The John Stark Regional High School football team saw its season come to a definitive end on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, falling 41-0 to No. 2 Souhegan in the NHIAA Division II quarterfinals, the Concord Monitor reported.
Playing on the road at Souhegan High School, the No. 7 Generals finished the year at 5-5. The team entered the postseason shorthanded, missing starting quarterback Jack Sheppard due to an injury diagnosed after their regular-season finale against ConVal, according to the Concord Monitor.
Junior Baker Telgen stepped into the starting role under center, completing one of seven passing attempts for eight yards to senior halfback Cooper Twombly. Head coach John Daley pointed to the team’s thin roster following a bruising regular-season finish.
“We were running low on depth and playing with the injury bug after a hard game with ConVal,” Daley told the Concord Monitor. “We don’t have a bench, we didn’t have enough.”
Despite the offensive struggles and a Souhegan defense that tallied 11 tackles for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery, John Stark kept the hosts off the scoreboard through the first quarter.
Souhegan broke through in the second quarter when junior Cole Brandt ran in a 13-yard touchdown and later caught a 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Luke Fallon. Senior running back Jacob Bryan added a 6-yard rushing score to push the halftime lead to 21-0.
John Stark flashed moments of momentum before the break. Senior Phineas Twomey executed a fake punt on fourth-and-10 from his own 40-yard line, finding Twombly for a 14-yard gain to march the Generals deep into opponent territory before a late fumble ended the half. Twombly paced the visitor’s offense with 56 yards on 25 carries alongside two receptions for 22 yards.
Fallon finished the afternoon 15-for-21 with 254 passing yards for Souhegan, connecting with Liam Bright for a 67-yard touchdown on the opening play of the second half. Owen Mobley and Cam Foley added further scores as the Sabers improved to 10-0.
The postseason exit closes a gritty campaign for John Stark, which secured its playoff berth by winning its final three regular-season games, capped by a 28-27 victory over ConVal. Daley reflected on his first year leading the program and the emergence of Twombly, who finished the regular season ranked second in Division II in receiving yards with 610 and fourth in rushing with 1,112.
“We had a season of ups and downs,” Daley told the Concord Monitor. “It’s my first year here, they’re still getting used to me, our system, our program. And I had to learn how to use them effectively.”
