Nashoba Football back on Track
The Chieftains came out ready to play last Friday night as they faced off against the, 3-2, Marlborough Panthers. Going into the game, the Chieftains were 1-3, and coming off of a three game losing streak. They needed this win to keep any hope of a playoff spot in reach.
The first quarter was fairly quiet, with both teams failing to put any points on the board.
Both teams were able to reach the end zone in the second quarter. Following a strong drive by the Chieftains and a big gain by Senior running back Greg Gothie, Kraig Arrsenault was able to move the ball the final yard and put the Chieftains up by 6. Casey Elkins came through with the extra point to make it 7-0. The Panthers followed that up with a one yard touchdown run of their own. Before the first half could come to an end, Junior wide out, Jake Benjamin pulled in a 25 yard pass from Senior quarterback Drew Schartner to put the Chieftains back on top. Elkins then made another successful PAT. Going into half time, the Chieftains led the Panthers 14-7.
The Chieftains were the only team to make it into the end zone in the third quarter. Schartner rushed the ball 10 yards to increase the Chieftains lead to 20-7. Elkins’ third kick of the day was good to extend their lead to 21-7.
The Panthers tried to pull off a comeback late in the fourth quarter, but fell short. The Panthers connected on a 53 yard pass to make it a one possession game, but the Chieftain’s defense was able to hold the Panther’s offense from then on.
When asked how he felt the team played, Senior running back and captain Greg Gothie responded with, “The offense moved the ball really well, and we didn’t kill ourselves with penalties like we have in the past. On defense everyone came together as one team from the beginning to the end, which really helped us.”
Senior captain and wide out, Chad Sarnoski, added, “I think that our offense played well and executed. There are spots that we can and will improve on going into Leominster.” When asked about the defense, he added, “I think that our defense did very well, we were shaky a few times, but like anything, there is always room for improvement.”
The Chieftains defeated the Panthers 21-14 to improve to 2-3 on the year. The Chieftains host the number three team, Leominster, this Friday night at 7pm.
