PENACOOK — It's not over until it’s over — just ask the Kennett High football team, which staged a dramatic 28-21 overtime victory on the road against Merrimack Valley on Friday night.
The Eagles found themselves on the brink of defeat with the light dimming on their playoff hopes. Trailing 21-14 and the Pride had the ball on the KHS 43-yard line with 4:19 to play, bleak was the best word to describe Kennett’s plight.
kAm%9:?8D 8@E H@CD6 H96? E96 !C:56 A:4<65 FA 2 7:CDE 5@H? @? E96 zw$ bb H:E9 bia` E@ A=2J 2?5 E96 t28=6D 925 ;FDE @?6 E:>6@FE =67E] %96? E96 9@DED E9C6H E96 3@JD 7C@> r@?H2J 2 =:76=:?6 2?5 E96 t28=6D 8C23365 :E 2?5 C2? H:E9 :E E@ DE286 2? :?4C65:3=6 4@>6324<] x?DE625 @7 @AE:?8 E@ CF? E96 7@@E32== 2?5 E2<6 AC64:@FD E:>6 @77 E96 4=@4< 2?5 7@C46 z6??6EE E@ FD6 :ED 7:?2= E:>6@FE[ E96 !C:56 E9C6H 2? :?4@>A=6E6 A2DD :?E@ E96 6?5 K@?6 H:E9 E96:C 324<FA BF2CE6C324< 2?5 E96? E9C6H 2?@E96C A2DD 7@C ?@ 82:? 3FE E96 C646:G6C H6?E @FE @7 3@F?5D DE@AA:?8 E96 4=@4<]k^Am
kAm|' >:DD65 2 cd\J2C5 7:6=5 8@2= H:E9 ai`d E@ A=2J[ 8:G:?8 z6??6EE E96 32== @? :ED @H? b_ H:E9 ;FDE `ah E:4<D =67E @? E96 4=@4<]k^Am
kAm“(6’== E2<6 :E[” $4@EE $E62C?D[ t28=6D’ 9625 4@249[ D2:5] “(6 H6C6 DFCAC:D65 E96J E9C6H E96 32==]”k^Am
kAmyF?:@C BF2CE6C324< qC@5J }28=6 4@??64E65 @? 2 cg\J2C5 A2DD E@ %J=6C (2=4@EE[ H9@ 925 2 5J?2>:E6 82>6[ E@ >@G6 E96 32== E@ E96 !C:56 aa H:E9 `idf =67E] p7E6C 2 CF? 7@C 2 J2C5 2?5 EH@ :?4@>A=6E6 A2DD6D[ E96 t28=6D 72465 7@FCE9\2?5\?:?6 7C@> E96 a` H:E9 `i`b C6>2:?:?8]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 D62D@? @? E96 =:?6[ }28=6 9:E (2=4@EE :? E96 6?5 K@?6 7@C 2 E@F495@H? H:E9 `i_f =67E :? C68F=2E:@? E:>6]k^Am
kAm“qC@5J 8@E 9@E 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[” $E62C?D D2:5] “W{2F89:?8X r@CJ WqC2?5@?[ E96 E62>’D @776?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@CX D4C2E4965 D@>6E9:?8 FA :? E96 5:CE 2?5 qC@5J 7@F?5 %J=6C @? 2 4@C?6C A@DE]”k^Am
kAm%96 t28=6D 2C6 2? 6IEC2 A@:?E 7C@> EJ:?8 @C 2 EH@\A@:?E 4@?G6CD:@? 7C@> E2<:?8 E96 =625]k^Am
kAm“x C62==J E9@F89E 23@FE 8@:?8 7@C EH@[” D2:5 $E62C?D]k^Am
kAmzw$ H6?E 7@C E96 6IEC2 A@:?E 2?5 5:5 D@ H:E9 :ED 324<FA <:4<6C] (:E9 s2G6? q2:=6J D:56=:?65 7@C E96 82>6 H:E9 2 324< :?;FCJ[ (2=4@EE[ E96 E62>’D FDF2= !p% 9@=56C[ DE6AA65 :?E@ E96 <:4<:?8 C@=6 H9:=6 D@A9@>@C6 s6G:? y2<F364 3642>6 E96 ?6H 9@=56C] (2=4@EE H2D d\d @? A@:?E 27E6C 2EE6>AED @? E96 ?:89E :?4=F5:?8 E96 2==\:>A@CE2?E 82>6\EJ:?8 @?6]k^Am
kAm|' 8@E E96 7@@E32== 324< H:E9 2 >:?FE6 E@ A=2J 2E :ED @H? c_] p7E6C 2 CF? 7@C 7@FC J2C5D[ E96 !C:56 2EE6>AE65 2 566A A2DD 3FE D@A9@>@C6 $2HJ6C wFDD6J :?E6C46AE65 9:D D64@?5 A2DD :? EH@ H66<D 2E E96 z6??6EE `g] %96 t28=6D E@@< 2 <?66 @? E96 ?6IE A=2J[ D6?5:?8 E96 82>6 :?E@ @G6CE:>6]k^Am
kAmx? 9:89 D49@@=[ E62>D 86E E96 32== 2E E96 @AA@?6?E’D `_\J2C5 =:?6 2?5 92G6 7@FC A=2JD E@ ECJ E@ D4@C6]k^Am
kAmz6??6EE 8@E E96 32== 7:CDE 2?5 ?66565 ;FDE @?6 A=2J E@ 7:?5 E96 =2?5 @7 D:I] $6?:@C $62? r2CC:6C[ H9@ H2D 562=:?8 H:E9 2 E:89E 92>DEC:?8 2?5 @?=J C2? E9C66 A=2JD FA F?E:= E96 6IEC2 D6DD:@?[ E@@< 2 92?5@77 7C@> }28=6 2?5 6IA=@565 2C@F?5 E96 C:89E 6?5 F?E@F4965 7@C E96 E@F495@H?]k^Am
kAm“r@=3J W{@4<6[ E96 E62>’D EC2:?6C 7C@> |@F?E2:? r6?E6C !9JD:42= %96C2AJX H@C<65 @? 9:> 2 =@E[” $E62C?D D2:5] “(96? H6 8@E E@ @G6CE:>6[ r@=3J E@=5 $62? :7 96 925 2?JE9:?8[ E9:D H@F=5 36 E96 E:>6 7@C 9:> E@ 86E :?] (6 >:DD65 E92E 6IA=@D:G6?6DD]”k^Am
kAmx? 7C@?E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 2== ?:89E[ E96 z6??6EE 5676?D6 D62=65 E96 H:?] ~? 7@FCE9\2?5\7:G6[ r@@A6C $2?EF44:@ E24<=65 }:4< s636==@ 7@C ?@ 82:? E@ 6?5 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 567:?:E6=J :? E96 A=2J@77D 2?5 2C6 6I4:E65 23@FE E92E[” $E62C?D D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 H:? =:7E65 z6??6EE E@ d\b @? E96 D62D@? 2?5 2=@?6 :? E9:C5 A=246 :? E96 t2DE :? s:G:D:@? xx] v:=7@C5\q6=>@?E D:ED 2E@A E96 t2DE 2E g\_ 7@==@H65 3J q@H 2E f\`[ E96? zzw$[ d\bj $E] %9@>2D[ c\cj !=J>@FE9 c\cj |6CC:>24< '2==6J 2?5 {24@?:2[ 3@E9 b\dj 2?5 !6>3C@<6 2?5 $2?3@C?[ 6249 a\e]k^Am
kAmx? E96 (6DE[ !6=92> :D E96 =@?6 F?362E6? 2E g\_ 27E6C E@AA:?8 AC6G:@FD=J F?362E6? $@F9682? Wf\`X ag\a` :? p>96CDE @? uC:52J[ 7@==@H65 3J e\a w2?@G6Cj |:=7@C5 2?5 y@9? $E2C<[ c\cj w:==D3@C@\s66C:?8\w@A<:?E@? 2?5 |2?496DE6C (6DE[ 6249 a\ej w@==:D\qC@@<=:?6[ `\fj 2?5 {632?@?[ _\g]k^Am
kAm%96 E@A g E62>D BF2=:7J 7@C E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm|' E@@< E96 =625 H:E9 `i`g =67E :? E96 7:CDE 92=7 @? uC:52J H96? BF2CE6C324< qF55J t55J D4@C65 @? 2 ?:?6\J2C5 566A6C 2C@F?5 E96 =67E 6?5 E@ 42A 2 `e\J2C5[ 7:G6\A=2J 5C:G6] %C2G:D v2C4:2 25565 E96 7:CDE @7 9:D E9C66 6IEC2 A@:?ED[ >2<:?8 :E f\_]k^Am
kAm%96 t28=6D E:65 E96 82>6 @? E96 ?6IE A=2J H96? (2=4@EE C6EFC?65 E96 <:4<@77 gd J2C5D @? 2 D6?D2E:@?2= CF?[ CF??:?8 2H2J 7C@> 7:G6 |' 5676?56CD] p7E6C 42E49:?8 9:D 3C62E9[ 96 3@@E65 E96 6IEC2 A@:?E]k^Am
kAm“%96 =2DE EH@ 82>6D[ %J=6C 92D 366? 9F86[” D2:5 $E62CD] “w6’D 86EE:?8 36EE6C 2?5 36EE6C —A6@A=6 2C6 D66:?8 9:D 3:8\A=2J A@E6?E:2=]”k^Am
kAm%96 !C:56 :>>65:2E6=J C6DA@?565 H:E9 2? gg\J2C5 E@F495@H? @? E96 6?DF:?8 <:4<@77 3J qC256? wFDD6J]k^Am
kAm|' =65 `c\f 2E E96 3C62<]k^Am
kAm%96 t28=6D E:65 E96 82>6 H:E9 `_i`a =67E :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C @? |2EE qFC<6’D 7:CDE G2CD:EJ %s @? 2 `_\J2C5 3FCDE @77 E96 =67E E24<=6]k^Am
kAm|' C682:?65 E96 =625 @? 2 c_\J2C5 r2> r96G2C:6 E@F495@H? CF? H:E9 hi`a E@ A=2J]k^Am
kAm“%9:D H2D E96 D@CE @7 H:? E92E 42? C62==J 42E2AF=E FD[” $E62C?D D2:5] “%96 <:5D H6C6 C62==J :?E@ E9:D 82>6] x’G6 D66? 2 =@E @7 z6??6EE w:89 7@@E32== 82>6D 2?5 E9:D H2D 2 8C62E @?6 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 2?5 E@ H2E49]”k^Am
kAm~776?D:G6=J @? E96 ?:89E[ tG2? z@C@D<: 925 `_c J2C5D @? `d 42CC:6Dj %2G@? !@CE6C 82:?65 af J2C5D @? D:I 42CC:6Dj qFC6 925 ad J2C5D @? D:I 42CC:6Dj 2?5 r2CC:6C 925 EH@ 42CC:6D 7@C `a J2C5D]k^Am
kAm}28=6 H2D c\`e 7@C fd J2C5D[ H9:=6 (2=4@EE 42F89E E9C66 A2DD6D 7@C eh J2C5D]k^Am
kAms676?D:G6=J[ !@CE6C =65 E96 t28=6D H:E9 `` E24<=6Dj z@C@D<: 925 `_j }@29 }@H6==[ D6G6?j $2?EF44:@[ D:Ij vC6JD@? (:E49=6J[ 7:G6j qFC<6 2?5 (2=4@EE[ H9@ 925 2? :?E6C46AE:@?[ 6249 925 7@FCj y2<F364 2?5 $2> $62G6J[ E9C66 6249j 2?5 r2CC:6C 2?5 t=:;2 {:EE=67:6=5[ 3@E9 H:E9 @?6[ H9:=6 wFDD6J 2=D@ A:4<65 @77 2 A2DD]k^Am
kAmz6??6EE :D D4965F=65 E@ HC2A FA E96 C68F=2C D62D@? 2E w@==:D\qC@@<=:?6 @? uC:52J 2E f A]>]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.