High School Football: On a festive night in Goffstown, Philbrook lights it up
Sep. 2—GOFFSTOWN — No NHIAA football program entered the 2023 season hungrier for a victory than Goffstown High School. The Grizzlies went 0-10 last season and were seeking their first win since the 2021 playoffs — a stretch of 11 consecutive losses — when they took the field against Nashua South on Friday night.
It was a festive night at Goffstown, which added lights and a turf surface on its football field in the offseason. There was even pizza and cookies available in the school's new press box.
The football team did its part by earning a 33-20 victory that capped what must have been a memorable night for the home team and its fans.
"Felt good," Goffstown senior running back/defensive back Gavin Philbrook said. "We really needed it. The spark's there."
Philbrook should know about that spark, since he provided it. Philbrook returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown that put Goffstown up 25-6.
Philbrook capped Goffstown's first offensive possession with a 9-yard touchdown run, and also intercepted a pass in the end zone when South was trying to pull within a touchdown late in the game.
"Returning kickoffs is probably one of my favorite parts about football," Philbrook said. "I saw the hole, hit it, made a few cuts and scored. Felt great."
Philbrook also returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Bishop Guertin last season.
"I'm just so proud of our kids ... I'm just so happy for them," Goffstown coach Nick Hammond said. "To endure everything they endured last year, have a great offseason, really buy into everything that we're doing and come out here tonight and play well is a really, really good thing for Goffstown football. Can't tell you how happy I am for them."
South received two TD passes from sophomore quarterback Cody Jackson, who also scored on a 6-yard run, but the Grizzlies intercepted three passes. South started seven sophomores on each side of the ball.
"That's who we are," Nashua South coach Scott Knight said. "A sophomore-junior dominated team. They're talented. We just have to learn how to perform in games.
"The kickoff was a killer," Knight added. "Just didn't seem like we could win any of the money downs on defense tonight."
South would have started another sophomore, but Joshua Tripp — the team's leading receiver last year as a freshman — was sidelined with an ankle injury. Knight said Tripp could return as early as next weekend.
"He would have helped us tonight for sure," Knight said.
Junior quarterback Jay Pares also had a productive game for the Grizzlies. He threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Hastings and scored on a 1-yard run. His TD run came one play after he scrambled to pick up 36 yards.
Goffstown's other TD came on a 2-yard run by Will Patenaude late in the third quarter.
The outcome didn't seem certain until Philbrook, who battled cramps in both calves during the game, returned to the field and intercepted a Jackson pass with 31 seconds to play.
"We've been talking about this game since summer workouts," Philbrook said. "It feels great. We really needed this win."
