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NASHUA, N.H.  – Once a beast with only 20 points allowed through three Division 1 games, Salem High’s defense was crumbling. Nashua South put up 35 and Timberlane 34 the last two weeks, and yesterday Nashua North was well on its way to a 50-spot for the second straight game, leading 26-19 at halftime.

NASHUA, N.H.  – Once a beast with only 20 points allowed through three Division 1 games, Salem High’s defense was crumbling.

PLAISTOW, N.H. — Maybe it was justice that neither Timberlane star Derek Furey nor Salem standout Max Jacques was involved in the last play of the game.

Because in what turned out to be a thrilling, heart-stopping 35-34 overtime win for the unbeaten Blue Devils (6-0), the Furey-Jacques duel pretty much ended in a draw.

NASHUA, N.H. — Max Jacques wasn't having a very good day.

On a cloudy, rainy Saturday afternoon at Stellos Stadium, the junior was getting stacked up effectively by host Nashua South. Despite a 3-yard touchdown run, he struggled for 36 yards on his first eight carries, his last three attempts going for zero, zero and zero yards. On top of that, the Panthers held a 13-7 lead.

SALEM, N.H. - Back in August, folks around the Granite State chuckled at the thought of Salem High in Division 1. Nobody's laughing now, especially the folks up Route 28 in Derry. Before a boisterous homecoming crowd of about 1,000, Salem High decimated Pinkerton Academy, 24-7, to remain unbeaten at 4-0 and send a deafening message to any remaining doubters. "This is different, this is worse (than the season-opening rout by Bishop Guertin)," lamented a shell-shocked Brian O'Reilly after the undersized Devils tore the heart out of the Astros by winning the ground battle, 284-112. "This one, they dominated us. Whether it was Eric (Guinto) or anyone else, there were no holes to run through. Defensively, we were driven off the ball." The victory was only the second in 20 tries for Salem against Pinkerton Academy under O'Reilly, and it was extra special for coach Jack Gati, who posted win No. 100 at Salem. "Everyone underestimated us," said Salem sophomore Jerickson Fedrick. "They thought we were the same team from the past. They thought they were going to run over us. The past few years they've been beating us. We wanted it to be different this year." Salem pretty much called all the shots from the opening kick, shredding the Astros in pretty much every way to build a 17-0 halftime lead which went to 24-0 after three. Junior Max Jacques shouldered the bulk of the work with 27 carries for 145 yards, but anytime the Astros got too focused on Salem "5," the Fedrick (10 carries, 70 yards) and fullback Alex Sobrado (10-64) were more than willing to inflict a little pain. Rounding out the attack was solid QB play out of junior Matt Cannone, who clicking on 5 of 9 completions - including four chain-movers to reliable Kyle Henrick - for 53 yards. "(This shows) that we're the best team in our division," said Jacques, who pushed his area-leading rushing total to 560 yards on 83 carries. "We have a good offensive line, everyone works hard and we run the ball a lot. That's what we do."

MANCHESTER — Salem has some speedy, powerful running backs, but the way its offensive line was blocking last night against Manchester Memorial, the players’ fathers and grandfathers probably could have been just as productive.

MANCHESTER — Salem has some speedy, powerful running backs, but the way its offensive line was blocking last night against Manchester Memorial, the players’ fathers and grandfathers probably could have been just as productive.

SALEM, N.H. — Old-school offenses — real old school offense — first and foremost test a defense's courage.

Last night in the mist against Londonderry's Depression Era single-wing, Salem responded with an A+, a 121-yard-allowed 35-0 shutout win over Londonderry.

SALEM, N.H. — Prior to last night’s season-opening game at Salem, the Dover coaching staff was primarily concerned with stopping speedy Blue Devils’ junior Max Jacques.

“That No. 5 can kill you with his speed,” said one of the assistants. “We’ve got to contain him.”