LONDONDERRY, N.H. — There are more glamorous roads to a varsity letter.
Have to be.
Plant your feet and hands into chilled, muddy turf. On all fours, launch your body, missile-like, into the shins of the nasty, 250-pound monster in your line of fire, prompting said monster, and often a friend or two, to pounce on your back and create a pile.
Pinkerton Academy football coach Brian O'Reilly had to sell that one to his starting defensive linemen in preparation for the ball of confusion that is the Londonderry single-wing offense.
"You have to do what you have to do to win a state championship," said Astro senior Ryan Raymond, caked with sod and dirt stains after Pinkerton's 31-12 victory Saturday night.
The win left the Astros in sole possession of first in Division 1. Pinkerton is 4-0, Nashua South 3-0 and Londonderry 3-1.
Raymond continued, "I was kind of skeptical at first, but after practicing it, we were confident. Get down and take out their shins. That's a big offensive line. And they would come down on us with two people. All they could do was lay on top of us."
The defensive game plan was right out of Ampipe High in the classic 1983 Tom Cruise football flick, "All the Right Moves."
O'Reilly said the move, while not out of desperation, was absolutely necessary.
"The single wing is a unique offense. We didn't need to do that last year with the Josh Lanes (Pinkerton's 270-pounder now playing at UNH) of the world. We just overpowered them," said O'Reilly. "Coming into the game, their offensive line dominated everyone. They've got size. They certainly looked good on film. After our mistakes against Salem last week, getting pushed around, standing up, we felt we had guys getting pushed back.
"It looked like it wasn't going to be a good night, so we specifically decided, we're taking them out."
Raymond, Ben Proulx, Brian Sullivan and Sean Sebastian, for the most part, were willing subjects. The strategy worked to perfection. Stacked up instead of bulldozing the opposition per usual, Londonderry's linemen simply couldn't get to the second tier.
The speedy backs had room, but they were subsequently funneled into running lanes, a perfect setup for the football equivalent of an ambush.
Pinkerton linebackers Chris George, Ali Bahremand and Dennis Stevens repeatedly lowered the boom, stuffing the Lancers and forcing them out of their comfort zone.
"We were just going to knock down the pile and let our linebackers and safeties move in for the kill," said O'Reilly. "What do you do to stop that? What can you do with a kid diving at your ankles? There's really not a defense for it."
Saturday night leftovers
The 3,500-plus fans were loud, fierce and, as far as these eyes could see, absolutely first class. It made for a spectacular night.
High marks go out to the gigantic bands from both schools.
I"ll be honest, I don't hear much during the halftimes. Much of that time is spent schmoozing and totaling statistics.
But I couldn't help but listen Saturday. Can the Notre Dame/Londonderry fight song sound better in South Bend?
And I have to admit then when Pinkerton starts jamming, I tend to get a little wiggle in my toes. Who doesn't?
Spotted on the way into the action was the architect of the Lancer single-wing, former assistant coach Denis Cronin of Haverhill.
Cronin, who last spring stated he might take some time away from the game, just couldn't and landed with an old friend of his, head coach Sandy Ruggles, at North Middlesex Regional. And yes, North Middlesex is running the antiquated but effective single wing.
