So far, so good for Pelham
Pythons haven’t surrendered a point in 3 games
In a New Hampshire high school football season that almost didn’t happen, Pelham High head coach Tom Babaian says his players are just happy to be out there.
Opponents, however, have been anything but happy to see the Pelham players out there. Lining up against the Pythons this fall has proven to be flat-out demoralizing so far.
Pelham is 3- 0 in this 2020 campaign and has outscored the opposition 107- 0 in those three contests. The Pythons have beaten Sanborn, 42- 0, Campbell, 40- 0, and a solid Trinity squad, 25- 0. When the five-game regular season ends and the open statewide Division 3 playoffs begin, Pelham will be on the short list of favorites to capture a championship.
“Most of these kids have been with me for a little while and they’ve learned from last year’s group on how to be a team and really come together as a group,” said Babaian, whose team finished 7-3 in 2019. “I think we’ve had a great team effort the last three weeks and it hasn’t just been a couple individuals taking over a game.”
After a summer of rollercoaster discussions about whether or not have a high school football season during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire opted to forge ahead with a season and made significant modifications that included numerous safety measures. The regular season was shortened to five games and schools created game schedules that limited travel. Games have been played in front of minimal spectators -at Pelham, only family members are permitted to be in attendance
“The energy level is a little different in the stadium, so you get a different cause and effect by having no fans. But, overall, the kids are just really happy to be playing,” said Babaian. ‘ You notice it more after the game than you do during the game.”
Babaian has been coaching football at Pelham High School for 27 years, 21 as head coach. This is definitely the strangest season of his career.
“It’s definitely had its challenges, but it’s been challenging to everyone,” he said. “I told my team at the beginning of the year that everybody is going through the same exact stuff, so we can’t