Holland leads Nashua South football past Alvirne
HUDSON – Both the Nashua South and Alvrine high school football teams are in transitional seasons this year, and both teams came into Friday’s game looking to get their seasons going in a positive direction.
The difference in the game was that Nashua South had Sean Holland at quarterback and Alvirne didn’t.
The South junior had almost three hundred yards of offense and accounted for three touchdowns as the Panthers beat Alvirne 34-14 in a Division I West conference matchup.
Holland had 151 yards and two touchdowns through the air and rushed for another 141 yards and another score, while Myles Johnson added 66 yards and a touchdown for South (2-1).
The contest in Hudson started out in unusual fashion. Alvirne deferred the kickoff to South and attempted an onside kick on the opening kickoff, recovering possession of the ball. The game then took a defensive form, with three consecutive three and outs between the two teams.
When the Panthers got the ball back, they gave it to Holland and let him play. He drove the Panthers down field and got them on the board with a touchdown pass to Max Osgood on fourth down. The Panthers continued to extend their lead with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Holland to Derek Downing.
Alvirne got on the board midway through the second quarter with a run-powered drive, topped by a 12-yard touchdown run by senior Mason Miller. But the Broncos (0-3) missed the point after, and surrendered more points before the half ended.
South moved the ball downfield, helped by a 40-yard run by Holland, and capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Johnson. The Panthers went into the half with a 21-6 lead.
After a three and out, and a turnover on downs, Alvirne got the ball back and drove the ball down field, again powered by the running game. A 20-yard run by Miller got them going and then capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run and converted a two-point conversion to make it a one-score game.
This was the closest the Broncos have been late in a game this season and their crowd wanted a win badly. But Holland and the Panthers had a different plan.
After a 74-yard drive and a 1-yard touchdown by Johnson, the score went back to two possessions despite the extra point missing. Alvirne couldn’t keep the game close late, and ran out of steam. Holland put the game away with a 23-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
Miller had 77 yards, two touchdowns, and a two-point conversion to lead the Alvirne offense.
Alvirne will return to action next week on the road at Portsmouth at 7 p.m. Nashua South next plays at home against cross town rival Nashua North at 7 p.m.
