an argument. Basically my kids are looking at it the same way I am – these are playoff games.”

For Bozoian, that’s exactly how his West squad is looking at the situation.

Coming off a four-game win streak, the Blue Knights were forced to cancel their Week 7 game at Milford and this week’s home game against Souhegan. West’s football program was shut down Oct. 15, the day of its game with Milford, due to a COVID cluster designation.

A cluster is defined as three or more individuals on the same team testing positive or being in close contact with a teammate who tests positive. It’s a situation that had already hit Manchester Memorial and Manchester Central this fall.

“You can’t exactly fault anybody for this, because it’s nobody’s fault,” Bozoian said. “We did everything. We bent over backwards to try and keep this stuff away, but you just can’t do it.

“And it’s random kids. It’s not all the kids that are always hanging out together,” Bozoian continued. “My opinion is they’re in school, so that’s different from last year. Last year they were remote, so I’m glad they’re all back in school, but, at the same time, that could be adding to it. I mean they have masks on in school, but who knows.”

Now West (4-2) takes its 10-day break from action – unable to resume team activities until Oct. 25 – with playoff hopes resting on its regular-season finale at Bow (2-3) on Oct. 30 at 2 p.m.

“It’s going to come down to us or Bow for that eighth seed,” Bozoian said. “It’s basically a play-in game.”

Thanksgiving Football

Nashua cancels 2021 Turkey Bowl

There will be no holiday football game between Nashua North and Nashua South this year. The annual Thanksgiving festivities are officially canceled for this fall due to continued concerns surrounding COVID.

There will be no Turkey Bowl at Stellos Stadium on the night before Thanksgiving or on the actual holiday. Nashua School District’s Director of Athletics Lisa Gingras made the announcement in a press release distributed on Oct. 15.

“After thoughtful consideration the difficult decision has been made not to play the Nashua North vs. Nashua South football game at Thanksgiving this November. There will be no game Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Though some individuals may be disappointed that the traditional game will not be played again this year, the health and safety of our students, staff, and their families is first and foremost.

“The cancellation of the Nashua Holiday Stroll was the first indication that this football game could be in jeopardy again this year. As COVID numbers continue to rise in the Nashua community, putting our students, staff, and their families in an atmosphere where many spectators may have travelled from other parts of the country to attend the game while visiting family in Nashua seems like a needless risk. We want everyone to remain safe and healthy during their holiday season and into the winter athletic season. Thank you for your patience as we worked through this difficult decision.”

Playmakers

• Salem running back Tommy Ahlers carried the ball 10 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 68-yard score with 7:37 remaining in the game, as the Blue Devils edged defending Division I champion Nashua North 35-28 last Friday night. His other TD runs were from 10 and 59 yards out.
• Souhegan freshman quarterback Romy Jain completed all but two pass attempts, throwing for 188 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Sabers past Hanover 27-20. He was 12 of 14 through the air, and those touchdowns were 16, 17 and 18 on the season for the first-year starter.
• Merrimack scored itself a big 48-27 win over Windham in Week 7. The Tomahawks were led by Reimello Hyde, who rushed for 213 yards and scored five touchdowns, and Kyle Crampton, who threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

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.