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Salem overcomes loss of Fedrick to down Nashua North

NASHUA – What began as another slugfest between two high-scoring, familiar rivals, ended in a Salem rout. And the Blue Devils did it without arguably the state’s best player.

Salem allowed a long scoring drive on the game’s opening possession, then scored the next five touchdowns to run past Nashua North 34-14 yesterday at Stellos Stadium.

The 48 total points were a far cry from what these teams have put up the past two seasons. The Blue Devils (3-1 Division 1, 4-1 overall) won both of the previous two games by a combined 121-87, and it looked like another offensive explosion was in the works yesterday.

Nashua North (1-3, 2-3) ran for 66 yards on the game’s first two plays from scrimmage and needed only five plays to go 80 yards and grab the early lead on a 12-yard pass from Alex Pappas to Kyle Regan.

“Once they scored, we realized we couldn’t afford another loss and couldn’t afford to let another team just run over us like that again,” defensive back Abner Rodriguez said in reference to a 49-14 loss to Pinkerton a week earlier. “We just had to buckle down, push them back and score.”

Salem responded less than 2 ½ minutes later when Mike Downing’s 3-yard run capped a 44-yard drive and it appeared the fireworks were just beginning.

But the Blue Devils defense shut down the Titans most of the remainder of the game. After allowing those 66 yards on two carries, Salem surrendered only 33 on the following 19 attempts.

“What we practiced all week with our defensive ends, we totally forgot about,” Salem coach Jack Gati said. “Then we made an adjustment and the kids did a nice job. We started doing it the right way and played better defense.”

Salem’s offense could have been in trouble midway through its second possession when running back Jerickson Fedrick left the field with a hip injury and didn’t return the rest of the game. But the Blue Devils used great field position and rode the legs of Rodriguez.

“With Jerickson out it was a whole team effort,” Gati said. “Our line played well, and the backs did a productive job running the ball.”

The Blue Devils began each of their first seven possessions on Nashua North’s side of the 50, and each of their five scoring drives were of 48 yards or shorter, including one of 13 and another of 15 set up with interceptions by Ricky LaRhette and Joseph Lemenager.

Rodriguez finished with 83 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Quarterback Jonathan Soldano, who connected on six of seven attempts, added a 24-yard scoring pass to Ryan Decker.

“It was a new experience,” Rodriguez said of being the lead back. “I’m used to running a lot, but with Jerickson out we had to make up for him. I have to give a shout out to my line because without them we’d be nothing.”