Nashua North looks for ways to slow down Salem

A young Nashua High School North football team might be a whole lot younger on Saturday.

That doesn’t bode well against a Salem team that features one of the best players in the state in Jerickson Fedrick. The two teams will meet Saturday at 3 p.m. at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.

Federick has put on a show in most games this season. The Blue Devils senior had six touchdowns – four rushing, two kickoff returns – against Manchester Central. Against Manchester Memorial, Federick had another four scores, including a 67-yard interception return.

So how do the Titans slow Federick down? The best way might be by doing what they do.

“We’re not strong in any one area defensively so we can put all of our focus on him, or not on him,” North coach Jason Robie said. “We need to know where he is, but in that offense he’s easy to find.  That’s a talented team. They have backs that you can insert into the system and they can do some good things. He’s of key concern. But if you put nine guys in the box, you’re vulnerable to other things. We’ve got to be sound to keep us in the game.”

North (1-2 in Division I, 2-2 overall) will be without starting quarterback Taylor Miranda, who suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to Central. Top running back Marc Lavine, who injured an ankle against the Little Green, will be a game-time decision.

“Marc is day-to-day,” Robie said. “If the game were (Thursday), it’d be a no-go. The good news is that Marc’s x-rays came back negative. If he still continues to have pain, they’ll probably have to take another look, but as of right now, he’s day-to-day.”

Quarterbacks Alex Pappas and Brandon Martin split reps in practice this week for the Titans, while Robie says the running back will be done by “committee.”

“We’ve got a number of kids who have gotten equal touches at practice,” he said.

No matter who steps in, it will be tough for the Titans to overcome the potential loss of two senior captains.

“There’s a reason why they’re captains,” Robie said. “It’s for the things they do not only on the field, but off the field. And on the field, they’re the guys. When those guys are in the game, we move the ball fairly effectively.”

Salem (2-1, 3-1) has given up a lot of points this season, surrendering an average of 37 in divisional games so far. But any points the Titans get will be tough to come by.

“Any team in the state, if you take away their starting quarterback and their best running back, what does that team look like?” Robie said. “We don’t have the depth that we’ve had in the past and that hurts you. That definitely has an effect on us.”