Photo by HECTOR LONGO Souhegan players listen to Sabers head coach Robin Bowkett during halftime of last week's semifinal rout of Timberlane.

AMHERST – This is the game many thought would take place when the abbreviated season began.

Yes, it’s Plymouth at 7-0 Souhegan on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Saber Field for the Division II championship.

“A lot of people kind of had us penciled in as the potential championship game in Divison II,” Souhegan head coach Robin Bowkett said. “It’s fun that it’s come to fruition.”

This is a tough Plymouth team, typical in Bowkett’s mind of Plymouth teams past.

Plymouth has averaged 31.1 points a game, giving up 13 a game.

They have had three close games – 16-14 in a season opening win over Timberlane, 21-20 over Kennett, and 14-6 again in the quarters over Kennett. Last weeks semifinal with Lebanon was cancelled due to virus concerns as the Raiders had to forfeit.

The Sabers hae scored 38.4 a game, allowing a stingy 8.8 a contest. And that is despite giving up a season high 34 points in a quarterfinal win over Hollis Brookline.

“What you’re always going to get from a Plymouth team is a fundamentally sound team,” he said. “They’re going to give you some things that look exotic (offensively), but they’re just going to run the same stuff that they run.

“Defensively they do a great job of running to the football tackling, block destruction. They execute well, sound blockers.”

And, as Bowkett said, a dangerous quarterback, and this year that’s three-year senior starter Cody Bannon.

“It’s like having another coach on the field,” Bowkett said of Bannon. “He’s already played in two championship games as the starting quarterback. That’s big for him.”

Remember, this is a proud program with 24 state titles, the last one coming in 2018 when the ‘Cats beat Alvirne in the Division II finals. It’s Plymouth’s third straight year meeting a local team in the title game, as Hollis Brookline beat the ‘Cats last year. This is Plymouth’s fifth straight finals appearance.

The two programs have squared off five other times in a title game, Plymouth having won them all. Souhegan owns four crowns, the last coming in its last finals appearance in 2010.

Bowkett played against the Bobcats in a championship game back as a sophomore in 1998.

“I think it’s certainly a fun little rivalry, kind of what the old Division III used to be,”

Besides Bannon, other keys are back Cole Johnston, plus back Joe D’Ambruoso and split end Trevan Sanborn.

“They’ve just got a lot of guys who can share the wealth,” Bowkett said. “It’s just another tough, physical Plymouth football team with some playmakers.”

Of course, the Sabers have the same, with senior quarterback Austin Jain, plus back Riley Lawhorn, receiver Luke Manning, and bruiser Michael Maroun.

They’ll have to go up against a stout Plymouth defense.

“They give you a few different looks,” Bowkett said. “They like to disguise the things they do but at the same time they do a great job reading coverages, and running to the football, and getting off blocks.

“They always seems stout on the defensive line, and can kind of do what they can to make you a one-dimensional offense. They don’t give up too many big plays, keep everything in front of them, Again, another typical really solid, physical Plymouth defense.”

What can the Sabers do?

“It’s us executiing, protecting the football, moving the chains and taking what they give us,” Bowkett said. “Not getting too cute and out-executing them. Run what we’ve been running, and getting the ball to the guys who have been doing it for us all year.”

And, as Bowkett says his players always say, “The only things that can stop us are ourselves and COVID. Let’s try not to let either of them beat us.”

For Bowkett, this is the fruition of his program, as he took over four years ago and this will be his first graduating senior class. His assistants have ties to the school either as coaches of Saber teams past, or alumni, like Bowkett.

“It’s just been fun seeing this thing grow and develop,” he said. “We’re excited. We’ve got something brewing here, and we just hope we can bring it all together on Saturday.”

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