DERRY, N.H. — Down 12 points with just over six minutes left to play, three-time defending champion Pinkerton mustered one final comeback, forcing overtime against Nashua South.
But Pinkerton fell one conversion short of a four-peat in a wild state title epic, 33-32, before about 1,000 fans at a frigid Memorial Field.
"When our defense is under pressure, we've always gotten better," said junior defensive lineman Ben Proulx, who helped backbone a pair of gritty stands in the fourth, allowing the Astros, down 26-14, to claw back in it.
"This team knows how to step up. We definitely got better late."
For the first time since early in the game, the top-seeded Astros found a way to stop David Zocco, with Proulx, Tom Giancola and Dennis Stevens delivering the big hits.
Pinkerton needed the spectacular and got it after the punt, when Ryan Simpson heaved with all his might, a rocket into a gale that somehow got to Matt Mangano deep down field.
The diminutive senior dodged and danced all the way to the 2, where Chris George pounded in to slice the margin to 26-20 with 5:49 left in regulation.
With kicker Shawn Clukey knocked out of the game in the first half and rushed to the hospital via ambulance with what was believed to be a concussion, Astro coach Brian O'Reilly elected to go for two.
The conversion run, an option pitch from Mark Maguire to Mangano looked good, but Maguire, who was sliding on the pitch, was ruled down.
"I didn't think he hit the ground, but hey, I'm biased," said O'Reilly.
The now energized Astros made their own break one play later when Maguire stripped South's Cory Boudreau and Giancola pounced on the football at the Purple Panther 30.
Four plays later, Simpson dashed nine yards to the left pylon, knotting the score at 26-26 with 4:11 remaining.
This time, Pinkerton tried the kick, but it rode wide left, pointing this one to the OT.
As the sun set behind the tall pines, it also set on the Astros' wild late-season ride, which has seen five of the last six games decided by five points or less.
South, the No. 2 seed, went first from the 10 in OT. It took two Zocco carries and a Cam DiCecca PAT boot to push things to 33-26.
The Astros stuttered with a penalty and two short gains before Simpson again spotted Mangano, this time for a 14-yard score.
O'Reilly contemplated his PAT options, deciding on a pass, that slid to the turf, just out of reach, sending the Nashua side into a frenzy.
"Any time you don't make the two-point conversion, you always think I could have done this instead," said O'Reilly. "It just seemed like the right time for a pass. In my career for two-point conversions, I hardly ever pass. I never pass. I just thought it was going to be there, and it wasn't."
Of course, if O'Reilly had Clukey healthy ...
"Absolutely, no question I would have kicked, no question,'' he said. "But with no kicking game, we needed to win it right then and there."
Despite the cold and wind, South racked up 397 yards of offense. The bulk of that came through the air on the arm of sophomore Keith Farkas, who with the Astros stacking the line to derail Zocco (26 carries, 111 yards), connected on 17 of 21 passes for 262 yards.
George, the senior fullback, went out in style for the Astros, carrying 17 times for 126 yards and three TDs.
Pinkerton finished at 8-4 overall, while South closed out at 9-3, winning the school's first state title for the Gate City, since Nashua High split into two schools. The old Nashua High last won the title in 1997.
Nashua South 33, Pinkerton Academy 32
Nashua South:0âÇ13âÇ7âÇâÇ6âÇ7 — 33
Pinkerton Academy:7âÇâÇ7âÇ0âÇ12âÇ6 — 32
First Quarter
P — Chris George 2 run (Shawn Clukey kick) 5:57
Second Quarter
NS — David Zocco 6 run (rush failed) 9:27
NS — Zocco 1 run (Cam DiCecca kick) 6:13
P — George 77 run (Clukey kick) 5:34
Third Quarter
NS — Zocco 1 run (DiCecca kick) 6:35
Fourth Quarter
NS — Zocco 7 run (kick wide) 9:41
P — George 2 run (rush failed) 5:49
P — Ryan Simpson 9 run (kick wide) 4:11
Overtime
NS — Zocco 1 run (DiCecca kick)
P — Matt Mangano 14 pass from Simpson (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: NS (43-137) — Zocco 26-111, Cory Boudreau 11-40, Nick Haskell 4-4, Keith Farkas 2-(-18); P (35-207) — George 17-126, Simpson 8-44, Colby Verge 4-11, Mike Mazzola 3-21, Mangano 3-1
PASSING: NS — Farkas 17-21-0, 262; P — Simpson 3-10-2, 101
RECEIVING: P — Mazzola 1-3, Zach Tulley 1-28, Mangano 1-70
