He didn’t smile. His tone didn’t lift. The mirrored sunglasses hid any other signs of emotions trying to escape.
It was through his words that Paul Cohen’s satisfaction with his Bow football team made itself known. And there was plenty of it.
“Clearly, both sides of the ball, pretty much every aspect of the game, we dominated,” he said. “That’s what we set out to do. We know we have our work cut out for us, we know there are some teams that are going to be really, really strong and really tough to play against. But coming out basically healthy, we’re in good shape. Great way to start our season, for sure.”
Cohen’s pride wasn’t due as much to the 42-0 final score – with their advantages over Pembroke in both size and experience, the Falcons were in command from the moment they lined up. The coach was pleased with how Bow went about achieving that score, taking to its first crack at the Division II stage with the conviction it showed during its recent success as a D-III power.
“Going into this game, there were a lot of question marks, a lot of uncertainty,” Cohen said. “We were kind of kings of the hill for several years in Division III. … I told them before we got on the bus, ‘Remember one thing. Good, bad or indifferent, this goes in your yearbooks. Seniors, how do you want this to be?’ ”
The Falcons passed the test emphatically, setting the tempo early. Bow forced a quick punt, got the ball at the Pembroke 21 and needed only four plays to score, Jack Corriveau (three carries, 32 yards) bouncing right for a 10-yard touchdown.
“There was a special (feeling) for me when we scored the first touchdown,” Cohen said. “You go ‘Okay, we’ve drawn blood in Division II.’ ”
They didn’t have trouble drawing more. Bow’s bulldozing squad up front, an offensive line led by Andrew Berube, Jack Tellifson, Michael Darrach, Chris Wheeler and Alex Berube, pushed and shoved the Spartans around all afternoon, clearing out holes and paving the way for a deep and balanced backfield. The Falcons ran for 192 yards, with no player running for more than 45, and no player carrying more than six times.
“We don’t have the one back who is our whole team kind of thing,” Cohen said. “We have multiple kids that we know we can throw into different formations and count on them to get the three or four yards, or in some cases, the really big plays.”
The touchdowns came at a furious pace, on each of Bow’s next four drives. Mark Borak (six carries, 22 yards) raced in for a 1-yard touchdown, Duke Biehl (three carries, 28 yards) scored from four yards out, Grady Beaulieu (three carries, 45 yards) scored on a 15-yard scamper and Justin Mooney (four carries, 33 yards) found the end zone from four yards out.
Freshman Hunter Fortier slipped outside to the left for a 7-yard score in the fourth.
“I love it, personally,” Mooney, a senior co-captain, said of the balanced effort. “We have plenty of running backs that can fill in the job for me if they need to. If I get injured, I have someone that can go for me. We’re pretty deep.”
The domination in the trenches continued when the ball switched hands and Bow’s offensive line flipped the switch to defense. Pembroke runners had no luck against the Falcons front, rushing 32 times for 10 yards – 18 times for a loss of 14 yards in the first half.
“I like my defense to be the shock troops,” Cohen said. “I tell them, 18 seconds of craziness and then make them punt. Fortunately, we were able to do that a lot today.”
Corey Lavery (five carries, 13 yards) and Nick Hanna (13 carries, 11 yards) led the Spartans on the ground, often getting swallowed up by white jerseys shortly after the handoff.
“We have four seniors on the team, I think five juniors, and the rest are sophomores and freshmen,” Pembroke Coach Larry McElreavy said. “It’s like the men against the boys, and that’s what it really boiled down to.
“You could see that indecision on that part, you could see the lack of confidence on their part. That’s something that we as coaches, especially me, have to a better job of instilling that confidence. … These guys just didn’t feel like they could win going in, and it’s my job to make them feel like they can win.”
It’s a job McElreavy is suited for. He guided Newport to back-to-back Division III championship games in 2014 and ‘15, winning the title last year – and getting past Bow, playing its final D-III game, in the semifinals to do it.
He knows he can lead the Spartans to glory days of their own. It’s just going to take time. And patience.
“They’re not going to get any sympathy from me or the coaches. They’re going to work their butts off this week and we’re going to get better each week,” he said. “It’s a total team thing. … It’s a developmental thing.”
While Pembroke prepares for the future, the team on the other sideline showed it could be every bit a team to beat this year.
“This was really the acid test, in a lot of respects,” Cohen said. “Anybody who’s watching, I’m sure there were several teams watching us today, they have to go back and go ‘Yep, I think we’re going to have to prepare for Bow.’ ”
(Drew Bonifant can be reached at 369-3340, by email at abonifant@cmonitor.com, or on Twitter at @dbonifant.)
John Stark 35, Souhegan 14
Key players: John Stark – Drew McQuarrie (3 rushing touchdowns, 105 yards rushing), Kyle Booker (95 yards rushing, touchdown), Leif Mailloux (80 yards receiving, touchdown), Sean Lavigne (8 tackles, 2 sacks, pass break up), Jack Glew (5-for-5 PAT, successful onside kick) Zach Handy (stout at nose tackle)
Highlights/key moments: After scoring on their first drive, the Generals found themselves down 14-7 in the second quarter. But Stark rallied to take a 21-14 lead by halftime, and after a scoreless third quarter, put things away in the fourth.
Coach’s quote: “I like how we played. We had more penalties than I would have liked, but there was no worry in my guys’ eyes. Souhegan is a tough team and well-coached, but we played our game and came out with the win.” – John Stark’s Rod McQuarrie
Record: John Stark 1-0, Souhegan 0-1
Bishop Brady 49,
Farmington-Nute 0
Key players: Bishop Brady – Joe Bernard (3 touchdown passes), Moses Murenzi (3 rushing TDs), Patrick Earley (receiving TD), Kenny Fusco (receiving TD), Aidan Plumpton (receiving TD)
Highlights/key moments: Behind a solid effort from the offensive line and a shutout on defense, Brady scored early and often in a season-opening rout of Farmington-Nute in Division III action. Murenzi’s third rushing touchdown was scored from 53 yards out and Cody Hill’s fourth-quarter interception ended the game.
Coach’s quote: “Next Friday, we play at Inter-Lakes (Moultonborough). We lost to them in the first round of the playoffs last year and I’m sure my seniors will remember that. Maybe it’ll be a little extra motivation.” – Brady’s Matt Shaw
Records: Bishop Brady (1-0); Farmington-Nute (0-1)
Newport 21, Kearsarge 14
Key players: Kearsarge – Justin Norris (150-plus rushing yards, touchdown), Parker Pitts (touchdown), Bryce Brown (defensive leader), David Benjamin (strong blocking at tight end).
Highlights: After Norris broke off a 79-yard touchdown run with 4:32 left in the game, the Cougars recovered an onside kick and picked up a first down, but they couldn’t find the game-tying touchdown against the defending Division III champs.
Coach’s quote: “I thought we showed a lot of fight, but we shot ourselves in the foot with eight penalties and two fumbles inside the red zone, and you’re not going to beat the defending state champions like that. But I thought we competed and we held our own.” – Kearsarge’s Zach Matthews
Record: Kearsarge 0-1; Newport 1-0