Top 10 Games from 2021: No. 5

By rbrown
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Updated: January 11, 2022

TOP 10 NHIAA GAMES FROM 2021
No. 5: Bishop Guertin 26, Nashua North 25

Bishop Guertin had a 14-point lead with 7:25 remaining in this battle between city rivals, but had to withstand a furious North comeback to collect its fifth victory.

Nashua North received two touchdown passes from quarterback Derek Finlay to wide receiver Nick DiGesse, the second of which made it a one-point game with 3:22 to play, but the Titans missed the point-after kick that would have tied the game. North’s bid for a comeback victory ended when BG recovered the onside kick and was able to kill the clock.

BG quarterback Matt Santosuosso, a junior, carried the ball 25 times for 140 yards in the victory, despite being used exclusively on defense in the third quarter. Santosuosso scored TDs on runs of 5 yards, 3 yards and 1 yard. His contribution also included an interception and a forced a fumble.

Bishop Guertin trailed 12-7 in the second quarter after Luke Peters returned a Santosuosso fumble 74 yards for a TD, but the Cardinals put together a 59-yard scoring drive to take a 13-12 halftime lead.

BG extended its lead to 20-12 when receiver Adam Gnanou picked up Charlie Bellavance’s fumble and raced 15 yards for a TD. Bellavance, a junior, led the Cardinals running game with 180 yards on 30 carries.

Following his own interception at the North 33, Santosuosso carried the ball five times — the final carry from the 1 — to put BG up 26-12 with 7:25 to play.

The North comeback began when Finlay and DiGesse connected for a 34-yard TD pass that helped cut BG’s deficit to 26-19 with 5:20 left. After Toby Brown Jr. recovered an onside kick, DiGesse bought the Titans within a point with a 33-yard TD catch.

But 26-25 is as close as North would get, as BG was able to run out the clock and prevent another North offensive possession.

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