Four Downs: No. 10 Nashua South 30, Nashua North 17

NASHUA -- The No. 10-ranked Purple Panthers produced a point total in Week 5 that doubled their output from the previous two weeks.

It resulted in a 30-17 Division I win Friday night at Stellos Stadium against Gate City rival Nashua North.

South junior quarterback Trevor Knight ran for 115 yards (two 1-yard touchdowns) and threw for 109 yards, including a 70-yard scoring strike to Steven Choate. Running back Dymier Hyde (7-yard TD) matched Knight yard for yard on the ground.

South, as a result, scored four more TDs than it did in Week 4 -- a 20-3 loss at Concord.

The Purple Panthers improved to 3-2 overall (2-1 Div. I). The Titans dropped to 2-3 overall (1-3 Div. I).

Four downs -- in the form of news, notes and/or observations -- from this Week 5 matchup:

First down - After failing to score crack the goal line at Concord, the Purple Panthers were kept out of the end zone in the first quarter of Week 5. The Titans actually led, 7-0, through 12 minutes.

Gus Barroso (78 yards) staked North to the early lead.

But South's 27-point barrage in the second quarter erased it.

During South's post-game huddle, head coach Scott Knight very clearly told his players that he was pleased with their response to digging an early hole.

Second down - North appeared to succeed early in applying pressure on South's shifty QB. Concord, of course, blitzed heavily in Week 4 to disrupt Trevor Knight.

This time, South made the adjustments and, ultimately, turned the tables.

The Purple Panthers pressured North's rotating QBs, Colby Gunter and Brandon Martin. The Titans struggled to move the football, and those problems contributed to three consecutive three-and-out offensive possessions.

Third down - Junior Braden Hollowell was a definite factor. South's defensive lineman was fast, physical and disruptive. He landed a number of big hits, and recorded a strip sack that turned momentum in his team's favor.

Hollowell's forced fumble resulted in a turnover that gave South possession 28 yards from paydirt. The offense ran nine plays, the final one pulling the Purple Panthers within 7-6 on Hyde's TD run.

Fourth down - North ran the football rather effectively in the second half. But, outside of Barroso's 55-yard run that set up his 1-yard TD, the offense never showed big-play capability.

For this reason, it seemed strange that the Titans elected to punt the football on fourth-and-4 in the final frame. At that point, 8 minutes, 18 seconds remained.

The Titans trailed, 30-17, and reached South's 42-yard line. Unable to gain yards in big chunks, yet clearly in need of two scores, why not go for it?