Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua North's Ed Bracetty, left, Curtis Harris-Lopez and Lucas Cunningham are three of the building blocks over the years for the Titans program as they head into their final game today in the Division I finals vs. Goffstown at Bedford.

Welcome to Championship Saturday.

It’s not only a day when titles will be awarded, but for two local high school football teams hoping for hardware, it’s also End of An Era Saturday.

Today will be the last high school game for as many as 30-35 seniors between the Nashua North and Souhegan football teams. The Titans are squaring off against Goffstown at 1 p.m. at Bedford High School’s Bulldog Stadium for the Division I title, while the Sabers host Plymouth at Saber Field in Amherst, also at 1 p.m.

North fans would love to see their standout talent of the last three seasons, Curtis Harris-Lopez, walk away with a championship trophy in his final game. It’s clearly the end of an era for the Titans, because Harris-Lopez is that rare talent who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. But he has also been surrounded by players he’s known and played with for several years, dating back to the youth level.

And this senior group for North can taste it.

“I think they’ve been together, they’ve been successful at the youth level,” Laurendi said. “Having success last year was a great thing for them, because it kind of said, ‘You know what, we tighten up some things here and there, and some things go our way, we could make a run at this.’

“They’ve done that, they’ve practiced really well, especially in all this craziness…I think the biggest thing is they like playing for each other. They’re playing more unselfish this year than I think I’ve ever seen it.”

“We have a talented senior class,” North assistant Kyle Tave said. “They know everything they want to do, and can go out and execute it on their own. … And we have those seniors passing on the skill to the sophomores.”

But the senior group, led by Harris-Lopez, Jayden Espinal, Max Ackerman, etc. isn’t ready to turn things over to the younger players just yet. One more game to go.

SOUHEGAN SENIORS LEAD WAY

Sabers coach Robin Bowkett had managed his way into the press box with two of his top returnees, Riley Lawhorn and Luke Manning, at the rain-soaked University of New Hampshire’s Wildcat Stadium during last year’s Plymouth vs. Hollis Brookline Division II championship game.

As the trio watched the game, Bowkett has a question.

“I asked them straight up, what’s it going to take to get here?” Bowkett recalled. ” Riley answered right away, ‘Senior leadership and a lot of hard work.’

“Those two things are kind of the biggest difference. Our senior leadership is fantastic. We have great captains, just a senior class that’s been together.”

This is Bowkett’s first graduating class as he took over the Sabers four years ago.

“We had a pretty good idea when they were freshmen that they were going to be pretty darn good,” he said. “They were playing all JV and freshman games, and a lot of them have been starters for us since they were sophomores.”

And they have showed an experienced, unified front.

“When things are going wrong, guys just keep making plays and they don’t point fingers,” he said.

TITANS UNSUNG CLUB

The members are almost too many to mention. As Laurendi said, “It’s a key part of what we do. … They just like playing. They like playing for each other. There’s no egos with all those guys. They do what you ask them to do and have no issues with it. And they have no problem not getting the headlines.”

Some of those are back Isaac Smith, lineman Liam Novak, and center Zach Maszczak. Many looked at Harris-Lopez’s injury last year as a main reason for keeping the Titans out of the title game, but an injury to Maszczak may have been even bigger.

“That was definitely huge for us,” Laurendi said. “His timing with the offense, understanding of the offense, he kind of made the calls, the quiet leader of the offensive line. That was a huge loss for us.”

Novak has had a good senior year.

“Novak has stepped up and played a huge role for us on both sides of the ball,” Laurendi said.

HAMMOND FORMER TITAN COACH

Goffstown head coach Nick Hammond spent a couple of years on the North staff some five or six years ago, one year under former Titans head coach Jason Robie and then a season on Laurendi’s staff.

“A very, very devout film guy,”Laurendi said. “Just a wealth of knowledge and a sponge when it comes to trying to learn.

“And for a young kid, even five, six years ago, the amount of knowledge he had and wanted to learn more was just amazing.”

Indeed, Laurendi holds Hammond, who is in his first year as the Grizzlies head coach after being on former Goffstown coach and current AD Justin Hufft’s staff, in high regard.

“I don’t think there’s a clinic he has not gone to, or somebody he hasn’t visited,” Laurendi said, “or notes upon notes and questions of the high school guys, the college guys. He’s extremely knowledgeable about the game, he’s worked obviously with Coach Hufft for a couple of years. That’s a tremendous asset to work there as well.

“He’s done a great job, and he’s hired a great experienced staff there as well.”

SABER UNSUNG HEROES

“It’s every week there’s another guy stepping up.,” Bowkett said. “Other seniors who aren’t going to be on the stat sheets but are doing their jobs and doing them well.”

That would include but not limited to players like linemen Will Boyle, Nate Fritz, Dexter Healey, Jaxon Weisburgh, Ryan Charest, recevier/DBs Jake Civiello and Reese Colby (pick for a touchdown two weeks ago).

“Guys who have been great compliments to our team,” Bowkett said. “It’s just all coming together. Practices have been so fun to be at. These kids practice hard, come with a great attitude and energy. They really have relished every minute of it, of playing high school football.”

LIMITED CROWDS, LIVESTREAM

Crowds will be limited for both games due to virus concerns, with tickets required for entry that should have been received from the players or schools’ athletic departments.

The games are being livestreamed on the NFHS Network and the links are on the NHIAA website. Meanwhile, Nashua ETV will carry the North-Goffstown game on tape delay a couple of days later. The contract the NHIAA has with NFHS presents anyone else from carrying it live.

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