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FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Ready or not, it’s Nashua North vs. South

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Sep 25, 2020

Telegraph file photo Nashua South's Jason Compoh, right, doesn't want to have to chase friend and rival Nashua North's Curtis Harris-Lopez all over Motta Field tonight at Stellos Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

NASHUA – It’s like jumping into the fire without having the benefit of heating up in the frying pan.

Thanks to the pandemic, everything is different with high school football this year. And that’s why Nashua High School North and South, in an unusual scheduling situation, are facing off tonight in the long-awaited 2020 season opener at 6:30 p.m. at Stellos Stadium.

And that’s why only Nashua South fans – probably close to 200 (four per participant) will be allowed to attend.

For those who can’t, the game will be livestreamed via Nashua ETV.

Normally these teams would have three or four games to work the kinks out before squaring off. But this year they’ll get just five regular season games to play, period. What makes this game intriguing, though, is both are considered contenders with familiar names back. North has likely the state’s best player in senior quarterback-defensive back Curtis Harris-Lopez, and South has a one-two punch of backs Jason (senior) and Josh (junior) Compoh.

“It’s a tough first game draw for us,” South coach Scott Knight said. “They’re (North) a very good team. A lot back from last year’s playoff team. Curtis is an outstanding player on both sides of the ball…

“I’m anxious to see what type of compete level we have at this point.”

“Obviously it’s tough for both teams coming right out of the mat, playing a rival, but it’s the same everywhere else around the state,” North coach Dante Laurendi said. “It is what it is. I’m sure everybody is feeling the crunch of, you know, especially this where where the game’s on top of you and it’s here.

“You realize we have a lot more stuff in, but don’t quite have the time. You take what you can get, and we’re in the fortunate situation that we’re playing. Everybody has had the short preseason, everybody’s in the same boat and we’re going to make the best of the opportunity.”

Unless they meet in the playoffs – if health-wise teams can get that far – this will be the only meeting this year between the two, as the Turkey Eve Bowl was cancelled since the crowd capacity would be severely limited.

South leads the series 21-12, as North won the regular season meeting 21-6 but without Harris-Lopez available (knee) lost the holiday game 27-13.

While teams were allowed summer workouts (no pads, etc., and for a short time no ball), regular practices didn’t begin until Sept. 8. Contact was prohibited for about a week and no scrimmages.

There’s talent galore on both sides. As Knight will tell you, North has more to worry about than just Harris-Lopez.

“We also have to be aware of (back Anthony) Green, (all-purpose receiver Jayden) Espinal, and (receiver-linebacker Lucas) Cunningham.

“They’re very talented and experienced,” Knight said. “They have plenty coming back up front (led by Max Ackerman) and on defense and we’ll have to have all hands on deck on both sides of the ball and on special teams to be successful.

“We have to eliminate turnovers and penalties, which are sometimes a problem in openers, especially with no scrimmages.”

The Panthers, unlike North, will be young on both lines. But for South, backs Jason Compoh – perhaps more important as a linebacker – and Josh Compoh are a tough brother tandem. Josh rushed for 166 yards and three TDs in last November’s Turkey Eve Bowl.

“Sleepless nights, how to stop them,” Laurendi said. “Obvioulsy those guys are tremendous players, more physical and better every year. They had great summers lifting wise, and strong.

And I know so has the surrounding cast. I know the rest of their skill guys had great summers (including potential quarterbacks Chris Keefe and Mike Rutstein), and they’re good and they’re confident, and they should be.”

Knight felt his team had a good two-and-half weeks of preseason practice. While North is expected to be strong all the way, the Panthers may get better as the season gets moving.

“We did as much in two-and-a-half weeks as we could,” Knight said. “I still belive with our youth up front we should have some upside as we get into this thing a couple weeks down the road.”

The road starts tonight. Expect the unexpected.

“They’re going to come out swinging,” Laurendi said of the Panthers. “It’s going to be a really, really tough challenge right out of the gates.”

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