Titans look to bounce back against Little Green

The members of the Nashua High School North football team like being on the field no matter the situation.

That includes the second half of a game that the Titans are losing by multiple scores.

North trailed Pinkerton by 41 points at the break of last week’s game, but coach Jason Robie was pleasantly surprised to see his team ready to get back on the field for the final 24 minutes.

“Our kids never quit,” Robie said. “They couldn’t wait to get back out on to the field, which is a credit to them. A lot of kids in a lot of years would have hung their heads. They wanted to get back out there and play, I think because a lot of them have bought into the things this coaching staff is trying to teach them. You’ve got to get back up on your feet.”

Robie and the Titans knew what they were up against in Pinkerton, and the Astros certainly didn’t disappoint.

“That’s a very good football team,” Robie said. “You can just see that their kids know what they’re doing and what the expectations are within the framework of their system. The most impressive thing was the way they got people to the football. You have to be on top of your game and play a perfect game if you want to have a shot.”

North (1-1 in Division I, 2-1 overall) goes on the road this week to take on Manchester Central, and although the Titans’ know the Little Green is another formidable opponent, Robie thinks his team will be ready.

“I think they have every confidence in the world that they’re going to be able to compete,” he said. “Winning our first couple of games really built some confidence. Now we’ve got Manchester Central, who runs and throws the ball extremely well. They’re a pretty good football team. We have to play a near-flawless game if we want to be in the game. The kids know that.”

Central (1-1, 2-1) is coming off a 28-14 win over Concord in which it scored two special teams touchdowns, including a 71-yard punt return by Jared Chandler.

Chandler, who was the Little Green’s starting quarterback a season ago, fills a number of roles for Central, while Riley Cote has stepped right in at quarterback and hasn’t missed a beat.

“They’re getting both kids on the field now,” Robie said. “The Chandler kid, he’s a returner, they run the Wildcat with him, he’s a slot receiver on a lot of formations. You have to account for him in a lot of positions. That quarterback is pretty solid. He throws a nice ball. He’s more of a drop-back kind of kid, where Chanlder was more of a roll-out (quarterback).”

Cote’s accuracy makes Central’s passing game tough to defend and the Titans will need to realize they can’t get discouraged if the Little Green find ways to beat North’s coverage.

“Sometimes there’s nothing you can do,” Robie said. “(Cote) zips it in there right on the numbers. That can be frustrating as a defense.

“Hopefully we can cover close enough to make some plays. From a defensive standpoint, it’s similar to last week, we can’t focus on any one thing. We have to have the entire game plan accounted for all the time. I know they’ll be ready for us.”

North and Central will kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday at Gill Stadium.