Thanks to its control of the line of scrimmage and the productive first half exploits of the offensive trio of T.J. Urbanik, Peter Cyr, and Jack Hanaway, the Pinkerton Academy football teams record is a perfect 6-0 with a 51-0 hammering of the visiting Nashua North Titans in Derry on Friday, Oct. 10.
Running backs Urbanik and Cyr and quarterback Hanaway tallied 235 of the 281 rushing yards that coach Brian O’Reilly’s Astros amassed in the first half as they built up an insurmountable 37-0 lead by the halftime break.
Senior back Cyr collected 86 yards and three touchdowns on just four carries during the first two periods, junior rushing standout Urbanik was good for 82 yards and one score on a mere six carries during that short span, and senior signal-caller Hanaway notched 67 rushing yards and a touchdown on just three runs in the opening half.
The hosts enjoyed superb field position for their first three offensive possessions – with all of them beginning on the North side of the 50-yard-line – and the Astros collected points at the end of those three series’ as well as at the conclusions of two other drives before halftime arrived.
Pinkerton went up 8-0 just 3:07 after the opening kickoff, and moments after senior linebacker and co-captain Justin Poitras intercepted a Titans’ pass at the visitor’s 38-yard-line.
Four plays later the host team and its fans were celebrating Urbanik’s 21-yard scoring sprint to pay-dirt, which was followed immediately by a two-point conversion pass from Riley Cahill to Austin Whitehead.
Poitras collected the first of his two, first-quarter quarterback sacks on North’s next offensive series, which came to an end with Pinkerton starting another offensive series of its own on the Titans’ 38 following a punt.
And just four offensive plays later Cyr jaunted into the end zone from five yards out, with kicker Kyle Cantalupo’s extra-point making it a 15-0 game with 5:31 still remaining in the first period.
North experienced more frustration on another short offensive series of its own before punting the ball away, and the Astros began their next drive at the Titans’ 22, thanks to the strong punt return.
The hosts then needed a short run from Urbanik followed by a 20-yard scoring jaunt by Hanaway to shove their lead up to 22-0 with 2:33 still remaining in the opening quarter.
Before halftime, the academy crew added scoring runs of 27 and 50 yards from Cyr in rolling its lead up to a lopsided 37-0.
The visiting Titans only managed 41 offensive yards during the first half against Pinkerton’s determined defense, and the academy side put the final touches on the 51-0 walloping of its guest with second-half scores from junior backs Matt Allard and Brandyn McColligan.
