2024 New Hampshire Friday Night Football kickoff special: Part 2

YOUR WEEKEND. ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. WMUR STORMWATCH 9. WE'RE READY TO PLAY CENTRAL HIGH FOOTBALL. WE'RE READY TO PLAY. LET'S GO, LET'S GO. SO GOOD. THAT IS LEGENDARY COACH JIM SCHUBERT FIRING UP HIS TROOPS. SCHUBERT PLAYED FOR MANCHESTER CENTRAL IN THE 1960S, THEN COACHED THE LITTLE GREEN TO FOUR STRAIGHT DIVISION ONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE EARLY 2000. HE HAD SOME GREAT QUARTERBACKS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING CURRENT OHIO STATE HEAD COACH RYAN DAY AND JONATHAN. THIS YEAR, THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF TALENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. I WILL JUST SAY, BY NO MEANS IS THIS LIST ALL ENCOMPASSING. A LOT OF PLAYERS OUT THERE WHO ARE GREAT. WE GOT TO NARROW IT DOWN TO A FEW PLAYERS. WE START WITH SOME OF THE TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS IN THE STATE. CHECK IT OUT. BRODY HELTON AND KESHAWN FOSTER ARE TWO OF THE MOST TALENTED PLAYERS IN THE STATE. THEY WILL BE RELIED ON HEAVILY BY THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS, WHICH HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS FOR HELTON AND BEDFORD. IT SOLIDIFYING DOMINANCE. THE BULLDOGS ARE GOING FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT STATE TITLE. IT WILL TAKE THEM TO PRACTICE EVERY DAY, WORKING HARD AND BEATING OUR OPPONENTS BY 20 PLUS EVERY GAME. HELTON'S CONFIDENCE WAS EARNED AFTER BEING NAMED ALL-STATE AS A SOPHOMORE. NOW HE'S A LEADER ON THE BEDFORD SQUAD THAT GRADUATED A BIG SENIOR CLASS. IT WAS A BIT WEIRD WITHOUT THE THE SENIORS FROM LAST YEAR, BUT I'M GLAD THAT I GREW UP PLAYING FOOTBALL WITH THESE KIDS, SO IT WILL BE FUN THIS YEAR. HELTON SAYS HE WANTS TO RUSH FOR 2000 YARDS, BUT BEING RECOGNIZED ISN'T THE MAIN FOCUS. THERE IS ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP TO WIN. I'M VERY PROUD OF MYSELF. IT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME. I DON'T REALLY LET THAT STUFF GET TO ME THOUGH. I JUST LIKE TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH MY FRIENDS. OVER AT MANCHESTER WEST, FOSTER WANTS RESPECT. THE DISRESPECT I FELT THAT WE WE GOT PLAYING THESE OTHER TEAMS. I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GET REVENGE. FOSTER WAS A BRIGHT SPOT FOR THE BLUE KNIGHTS LAST SEASON. HE WAS DIVISION TWO ALL-CONFERENCE AT RUNNING BACK. HE SAYS LOOK FOR AN IMPROVED WEST SQUAD. WE ALL GOT STRONGER. WE ALL GOT FASTER. WE'RE WAY BETTER CONDITIONED. I THINK WE'RE A LOT MORE PREPARED COMING INTO THE SEASON. FOSTER IS A SENIOR, SO HE ISN'T TAKING ANY GAME FOR GRANTED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I JUST WANT TO WIN. BUT SECONDLY, I WANT TO GET SCHOLARSHIPS, GET MY NAME OUT THERE. I WANT TO PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL. GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL. HELPING THE WEST PROGRAM LEVEL UP WOULD BE THE PERFECT ENDING TO HIS CAREER. IT WOULD BE THE BEST THING EVER. MAN. THAT'S LIKE IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN YEARS AND YEARS. AND FOR US TO DO THAT THIS YEAR, MY SENIOR YEAR, IT'S IT'S REALLY SOMETHING SPECIAL. AMONG THE QUARTERBACKS TO WATCH TIMBERLANDS, JEREMY MILOSEVIC IS BACK FOR HIS SENIOR SEASON AFTER A SUCCESSFUL JUNIOR YEAR IN WHICH HE THREW FOR ABOUT 1000 YARDS AND 11 TOUCHDOWNS. MILOSEVIC IS HOPING TO CONTINUE PLAYING IN COLLEGE, BUT RIGHT NOW HE'S FOCUSED ON LEADING THE OWLS BACK TO THE POSTSEASON. TIMBERLANE MISSED THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR, BUT LOOK FOR THEM TO MAKE SOME NOISE IN DIVISION ONE THIS SEASON. AFTER LAST YEAR, WE HAD A DECENT YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR MY MAIN FOCUS IS TO JUST WIN MORE FOOTBALL GAMES AND ANY, ANY WAY I CAN. IF I HAND THE BALL OFF 200 TIMES WE WIN A GAME. YOU KNOW THAT SUCCESS TO ME AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN. WIN A LOT OF FOOTBALL GAMES. I THINK WE CAN BE REALLY GOOD. I MEAN, OUR GUYS ARE HUNGRY. WE'RE RETURNING A LOT. WE'VE WORKED HARD THIS OFFSEASON IN THE WEIGHT ROOM AND ON THE FIELD. I THINK THERE'S NO LIMIT. ALL RIGHT. WE ALL KNOW IT. WITHOUT GOOD OFFENSIVE LINEMEN, THE OFFENSE IS JUST WOULDN'T SCORE RIGHT. AND THERE'S A PAIR IN LONDONDERRY REALLY STAND OUT. ONE OF THE KEYS TO LONDONDERRY FOOTBALL'S SUCCESS THIS SEASON WILL BE IN THE TRENCHES. AND THE ANCHORS OF THOSE BATTLES ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE ARE PAUL BINDER AND COLIN COUTURE, BOTH SENIORS, BOTH SIX FOOT SIX AND THEIR BEST FRIENDS. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE TO RELATE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME. YOU GETT SOMEONE WHO'S BASICALLY THE SAME PERSON AS YOU AND GET TO WORK WITH AND HAVE A GOOD CLOSE BUDDY ON THE FIELD WITH, YOU KNOW, I LOVE PLAYING WITH PAUL. I FEEL LIKE THE COMPETITION THAT WE GIVE EACH OTHER IN THE WEIGHT ROOM AND ON THE FIELD HELPS US BECOME BETTER PLAYERS, AND IT ALSO HELPS THE TEAM. 24 LONDONDERRY PLAYERS GRADUATED IN THE SPRING, SO BINDER AND COUTURE'S LEADERSHIP WILL BE CRUCIAL IN A YEAR WITH A LOT OF NEW FACES, IT CERTAINLY HELPS TO HAVE TWO BIG GUYS, TWO BOOKENDS LIKE LIKE THOSE TWO ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE AND DEFENSIVE LINE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY TOUGH TO MOVE AFTER WINNING IT ALL IN 2021, THE LANCERS HAVE COME UP SHORT IN THE TITLE GAME IN BACK TO BACK SEASONS. THESE BEST BUDS WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO END SENIOR YEAR ON TOP. WINNING A TITLE WITH HIM WOULD BE GREAT. ONE OF THE CONSTANTS OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES HAS BEEN SOME OF THE COACHING GREATS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND WE CAUGHT UP WITH A FEW OF THEM AS THEY SHARE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM THE PAST 30 YEARS. 2002 STATE TITLE GAME EXETER ANDOVER. IT CAME DOWN TO THE FINAL PLAY. THE BLUE HAWKS WON ON A LAST SECOND FIELD GOAL, WINNING 24 TO 21. HEAD COACH BILL BALL REMEMBERS EVERY MOMENT OF THAT BATTLE. THE FIELD GOAL MADE IT BY LESS THAN AN INCH AND THAT GAME CERTAINLY WOULD STICK OUT IN MY MEMORY FOREVER. COACH BALL STEPPED DOWN AS THE SCHOOLS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, BUT THIS IS YEAR 32, LEADING THE FOOTBALL TEAM. HE'S STILL GOING ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS. THE BOSS OF MY HOUSE, MY WIFE LORI, HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT ALL OF IT, SO WE'LL TALK AFTER THE SEASON. HE'S BEEN ON THE SIDELINES FOR EVERY SEASON OF FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. 30 YEARS AGO IN 1994, THERE WERE 36 TEAMS PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. TODAY, THERE ARE 58 TEAMS PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. BRIAN O'REILLY STARTED COACHING PINKERTON 16 YEARS BEFORE FNF EVEN BEGAN. NOW IN HIS 46TH SEASON WITH 11 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS ON HIS RESUME, THE MEMORIES ARE ENDLESS. PUSHING 50 YEARS IN THE SCHOOL NOW AND A LOT OF GAMES. OBVIOUSLY CHAMPIONSHIPS COME TO MIND, BUT ANY ONE THING I'M TOO OLD FOR THAT, I REALLY AM. LIKE BALL, O'REILLY IS TAKING IT ONE SEASON AT A TIME WHEN IT'S OVER. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY WILL KNOW IT UNTIL THEY FIND OUT THERE'S A NEW COACH. O'REILLY IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF HISTORY. HE HAS 346 CAREER VICTORIES, JUST TEN SHY OF ANOTHER LEGEND. PLYMOUTH'S CHUCK LENIHAN, WHO RETIRED 11 YEARS AGO AFTER 43 YEARS LEADING THE BOBCATS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU START, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT, GREAT KIDS AND I MISS THEM THE MOST. BUT GOOD TO SEE THE KIDS AND WE HAD 20 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS I IN THAT TIME. SO THOSE 20 STAND OUT PRETTY GOOD WITH TEN MORE ASTRO WINS. O'REILLY WILL BECOME THE WINNINGEST COACH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THAT'D BE GREAT. YOU KNOW, BRIAN IS A GREAT COACH AND A GREAT GUY, AND HE'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB AT PINKERTON. SO PASSED THE TORCH TO HIM AND PINKERTON ACADEMY WILL BE A GREAT HONOR. I HOPE HE'S BEEN COACHING LONGER THAN I HAVE SO I CAN BAG HIM ON THAT. BUT. GOT TO LOVE IT. SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM THOSE GUYS. IT REALLY IS AMAZING THOUGH, ISN'T IT? JONATHAN, WHEN YOU T THINK ABOUT IT, 46 YEARS FOR BRIAN O'REILLY AND PINKERTON, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 0 YEARS OF FNF, BUT 46 I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK LIKE 46 YEARS, RIGHT? I'M TRYING TO DO THE MATH. LIKE THAT'S THAT IS WOW. BUT YOU ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS SO RARE TODAY WE TALK ABOUT THE NEW COACHING CHANGES EVERY YEAR FOUR YEARS, FIVE YEARS. IT SEEMS LIKE THE AVERAGE AND THERE'S A NEW COACH, BUT TO TO HAVE 46 YEARS AND TO DO IT AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU GOT TO APPRECIATE IT. THE ASTROS HAVE LOST IN THE SEMIFINAL ROUND IN BACK TO BACK YEARS TO THEIR RIVAL LONDONDERRY. SO YOU KNOW CERTAINLY THEY WOULD LIKE SOME REVENGE OVER THE LANCERS THIS YEAR. D1 MIGHT BE OPEN THIS YEAR TOO WITH BEDFORD GRADUATING SENIOR. SO IT COULD BE AN INTERESTING STORYLINE FOR DIVISION ONE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. LET'S TAKE ANOTHER LIVE LOOK AT THE SIDELINES RIGHT NOW FROM THE BO DICKSON QUEEN CITY JAMBOREE HERE AT GILL STADIUM IN MANCHESTER. RIGHT NOW THE SALEM BLUE DEVILS HAVE A SEVEN NOTHING LEAD OVER THE DEFENDING D1 CHAMPS. THE BEDFORD BULLDOGS. SALEM HAS THE BALL THERE RIGHT NOW. WE'LL HAVE MORE COMING UP IN A MINUTE. STILL TO COME TONIGHT HELPING GRANITE STATERS THROUGH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE TACKLES HUNGER CAMPAIGN. THE BIG DONATIO