Souhegan quarterback Romy Jain (1) is chased by Gilford-Belmont's Zach Hoover during Saturday's Division II semifinal in Gilford. The Sabers rallied for a 29-28 win and will face No. 1, unbeaten Pelham this Saturday for the title at 1 p.m. in Bedford. (Courtesy photo by Kim Casey)

AMHERST – The Souhegan High School high potent offense has produced what Sabers coach Robin Bowkett called earlier in the season “video game numbers.”

Except, of course, when the Sabers ran into the Pelham Pythons. Souhegan bowed 28-21 when Pelham’s Jake Travis bowled into the end zone with 32 seconds left, capping off a six-minute drive.

The No. 2, 11-0 Pythons’ best defense was their offense, because it kept the ball out of the Sabers’ hands.

That’s something No. 4, 10-1 Souhegan will want to avoid in Saturday’s 1 p.m. rematch in the Division II championship game at Bedford High School’s Bulldog Stadium.

“The first game, they ran it right up the middle every time, couldn’t stop it in the beginning,” Sabers senior free safety/receiver Madux McGrath said. “We didn’t have the best game, but they (the Pythons) were really good, though. “We knew they’d be good.”

The Pythons are Souhegan’s problem because after winning back-to-back titles in Division III in dominant fashion under head coach Tom Babaian, they moved up to Division II this year and continued their dominance in most cases. In their 11 games, the Pythons have averaged 38.6, outscoring opponents 418-95.

The most points they’ve allowed in any game has been Souhegan’s 21, so the Sabers have the knowledge they can at least move the football and score against them, as sophomore QB sensation Romy Jain threw for 370 yards and three TDS. Some chuckle at how others felt Pelham would be an underdog in Division II after moving up.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” Sabers coach Robin Bowkett said. “That’s pure poppycock. … We knew Pelham was legit watching them in Division III, and we’re like, they can compete very well in Division II, and they did when they were up a couple of years ago in Division II.”

Bowkett was telling people 20 years ago that Pelham had a good football program, and no one believed him. Babaian was the head coach from 1996 before resigning in 2011, with state titles in what was then Division V, in 2007-08.

A former Nashua North assistant principal, Babaian then returned to the Pelham sidelines in 2016.

“He caters to what Pelham is all about, they’re blue collar, tough kids,” Bowkett said. “They run similar stuff to like Salem, some other wing-T type teams, and they do so much offensively to have you mis-aligned, gaps not accounted for, they shift so much, do so much motion. They’re a pain in the butt to prepare for because of that, and then you match their physicality because of it.

“They’re always super aggressive, mean and nasty.”

And, Bowkett added, they stop the run “better than anyone in Division II.” That could make it difficult to get senior back J.J. Bright, who has 1,053 yards and 20 TDs untracked – again. Bright had just eight yards on four carries in the first meeting. Ouch.

“They just have athletes everywhere, from the front seven all the way to the back end,” Bowkett said. “Their kids play hard, they just kind of mash your face in, so to speak.”

They’ll pound you with backs Ethan Demons (702 yards, 7.2 average, 104 yards in the first matchup), Alex Carroll (554, average of 9.1 per carry), Travis (414, 8.1 per carry) and Dom Herling (314, 7.7 per). Travis can throw it – not at the rate of Jain, mind you – as he’s 30 of 46 for 671 yards, nine TDs, and two picks.

Think they’re good? Imagine if players like Pinkerton running back Jake Albert, and Bishop Guertin’s Matt Santosuosso and Jakob Baker stayed in town. Ouch.

In that first meeting, Bowkett admitted Pelham owned the line of scrimmage “early and often” and forced the Sabers to abandon the run.

“We certainly need to be better up front on both sides of the game, in order to win,” Bowkett said. “They were able to run the ball and we were not.”

Obviously turnovers could be a key. A fumble inside the 10 with the Sabers about to score turned things over to Pelham with the score tied at 7 and the Pythons embarked on a 95-yard scoring drive for a 14-point swing. You get the picture.

“In tight games like that can’t make mistakes,” Bowkett said. “Our kids are hungry to get back at them.”

At the same time, Souhegan has some championship pedigree. McGrath was on special teams two years ago when the Sabers beat Plymouth at home for the crown. This year, as a senior, “I definitely feel more confident in our team, 100 percent. We just need to go all out, all game, no stupid mistakes.”

And see if finesse can beat size.

“Just be able to make plays,” Jain said is the key. “If I’m getting pressure, just be able to escape the pocket, go make a play downfield and have my receivers get open. Just having that swag, know if they’re bigger, we’re still faster and can go make better plays.”

Jain felt meeting was anyone’s game, a back-and-forth affair. In his mind, winning the turnover battle would help.

“The mistakes we made were too big to win that game,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a tough battle. But it we all do 100 percent, win our assignments, we’ll win this game.”

It certainly won’t be easy. The Sabers are seeking their sixth title overall, second under Bowkett. They rallied to beat top seed Gilford-Belmont in the second half last Saturday while Pelham handled Bow by three TDs.

Bowkett and Babaian had texted each other when the semis were over. After the first game, both teams were hoping for a rematch.

“We’re both like, this is how it’s supposed to be,” Bowkett said. “Us facing each other. We have so much respect for Pelham, it’s going to be awesome on Saturday.”

Newsletter