It feels pretty good to walk the halls of Merrimack Valley as a varsity football player right now. After Friday night’s win over Kingswood, it’s going to get even better for Owen Turner.
After beating the Knights 28-13 at home, the Pride (6-0) is now just one win away from matching its all-time program win record.
Turner’s 95-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter brought the crowd to its feet and buried Kingswood’s hopes of a comeback. After jumping over a teammate and a Knights receiver to catch it, he immediately heard Nate Wallace yelling at him to run. He found the sideline and didn’t stop.
“Just the energy is crazy, from all of my high school career to this year, right now,” Turner said. “Finally we actually get some recognition, like actually people look at us.”
Turner and Wallace, both seniors, remember what it was like having losing records the past three years. Even though they haven’t lost yet this season, the sour taste of last year’s 1-8 record remains in their memories. On Fridays, people in school would ask them if they were ready to lose.
Wallace and Turner could not be more proud of how they’ve turned around their record and their image.
Merrimack Valley junior running back Jubal Tubbs (45) scored three touchdowns in the Pride’s 28-13 win over Kingswood. Credit: RICH MIYARA / NH Sports Photography 
The Merrimack Valley student section has been busy this year, cheering on its undefeated football team. Credit: RICH MIYARA / NH Sports Photography
The rushing attack by Merrimack Valley was on its A-game on Friday night. Wallace rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries and junior Jubal Tubbs rushed for 69 yards while finishing all three scoring drives with touchdowns.
Power runs to the outside and draws up the A and B gaps in the line were the Pride’s bread and butter all night. Head Coach Matt Shaw said if they keep gaining four to five yards on every run, he’s not planning to change a thing about how his offense is running so far.
The offensive line has been on a roll, from junior Brandon White at center to guards freshman Brady Brodeur, junior Romeo Robles, senior Hunter Dukette and junior tackles Caleb Nelson and Liam Burch. Bolstered by Turner and senior Aidan Rizzo at tight end in jumbo formations, there was little Kingswood could do to stop Merrimack Valley.
The game remained close coming out of halftime at 21-7. The third quarter was slow and Kingswood seemed to build momentum on its second drive of the half.
Junior quarterback Nolan Chominski found his Knights, seniors Ewan Nicoll and Myles O’Keefe for to move the chains on a short field, while running back Dean Porter gained seven yards on three rushes.
Down on MV’s 16-yard line, only trailing by 14, Kingswood had a chance to up the pressure.
That’s the thing about this Valley defense. Every player out there can make a big play. Turner’s pick-six was the one everyone will remember, but it wasn’t the first clutch play the secondary made.
Chominski looked to find one of his two receivers across the middle but the Pride’s senior Kingston Clermont dove for the low throw and intercepted the pass.
That next possession took the Pride into the fourth quarter much more comfortably.
The team still has a tough road ahead. In the next two weeks, it will face Milford (4-2) and Plymouth (6-0) as it battles for playoff seeding.
The best record in program history is 7-2, achieved in 2013. They’re only one win away. Coach Shaw called it a double-edged sword.
“They’re excited, they’re happy that they’re winning and also realizing that the next one is the more important one,” he said.