N.H. football: Somersworth beats Monadnock, advances to DIII championship game
SOMERSWORTH – In a game where its vaunted run game was held in check, the Somersworth High School football team showed it can win in many different ways. The Hilltoppers rode an exceptional defensive effort to a 21-8 win over Monadnock in the Division III semifinals Saturday at Memorial Field. Second-seeded Somersworth (9-1) will face top-seeded Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough in the championship on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Bank of New Hampshire Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Inter-Lakes advanced with a 42-22 win over No. 4 Campbell. Somersworth lost to Inter-Lakes, 35-30 on Sept. 11. After rushing for 444 yards in its playoff opener, Somersworth struggled to find running room against a stingy Monadnock (7-3) defense. But the Hilltoppers showed they are more than just a ground-and-pound team, as Max Ridings threw for a pair of touchdowns and the defense made sure that was all they would need. “That’s what makes this team a little different than teams in the past,” said Somersworth coach Jeremy Lambert. “Whatever we’ve had to lean on in a particular game, that group has stepped up. That’s a special group of kids right there.” The teams appeared headed for a repeat of their early-season shootout, when
