Division I

 Player of the year: Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem

 http://www.nhsportspage.com/players_lounge_player.php?player_id=2388

 Fedrick promised a big senior season at the end of the summer and backed it up. Abner Rodriguez (786 yards rushing) proved to be a very strong 2^nd option for the Blue Devils offense but there wasn't a defense that faced Salem all season long that didn't key on Fedrick at all times. He still managed to shake loose for huge yardage and was just as lethal on special teams.

 Runner-ups: Tyler Grant & Jake Pleadwell of Exeter, Kevin Davies & Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton and Armond McRae of Nashua South

 What we thought going into the season:

 That this could very well be a one team race; the defending champs returned a ton of leadership and talent and 2011 was the year they were supposed to win it all, not 2010. We thought Exeter would be improved and that they would fight it out for a top four seed and that Nashua South would be the second best team in the division.

 We start our post-season awards today and would like to introduce Woodlands Credit Union as the latest New Hampshire business to support our coverage of high school athletics on New Hampshire Sportspage.

 Woodlands Credit Union has five locations across the state and will be sponsoring the coverage of Berlin high school, Plymouth Regional high school, Kennett high school and Lebanon high school.

 We count on the support of New Hampshire businesses to keep our free website going and want to thank Woodlands Credit Union for their support. We are very excited to have them on board.

 Today we take a look at Division IV, V and VI as we recognize the best teams, players and coaches from the 2011 football season.

Division IV

Player of the year: Josh Hughes of Trinity

http://www.nhsportspage.com/players_lounge_player.php?player_id=3061

Hughes was a leader for Trinity in both rushing and in tackles while also handling kicking duties. The Pioneers may have been a bit further ahead of the field than we thought and Hughes was their go to guy all season long. Few divisions if any in the state had as many elite running backs as this one did.

Runner-ups: David Mahoney of Laconia, Jesse Leiby of Monadnock, Nick Massa of Kennett and Taylor Newberry of Plymouth Regional.

 Division I

 (2) Exeter at (1) Pinkerton Academy

 The coverage of Exeter H.S is sponsored by Chad Fletcher at Bluewater Mortgage

 Boxscore of the first match-up: http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=481&Hteam_id=493&game_id=11462&year=2011-2012

 Two very distinguished head coaches face each other on Saturday having taken two very different roads to get to the top. The champs are once again the team to beat in division I while Exeter looks to win a title in only their second season at the top level.

 Pinkerton Academy joins Bishop Guertin as the powerhouse football team in the state. If you are sending one team to play the best from Maine or Vermont every year for ultimate bragging rights among our New England neighbors then 9 out of 10 years you're sending one of those two schools, and really that should come as no surprisae. It is simply set-up that way.

 Consider that Pinkerton has well over 3,000 students; more than twice the students Exeter has and by far the most students in the state. You see even though they share the same division Pinkerton playing Exeter is no different than Souhegan playing Inter-Lakes. More kids/more depth/more talent. Pretty simple. In a game where you go into a season expecting half your starters to miss games with injuries that is invaluable and the Astros success rate shows you it has worked to their advantage year after year.

 Division II

 (2) Dover at (1) Bishop Guertin

 Box score of the first match-up: http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=498&Hteam_id=492&game_id=11259&year=2011-2012

 While sitting with friends at a restaurant in Dover after watching last Saturday's St. Thomas/Windham championship game a steady stream of people began making their way into the lounge from the just concluded Dover/Spaulding semifinal.

 People were in incredibly high spirits and part of that was the Dover win (the Spaulding crowd had headed back to Rochester) but a big part was what they had just witnessed. More a few people could be heard calling the 24-21 Dover win the best high school football game they had ever seen. People kept talking about ‘that little short kid' who knocked home a 29 yard field goal in front of over 1,000 people to win the game as the clock expired. Just as many people talked about Spaulding and how hard they had fought, how well they had played.

 You go to these games and you take in the scene; the band, the cheerleaders, the parents with their signs, the kids leaving everything on the field, the coaches leading them. It's also nice to hear how a game like that affects people after it is over and it became very clear that this was a game that people will talk about for years to come.

 Division III

 Portsmouth (4) at Bedford (2)

 The coverage of Bedford is sponsored by Bedford Dental Care Associates & HK Photography

 The coverage of Portsmouth is sponsored by Craven, Sullivan & Splendore PLLC.

 Box score of the first match-up: http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=500&Hteam_id=502&game_id=11293&year=2011-2012

 A very strong division at the top proved to be as good as we thought it was during last weekend's semifinal round.

 Bedford and Hollis-Brookline played a second classic football game in a month in a contest that was decided by a two point conversion. Bedford made just enough plays, including two big ones from QB James Caparell, to advance with a 21-20 win. At the same time Portsmouth proved they were a 4 seed in name only, dominating Goffstown for the second time this season as Billy Lane ran wild for four touchdowns and the Clippers defense picked off Grizzlies quarterback Connor Benjamin three times.

 We were in the minority when we picked Bedford to win the Division III crown in the pre-season and in fact this is a team that had to overcome a 0-2 start. Bedford beat Portsmouth late in the season by scoring on special teams, picking off Billy Hartmann three times and scoring on a half-back pass. The Bulldogs feel like they have the defensive backs, led by Mike Gardiner, to match up on the outside with Portsmouth. Their task on Saturday is to shadow Billy Lane everywhere he goes and make sure a linebacker is on him every time he sneaks out of the backfield for a swing pass or screen.

 Division III

 (4) Portsmouth at (1) Goffstown

 The coverage of Portsmouth High school is sponsored by Craven, Sullivan & Splendore PLLC.

 Box score of the first match-up:

http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=499&Hteam_id=502&game_id=11305&year=2011-2012

 I'm pretty sure this is not what Goffstown had in mind when they fought so hard the last month of the season to earn the top seed in the Division III playoffs.

 You see, losing to an opponent during the regular season and then turning around to host a playoff game against that same school is not an uncommon occurrence. This though was not a 21-14 loss in the rain or a 28-27 game where a bobbled extra point snap was the difference.

 This was 49-7.

 This was seniors taking curtain calls. This was subs and JV kids getting to play under the bright lights for a change. This was domination.

 So how did we get here? And why is Portsmouth jumping on a bus to Goffstown and not the other way around?

 Division I

 (4) Salem at (1) Pinkerton Academy

 Box score of the first match-up:

http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=481&Hteam_id=483&game_id=11240&year=2011-2012

 When Pinkerton Academy beat a highly respected Nashua South team 56-14 in week 2 we all said ‘Wow these guys are definitely the team to beat.'

 When they rolled on and then beat Salem 49-14 two weeks later it was more of ‘There might not even be a competitive Division I race this year...'

 I'm not so sure that still isn't the case.

 Can anyone beat a Pinkerton Academy team that not only finished 8-0 in the division, not only beat the #1 seed from Division II but beat the three other Division I playoff teams by a combined score of 147-44?

 147-44 leaves little to interpretation, 147-44 is miles ahead of the field and as we start the Division I playoffs this weekend that is the task in front of three pretty good football teams.

 Another factor to consider is that Salem right now isn't exactly playing like a top four team. The Blue Devils were beaten badly on back to back weekends by Exeter 32-6 (and it wasn't that close..) and Nashua South (49-20) before bouncing back with two wins over the bottom two teams in the division. Manchester Central played Pinkerton tough two weekends ago and beat Nashua South last weekend and you'll find a lot of company in the group that believes if those two teams played again today (they met all the way back in week 2) it would be Manchester Central that would come out on top.

Final Leaders

Rushing

                                                                                                         Yds.

1. Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem                                                         1,506
2. Jessie Leiby of Monadnock                                                          1,481
3. David Mahoney of Laconia                                                           1,310
4. Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton Academy                                             1,218
5. Ryan Monette of St. Thomas                                                       1,156
6. Kevin Davies of Pinkerton Academy                                              1,128
7. Brendon Murphy of Gilford                                                           1,070
8. Jackson King of Merrimack                                                          1,054
9. Nick Massa of Kennett                                                                1,050
10. Armond McRae of Nashua South                                                  1,028

 Division IV

 (2) Plymouth Regional at (1) Trinity

 The coverage of Trinity High school is sponsored by Edible Arrangements

 Box score of the first match-up:

 http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=523&Hteam_id=512&game_id=11369&year=2011-2012

 Add a fake punt to the memorable plays that ended Laconia's season when they traveled in the postseason up to arch-rival Plymouth. All the momentum was with the Sachems when Taylor Newberry took a fake punt 68 yards to the house to give the Bobcats a 21-14 lead they never gave back. Newberry carried the ball 37 times, gained 205 yards on the ground and likely slept very well Saturday night. Now Plymouth gets another shot at a Trinity team they feel like they never should have lost to in the first place.

 Plymouth dominated the line play on both sides of the ball in the first meeting (in Plymouth) and carried a 7-0 lead late into the second half.

 Realizing they couldn't find any running room for the duo of Josh Hughes and Adam Chambers the Pioneers went to the air behind the left arm of sophomore Carmen Giampetruzzi. The southpaw connected with Hughes and tight end Andrew Lauderdale for two long scoring plays as Trinity escaped with a 12-7 that left them relieved and Plymouth stunned.

 Cody Bellows of Keene capped off his career in style with a 13 carry 64 yard performance in the Blackbirds 17-6 upset of Bishop Guertin Friday night.

 Quarterback Lucas Luopa of Keene threw for 100 yards and a touchdown (on 8 for 15 passing), ran for 49 and even had one reception for 12 yards in the season ending win over the top team in Division II.

 Ryan Monette of St. Thomas saved one of his best performances of the season for the biggest stage as he ran for four touchdowns in a 50-15 win over Somersworth in the Division V semifinals. Monette carried the ball 27 times for 224 yards as the Saints move on to the championship game Saturday afternoon.

 Riley Cote and Manchester Central also finished out the season on a strong note as the Little Green signal caller completed 15 of 19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-35 win over Nashua South.

 Wide receiver Jared Chandler of Central finished the season as the top pass catcher in the division with 5 receptions for 85 yards and a score in the win.

 Trinity two way star Josh Hughes led his team back to the Division IV title game with a resounding victory over Monadnock on Saturday.

 James Caparell and Bedford suffered a season ending defeat to Souhegan but will still move on to this weekend's Division III playoffs. The junior QB completed 17 of 36 throws for 183 yards and a score in the loss.

 Bedford wide receiver Brian Collins had a touchdown catch in the loss, ending with 2 receptions for 21 yards.

 Portsmouth WR/DB Jack Mackey and his Clipper teammates enter the playoffs on a high note after a 49-0 win over Pembroke Academy Friday night.

 Armond McRae and Nashua South suffered their second straight defeat at the hands of Manchester Central 40-35 Friday night but will still move on to face Exeter in the Division I semifinals this weekend. McRae had 90 total yards and three touchdowns in the season ending loss.

 Salem's Jerrickson Fedrick wrapped up the Division I rushing title with a 22 carry 211 yard performance against Londonderry. Fedrick had three touchdowns in the win and finished the regular season with 19 rushing touchdowns

 Division IV

 Monadnock (4) at Trinity (1)

 The coverage of Trinity high school is sponsored by Edible Arrangements

 The top seed faces a very dangerous Monadnock team that they defeated 16-7 back on October 1^st. Monadnock has been led by the state's leading rusher Jessie Leiby (1,367 yards) and fellow back Jake Dubois (255). The Huskies played both Trinity and Plymouth tough in early season losses and in fact their 45-28 loss to Laconia was their first defeat by double digits all season.

 In Trinity they face a team with arguably more depth than any team in the division, led by the likely player of the year Josh Hughes. Hughes has been one of the leading tacklers for the Pioneers on defense, kicks extra points, has returned kicks and when he wasn't too busy with other things rushed for 626 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ryan Carrier has been effective all season running the football (379 yds.) and Romeo Masku has been one of the leaders of a talented defensive backfield. The coaching staff has watched sophomore Carmen Giampetruzzi grow into the quarterback position and Trinity has been able to go on the road and win games at Plymouth and Monadnock.

  Rushing

1. Jessie Leiby of Monadnock                                        1,367
2. Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem                                       1,295
3. David Mahoney of Laconia                                         1,236
4. Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton Academy                           1,132
5. Kevin Davies of Pinkerton Academy                            1,076
6. Brendon Murphy of Gilford                                         1,070
7. Nick Massa of Kennett                                              1,058
8. Shannon Tucker of Newfound                                     1,013
9. Armond McRae of Nashua South                                 953
10. Ryan Monette of St. Thomas                                      932

Division V

(4) Somersworth at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas to be played at Exeter H.S

Box score of the first game between the two teams:

http://www.nhsportspage.com/football/game_stats.php?Ateam_id=518&Hteam_id=525&game_id=11410&year=2011-2012

  Somersworth needed about 5 different scenarios to break their way going into the last weekend of the regular season to get here and someway, somehow it all fell into place.

 To summarize:

 Bow, which held the tie-breaker over Somersworth after a head to head win on opening weekend, needed to lose to a 1-7 Sanborn team that lost 52-0 to St. Thomas four weeks ago and came into the game giving up an average of 32 points per contest.

 Did I mention it also was a home game for Bow high school?

 Somersworth needed to take care of their own business by beating a 2-6 Fall Mountain team.

 Wait there's more; IF all that happened, if Bow lost at home to a 1-7 team and Somersworth won their game over Fall Mountain then Somersworth then had to play Stevens' sometime between Sunday and Thursday to finish off a game played on September 30^th. A game Somersworth was leading by less than a touchdown when it was called due to lightning either needed to be finished or you'd need Stevens' to concede the contest so the semifinals could be played on time.

James Caparell of Bedford led his team to a 24-12 win over Portsmouth Friday night that keeps his team in line for a possible #1 seed in the Division III playoffs. Caparell completed 5 of 11 passes for 113 yards and ran for 37 yards in the win.

Bedford wide receiver Brian Collins had 2 catches, one for a score, and 74 yards receiving in the victory.

Portsmouth WR/DB Jack Mackey was held to 10 total yards in the loss but was a leader defensively for the Clippers.

Trinity running back Josh Hughes made his final argument for Division IV player of the year in the Pioneers 43-7 win over Lebanon. Hughes led Trinity in tackles while also rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown & handling kicking duties in the win as Trinity goes into the playoffs undefeated.

Nick Massa of Kennett led the way as the Eagles closed the season with a 42-21 win over Kingswood.

Ryan Monette and St. Thomas secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 13-6 win over Kearsarge Regional Saturday afternoon in Exeter. Monette led the Saints with 96 yards rushing in the win.

Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris of Hanover closed the season out strong as the Marauders beat Merrimack Valley 56-20. Rothwell-Ferraris had 80 yards rushing and 50 receiving (on 4 receptions) as Hanover closed out the season with a win.

His quarterback Shawn Cavalarro had a huge game to close the year; completing 13 of 19 passes for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win.

 Keene QB Lucas Luopa earned a good win over Winnacunnet 20-6 as Luopa threw for 136 yards and added a rushing touchdown in the win.

 Derek Paradis and Nashua South suffered a big setback with a turnover filled 45-7 loss to Exeter. Paradis had 45 combined yards in the loss as the Panthers are set as the #3 seed in the Division I playoffs.

Armond McRae of Nashua South had 12 carries for 47 yards in the loss.

Newfound running back Shannon Tucker closed out the season with 83 yards rushing and his team's only touchdown in a 32-6 loss to Epping-Newmarket. Tucker also had 2 receptions for 13 yards.

Salem's Jerrickson Fedrick carried the ball 25 times for 102 yards and a score in the Blue Devils 22-6 win over Concord.

Manchester Central WR Jared Chandler had 4 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown in a 49-28 loss to first place Pinkerton Academy.

Manchester Central QB Riley Cote had a strong game in a losing cause with 180 passing yards on 19 of 29 passing and 3 touchdowns with 1 int against Pinkerton

 The top six games of the weekend feature one game from all six divisions.  Once again you can look for playoff previews of every playoff game played in all six divisions around the state in the coming weeks.

 On to the games;

 Division I

 Exeter (7-1) at Nashua South (7-1)

 The coverage of Exeter H.S is sponsored by Chad Fletcher at Blue Water Mortgage

 No mathematical equations, complicated tie-breakers or even a coin toss needed to decide the #2 seed in the division I playoffs, it comes down to the winner of this one on Friday night.

 The statistics will tell you what your eyes already have; these are two teams that can score (both average over 30 points per contest) and feature much improved defenses from where they were a year ago. You don't get to 7-1 without earning it.

 Exeter is second in the division behind only Pinkerton in scoring defense (12.1 ppg) while Nashua South has only given up an average of 9 points in their last five games. The Panthers have been led by lounge member Derek Paradis and have played very tough defense since a 44-41 over Lowell back in mid-September.

Rushing

 Trinity running back Josh Hughes was the best player on the filed in the Pioneers 50-0 win over Kingswood. Hughes carried the ball 4 times for 81 yards, added a 50 yard reception and was the team's leading tackler as Trinity clinched the top seed in the Division IV playoffs.

 Ryan Monette of St. Thomas had another big day, setting up a season finale Saturday against Kearsarge Regional that will decide the top seed & home field advantage in the Division V playoffs.  Monette rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns while adding 20 yards and another touchdown catching the ball in the Saints 31-6 win over Fall Mountain Regional.

 Shawn Cavalarro and Hanover won an entertaining shoot-out over John Stark 50-38 as Cavalarro threw for 99 yards and a touchdown in the win.

 Teammate Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris continued to be one of the leading recievers in the division as he added 50 yards receiving to go along with 60 yards rushing and a touchdown in Hanover's third win of the season.

 Kennett RB Nick Massa was the primary focus of a very good Laconia defense as the Eagles were bumped out of playoff contention with a 42-12 loss to the Sachems.

 Cody Bellows and Keene H.S saw their playoff hopes dashed in a hard fought 24-21 loss to Timberlane Friday night.

 Keene QB Lucas Luopa completed 13 of 24 passes for 190 yards and two scores in defeat.

 Armond McRae of Nashua South continued South's run to a top 2 seed with a 134 yards rushing and three touchdowns (one receiving) in a 49-20 win over Salem.

 Derek Paradis of Nashua South had 27 yards on the ground, 46 receiving and a key touchdown as South moved to 7-1 on the season.

 In the same game Salem running back Jerrickson Fedrick was immense in a losing cause; rushing for 248 yards and two touchdowns against Nashua South.

 Manchester Central WR Jared Chandler continued to his all-state play at wide receiver with 5 catches for 52 yards but Central dropped a tough 24-14 decision to Exeter Friday night.

 Manchester Central QB Riley Cote completed 12 of 21 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

 Shannon Tucker and Newfound saw their playoffs hopes dashed in a 28-0 loss to Franklin. Tucker was held to 57 yards rushing as the Golden Tornadoes became only the second team to hold Newfound scoreless this season.

 Jack Mackey of Portsmouth played very well but the Clippers dropped their first division game of the season 14-7 to Hollis-Brookline.  Mackey had 33 yards receiving and was one of the teams leaders on defense in the close loss.

 Division I

 Nashua South (6-1) at Salem (5-2)

 After bouncing back from a disappointing performance against Pinkerton with a 44-41 win over Lowell on September 17^th Nashua South has feasted on the bottom four teams in division I to the tune of a combined score of 117-25.

 Those scores tell us that this is a top heavy division (we knew that) and also that the 2011 version of Nashua South football can play a little defense (not sure if you were aware...).  Julier Rivera & Lounge member Derek Paradis have led an improved defense and the Panthers have settled on a #1 running back in Armond McRae.

 They'll face a Salem team that is coming off a 32-6 loss to Exeter that was surprising in its totality. They could not get anything going offensively and could not handle Exeter's running game. The Blue Devils own a win over Manchester Central and if they can get a key win at home here they still stand to be in very good shape to return to the playoffs after losing three of their top offensive players from a year ago.

Shannon Tucker of Newfound kept his team in the playoff hunt as the Bears defeated Mascoma 34-6. Tucker ran for 177 yards and two scores in the win and also added a 27 yard touchdown reception.

Nashua South continued to play great football late in the season with a 36-6 win over Londonderry. Derek Paradis had 36 yards rushing and 43 receiving as the Panthers moved to 6-1.

Armond McRae of Nashua South is making a late run at the rushing title in Division I as he gained 145 yards on 16 carries in the win. McRae scored twice on the ground and added 94 yards receiving and another score as he now ranks in the top 5 in Division I in rushing and receiving.

Jack Mackey and Kyle DiCesare of Portsmouth turned a much anticipated match-up with undefeated Goffstown into a rout as the Clippers won easily 49-7. Mackey had three receptions for 15 yards and DiCesare had one catch for 8 yards in the win.

Trinity running back Josh Hughes had 89 total yards in his team's 45-14 win over Kennett as the Pioneers took one step closer to the top seed in the Division IV playoffs.

Kennett running back Nick Massa led his team in rushing in defeat

Salem running back Jerrickson Fedrick was held to 87 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 32-6 loss to Exeter Friday night.

Lucas Luopa & Cody Bellows of Keene saw their playoff hopes take a big blow with a 21-7 loss to Dover Friday night. Luopa completed 12 of 21 passes for 178 yards and rushed for 36 yards in defeat.

Riley Cote of Manchester Central was on the wrong end of the upset of the weekend as Central lost to cross-town rival Manchester Memorial 28-24. Cote sat out the first half and then completed 5 of 8 passes for 89 in the loss.

Teammate Jared Chandler of Manchester Central had three receptions for 40 yards and remains the leading receiver in the division after seven weeks.

Shawn Cavalarro and Hanover battled Monadnock before dropping a 31-19 decision. Cavalarro threw for 142 yards in the loss.

Teammate Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris opened the game with an electrifying 80 yard kickoff return for touchdown and went on to catch 2 passes for 30 yards in defeat.

Ryan Monette and St. Thomas took another step towards the top seed in Division V with 42-7 win over Bow. Monette scored twice on the ground and added 83 yards receiving and another touchdown in the win.

Rushing

 This week's slate of games is without question the best weekend match-ups of the season thus far. All nine games we are previewing today could fall under the category of ‘must see' and they span across all six divisions. If you are going to get out to a game this weekend; here are eight very good ones to consider.

 Also be sure to check Roger Brown's ‘The state of football' at http://www.nhfootballreport.com/

 On to the games;

Division I

 Brockton (2-3) at Pinkerton Academy (6-0)

 With only a test against Manchester Central standing in the way of a an undefeated division record Pinkerton Academy gets an opportunity to enter the discussion of the best teams in all of New England; an accolade that Bishop Guertin enjoyed two years ago.

 The Boxers fell to 1-3 after a 22-15 loss to Xaverian but bounced back a week ago with a 37-27 win over Fitchburg. Starting quarterback Paul Mroz (questionable for this week's game with an ankle injury) left the game early but was replaced by junior Austin Roberts who gained 109 yards on 9 carries and led Brockton to the win. Running back Josh Brewster added 136 yards and a touchdown as Peter Colombo's team will now try to get back to .500 this weekend.

 We are very excited to introduce Kennett all-state running back Nick Massa as our newest member of the players' lounge. Nick is an honor roll student and a three sport star for Kennett in football, Baseball and hockey.

 Nick's parents reached out to us late last week and wanted to support the work we do here at New Hampshire Sportspage. We greatly appreciate the support of parents like Nick's as we couldn't run this site without them.

 Salem running back Jerrickson Fedrick was a one man wrecking crew in the Blue Devils 59-20 win over non-division rival Timberlane. Fedrick took over the Division I rushing lead with a 374 yard (on 20 carries) 5 touchdown effort as Salem improved to 5-1.

 Lucas Luopa and Keene came up with a big effort in a much needed 36-13 win over Merrimack. Luopa completed 13 of 22 throws and had a career high 5 touchdowns passes in the win.

 Cody Bellows played a big part in the Blackbirds win with 41 yards on 6 carries as Keene improved to 2-3 on the season.

 Riley Cote of Manchester Central made the big throws when his needed him to as the Little Green held off Londonderry 14-10. Cote completed 9 of 16 throws for 105 yards in the victory.

 Jared Chandler of Manchester Central had 2 receptions for 41 yards in the win that gets Central to 5-1 on the season.

 Shannon Tucker of Newfound led his team to a key 27-0 victory that keeps them in the playoff conversation. Tucker ran for 85 yards and a touchdown and added one catch in the win.

 Armond McRae of Nashua South averaged over 19 yards per carry as his school overwhelmed crosstown rival Nashua North 47-0 Thursday night. McRae gained 116 yards and scored twice on the ground and added a 58 yard touchdown reception as South moved to 5-1 on the season.

 Teammate Derek Paradis had another solid effort in the win as he gained 45 yards on just 4 carries starters sat out most of the second half.

 Shawn Cavalarro and Hanover enjoyed their second lopsided win of the season in a 42-0 win over Kingswood. The sophomore QB completed 6 of 8 passes for 91 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

 Teammate Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris added a 10 yard reception in limited time.

 Ryan Monette of St. Thomas continued his run at Division V player of the year with a big effort against Stevens in his school's first ever night football game. Monette ran for 120 yards and had a 31 yard reception as the Saints moved to 6-0 with the 44-6 victory.

 James Caparell and Bedford scored a surprisingly easy 49-6 win over Milford and continued to play very good football in October. Caparell sat out the second half but did complete 3 of 5 passes for 79 yards and a score in limited action. Caparell also had 23 yards and touchdown running the football in the win.

 Bedford Wide receiver Brian Collins led his team in receiving with 60 yards and a touchdown on two receptions as the Bulldogs improved to 4-2 on the season.

 Trinity running back Josh Hughes also saw his touches limited by a lopsided score as he gained 40 yards and had a touchdown run on just 4 carries in a 38-14 win over John Stark.

 Another week into the season and another new member of our players lounge to introduce. Manchester Central quarterback Riley Cote is our newest member and we'd like to thank Riley's parents for supporting our free website. Riley joins teammate Jared Chandler as well as former Central all-state basketball players John Wickey and Will Bayliss as members.

Quick note before we get to the games of the week; scores and stats will be a little delayed as I'll be gone all weekend on vacation. We will have coverage of the Thursday night games on Friday but the other games will be delayed.

 So look for complete coverage for all the games of the weekend late Monday afternoon. We'll post our performance summary Monday night and statewide passing, rushing and receiving leaders on Tuesday

 We'll be right on schedule for the rest of the year from there.

 On to the games;

 Division I

 Pinkerton Academy (5-0) at Exeter (5-0)

 The coverage of Exeter H.S is sponsored by Chad Fletcher at Bluewater Mortgage

 The only big time match-up in Division I this weekend as first place will be on the line.

 On a week to week basis it is hard to argue if it has been Pinkerton's offense or their defense that has been the more dominant unit. They will face the #2 ground attack in the division when they face Bill Ball's football team as Exeter boasts three runners who have gone for over 240 yards on the season; Tyler Grant (485), Conor Carrier (270) and Colby Swane (241), who is injured and won't be able to go against the Astros. Pinkerton will counter with a defense led by Ryan Coombs and Jesse Trottier that is giving up only 196 yards a game. As the saying goes: Somethings gotta give.

Rushing

1. Brendon Murphy of Gilford                         1,070 yards
2. David Mahoney of Laconia                           634
3. Kevin Davies of Pinkerton Academy             612
4. Shannon Tucker of Newfound                      611
5. Ryan Monette of St. Thomas                        574
6. Cam Blewitt of Stevens                               567
7. Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton Academy             546
8. Armond McRae of Nashua South                   511
9. Billy Lane of Portsmouth                              503
10. Colin Pellerin of Hollis-Brookline                   497

 It was a huge day for Ryan Monette of St. Thomas  in the Saints 52-0 win over Sanborn. Monette moved to the top of the division rushing leaders with 264 yards and three touchdowns on the day as his team remains undefeated on the season.

 Derek Paradis of Nashua South averaged over 13 yards a carry and found the end zone while rushing for  92 yards in his teams' 34-13 win over Concord. Paradis also caught 4 passes from Trevor Knight for 45 yards in the win.

 Armond McRae of Nashua South had another big day running the football in a 34-13 win over Concord. McRae carried the ball 25 times for 132 rushing and a score while adding 6 catches for 31 yards.

 James Caparell of Bedford had a huge night in a 43-13 win over Con-Val. The junior quarterback completed 14 of 17 passes for 231 yards and three touchdown passes. Caparell also gained 10 yards rushing in the victory.

 Bedford Wide receiver Brian Collins had a big effort as he returned to the lineup with 4 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown in the win.

 Jared Chandler of Manchester Central moved his way up the statewide receiving leaders list with 118 yards and a touchdown in a 42-0 win over Souhegan. Chandler, the Little Green's former starting QB, also threw a 40 yard touchdown strike in the win.

 Lucas Luopa and Cody Bellows of Keene were both standouts Friday night but the Blackbirds suffered their second consecutive upset loss when they fell to previously winless Spaulding 25-17

 Shannon Tucker of Newfound continued to be one of the best playmakers in Division VI as he rushed for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns  on 11 carries in a 41-0 win over Raymond.

 Kyle DiCesare of Portsmouth had one of his best efforts of the season in a 35-14 win over Milford. DiCesare caught 3 passes for 27 yards and a score in the Clippers victory.

 His teammate Jack Mackey had another strong game for the Clippers; hauling in 4 passes for 32 yards on offense and continuing to be a top playmaker on defense for Bill Murphy's team.

 Salem all-state running back Jerrickson Fedrick suffered an apparent hip injury in his team's 34-14 win over Nashua North. Fedrick gained 18 yards on 5 carries before leaving the game.

 Shawn Cavalarro and Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris of Hanover both were key playmakers Friday night but Hanover fell to division rival Plymouth Regional 37-7.

 Trinity running back Josh Hughes helped lead his team to a win over Monadnock as the Pioneers remained undefeated..

 We've added Youtube highlights to the Players Lounge profiles of members like Jared Chandler of Manchester Central, Ryan Monette of St. Thomas Aquinas and Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem. Members can email us any Youtube videos they'd like added and we'll continue to add footage every week.

• Ryan Monette of St. Thomas
• Jared Chandler of Manchester Central
• Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem

 Before we get to the games of the week we want to welcome another new member to the New Hampshire Sportspage Players' Lounge. Bishop Guertin running back Zach Mailloux became our newest member this week when his parents reached out to support our free website by signing their son up. We appreciate all the parents who help make what we do possible.

 Zach and other lounge members now have the ability to have Youtube highlights posted on their profiles.

 Division I

 Londonderry (0-4) at Pinkerton Academy (4-0)

 The suspension of all-state running back Sean O'Gorman for the first four games of the season put the Lancers behind the eight ball. Is there still time to recover?

 The 12-6 loss to Concord last week probably hurts more than any of the other three because that is a team that is similarly on the outside looking in right now. O'Gorman carries this offense on his back when he is in the lineup but resurgence in the second half seems unlikely because the defense has been every bit the problem a bogged down offense has been. Londonderry gave up 36 points to Nashua North and 46 to Exeter on back to back weekends. That's asking an awful lot of your offense.

 This weekend they play their arch-rival in game that looks to be one of the more lopsided additions in recent memory.

 If the Astros stay healthy there is no reason they can't go down as one of the top New Hampshire football teams of the last 10 years. They are outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 42-7 and those opponents are a combined 10-2 when they are playing someone other than Brian O'Reilly's team. If Londonderry is looking for a jump start to the second half of the season this is a pretty tough spot to try and find it.

 Players' Lounge Performance Summary:

 Jared Chandler of Manchester Central had his break-out game of the season in a 34-6 win over Nashua North.  Chandler had six receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 30 yards rushing on 3 carries in the win as the Little Green moved into a tie for 2^nd place in Division I behind Pinkerton Academy & Exeter.

 Trinity running back Josh Hughes was stymied for most of the night by a very good Plymouth run defense, gaining a season low 8 yards on 8 carries. The senior captain though came up big with when it mattered most, hauling in a Carmen Giampetruzzi touchdown pass in the 4^th quarter as the Pioneers scored two late touchdowns for a huge 12-7 road win.

 Lucas Luopa of Keene hit Alex Parentau for a touchdown to give the Blackbirds a 17-7 lead at halftime but Keene could not hold on as they were upset by Manchester West 28-17.

 Cody Bellows of Keene was again one of the top playmakers in the game as Keene will try to bounce back when they travel to Rochester to play an improving Spaulding team next week.

 James Caparell of Bedford had a huge night in a 42-14 win over Pembroke. The junior quarterback completed 9 of 13 passes for 207 and two scores while adding 74 yards and another score on the ground.

 Brian Collins of Bedford sat out the game with an injury but should be ready to go again next week when Bedford looks for its third straight win when it takes on Con-Val.

 Ryan Monette of St. Thomas gained 37 yards on 25 carries as Somersworth focused their defense on slowing him down. It wasn't enough though as the Saints pulled out a big 16-13 win over their cross-town rival.

 Shannon Tucker of Newfound was again the focus of the Bears offense; gaining 108 yards rushing and finding the end zone twice as Newfound dropped a 30-20 decision to defending champion Newport.

 Armond McRae had a big game in Nashua South's surprisingly easy 31-6 win over Manchester Memorial. McRae ran the ball 19 times for 201 yards, including a 70 yard touchdown run in the win.

 Teammate Derek Paradis was held in check running the ball but scored two big touchdowns in the win. Paradis returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and then added a 104 yard interception for a score that helped seal the victory.

 Shawn Cavallaro of Hanover was held in check passing the football but carried the ball 14 times for 61 yards in a tough 10-7 loss to Kennett.

 Teammate Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris of Hanover was again one of the top offensive threats for the Marauders; gaining 80 yards on 12 carries but Hanover could not hold on to a 7-0 lead and lost a heartbreaker to a good Kennett team.

 Jack Mackey of Portsmouth had one catch for 9 yards in the Clippers 41-7 win over Con-Val Friday night.

 Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem was the focus of the best defense in New Hampshire Saturday but still was able to produce 63 yards and a touchdown in a 49-14 loss to Pinkerton Academy.

Coaches or parents can email statistics to davehaley@nhsportspage.com or sign up for the coaches' login right on our homepage.

Rushing

1. Brendon Murphy of Gilford                                         996 yards
2. Cam Blewitt of Stevens                                             567
3. David Mahoney of Laconia                                         520
4. Kevin Davies of Pinkerton  Academy                          491
5. Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton Academy                          489
6. Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem                                        466
7. Shannon Tucker of Newfound                                   436
8. Josh Ream of Somersworth                                       420
9. Armond McRae of Nashua South                               379
10. Oliver Gallo of Kearsarge Regional                            376

 Passing

1. Billy Hartmann of Portsmouth                                    719 yards
2. James Caparell of Bedford                                         702
3. Riley Cote of Manchester Central                              561

 Another new member of the Players' lounge to announce this week as parents continue to reach out and support the work we do. Cody Bellows of the Keene H.S football team joins his teammate Lucas Luopa as a member. Bellows is averaging over 5 yards per carry for the Blackbirds and has a receiving touchdown as well after only two games. Cody and all the new members are adding video and their interviews to their profile for our readers & college recruiters to view.

 Also, check out Roger Brown's 'The state of football' and weekly picks of all the games around the state every Friday at the New Hampshire Football Report (www.nhfootballreport.com )

 On to the games;

 Division I

 Pinkerton (3-0) at Salem (3-0)

 Let's cut right to the chase; Are the other eight teams in Division I playing for second place?

 They just might be. It's not surprising to see the defending champs sitting at 3-0 but beating Bishop Guertin (still a top 5 team in the state), Nashua South (many peoples pick for 2^nd in the division) and Nashua North (only seven points separated them & the Astros a year ago) by a combined score of 119-14! No, it was hard to see that coming. Those team don't get beat downs very often and the issue right now is that there aren't a lot of defenses that stand out in Division I. We knew Pinkerton would score coming into the season but now we know they can shut you down as well. This team is better than we thought and there are reasons to believe they are only going to get better.

 We want to announce & welcome three new athletes to the New Hampshire Sportspage Players' Lounge;  Ryan Monette of St. Thomas, Hanover wide receiver Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris and his quarterback Sam Cavallaro. The parents of all three players supported our free website by signing their sons' up for the lounge and we are happy to have them on board & greatly appreciate their support. We wouldn't exist without parents like that.

 On to this weeks' performance summary;

 Quick note; I'll be joining Justin McIsaac tonight on WTSN (1270 AM) to talk football and interview the players & coaches from Dover, St. Thomas & Somersworth. Hope to have audio on the site this week.

 Listen live starting at 6:30 http://www.am1270wtsn.com/

 Players' Lounge Performance Summary:

 James Caparell of Bedford made the most of his limited action as he completed 4 of 6 passes for 68 yards & a touchdown in a 62-0 win over Pelham. Caparell also ran for two scores & 35 yards in the win.

 Brian Collins of Bedford was Caparell's top target as he moved into the #1 spot for receiving yards in Division III with 3 catches for 44 yards in limited action.

 Ryan Monette of St. Thomas continued to be one of the top playmakers in Division V football as he had 6 carries for 72 yards and a score to go along with one reception for 10 yards in very limited playing time. St. Thomas got up big early and rested their starters in a 49-15 win over Bishop Brady.

 Shannon Tucker of Newfound gained 128 yards rushing on 12 carries and added an 80 yard reception for a score as Newfound got into the win column with a 44-8 victory over Farmington.

Josh Hughes of Trinity carried the ball 13 for 74 yards and a score and added a key special teams touchdown in Trinity's huge 22-14 win over Laconia.

 Sam Cavallaro of Hanover completed 9 of 12 passes for 79 yards & also was the Marauders leading rusher with 72 yards & a score as Hanover got their first win of the season over arch-rival Lebanon 27-0.

 Teammate Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris of Hanover also scored and gained 60 yards on the ground in the win.

 Derek Paradis of Nashua South rushed 14 times for 117 yards and added 4 catches for 44 yards in Nashua South's 44-41 win over Lowell.

Teammate Armond McRae was again a standout for Nashua South as he had 111 yards rushing & a touchdown to go along with 35 yards receiving in the win.

 Jack Mackey of Portsmouth was again a stand-out defensively & had one catch for 7 yards as the Clippers moved to 2-1 with a 35-7 win over Con-Val.

 Kyle DiCesare of Portsmouth caught 2 passes for 20 yards in the win.

 Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem carried the ball 23 times for 153 yards & two touchdowns in a 44-34 come from behind win over Manchester Memorial.

 Jared Chandler of Manchester Central was a key playmaker in the Little Green's 28-14 win over Concord as the Central defense showed signs of improvement in week 3.

 Lucas Luopa and Keene were off this weekend & travel to Manchester West this weekend.

 Before we get to our games of the week we'd like to announce wide receivers Brian Collins of Bedford and Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris as the newest members of our Players Lounge. Their parents reached out to us and signed their sons up this week. Doing that supports this website and we thank them. Both players will be completing their interview questions this week.

 On to the games;

 Division I

 Pinkerton Academy (2-0) at Nashua North (2-0)

 Titans head coach Jason Robie may want to hold off on showing his kids the game tape of Pinkerton/South from last weekend as it might sink them into a deep depression. The reason for that depression being that no team in the state is beating the Astros when they play that well, just too many weapons and experience to go along with it. Nashua North has had to replace two of the best playmakers in the state in Brandon Karkhanis and Andre Williams but has been able to get out to a 2-0 start. Taylor Miranda has thrown for 194 yards and two scores in his first year as starter and North has gotten nice production from the fourth leading rusher in Division I Marc Lavine.

 Quick note; I'll be joining Justin McIsaac tonight on WTSN (1270 AM) to talk football and interview the players & coaches from Portsmouth and Spaulding. Hope to have audio on the site this week.

 Listen live starting at 6:30 http://www.am1270wtsn.com/

 Players Lounge Performance Summary:

 Josh Hughes of Trinity carried the ball 11 times for 118 yards and three scores in the Pioneers 46-14 win over Hanover.

 Lucas Luopa of Keene threw touchdown passes to four different receivers in passing for 226 yards in a decisive 31-7 win over Alvirne.

 Jack Mackey of Portsmouth was a stand-out defensively as he had 8 tackles and two interceptions in a 22-15 win over arch-rival Souhegan Friday night. Mackey also caught 5 passes 29 yards in the win.

 Kyle DiCesare of Portsmouth caught 5 passes from QB Billy Hartmann for 95 yards in the Clippers victory.

 Jerrickson Fedrick of Salem scored 6 touchdowns in the Blue Devils 50-28 win over Manchester Central Friday night. Fedrick carried the ball 19 times for 141 yards and 4 scores, caught the ball 3 times for 37 yards and returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns.

 Jared Chandler of Manchester Central caught 5 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Salem.

 Shannon Tucker of Newfound was held to 30 yards on 12 carries in a 42-0 loss to Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough

 James Caparell of Bedford threw for 167 and two scores but it wasn't enough as Bedford dropped a 17-15 decision to Goffstown. Caparell gained 63 yards rushing on 4 carries.

 Armond McRae led Nashua South in rushing with 63 yards on 11 carries and had a 40 yard reception as well but South dropped a 56-14 decision to defending champion Pinkerton.

 Derek Paradis of Nashua South rushed 8 times for 31 yards in the loss to Pinkerton Academy.

 Statewide Leaders (We'll expand to the top 10 in each category in two weeks)

    Passing Leaders

 1.   Billy Hartmann of Portsmouth                   466 yards

 2.   James Caparell of Bedford                        427

 3.    Lucas Luopa of Keene                             376

 4.    Scott Munroe of St. Thomas                     375

 5.    Robby McCormick of Souhegan                358

     Rushing Leaders

1. Brendan Murphy of Gilford                         684 yards
2. Emmitt Smith of Pinkerton                         302
3. David Mahoney of Laconia                         295
4. Billy Lane of Portsmouth                            266
5. Oliver Gallo of Kearsarge                           263

         Receiving Leaders

1. Jesiah Wade of Campbell                             168 yards
2. Chris Chinnis of Souhegan                           159
3. Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris of Hanover             158
4. Mike Rich of Sanborn                                    155
5. Brian Collins of Bedford                                140