NHFR Team of the Week

By rbrown
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Updated: September 6, 2016

NHFR TEAM OF THE WEEK
Portsmouth Clippers

MGSports

Portsmouth matched its victory total from last season by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter of a 49-46 road victory against Keene on Friday night.

The Clippers trailed 46-42 with 1:53 to play, but put together a four-play scoring drive to take the lead for good. Shon Parham (seven receptions for 140 yards) scored the game’s final touchdown on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Cody Graham.

Portsmouth produced 555 yards of offense, much of which came after the Clippers went to a two-back set. Will Conner rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

Portsmouth took its first second-half lead with a 14-play, 61-yard drive capped by Conner’s nine-yard TD run that made it 42-38 with 2:08 left. Portsmouth kept the ball on the ground for 13 of the 14 plays.

“Our offensive line is way better than our offensive line last year,” Portsmouth coach Brian Pafford said. “We were gobbling up 5, 6, 7 yards a whack pretty consistently.”

Keene regained the lead on a a 65-yard TD pass 15 seconds later, however, before Parham’s TD and a defensive stand handed Portsmouth the victory.

“It was Week 1, but we treated it like it was a playoff game,” Pafford said. “We figured that we’ll have to go 6-3, if not better, to make the playoffs. We didn’t want to be behind the 8-ball right off the bat.”

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The NHFR Team of the Week is sponsored by MG Sports. Contact MG Sports owner Michael Garczynski at MGSports1313@gmail.com for your fundraising needs.