Nashua North's Jonathan Torres runs away from Alvirne's Cam Drohan into the end zone for the first TD in the Titans' 27-14 Division I prelim win over the Broncos Saturday at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The formula for football success for Nashua High School North in Saturday’s Division I preliminary round playoff game at Stellos Stadium was fairly simple:

Control the line of scrimmage, take advantage of turnovers, and stop the other team’s best player.

The No. 7 Titans did all of that, and it added up to a 27-14 win over the No. 10 Alvirne Broncos.

North (7-3) took advantage of five Alvirne turnovers – including three Dylan Noble interceptions — rushed for nearly 150 yards, and held top Alvirne running back Aiden Mills to 36 yards on the ground.

As a result of all that, North will be headed to face No. 2 unbeaten Portsmouth-Oyster River at Portsmouth next Friday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

Saturday, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly rocket science. But what it was was the first playoff win for the Chad Zibolis coaching era, after the bitter defeat here to Bedford in last year’s quarterfinals.

“We played physical up front and that’s what we knew we had to do to win this game,” North coach Chad Zibolis said. “All year long we finally have this (offensive) line together the last three or four games. And Steven (Rosario) running the ball tough (60 yards, three TDs on 17 carres) and (QB) Johnny Canaway had one of his best running games (13 carries, 76 yards). Those are the things we need to do to keep going.”

“Credit to North, they had a good game plan, took advantage of some things,” Lee said. “But put it in perspective, 5-5, and not a lot of people put us in the playoffs.”

North led 27-0 before Alvirne scored two relatively meaningless but fun to watch late TDs on two Shawn Boudreau passes, both the Cam Drohan (31 yards, 13 yards).

North opened the scoring on Canaway’s 4-yard swing pass to Jonathan Torres with 3:15 left in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The Titans then turned the first of four Boudreau interceptions – and Noble’s first pick – into points, a 4-yard Rosario run to go up 13-0 with 6:39 left in the first half. He picked off another on the next Alvirne series, and a Canaway 20-yard pass to Rosario set up another 4-yard Rosario TD with 1:11 left in the half to help make it 20-0.

“We’ve got a couple of sophomores out there, you’ve got Kobie Perry and Dylan Noble, and those were moves we kind of had to figure out coming into the game,” Zibolis said. “As a young kid (Noble) flew around out there, and we’ve kind of found ourselves a safety for the next couple of years. He played his butt off.”

“Looking at film we know (Boudreau) likes to target some of his top receivers,” Noble said. “One of the things we talked about was play the ball the way it’s supposed to be played. So what my coach told me to do was go out there, read the ball, read the quarterback, and go get the ball, and I executed.”

“We’re a running team that kind of throws it eight to 10 times a game,” Lee said. “We get out of that and have to throw it 20-plus times it’s a little uncomfortable for us. … And Aiden’s had a helluva year but he never really got to the (defense’s) second level. When he did that he’s tough to catch up to, which is what he did all year.”

North turned another interception into a 14 play,80-yard drive that ended with Rosario bulling in from a yard out to help make it 27-0 with 3:24 left in the third, and that was basically that.

For the Broncos, it certainly was a season of accomplishment.

“We had a lot of fun this year,” Lee said. “I told them, they’ll be upset for the rest of the weekend, but when they go to school Monday, you’ve got to hang your head high. They have a lot to be proud of.”

As for North, it was big for Zibolis & Co., a goal achieved and now they will try to for more.

“Obviously, mine and my staff’s first playoff win, and it’s tough to get over that hump if you don’t get it,” Zibolis said. “We’re actually in that same situation we were in last year with four kids returning, which is unbelievable.”