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Second quarter 'avalanche'

Saturday, September, 24 By Hector Longo

SALEM — Of all the numbers surrounding Pinkerton Academy's explosive 4-0 football start, I'll take 11 and 1 ...
The Astros' four victims — Bishop Guertin, South, North and yesterday's foe, Salem — are now 0-4 against Pinkerton and 11-1 against anyone else.

So when Pinkerton rolls off a 35-point second quarter and smothers the previously perfect Blue Devils, 49-14, you might need a Richter scale to measure the impact on the psyche of the rest of the football-playing Granite State.

"I think think the rest of the state knows what we can do," said Astros senior Ryan Coombs, who was all over the field catching a pair of TD passes, kicking 7 PATs and igniting the flurry with a heady strip and steal on a kickoff."Hopefully, we can bring it to them every game."

In a blur — Salem coach Jack Gati called it "an avalanche" — Pinkerton erased an 8-7 deficit and any doubts left surrounding its beastly nature.

"I think they have (separated themselves)," said Gati. "That's a team that's ahead of the pack."

Emmitt Smith busted in from that 5 to start the flurry, and Ryan Coombs changed the game on the next squib kick, stripping it clean from the Blue Devils runner.

On the opening play from scrimmage, Smith (8 carries, 73 yards) found more space with a 37-yard dash to paydirt to make it 21-8 with 7:47 left in the half.

The Astros weren't done.

Three minutes later, bruising Kevin Davies rumbled on a 54-yard score and the scintillating soph Manny Latimore eased his name onto the scoresheet with a 7-yard TD.

Coombs and Chris St. Onge closed out the half like it started, with an Astros TD hookup as the teams hit the locker room at 42-8 Pinkerton.

 "They're talented, you can't make turnovers against this group," said Gati.

Davies led all rushers with 144 yards on 11 carries as the starters on both sides sat the entire second half.

Pinkerton's defense did a nice job containing Salem's Jerickson Fedrick as the Astros chose not to kick to him at all. Still plagued by some leg cramps, Fedrick finished with 63 yards and a TD on 13 rushes.

"We adjusted well to what they were doing offensively, that got Kevin off, and it kind of snowballed after that," said Astros coach Brian O'Reilly. "We got away from them on defense and we were able to contain Fedrick, don't let him run outside, and we feels he's just another guy."

Pinkerton continues its defense of the Division 1 title next week against Londonderry on the teams' Mack Plaque weekend. Salem has to find a way to bounce back emotionally and realize that at 2-1 in the division, the Devils remain a solid bet for the playoffs.

Pinkerton has now outscored the opposition 168-28 and outgained its foes, 1,874-702.