Though the Grizzlies traveled roughly 14 miles up Route 114 from Goffstown to Weare, the host Generals faced the long ride home.

Goffstown posted a program high 53 points against John Stark in the first varsity gridiron meeting between the two squads in three seasons.

“It is our cross-border rival. We do have the history. We’re both covered by The Goffstown News ... They get motivated by all that stuff,” said GHS coach Rob Cathcart, whose team returned to Division III after two years in D-II.

The Grizzlies took a 20-0 lead less than seven minutes into the Saturday, Oct. 4, contest, extended that advantage by six before halftime and literally ran away with the 53-14 victory in the second half.

Both coaches agreed, though there were many factors contributing to the lopsided score, the Grizzlies won the game in the trenches.

The visitors’ offensive line opened up gaping holes to spring their running backs throughout the contest, and the GHS front seven controlled Stark’s guards and tackles.

“We scouted them. They did absolutely the same thing we expected them to do. We just didn’t stop them,” said John Stark coach Bob Clarke. “Hopefully it shows where we are as a program, and that we have to regroup and rebuild ... get more mentally tough and physically tough ... and go from there.

“We have no answers right now,” he added. “We’re stumped.”

Still, Clarke said his team has the talent, and Cathcart’s unit provides a solid example of how quickly momentum can shift for a program.

Goffstown, which suffered a deflating 41-0 setback to Souhegan in its first game back in D-III, has been improving every week since, said Cathcart. In fact, the Grizzlies played Portsmouth, arguably the league’s second-best team, to within a touchdown on Sept. 27.

The experience of playing in a more physical division, which Cathcart was counting on to carry his young squad through this season, was gone that first game, he said. “When they started maturing and developing as a team, (that experience) came back,” said Cathcart. “We’ve improved a little each week to get where we are. And now, if we can focus on each week and continue winning, we have a good chance to control our own destiny and get ourselves back in the playoffs, which is the goal.”

Game notes
Goffstown quarterback Jamie McGarry threw his first varsity touchdown in the third quarter, a 5-yard strike to tight end Dan Seasholtz.

Connor Nolan ran for two touchdowns, one from 44 yards out, and Jake Staffiere punched in two more scores. Ryan St. Onge, Jim Waller and Jason Bohan each found paydirt as well.

John Stark senior running back Mitchell Dezak scored both the Generals’ touchdowns in the second half.

In the third quarter, quarterback David Wilson caught Dezak in stride and watched him trek 83 yards to the end zone.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Dezak broke a 47-yard run resulting in six more Stark points.