Nashua South's Cody Jackson tries to push forward against Goffstown's William Schmidt during Friday night's game at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Nashua High School South football coach Josh Porter had a novel idea for his football team before Friday night’s game vs. Goffstown at Stellos Stadium.

“I told the guys before coming over here, how about we play with a lead this week?” Porter said.

And that’s why the Panthers chose to receive the opening kick after winning the toss rather than defer to the second half. It worked, as the Panthers scored on their first possession en route to a 43-8 thrashing of Goffstown.

Remember, Porter’s Panthers were held scoreless in the second half last week vs. Bedford, and he wanted his team to regain it’s offensive identity.

“That came with the decision to receive, right,” Porter said. “We flipped it. The game flow followed that, and it seemed to work out well. We were definitely ready to get after it and prove we’re better than how we performed last half last week. But we learned a lot, right?”

Junior Justin Fish had a career night with three receiving TDs plus an interception, and Sam Levine had three rushing touchdowns. Nashua outgained the Grizzlies 218-43 in the first half alone.

Levine’s first score, a 1-yard TD run, capped an opening 10-play, 68-yard drive. Quarterback Cody Jackson added a two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

Ray Karuru blocked a punt and that set up an 11-yard Levine TD that made it 14-0. Another 10-play drive ended with a Fish 12-yard TD reception, plus another Jackson two-pointer, and the first quarter ended with the Panthers in complete control, 22-0.

“Good football team,” Goffstown coach John Preston said of the Panthers, now 1-1 in Division I and 2-1 overall. “They kind of did whatever they wanted out there. Unfortunately we didn’t really show up to play football tonight. Sometimes that happens.”

The 0-3 Grizzlies also lost back William Schmidt to an injury with just over four minutes left in the first quarter, serious enough that an ambulance was summoned. However word is that was just as a precaution as he was moving, alert, etc.

How teams would react after a 25-minute delay was a question but South just picked right up where it left off with that second 10 play drive. In the second quarter the Panthers added a Levine 15-yard TD run set up by Fish’s interception, and the final nail came with 22.6 seconds left in the half when Jackson found Fish on a long 61-yard TD. That helped make it 36-0 at halftime, leading to running time. Jackson was 9 of 12 for 133 yards and three TDs passing on the night.

For Fish, the night had to be a blast as he added a 15-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter.

“I’d say it was probably the most fun I’ve had,” he said. “I’ve been working really hard in practice, doing my assignments every day in practice. The line did their thing, Cody his thing, it just all fell in the right place. It was amazing.”

“He’s doing fantastic,” Porter said. “Justin was on the field all the time for us last year. He keeps answering the call, which is good. A great night, obviously catching the football, but even his blocking on the perimeter was fantastic. He’s showing up everywhere on the team, even defensively on the pick. He’s balling out, for sure.”

Goffstown’s lone score was a Connor Hoffstetter 3-yard TD pass to Owen Cole in the fourth quarter, with a two-point pass to boot.