By Matt Stout
Staff Writer

John Stark’s Curtis Enright sheds a would-be tackler for another of his 167 rushing yards during the Generals’ 55-20 win over Pembroke Academy on Saturday, Oct. 14. At 3-4, John Stark still has an outside shot at making the playoffs, given they win out and Souhegan falls to PA this weekend. (Goffstown News/Matt Stout)

They weren’t outlined against a blue-gray October sky ­ it was a perfect baby blue, actually ­ nor will they conjure up images of dramatic lore. But the John Stark football team’s version of the Four Horsemen rode again Saturday, Oct. 14.

And their playoff hopes, while slim, are riding shotgun.

With a 55-20 win over Pembroke Academy, the Generals have all but risen from the dead in recent weeks to put themselves in position to sneak into the Division III playoffs. At 0-3 less than a month ago, John Stark is 3-4 entering the final two weeks of the season.

In wreaking pestilence and destruction on the 1-6 Spartans, Chad Averill, Chris Francher, Curtis Enright and Adam Lantiegne left little room for famine in helping compile 619 rushing yards and a combined seven touchdowns.

Averill ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns, Francher for 61 and a pair of scores, Enright for 167 and one touchdown, and Lantiegne for 107 and two.

Yet, after two straight games with 55 points ­ John Stark beat up on Kingswood 55-19 on Oct. 7 ­ the Generals now need some luck.

Hosting a 3-4 Con-Val team on Saturday, Oct. 21, that’s also looking to avoid a sub-.500 record, John Stark needs the same Pembroke team to upset 5-2 Souhegan of Amherst on Friday, Oct. 20, before it attempts to bring down Souhegan, a traditional D-III power, itself on Oct. 27.

The road to the postseason is not a favorable one. But the run-heavy Generals have the backs to do it.

“The kids are well aware of where we are in the standings and what has to happen,” said John Stark coach Bill Raycraft. “They’ve gone through every scenario possible of all the top four teams and what has to happen, but what it comes down to is that we have to do our part and go 4-0 in the month of October.”

So far, so good. After the coaches challenged the team during a meeting prior to a 19-14 win over Kennett on Sept. 23, John Stark has averaged nearly 40 points a game in winning three of four and its first two this month.

Though Raycraft said the goal was more offensive balance at the start of the season, the ground game obviously has taken over, though the team has been able to find variety in its backfield.

Between the big four and Danny Corsetti ­ who collected his share of touches against Pembroke after running for 141 yards against Kingswood ­ Raycraft said he has power runners, others who like to make cuts inside and a few who look to take it to the sidelines. Junior Ryan Therrien also got into the act late on Saturday, trucking 65 yards for his team’s final score.

The intra-team contest for yards is obviously a friendly one, though a competition nonetheless.

“I think we have a bet on it but I’m not sure,” Averill said. “But it’s close, especially after these last two games.”

Now with just two contests left, close is something John Stark will be all too familiar with. The Generals only hope they’ll get close enough.