Good field position in a scoreless football game wasn’t good enough for Bruce Vieira. He wanted more.

When Kearsarge’s special teams unit relaxed, thinking a punt had settled to a stop in the muddy grass, Pelham’s star running back scooped up the ball and returned it for a 37-yard touchdown, helping propel the Pythons closer to a second consecutive perfect season.

“We just wanted to get away from (the ball), but he saw an opening and took it,” said Pelham’s head coach, Tom Babaian. “It’s hard to coach things like that. He has the ability to make a coach look smart.”

Vieira’s score came with 10:47 left in the second quarter of the Division V semifinal, which Pelham eventually won, 28-6, on Saturday, Nov. 15.

“It was a short punt, and they backed off. You have to be able to expect anything,” said Vieira. “They weren’t really hustling, and we’re a team that hustles all the time, so I just took advantage.”

The score was the only one in the first half, but it didn’t take long for the Pythons to strike after intermission.

Cameron Robidoux took the opening kickoff of the second half up the middle and broke free for a touchdown, extending Pelham’s lead.

Quarterback Joseph DeAngelo hooked up with Josh Luciano on a 44-yard strike with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter, and after the Cougars cut the Pelham lead to 21-6, Vieira added a 2-yard touchdown with 4:15 remaining to seal the Pythons’ spot in the title game against St. Thomas Aquinas.

Babaian said last year’s experience in the title game has helped his players throughout the season.

“Any time you can get that experience, the confidence just mounts week after week,” said Babaian. “This is why you coach, and this is why the kids come out for the team.”

Vieira believes having played in and won a championship game provides his team an edge.

“We know what it takes to win,” said Vieira. “We know how big the stage is. When you let the pressure get to you, you’re going to fold. We know how to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.”

In addition to his touchdown pass, DeAngelo added an interception with 9:48 remaining in the contest to help set up the final Python score.

Pelham battles the Saints on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Pelham High School. Kickoff is 1 p.m.