Stevens High’s Keaghan McAllister and Newport High’s John Thibault have more in common than they might realize.
The running backs both lead their offenses in similar ways, having rushed for more than 1,000 yards going into this afternoon’s NHIAA Division III semifinal matchups. Thibault leads all Upper Valley rushers with 1,343 yards and 24 touchdowns on 178 rushes this fall, while McAllister has run 158 times for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games for the Cardinals.
Both expected heavy workloads going into this season and have rewarded Stevens head coach Paul Silva and Newport head coach Rich Boone by being a big part in both teams’ playoff runs.
They’re also only sophomores on teams counting on them to perform at a high level. McAllister and Thibault might not know each other well, but they’re certainly kindred spirits on the football field.
Thibault’s emergence began last season, Boone’s first at the helm in Newport, although the Tigers coach admitted he was perhaps too reliant on a mix of offensive strategies and not reliant enough on his talented back. That changed this year.
Boone’s new plan was simple: Give Thibault the ball and let his legs do the work.
“Last year being my first season, I spread the ball out a little bit more. My focus this year is let (Thibault) loose and ride the horse,” Boone said on Friday after a chilly midday practice at Newport High. “He’s got that much talent and he’s in such physical shape, he does not come off the field. … He’s got one of the best football minds. He just understands football. He’s a sophomore and he’s the captain of our defense, too.
“We’re a run-first team, a pass team second,” Boone added. “We can do both. But there is no way we can limit John Thibault.”
Thibault scored seven touchdowns, six on the ground and another on an interception return, in Newport’s 57-12 win over No. 5 Epping-Newmarket in last weekend’s D-III quarterfinals. The one team that gave him trouble is today’s semifinal opponent, Monadnock, which held the speedy runner to negative yardage in the first half and built a big lead en route to a 37-16 regular-season win. The foes kick off their semifinal today at 1 p.m.
Thibault admitted he doesn’t look at his own numbers, as much as he could with the amount of attention they draw. But playing behind his senior lineman brother, Peter, has made this season, and the playoff run, mean a little more.
“I was hoping (to have this much success),” Thibault said. “I don’t know if I expected it, but I’m definitely just trying to make it last at this point. This season with Peter, it’s been great.”
Peter Thibault, who is also an all-state thrower for the Newport track and field team, said blocking for his brother and sharing his senior season with a sibling has been a special experience. The pair watches film together at home and gives each other plenty of tips.
“It’s funny: At home, everyone, all the papers, it’s ‘John, John.’ ” Peter said with a smile. “At home, he’s like, ‘Hey, we know you’re the one making that happen.’ I make sure he knows that at home. But it’s been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year so far.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got each other’s backs,” the elder Thibault added. “He trusts that I’m going to block for him. I trust that he’s going to hit the hole hard.”
Boone said a multitude of factors contributed to his team’s loss to the Huskies. Both teams were undefeated, and the division’s No. 1 seed was on the line. This time, the second-year coach is relying on his team’s underdog status against Monadnock to give his squad a little more motivation.
“I think there was a lot of pressure on the kids going into the game (against Monadnock),” said the Tigers second-year coach. “After Monadnock, not looking ahead, but we were confident that whoever came out of that game was probably going to be undefeated and the No. 1 seed. … We wanted the 1 seed really badly, the kids did. I think we just put too much pressure on ourselves.
“This week of practice, everything’s been light, everything’s been easy because we feel now that the pressure switches to them,” Boone added. “They were in the same position last year, coming into the (semifinal) game against Stevens, being 9-0, undefeated. Stevens came out with a great game plan and beat them. I think we can do the same thing.”
No matter what that game plan is, the younger Thibault is sure to be a big part of it.
Stevens’ McAllister had big shoes to fill entering his sophomore season. The Cardinals were coming off of their first state title in nearly six decades, thanks in large part to senior rusher Richard Bell.
Bell graduated, and starting quarterback Henri Bourque left for prep school. The offense remained a question mark.
McAllister has filled that void, scoring 15 touchdowns, 13 on the ground, to lead the Cardinals in both points scored and rushing yards.
“I had a lot of people telling me that I was going to step up and take that role,” McAllister said before a Friday afternoon practice at Barnes Park. “In the offseason, I worked out a little bit and got prepared.”
That included a deep dive into the playbook that has paid off for the speedy sophomore who, like Thibault, was quick to credit his blockers.
“With the linemen we have, I call it the best line in our division,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of credit to them. … They’re big. They’re quick.”
Stevens (6-3) enters the semifinal round having upset No. 3-seeded Somersworth, 33-6, in the quarterfinals. McAllister accounted for 160 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries against the Hilltoppers. The Cards visit No. 2 seed Campbell (9-0) in the D-III semifinals this afternoon, also at 1 p.m.
Despite the lower seed, McAllister said that his team still isn’t treating the tournament run like underdogs.
“I feel like there’s an equal amount of pressure on us,” he said. “We’re coming back from a state championship. We have that pressure. We’re upsetting teams right now. And they’re undefeated, going up against us, defending champions.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.