High School Football: QB Aubin, Dover storm into Tom Daubney Field
Sep. 14—Portsmouth/Oyster River head coach Brian Pafford and Dover head coach Eric Cumba both know they're coaching good football teams this season. How good? Apparently, that's still a gray area.
"Honestly, I have no idea," Pafford said. "I think we're solid up front. I don't know if we can be the running team we were in the first week and, in my mind, not so sure we can be the passing team we were last week. Until we play somebody (strong) I don't know what we are."
Cumba said he expects to learn a lot more about his team when Dover (1-0-1) travels to play Portsmouth/Oyster River (2-0) Friday night at Tom Daubney Field.
"I think I know what we have and what we're trending toward, but I think having that initial test will kind of clear some things up for us," Cumba said. "It's tough to say where we stand in terms of Division I, but I think we have a chance to be pretty good. I guess that's the best way to put it.
"We're experienced. We have a bunch of kids who have played a ton of football for us. They're comfortable in our systems. Overall, our athleticism is very good. The ability for us to move some pieces around because they're advanced and adjust things as needed makes life much easier as a coach."
The Portsmouth/Oyster River-Dover matchup looks like the best game on this week's Division I schedule. The ClipperCats are ranked No. 4 in the Union Leader Power Poll. Dover is No. 6.
Cumba said this is the most talented team he's had in his five years as the program's head coach. He described Portsmouth/Oyster River as an "extremely physical" football team.
"They're going to beat you up, especially in their front eight defensively and on the offensive line," he said. "They want to beat you up on both sides of the ball. They're definitely much improved from a year ago."
Cumba said running back/cornerback Brady McInnes has been a solid two-way player for the Green Wave. He also said that he's been pleased by how the team's offensive line has played so far this season.
Portsmouth/Oyster River has yet to be tested. The ClipperCats beat Spaulding 40-6 in Week 1, and followed that with a 42-0 victory over Winnacunnet. Dover opened with a 35-0 win against Winnacunnet, and had last Friday's game against Sanford, Maine, canceled by weather in the first half with the score tied, 7-7.
Split end/slot receiver Angus Moss caught six passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in Portsmouth/Oyster River's victory over Winnacunnet. He also ran for a 43-yard TD.
Pafford said right now the ClipperCats are better on defense than they are on offense. Although the sample size is small, he added that he's been impressed by what he's seen of Dover, especially quarterback Ryder Aubin.
"I think they're really good," he said. "They're big up front. I've never seen (QB Danny Black) from Bedford except on TV, but I think Aubin (Dover quarterback Ryder Aubin) is definitely the best quarterback playing in New Hampshire that I've seen in person. He can throw. He can run. He's elusive. He's strong, and he's got weapons to throw to."
Last week's weather wreaked havoc on the NHIAA football schedule. Some games were postponed, others began but were finished on another day, and some didn't finish at all.
Bishop Brady's 22-16 victory over Winnisquam was one of those that ended early. Bishop Brady coach Rob Clauss said his team had the ball with seven minutes to play when the game was called because of extreme heat.
Winnisquam coach David Allar said he didn't agree with the decision and asked Winnisquam school officials to request that the game be completed.
"We weren't playing on turf and I just don't understand how it was OK to play at 2:30 and 3, but not 3:30," he said. "There were some kids cramping, but that's always a part of football. I figured they were going to give the kids an extra-long water break. I've never seen a game end like that and I've been coaching for 32 years."
Ending games early is rare, since even non-competitive games are completed with running time. Who is allowed to call a game seems unclear. Some coaches said it can be done if both coaches agree, other coaches said each school's athletic director has to be involved and yet another coach said he thought it was supposed to be handled by each school's principal.
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Pelham will attempt to extend the program's winning streak to 33 games when it plays John Stark (2-0) at home tonight. Heading into the weekend, here are the longest active winning streaks in the country:
53: Andale (Kansas)
52: John Milledge Academy (Milledgeville, Georgia)
36: Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio)
34: Indianapolis Lutheran
33: Fall River (McArthur, California)
32: Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg, Maryland)
32: Pellham (New Hampshire)
30: Caldwell (West Caldwell, New Jersey)
29: Bennington (Nebraska)
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Manchester Memorial played without quarterback Connor McFarland for most of the second half of last Friday's 45-7 loss to Salem, but Memorial coach Rob Stugis said he expects McFarland to play in tonight's game at Winnacunnet.
McFarland rushed for 48 yards on 10 carries before he left the Salem game with a hand injury.
"Looks like a bad bone bruise," Sturgis said Tuesday. "As long as it doesn't get any worse at practice he should be starting. As of right now he's good to go."
The news regarding Goffstown quarterback Gus Pares isn't as good. Pares sustained a broken thumb that will require surgery during last week's 18-12 loss to Manchester Central and will not play again this season.
Pares completed 9 of 13 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown in a 33-20 victory over Nashua South in Week 1. He also ran the ball six times for 59 yards and a TD during that win.
