Bedford's Dylan Soden (23) and Brody Helton (26), shown here early in the season vs. Nashua South, will be playing in the Division I title game next Saturday after the Bulldogs beat Portsmouth on Friday night in the semifinals. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

The defending Divison I football champion Bedford High School Bulldogs are one win away from a repeat.

The No. 3, 11-0 ‘Dogs blanked No. 2, previously unbeaten Portsmouth-Oyster River 28-0 Friday night at Portsmouth High School’s Daubney Field as QB Danny Black tossed three TD passes.

It was a tight contest early, as Bedford led just 7-0 at halftime thanks to Black’s first TD pass to Dom Tagliaferro with 1:11 left in the first quarter. It was the first time since the Bulldogs’ season opener vs. Bishop Guertin that they hadn’t scored at least 21 points in the first half.

While Portsmouth-OR had success moving the ball with back Brooks Connors, they couldn’t get into the end zone. Brody Helton’s 8 yard TD run on fourth and 3 helped the Bulldogs lead 14-0 with 6:43 left in the third quarter.

Three minutes later, Bedford got a three-score advantage when Black hit Luke Soden on a 44-yard TD to help make it 21-0. The two connected again on a 5-yard TD with 5:15 left in the game.

The ClipperCats had three costly turnovers, two in the second half.

TODAY’S GAMES

Bedford will now face the winner of today’s seminfinal between longtime rivals Londonderry (9-1) and Pinkerton (10-0) in Derry.

Also today, at Nashua’s Stellos Stadium at 1 p.m., No. 2 Plymouth (10-1) will try to wrestle the Division II title away from Pelham (11-0) in the title bout. The two teams did not meet during the regular season, but Plymouth avenged its only loss of the season when it edged Souhegan 21-20 in last week’s semifinals.

(Material from NHsportspage.com and NH-Highschoolsports.com was used in this report.)

Newsletter