Bow News : football

Bow’s fine season stopped by unbeaten Pioneers

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:58:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

It wasn’t the way Paul Cohen envisioned bidding farewell to the Bow High School football campaign. The Falcons, who were at one time 5-0 and tied atop the standings, were thumped by Trinity High School for a second consecutive week, losing in the Division V semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 7, 37-0.

“We kind of came spiraling back to Earth (after that strong start to the season),” said Cohen, Bow’s head coach. “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the season, but unfortunately the season said goodbye to us.”

Bow drove into Trinity territory early on and showed it could move the ball on a Trinity defense that has not allowed more than 24 points in a contest this season. But finishing those drives was a problem. Three lengthy field goal tries all failed to connect, including two tries of 50 yards.

The two teams met one week prior to the game to conclude the regular season, and the Pioneers came away with an easy 59-0 victory.

Trinity’s head coach, Gary Leonard, said that win led to poor execution from his team, despite a second consecutive lopsided outcome.

“It made us overconfident,” said Leonard, whose team hopes to win its first title since 1988. “We battled that all week long, and then we came out flat. It took us a little while to wake up.”

Wingback Connor Lyons gave Trinity a jolt of energy, running for three touchdowns and taking a punt in for a score as well. The senior reached the end zone twice on plays of 80 yards.

Gregory Polish grabbed an interception in Trinity territory in the final minute of the first half and Tom Poitras recovered a fumble in the third quarter, but the Falcons were unable to capitalize on either occasion.

With running time put to use in the second half due to the score, the Falcons ran few offensive plays. In fact, Bow didn’t touch the ball on offense in the fourth quarter; Trinity ran a 17-play drive to end the game.

Poitras led the Bow offense with 47 yards on six catches from the wide receiver position, but Bow receivers struggled to haul in throws from quarterback Austin Hill throughout.

Despite the loss, Cohen said he viewed the season as a successful step for the program. “We weren’t going to have a repeat of 2008 (when the team struggled),” said Cohen. “We saw early on in camp how they came together, and that showed in the first games. There was no deer-in-the-headlights look. We had nothing to lose, and I didn’t feel we were intimidated.”

Bow High School Falcons now 4-0 after another heart-stopping football victory

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:13:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Bow High School football team has given faithful hearts weekly workouts in 2009. The most recent example was a 17-14 win at two-time defending state champion Pelham on Friday, Sept. 25.

The Falcons scored the game-winning touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining. So far, Bow’s four victories have come by a combined 14 points, none more than six points.

“Every game has been a cardiac finish for us,” said Bow’s head coach, Paul Cohen. “We may be down in a game, but we are never out of it.”

Tom Poitras contributed in nearly every facet – kicking a 25-yard field goal, grabbing an interception and tallying a sack as time expired, and this came after he gave the Falcons the lead 30 seconds earlier.

Bow dominated time of possession in the second half, running its offense for 19 of a possible 24 minutes, culminating in its final drive that began with 6:26 remaining and the Falcons trailing, 14-10.

On 2nd and goal from the Pelham 10-yard line, Austin Hill dropped back to pass and threw a fade to the corner of the end zone, where Poitras was waiting with a well-positioned defender in front of him.

But the 6-foot-6 senior jumped into the air, reached over the defender’s helmet, secured the ball with two hands and gave his team a three-point lead after kicking the extra point.

Bow fans were still uneasy after the Pythons returned the ensuing kickoff to the Bow 43- yard line, then nearly came away with the win.

With three seconds left, Pelham quarterback Joseph DeAngelo threw a perfect spiral to an open receiver in the end zone, but the ball went right through his hands and incomplete. A play later, Poitras sacked the scrambling DeAngelo to seal the win.

“We know every year about him. We’re scared to death of that kid,” said Pelham’s head coach, Tom Babaian, of Poitras. “We had it covered perfectly. What else are you supposed to do?”

With the win, Bow is now tied with Trinity atop the Division V standings. Cohen said he hopes this win opens people’s eyes.

“We knocked off Kearsarge, and it was a fluke. We beat Stevens, and it was ‘So what?’ Now people are starting to wake up to the reality that we are for real,” said Cohen. “We’re sitting high and pretty right now, but we know we need to keep our egos in check because things can change on a dime.”

Bow football wins at homecoming

Bow Editor — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:11:00 GMT

BY BONA HAYES

Beset with injuries the past three games, a healthier Bow High football squad showed an enthusiastic crowd of fans, alumni and ex-players a balanced offense and strong defense in defeating Division- V foe Epping-Newmarket, 27- 6, at homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 18.

“Because it was homecoming weekend, there were a lot of former players in the stands,” said Paul Cohen, head coach of the Falcons. “Anytime you can win a game like this one, our first divisional win, it means a great deal. This was a true team victory, with many kids contributing to the win on offense, defense and special teams.”

Epping-Newmarket took an early 6-0 lead, but Bow quarterback Austin Hill led the offense to three touchdowns in the second quarter, two on his own runs into the end zone.

Carter Johnson sparked the second-quarter attack with a 50- yard kickoff return. The linemen, led by senior Andy Wieland and juniors CJ Poole, Jake Bailey and Dom Cesarini, helped the team convert a 4th-and-inches, pushing to the 5-yard line.

Senior Scott Brunelle then scored the touchdown. Johnson’s interception at midfield led to the first of HIll’s TD runs, then the defense, keyed by seniors Ian Wedemeyer, Mike Finnegan and Johnson, shut down Epping-Newmarket, stopping a 1st-and-goal from inside the 10- yard line.

“Brunelle was a true juggernaut to the offense. He and Greg Polish had several good running plays,” said Cohen. “We saw some great pass blocking, and the defensive stand the kids made before the half sent a very strong message to our opponents. We were confident, with a mindset that we could turn things around, and we did. The psychological advantage of being ahead at halftime was enormous.”

Wedemeyer ran for the final touchdown of the day for Bow, and senior quarterback Andrew Vinnenberg handled the second-half offense.

“We’ve had to battle back from injuries in the last few weeks, and having most of the squad healthy made a big difference,” said Cohen, whose team moved to 1-4 in D-V and 2-4 overall. “The kids knew it, too, and played with confidence. It was great to have the balance on offense, defense and special teams. It was an important team victory.”

With just two dozen players, Bow football team needs athletes to multi-task

Bow Editor — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:54:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Paul Cohen knows he needs Herculean efforts from the 24 players on his Bow High School football team if the Falcons hope to earn another Division V playoff appearance.

“If I had a big squad, a lot of kids would play one way. We don’t have that, so we have to prepare for each week faced with the reality that we do have a small squad,” said Cohen. “The kids are told that from the first day of camp. You have to be prepared to step into a role that you may not be familiar with.”

One thing the Falcons do have this year is a large amount of veterans who will anchor the team.

Cohen said of the 18 Falcons who are juniors or seniors, he’ll lean heavily on a group of four. Mike Finnegan, Ian Wedemeyer, JP Hodgkins and Andy Wieland captain Cohen’s team.

“I expect big things from those guys, being returning veterans and seniors,” said Cohen. “They showed great leadership, and they’re role models for the younger players. I would expect for their last year at Bow to (be) a great year.”

Junior Tom Poitras should be an offensive force for the Falcons, in more than one way. The tight end is not only a blocking and pass catching threat, but he’ll contribute on special teams as well. As the Falcons kicker, Poitras narrowly missed a 50-yard field goal last season, and Cohen said it had the distance and went slightly wide.

Poitras and fellow tight end Carter Johnson also anchor the Falcons’ defense, and Cohen said he likes having two returning starters in the defensive mix. Cohen expects junior Atticus Swett to pace the Bow offensive attack from the backfield; the running back will see the majority of the carries this year.

Behind center, a position battle is brewing. Senior Andrew Vinnenberg and junior Austin Hill both hope to be named starting quarterback, a competition that Cohen said should benefit the team.

“I think it’s very healthy. We haven’t had very large teams, but where we can have competition for a spot, that’s going to bring out the best in each player,” said Cohen. “It makes for a better player overall. It forces them to take their game to a new level. Without that it’s much more difficult to improve as an athlete.”

While Cohen wouldn’t commit to a win total by year’s end, he said his team is prepared to face the upcoming season, which begins with a tune-up against Division VI foe Fall Mountain on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

“We need to be at the top of our game and prepare well every single week. From a physical standpoint I think we’re definitely ready,” said Cohen. “Now we need to work on execution and fine-tune things.”

Bow battles Pelham in first half before playoff door is shut

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:11:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

For much of the first half it appeared the Bow Falcons football team was in position for an upset of undefeated and top-ranked Pelham High School, trailing 7-0 at intermission.

Things weren’t as they seemed. Pelham scored 35 second- half points to cruise into the Division V championship game with a 42-7 victory over the fourth-seeded Falcons on Saturday, Nov. 10.

“Before the game, I told the team that we needed to stop major momentum shifts,” said Bow’s head coach, Paul Cohen. “We were knocking on the door and didn’t score, and you can’t have that in playoff games.”

Ninety seconds into the game, senior Jim Paveglio pounced on a fumble, giving the Falcons 1st-and-10 at the Pythons’ 20-yard line.

After a Pelham penalty and a nine-yard rush by Ian Hanson, the Falcons reached the 1-yard line. However, the Falcons fumbled and didn’t threaten again until the game was out of hand.

The Pythons started eight drives in Bow territory, keeping the Falcons backpedaling throughout the game.

“It hurts a ton. It gives them enormous momentum,” said Cohen. “They had an enormous advantage to start on a short field, and even if you hold them you have a long way to go to score. This is a game of territory.”

Pelham’s Tyler Gant returning the second-half kickoff to the Bow 10-yard line, and the Pythons scored three plays later for a 14-0 lead with 11:11 remaining in the quarter.

The Falcons prevented the shutout when Justin Hodgkins capped an 81-yard drive with a rush from five yards out. But Bow managed just 146 yards of total offense. Nathan Potter reeled in 53 of those yards from his wide receiver slot, but it was an isolated example for Bow, which finishes the season with a 6-4 record.

“You need concerted, consistent effort up and down the field, especially when we’re on offense,” said the Bow coach. “You can’t win when you’re inconsistent, and that hurt us today. But it’s been a great season.”

Opening statement – Bow pulls away in first-game victory over Campbell

Bow Editor — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:08:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Two years after winning the 2004 Division V title, the Bow Falcons stumbled to a 2-7 record last season and missed the playoffs.

That’s why Bow head coach Paul Cohen said his team’s first game, a 34-14 road win at Campbell High School of Litchfield, was so important.

“It was about the first time making a statement in this division,” said Cohen. “Through a very hard preseason camp and with the remnants of last year’s team, with a lot of memories of very bad Saturdays from last fall, I think we made our statement loud and clear.”

Last season, after losing his starting quarterback to injury, Cohen turned to then-sophomore quarterback Andrew Vinnenberg.

He said the field general has “really grown up this year” and showed it against Campbell, maintaining his composure throughout the contest despite the foes coming back and tying the game twice in the first half, at 7-apiece and then again at 14-all.

But senior tailback Ian Hanson was the story of the game.

“Ian said to me at the end of last year that his mission as a high school football player was unfulfilled, that he needed to take the next step. He took that step in a big way this week,” said Cohen. “I’m not sure how many yards he had this week, but basically he was unstoppable.”

He amassed 202 yards … and five touchdowns … in three quarters.

On defense, senior cornerback Steven Gallerani intercepted three Campbell passes, including one in the end zone that thwarted a long Cougar drive fueled by multiple Bow penalties.

Cohen, however, while recognizing Hanson’s stellar running and Gallerani’s stout coverage, gave credit to the players in the trenches for the victory.

“The offensive line did exactly what we’ve been training them all through camp to do: they opened some very big holes and really dominated for 90-plus percent of the game,” said the head coach, adding that the three interceptions and second-half shutout were direct results of strong defensive line play.

Bow’s home opener is Saturday, Sept. 8, against Pelham, the team it beat for the 2004 championship.

“I think they’re probably still thinking about 2004,” said Cohen. “November 13. I know we still think about it too. They’re going to come ready to play.

“It’s our first home game, and I’m sure they’d like nothing more than to spoil it for us,” he continued. “But for the moment we’re riding high, and we’re going to take this momentum the right way, and we’ll be ready for them.”

Bow Youth Football has sign-ups

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:34:00 GMT

Registration for Bow Youth Football is Monday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Bow Memorial School.

Registration is open to fourth- through eighth-grade boys and girls. The cost is $175.

For details, visit bowyouthfootball.org.