MERRIMACK – All you need to know about how good a start the Merrimack High School football team has had is this:

In two games it has scored more points – an even 100 – than it did in the 2012 season, when it scored 79 points in 11 games.

Did new head coach Dante Laurendi expect anything like this?

“We saw some ability we were excited about in the preseason,” Laurendi said. “We like the ability we have, and we hope to progress each week.”

The offensive turnaround has been amazing. First the Tomahawks, who face a huge test in Concord this Friday, beat Goffstown for the program’s first win in nearly two years. And they scored 47 points doing it, so that opened up some eyes even more. Then they won a shootout over Manchester Memorial last Friday 53-47, despite having to rally from being down by three touchdowns.

When you consider some Tomahawk teams of the past, that’s amazing.

“Are we ahead of schedule? I don’t know,” Laurendi said. “We didn’t really have a schedule or a timetable as to how well it was supposed to be.”

But right now, it’s great. The Tomahawks have been led by senior quarterback Devin Gillis, who has made quite a progression but is also playing like a three-year starter.

“He’s a competitive kid, he’s a leader, and he’s excited,” Laurendi said. “He’s progressing, and he’s feeling more and more comfortable each week.”

The same can be said for the rest of the Tomahawks. What’s the difference? Well it’s no secret Laurendi was hailed as an offensive specialist as Jason Robie’s offensive coordinator at Nashua North, and he in turn has given credit to his own offensive coordinator, Chad Zibolis. Laurendi won’t quite go so far as to say he’s changed the culture, but he has a team that is ready to compete and regroup in the midst of games.

“The other night (vs. Memorial) they kept playing,” Laurendi said. “That’s the biggest thing I was proud of. The attitude on the field didn’t change and they kept competing.”

That wasn’t always the case during last year’s 0-11 season. And remember, we’re talking about a program that has experienced just one playoff game since losing to Manchester Central in the 1995 Division I state title game. Just one.

“I’ve been involved in programs,” Laurendi said, “where you just have to learn how to win.”

The offense has been aided, too, by junior running back/linebacker Joe Giampietro, who had a touchdown in last week’s win and has been the go-to back. But you can’t score 100 points in two games without getting help up front.

“We’ve gotten some good play up front,” said Laurendi, citing, among others, senior tackle Colin Healey, senior Lee Perringer, Tom Allard and Corey Little.

Another good quality Laurendi sees from this team: It’s coachable.

“They take to coaching,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. They take to coaching and they adjust when they have to.”

Maybe the culture has changed.

“The sense I get is there’s some excitement,” Laurendi said. “The student body was a huge part of our win last Friday.”

But, you know what else he feels, as any coach would.

“We have,” Laurendi said, “a long way to go.”

Some feel they’ve already come a long way.

South search is on

Calling all baseball coaches. At least that’s what Nashua Athletic Director Lisa Gingras is doing.

Now that the school year is underway, Gingras has begun the process in filling the Nashua High School South varsity baseball head coaching the position, a vacancy created over the summer when former head coach John Roper was informed he wouldn’t be asked back.

“We’ve already had several inquiries from the baseball community and from parents who want to make plans for their kids to get winter workouts and instruction,” Gingras said. “I’m going to leave it open until we get a qualified candidate.”

Gingras said she has no preference whether it be someone from outside the system or from within. “We just want the right person,” she said. “This will make the third coach (in four seasons).”

Those interested, she said, should apply on line at the Nashua School Department website, www.nashua.edu.

Challenging start

In the sport of golf, the courses can be tough enough. But what about when the schedule is too?

Consider the plight of the Merrimack High School golf team, which went into Wednesday’s scheduled match facing unbeaten Bishop Guertin for the third time this young season already.

“It’s tough, but we’ll battle through it,” Merrimack coach Dave Delisle said. “We’ve faced BG, Bedford, Pinkerton, Concord – those are four of the top five teams (in Division I). It looks like our schedule should get a little easier, but you never know.”

Delisle and theTomahawks, led recently by Brennan Gillis, will grin and bear it.