PELHAM, NH — Against an average opponent, getting off to a slow start can pose problems.
Against a juggernaut like Pelham High, it’s fatal.
Manchester West fell behind, 13-0, before the game was five minutes old and never recovered, falling to the four-time defending state champs, 35-0, in a Division II quarterfinal, Friday night.
Pelham has now won 50 of its last 51 games. Three weeks ago, Trinity stunned Pelham, 41-28, ending the Pythons’ 47-game win streak. If Trinity can get past Bow on Saturday, Pelham will have its chance at revenge in the D-II semifinals next weekend.
The night got off to an inauspicious start for West, as it’s team bus got lost on the way to Pelham and arrived late.
Things didn’t improve once the game began. West was whistled for illegal procedure on its opening kickoff and on the re-kick, Pelham senior Justin Bowlan took a reverse handoff and raced 70 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
After a three-and-out on West’s opening possession, Pelham marched 30 yards in six plays, with Junior MacKinnon (10 carries, 66 yards) plowing into the end zone from three yards out to push the lead to 13-0.
”When you’re facing really good teams, you have to take care of the ball but I thought we made some really good plays tonight,” said West Head Coach Andrew Provencher. “They’re a very good team and their coach is on the best in the state. We just had to do a little bit more against them, early, to be effective.”
Wesr hurt itself with three turnovers and six penalties for 62 yards.
The Blue Knights showed their first signs of life when Jacob Eli-Henry bulled his way through the line and blocked the extra point try.
West’s defense began to stiffen, forcing a missed field goal attempt on Pelham’s next possession. The Blue Knights then forced a fumble by Bowlan, which was recovery linebacker Nono Omol in the second quarter.
With a little momentum on its side, West began moving the ball, picking up its first two first downs of the game, thanks to the running of Ke’Shawn Foster (13 carries, 63 yards).
The Blue Knights drove to the Pelham 40, but the drive came to a screeching halt when a pass from Gio Doria was intercepted by Pelham’s Brady Williams. Doria finished 7 of 18 for 56 yards.
”That was a tough play, there was a bit of a miscommunication,” said Provencher. “But there are a lot of plays during the course of a game, I don’t think you can point to just one.”
Pelham wasted little time taking advantage, with Bowlan scoring on a 31-yard run. Later, Nathan Migliore added a 15-yard scoring run just before halftime to put the Pythons up 28-0 at the break.