Nashua South's Kyle Emmons picks off a pass intended for Goffstown's Gavin Philbrook during the Panthers' 47-26 win Friday night at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Scott Knight stood in the Stellos Stadium chill after talking to his players, who were thrilled with a 47-26 win over Goffstown Friday night.

Don’t get Knight wrong, but he knows ragged football when he sees it.

“That,” he said, “was gross.”

The Grizzlies and Panthers combined for a dozen turnovers – six each – and there were some other misuces, mainly on the 0-9 Goffstown side. But the bottom line was in a game between two struggling football teams the Panthers, who had four freshmen in the lineup and a host of sophomores, improved to 2-7.

One of the reasons they did was the fact senior QB Karsten Lemire threw five TD passes. Another was sophomore Kyle Emmons, who had three interceptions, 67 yards rushing and a TD reception.

“Same mistakes but we’ve got some young guys playing real well,” Knight said. “Emmons, he is a competitor. He’s just a real good player. He might be our best player.”

Another is freshman Josh Tripp, who had three catches for 49 yards, including a 22-yard TD. Freshman Samuel Levine had 36 yards on six carries, including a 24-yard run plus a 3-yard TD.

There’s your future, Panther fans.

“We’re leaning on some young guys,” Knight said, “and they’re doing a pretty good job.”

South never trailed, as Karsten Lemire used his accurate arm to help give the Panthers a 34-13 lead at the half. He was 11 of 13 in the half – completing his first 11 straight – with three TD passes, a 12 and 10-yarder to Jake O’Connor, plus a 27-yarder to Tripp. Levine had a TD run, and Nathan Smith had a 25-yard pick six off a Josh Webb Grizzlie pass.

In the second half, with each team giving the ball away to the other, Lemire zipped a 22-yard strike to Tripp and a 5-yarder to Emmons. Overall the Panther QB was

18 of 23 for 200 yards, with those five scoring strikes and one interception.

Goffstown had some things to be happy about. The 26 points was the most the Grizzlies had scored all year. Webb threw four TD strikes: first half TD passes to Gavin Philbrook (19 yards) and Will Patenaude (35 yards), plus a 56-yarder to Maddox Turck and a 4-yarder to Billy Schmidt in the second half.

Growing pains, Knight feels.

“With this group, you’re disappointed with the record, but I’ve told these guys, other teams have won more games, but It’s been a real enjoyable season with this group of kids,” he said. “We’ve had some great practices. You see glimpses.

“We’re looking to continue to develop those young guys. We’re not doing much different, just trying to get better.”

There is one more game, as the NHIAA takes the eight Division I teams that didn’t make the playoffs and seed them for matchups for one final weekend. South will likely be on the road with the Division II soccer tourney at Stellos next Friday and Bishop Guertin with a home playoff game Saturday.

“The turnovers, that’s two years in a row, we’re way on the wrong side (of the plus-minus),” Knight said. “We can still get some momentum going into the off season.

“But we can’t play like this next week, we’ll be in trouble.”

And that would likely feel, well, gross.