South players celebrate an overtime win over BG in the 2024 regular season opener at Stellos Stadium. The two teams, who also met in the playoffs last year, face each other tonight at Stellos. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Welcome to the latest local Game of the Year.

There will be a few in the area this football season, but tonight’s 6:30 Division I West Conference clash at Stellos Stadium between city rivals Bishop Guertin (4-0 Division I, 5-0 overall) and Nashua South (3-1 Division I, 4-1 overall) certainly qualifies.

“The old Nashua rivalry,” South coach Josh Porter said, referring to the days of the one Nashua Panthers vs. Bishop Guertin, Purple vs. Green & Gold.

The thing is, in those days the points were never like these two teams put up. After a close 21-15 regular season opener, the Panthers again beat BG 59-26 in Division I prelim last year, the game played at Souhegan’s Calvetti Field as Stellos was closed for repairs. Guertin, saddled with injuries to linemen and receivers, tried to keep up with talented, young South but that just wasn’t happening.

But this year? The combined points could be through the roof.

“I hope it’s a high-scoring game in terms of us scoring points,” Guertin coach Anthony Nalen said.

“The important message is BG, they’re going to get theirs,” Porter said. “We can’t take away absolutely everything. There’s just not enough guys on defense to do that. Just stay the course … We have to understand there’s going to be different ebbs and flows to this game.”

Nalen knows that South’s offense flows well and grimaces when thinking of how to defend Panthers QB Cody Jackson and his ability to throw but also turn the corner and run to daylight with his speed.

“The list goes on with those guys,” Nalen said. “You can’t even double one of them. (Colvin) Levesque could beat anyone, and (Justin) Fish could beat anybody. And it puts such stress on a defense because you can’t double (receiver Josh) Tripp. And if you don’t double Tripp, it’s a long night.”

This may be strength against strength. Nashua South has a Tripp-led secondary that limit or even shut down passing games. The Cardinals have an elite air attack with quarterback Nate Bowen having a bevy of receivers, led by Rocco Roy.

“They’ve got weapons all over the place, their receivers through the air, and they’ve got three backs who can run the ball and a great offensive line,” Porter said. “It’s no easy task trying to slow them down. … Defensively we continue to improve each week.”

Nalen feels that South’s secondary will be the best the Cards have seen this year. Thus, they’ll need to establish the run with a backfield led by senior Hudson Schmitt. “If we do, I think we’ll be able to take those shots (downfield) later,” Nalen said.

Porter feels Guertin’s defense poses problems, first up front with a stout line led by Bishop Kearns and Aaron Chmielecki on the edge. “Just assignment football, make sure everyone’s doing their job,” Porter said. “Just take what they’re giving us and be patient.”

That’s something Porter feels the Panthers, who have used an effective Sam Levine as their primary running back, have been better at as the weeks go on.

Of course, the tone for the game will be set in the trenches. Porter knows the Cards could play two ways on offense – one, get into a spread offense, “sling it around”, or two, as they did in the second half vs. Salem, use a ball control rushing attack to eat up clock and play keep-away. Porter says the Panthers are preparing for both and feel South’s physical approach could be a plus in handling the BG running game.

Things don’t get easier for either team after this. BG has Bedford next Friday and South has Memorial, and there’s that South-Pinkerton Halloween game to end the regular season. Neither can look past this.

“We know what we have (ahead), I think it’s good we’ve handled business in the first five to put us in a position like this,” Nalen said. “But we’ll take it one game at a time.”

Local football fans have had their entertainment, for certain. Two weeks ago Stellos was packed for the North-South Battle of the Bridge, and last weekend North and BG did battle in a rare Saturday afternoon game in even rarer October 80-degree heat.

Now, it’s tonight’s clash in an early October chill. It’s what football coaches, players and fans love.

“You do,” Porter said. “You get into football, this is part of it, right? You like these exciting games, the atmosphere at Stellos is going to be electric, I’m sure. It’s going to be a lot of fun. ..

“On paper we match up very well with each other. It’s going to be a dogfight for sure.”