Nashua North's Max Ackerman sacks Goffstown quarterback Jarrett Henault during the Titans' 49-21 Divison I title win last weekend over Goffstown.

NASHUA – The championship season began in the summer sun in June-July when summer off-season workouts were given the OK for all New Hampshire high school teams by the NHIAA.

But the first day the Nashua High School North football team got together as a complete unit and took the practice field was September 15, the first day allowed for fall practices.

It was a month later than usual, thanks to the pandemic. So the message was basically enjoy it while it will last.

“I said let’s just give our best every day, because we don’t know what will happen down the road,” Titans coach Dante Laurendi said. “Every day’s a gift based on this. We’re never going to know. Just do what we can, focus on what we can control, and that’s it.”

The Titans had to start their season with a rivalry game, one that is normally reserved for the fourth or fifth week of a regular nine game regular season. But their 24-7 win over rival Nashua South began a season without a loss, all the way through Saturday’s 49-21 Division I title win over Goffstown at Bedford’s Bulldog Stadium – the only game the Titans played away from Stellos Stadium all season.

But Laurendi’s words held true as virus concerns wiped out two of the five games on North’s schedule, so the Titans had only a three-game regular season, but won four straight playoff games. That’s how strange the season was – more playoff games than regular season.

Here’s a look at the road to the championship:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

NORTH 24, SOUTH 7

The Titans were in control the entire way behind Curtis Harris-Lopez’s 143 yards rushing with two TDs. Anthony Greene added two scores as well, as the Titans took a 12-0 lead at the half and were up 24-0 early in the fourth quarter.

“We’re better this year,” Harris-Lopez said. “The line is opening up the holes and giving us more space to run.”

It was evident right away that the line, led by seniors Max Ackerman, Spencer Whiting and Liam Novak, among others, was going to be a big difference.

“Some of their kids up front started taking the game over,” South coach Scott Knight said.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

NORTH-MERRIMACK

CANCELLED

It didn’t take long for Laurendi’s message to ring true as Merrimack had a virus issue – not a major one, but enough to cancel the game as part of a shutdown of athletics for a few days. As was the norm for the fall, no games lost to the virus would be made up.

So Laurendi’s thoughts were, “Here we go. You were never quite comfortable until you’re kicking the ball off.”

Which the Titans did the next week.

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

NORTH 34,

BISHOP GUERTIN 6

Cardinals head coach John Trisciani had specific instructions for his defense regarding Harris-Lopez.

“Don’t let him turn the corner,” he bellowed from the sidelines.

Easier said than done. Harris-Lopez rushed for 198 yards and two TDs while throwing for another as the Titans overcame two early turnovers to take a 21-0 halftime lead. Brian Mwangi added two scores in the second half.

Guertin couldn’t take advantage of those early North miscues, with just 31 yards offensively in the first half.

“It took us a little while to wake up,” Laurendi said.

FRIDAY, OCT. 16

NORTH AT

ALVIRNE CANCELLED

It was a bizarre week. First, there was an outbreak at a church in Nashua, and a lot of the schedule for North and South teams that week was in doubt. But just when the game was set to be played, the Broncos had to pull out due to a local outbreak, just as a precaution. It would have been North’s only regular season game out of Nashua. “Fingers crossed, hope evrybody does what they need to do,” Laurendi said. “We had to work with what we got, and that’s it.”

FRIDAY, OCT. 23

NORTH 36, LONDONDERRY 7

This was probably the telling game, as the Titans were squaring off against the defending champions. They dominated, as Harris-Lopez ran for 130 yards and three TDs on just nine carries, and Jayden Espinal had 116 and two scores on nine as well. North ran for 410 yards, and the Titans finished the regular season leaving an impression.

“I didn’t see them in person (beforehand), but they’re faster than they looked on film,” Lancers coach Jimmy Lauzon said. “Their guys are bigger than they looked on film. They’re the real deal.”

FRIDAY, OCT. 30

DIVISION I FIRST ROUND

NORTH 35, BISHOP GUERTIN 6

They had been a rushing team most of the season, but this time it was Air Titans. Harris-Lopez surprised the Cards by throwing three TD passes, two to Lucas Cunningham.

“We’ve been practicing (the air game) this week,” Cunningham said. “When we needed it, Curtis threw a good ball, I made a catch, it all worked out in the end. … Good practice, everyone focused, no days off.”

“They (BG) were playing real tough defense, putting a lot of men in the box, trying to take the run away, understandably. And (Harris-Lopez) was able to take advantage, made some great throws, kids made some great plays on the ball.”

It started with a 31-yard TD pass to Espinal, following a Devin Bracetty interception. North was back in the quarterfinals.

FRIDAY, NOV. 6

DIVISION I QUARTERS

NORTH 42, MERRIMACK 12

This was the third straight North-Merrimack quarterfinal, the Titans having been on the short end for the other two. Not this time. North dominated, with Harris-Lopez rushing for 119 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries, all in the first half. The Titans were looking good, having played three weeks in a row for the first time this season.

We’re getting there,” Laurendi said. “The last few weeks finally we’re playing back-to-back. It’s always a work in progress.”

That work in progress had one major test ahead.

SATURDAY, NOV. 14

DIVISION I SEMIS

NORTH 33, SALEM 28

Laurendi earlier in the week warned about how tough Salem and its Wing-T offense would be. And it was the toughest game the Titans had all season, as they trailed 7-0, 7-6, and 14-6 before rallying to take a 21-14 halftime lead. But after Salem tied it at 21, North scored two TDs in the second half, 2-yard runs by Espinal and Harris-Lopez, to grab an all-important two-score lead.

But the game wasn’t really decided until Titans defensive back Espinal correctly read a trick play by the Blue Devils and leaped up and picked off a Dante Fernandes fourth down halfback option floater at the Salem 43 with 2:27 left.

It’s what he does,” said Harris-Lopez, who had 202 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carrries and also made a couple of good defensive plays himself.

“We made a stop when we needed to make a stop,” Laurendi said. “And we had to score when we needed to score. And it happened to be just enough.”

SATURDAY, NOV. 21

DIVISION I FINALS

NORTH 49, GOFFSTOWN 21

Harris-Lopez set the tone at Bedford’s Bulldog Stadium with a pick six about two minutes into the game.

While Goffstown QB Jarrett Henault engineered a couple of answers to North scores, the Titans were simply too much. Why? They scored in all three phases – offense, special teams and defense. Harris-Lopez added two rushing TDs, Espinal had a scoop and score as well as a rushing TD, and Issac Smith had a rushing TD but also a back-breaking 72-yard kickoff return that subdued Goffstown’s spirit – and that was after he fumbled it and picked it up with the sun in his eyes.

It was quite a week for Harris-Lopez, who five days earlier committed to Holy Cross.

“My team pushed through with me to win a championship,” Harris-Lopez said, his 1-yard run in the final minute of the first half giving North a 35-14 lead at the break. “It’s a championship, so you’ve got to give it your all. It’s the last game of the year, everyone was locked in, and we did what we were supposed to do.”

A 7-0 record. A championship. The Titans saved their best for last.

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