Top Games from 2022: No. 7

By rbrown
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Updated: December 15, 2022

TOP 10 NHIAA GAMES FROM 2022
No. 7: Pinkerton 28, Windham 27

It was a tale of two halves in this game, which was played on the season’s opening weekend.

Windham scored on its first three second-half possessions and was threatening to take the lead late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Josh Sweeney lost his grip on the ball while fighting for extra yardage. Pinkerton’s Jake Albert pounced on the football at Pinkerton’s 32-yard line, giving the Astros possession with 2:10 to play. Pinkerton ran out the clock and left Windham with a 28-27 victory.

The fumble came on a first-down play from the Pinkerton 35. Windham began the drive on its own 40.

Albert, a halfback, scored three first-half touchdowns to help the Astros take a 21-0 lead. He capped Pinkerton’s opening drive with a 4-yard TD run, added a 22-yard touchdown run on Pinkerton’s second possession and then scored from 39 yards away with 4:16 remaining in the second quarter. After Benjamin Wolthers made his third PAT kick Pinkerton had a 21-point lead and it looked like the rout was on.

The Jaguars began their comeback when Sweeney tossed a 19-yard TD pass to Bryan Desmarais as time expired in the first half.

Windham tied the game on a pair of Tiger An 1-yard runs plus the point-after kicks by Liam Burke. Pinkerton regained the lead on a 32-yard TD run by fullback Cole Yennaco with 1:16 left in the third quarter, but Windham sliced its deficit to 28-27 when An scored on another 1-yard run with 7:31 remaining.

Windham elected to go for two after An’s third TD, but Pinkerton stopped Matt Desmarais short of the goal line, which left Pinkerton with a one-point lead.

Windham forced a Pinkerton punt with a little more than five minutes to play and the Jaguars were in position to win the game, but the fumble ended the comeback bid.

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