Coaches Aid - Plymouth tops Laconia for 50th straight win

Plymouth tops Laconia for 50th straight win

By: Frank Coppola • 10/10/2009 9:23:01 PM

By FRANK COPPOLA

CoachesAid.com New Hampshire content coordinator

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — For a team that’s won 50 consecutive games, Plymouth Regional High School doesn’t have a code that’s particularly difficult to crack.

The Bobcats play smashmouth football, put a premium on exceptional blocking, and stack the line of scrimmage on defense.

They run right at you, and they dare you to run at them.

For nearly five full seasons, it’s a formula that has worked to perfection.

Plymouth extended the state’s record winning streak with a 13-7 victory over Lakes Region rival Laconia on Saturday at George Zoulias Field. The Bobcats (6-0, 5-0 Division IV) grabbed sole possession of first place, and they did it without throwing a single pass.

Laconia, which suffered a 14-7 loss to Plymouth in last year’s championship game, slipped to 4-2 overall and 4-1 within the division.

“The passing game was outstanding,” deadpanned Bobcats coach Chuck Lenahan after the game. “No incompletions and no interceptions.”

Plymouth didn’t break any records with its ground attack Saturday, running for 193 yards on 47 carries, but it successfully moved the chains and kept Laconia’s offense off the field. The Bobcats did receive a pair of rushing touchdowns from senior halfback Colin Hay, and their defense limited the Sachems to 133 yards of total offense.

“I really wanted to control the field position,” said Lenahan. “Stay on the ground and not make a mistake. Then rely on our defense to make stops, and I thought we did a good job of that.”

Following a scoreless first quarter, the Bobcats broke through on a nine-play drive that began on Laconia’s 40-yard line. Plymouth methodically marched down the field and drew first blood when Hay took the ball on a left toss from quarterback Jack Ringlein and scored from 6 yards out with 4:16 left in the half.

The Bobcats struck again on their first drive after the break. A handful of runs by fullback Kyle McAuliffe (22 carries, 99 yards) helped bring the ball to Laconia’s 18-yard line. From there, Hay did the rest. Plymouth’s captain, again taking a left toss from Ringlein, raced down the sideline and found paydirt with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter.

“They run the same base plays, and they just run it to death,” said ninth-year Laconia coach Craig Kozens. “They do a good job blocking, they do a good job tackling and they do a great job taking care of the football.”

The Sachems, plagued by turnovers for much of the season, did have one costly fumble on the first play of the second quarter. Aaron Marchione broke off a 10-yard run and appeared headed for the left sideline when he was hit from behind and stripped of the ball at Plymouth’s 28.

That was the closest Laconia would get to the Bobcats’ end zone until late in the fourth quarter. Three straight Plymouth penalties, including one on the Bobcat coaches for berating the officials, gave Laconia the ball at Plymouth’s 10-yard line. Zach Corbin capped the drive with a 1-yard quarterback keeper, cutting the lead to 13-7 with 1:07 remaining.

The Sachems tried an obligatory onside kick following the touchdown, but the ball was recovered by Plymouth’s Taylor Newberry to effectively end the game.

“We had our hands full,” said Lenahan. “They’re a tough team to run against and they’re well-coached. It was a good, hard-hitting, clean game. Both teams came to play I thought.”

Although the road to the Division IV crown still goes through Plymouth, Laconia proved Saturday it might not be a cakewalk for the Bobcats. Plymouth, which has won 10 championships in the last 12 years, will have to work hard for the title this season.

“Hopefully we took a step forward today,” said Kozens. “We’re young, and we’re growing. Our goal right now is to win the next two, get a home game in the playoffs, and come back here. We want to come back here again.”