Portsmouth-Oyster River's Kevin White misses a pass as Nashua North's Josh Sullivan jumps over him during Friday night's Division I clash in Portsmouth. (Photo courtesy of Seacoast Media Group)

PORTSMOUTH – The Portsmouth/Oyster River football team had everything going their way in the first half on Friday night, as they hosted Nashua North in Division I matchup. But the wheels came off in the second half, as the ClipperCats ceded a pair of special teams touchdowns, allowing the Titans to fight back from a 21-7 deficit for a 28-21 win.

Portsmouth fell to 2-4 with the loss, while Nashua North improved to 3-4, snapping a four-game losing streak.

“It was a big win for us,” North coach Chad Zibolis said. “One of the best overall team wins we’ve had in a long time.”

North’s Jedwin Lluveres took the second half kickoff back 85-yards for a touchdown, and Portsmouth/Oyster River led 21-20 late when Dylan Noble gathered up a bouncing punt and went 84-yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:26 to play. The Titans tacked on a 2-point conversion for the final margin of victory.

“This is very much a memory of Memorial last year,” said Portsmouth/Oyster River coach Brian Pafford. “We had them at halftime. We gave up an opening second half kickoff, then Memorial scored on a punt return as well. You can’t let those things happen. You can’t.”

Pafford said the special teams unit has been solid so far this season, but those letdowns swung the tide in a game where his team had opened up a 14-0 lead at the half. He was particularly frustrated after what he felt was a lackluster week of practice leading up to the game.

“Our special teams have been pretty solid all year, and we just fell asleep, because we think we’re better than we are,” he said. “I think (we got a little too comfortable with the two score lead.) Our last win was Winnacunnet two weeks ago. They’re thinking that, because they beat Winnacunnet they’re going to steamroll everyone. Awful week of practice. And that’s what happens.”

Zibolis said he was thrilled with his team’s resiliency, and ability to make plays in different phases of the game. The Titans held Portsmouth to just 37 yards rushing, and 159 yards passing, and although they lost the turnover battle 3-1, they scored a touchdown on the short field after intercepting ClipperCat quarterback Andy Brown late in the third quarter.

“Special teams was huge,” Zibolis said. “Dylan Noble really stepped up. He fumbled a ball earlier, and then he comes back here and scoops one up and goes for the money. Jedwin (Lluveres) had the kick return, that was huge. Those are two big plays that are turning points in the game.”

Everything was bouncing Portsmouth/Oyster River’s way in the first half, as the ClipperCats got a pair of 4-yard touchdown runs from Brown and Daniel Soler-Sala on their second and third drives to open up a 14-0 lead.

For most of the first three quarters, it was the Titans making miscues, as they had a 61-yard touchdown called back for an illegal block, and later missed a field goal on that same drive. With 34 seconds left in the half a bad snap on a punt gave Portsmouth a chance to take an even bigger lead into the half, but North held them to a field goal attempt, which sailed just wide.

“That was a huge stop for us,” Zibolis said. “If they score there, it’s an entirely different ball game.”

Even after Lluveres kickoff return touchdown, the Titans lost a pair of third quarter fumbles, one of which was a fumbled punt return by Noble that led to an Andy Brown 1-yard touchdown run. That gave Portsmouth/Oyster River a 21-7 lead with 5:19 left in the third quarter.

On the second play of Nashua’s next drive Josh Sullivan fumbled after a long reception, and Portsmouth recovered. But Noble intercepted Brown’s third down pass attempt on the ensuing drive, giving North the ball at their own 45-yard line. Sullivan responded to his lost fumble with an 18-yard touchdown catch on that drive to cut the lead to 21-14.

Brady O’Connor hit Lluveres for a touchdown on North’s next drive, but the ClipperCats blocked the extra point to preserve a 21-20 lead, setting the stage for Noble’s heroics.

Zibolis said his team never gave up on the game, even after making several mistakes. And he felt like the fact that Noble and Sullivan each had big scoring plays after their fumbles, was representative of the heart the entire team showed.

“That’s what we always tell the kids,” Zibolis said. “Bad things are going to happen in a game. How are you going to respond to those bad things, is what you’ve got to figure out. A lot of kids could pack it in and put their heads down, and none of these guys did that tonight.”

Portsmouth-Oyster River’s Nash Conklin makes the catch and flips over in front of Nashua North’s Yandel Velazquez (3) during Friday night’s Division I game in Portsmouth. (Photo courtesy of Seacoast Media Group)

On the other side of the field, Pafford said it was hard to come to terms with losing a game where the ClipperCats won the turnover battle 3-1 and held North to a mere 28 yards rushing.

“You get (three) turnovers and you lose the game,” he said. “That’s crazy. We gave up those plays on special teams. We couldn’t even move the ball running the ball, and we couldn’t connect on any passes. You put it all together, and you lose.”

Zachary Hall led Portsmouth/Oyster River with five catches for 59 yards, while Soler-Salas tallied 26 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Harrison Joshi paced Nashua North with 45 yards rushing, while Noble hauled in eight passes for 70 yards, to go along with his game-winning punt return and interception.

North hosts Keene on Friday at 6:30 p.m.at Stellos Stadium.