RallyNorth.net

Salem snaps two-game slide

Saturday, October, 18 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

SALEM, N.H. — Maybe Nashua North was too tricky for its own good.

Rallying from a two-touchdown deficit in the final eight minutes, the Titans drew to within one point with 22 seconds to play. They then lined up for an extra-point kick to tie the game and force overtime.

But a quick shift, indicating a two-point try, seemed to surprise host Salem and left Titans’ senior Sean Coughlin all alone in the end zone. With Blue Devils’ senior Darren Brown applying some pressure, however, quarterback Nick Guest overthrew Coughlin, handing the game to Salem.

“I wasn’t thinking shift at all,” said Salem linebacker Mike Rocheleau. “I would have gone for overtime. ... they caught us off guard a little.”

Said Salem coach Jack Gati, whose team snapped a two-game losing streak: “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. They definitely had the guy open.”

Salem improved to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in Division 1 to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“This was a big win for us,” said Rocheleau. “We’ve been making too many mistakes, and we had to have this one.”

With starter Chris Najem out with an injury, and the offense sputtering early in the second half, Gati gave Rocheleau the ball and he responded big time. He carried 10 times for 89 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half.

The score came in the fourth quarter after Tom Tarallo had intercepted a Nashua North pass on the 1-yard-line.

That set up a 99-yard drive to put Salem ahead 21-7 with 7:58 to play following a two-point run by quarterback Matt Cannone.

Rocheleau, who had rarely touched the ball on offense prior to last night, gained 43 yards on the drive.

But the cushion didn’t prove sufficient.

The Titans (3-4), thanks partly to a 9-yard Salem punt, scored twice to set up the decisive two-point try.

Salem had looked impressive to open the game, scoring on two long drives with senior receiver Cory Lavallee (5 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD) leading the way.

The Blue Devils seemed to have stopped North’s only drive of the first half at the 7-yard-line, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a missed field goal try gave it another chance. The Titans turned it into a short TD run to make it 13-7 at halftime.

Jharid Pratt played a strong game on defense for Salem and Jake Matthews joined Tarallo with an interception.

“We’re certainly happy to get the win, but we’re still making too many mistakes,” said Gati.