We’re down to the final two weekends of the regular season before twenty-four teams move on to the post-season. Every week gives us a clearer picture of who’s IN, Who’s OUT and who will be hosting games on playoff weekend versus teams that will be climbing on a bus headed to hostile territory.

 We will likely be out at two games on Friday night but our one definite destination is Swanzey where Pete Tarrier & The Great Jon Kesty will bring you all the highlights & the post-game team interview when undefeated Newport takes on fellow unbeaten Monadnock. Stay tuned for where Jennifer Chick-Ruth & Justin McIsaac will be on Friday night.

 Today we give our NHsportspage members an exclusive look at the biggest games from all three divisions around the state.

 

 Division I

 Londonderry (6-1) at Nashua South (5-2)

 Londonderry team page

 Nashua South team page

 While a lot of us have the Lancers penciled in for the 4 seed when the playoffs begin Jimmy Lauzon’s team can push the South Conference into a three-way tie if they can win out. That would mean closing out with wins against South and Salem (in a game we will have full coverage of) in the season finale.

 Scott Knight’s Panthers haven’t lost since we covered them in Week 2 at Pinkerton. Sean Holland has been as good as any quarterback in the state, and maybe the single best. Holland has thrown for 1,577 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 640 yards and 8 touchdowns. Derek Downing (437 yards receiving), Alex Amigo (422) and Taevon Olson (328) are as good a wide receiver tandem as any in the state and Jaylen Pacheco (422 YDs rushing) gives them a productive change of pace back.

 The Lancers linebacking group led by Jack Odgen and Ben Psaledas on the inside with Jake Dionne on the outside. All three will, at times,  have to drop back in coverage while spying Holland (their leading rusher) in the pocket. In 3rd and long situations Knight will send out four receivers and let Holland take what the defense gives him, whether that’s throwing for the first down or running for it.

  Londonderry features the leading rusher in Division I in Jeff Weidenfeld (867 Yds. and 8 TDs) and their own quarterback capable of rushing for over 100 yards in Mike McAlister, who has run for 592 yards on the season. A loss here for Londonderry seals their fate as the 4 seed and would likely mean a trip to Salem in Round 1. That would make for an interesting scenario next weekend when the two teams mee

 A year ago Goffstown traveled to Merrimack in the last game of the season knowing they would face them the following weekend in the playoffs, making the game meaningless.

 That’s the losing scenario; the winning scenario leaves the Lancers with a chance to play for the conference title next week.

 

Division II

John Stark (5-1) at Bow (5-1)

Bow team page

John Stark team page

 This is a really big game and an interesting one as well and that’s because I still don’t think either of these teams really knows how good they really are?

 Make no mistake, both of these teams are playoff bound but where they stand in the pecking order (The eyeball test tells me it’s 1) Plymouth 1a) Windham 3) St Thomas and then it’s WIDE OPEN). Bow feels like a proven commodity after their run to Durham a year ago that included wins over John Stark (who was favored to beat them) and Hanover (on the road) but their best win of the season is a 29-19 win over (3-3) Kennett.

 John Stark has won five in a row since dropping their opener to Souhegan. Their best win of the season was a 16-14 win at Laconia in a game we covered. In fact, the resume of both teams contains Merrimack Valley, Kingswood, Gilford-Belmont and Pembroke. What all of those teams have in common is that they are not sniffing the post-season, which makes both of these teams fully capable but largely unproven.

 We’ll know a lot more after this one on Saturday afternoon.

 

 Hollis-Brookline (4-1) at Pelham (3-3)

 Hollis-Brookline team page

 Can you imagine the fact that Sander Wimmer was going to be relegated to mop up duty if starting QB Joey Delaney hadn’t gone down with an injury in the season opener?

 The leading passer in Division II with 1,518 yards passing has kept the Cavaliers in the playoff race after the injury to Delaney could have derailed their season. Matt Simco might be the best offensive weapon in Division II as his 778 yards and state-leading 13 touchdown receptions will attest. In Pelham they face a team coming off back to back shutouts including a stunning 12-0 win over Con Val that may have knocked the Cougars out of the post-season.

 They’ll need to double Simco in the red zone and take care of the football if they are going to pull a second straight shocker this weekend.

 

St Thomas (6-1) at Con Val (4-2)

St Thomas team page

Con Val team page

 Con Val’s playoff hopes, vibrant two weeks ago, are suddenly on life support after back to back losses to Hollis-Brookline & Pelham. QB Dan Spezzaferri has missed both of those games and if he can’t return against St Thomas the Cougars don’t have the weapons to stay in this one for four quarters.

 St Thomas will be in the post-season, win or lose, and this is their season finale. When you’ve been doing this long enough you recognize the difference between one team simply being outclassed by the other and one team just being a little better on that particular day or night. I left St Thomas three weeks ago after their loss to Windham feeling like if they got another shot at the Jaguars, the Saints are more than capable of beating them the second time around.

 

Division III

Newport (6-0) at Monadnock (6-0)

Newport team page

Huge match-up in Division III and one Pete Tarrier & The Great Jon Kesty will bring you full coverage of.

What’s clear in Division III after six weeks of play (and a bye week) is there is a separation between 4 and 5…and it’s a big gap. Somersworth appears to be your fourth best team while defending champion Stevens stands fifth. Campbell’s second-half explosion last Friday night in Somersworth, a game Jennifer Chick-Ruth and I covered live as well as with highlights, proved they are a team capable of being the last team standing.

 We’re going to find out who the best team in the North is on Friday night. Ryan Avery’s Huskies feature a two-back attack just as they did a year ago during an undefeated regular season. Chandler Matson (689 YDs rushing) and Tim Hart (538) have been a potent duo for a Huskies team that has rarely been challenged this season. On Friday night they face a smart and experienced Newport Tigers team that has played very well under second-year head coach Rich Boone.

 Newport’s John Thibault is the leading rusher in Division III with 943 yards and undoubtedly he is their workhorse but there are plenty of other weapons. Cody Turgeon is their up the gut fullback who also can take a screen pass to the house as he did earlier in the season against Stevens. Peter Thibault and Gavin Lovely lead a very good defensive line while QB Ethan Houde can beat you with long throws down the sideline to the likes of Joey Ackerman & Cole McNamara.

 The edge in experience actually belongs with Newport in this one as most of the Huskies are first-year starters. This is a game both teams have had circled for a long time and the winner here gets home field advantage (along with Campbell) through the semifinals.

 Meaning the road to Durham goes through them…