Two games remain in the regular season so today we take a look at all four divisions and ask the question; how many teams have a realistic shot at winning the championship?

 On Friday night ‘The Franchise’ Jennifer Chick-Ruth & I head to North Conway where the undefeated Bow Falcons come to town to try to clinch the top seed in the North Conference against the 5-1 Kennett Eagles.

 We’ll have all the play by play, highlights and a post-game interview with the entire winning team.

 We want to thank Hollis-Brookline Head coach Chris Lones, Alvirne Head Coach Tarek Rothe and Milford Head Coach Keith Jones for becoming a Gold Level coaches/programs, as well as The Chase Family of Newmarket Basketball and The Dearden Family as well!

 

  Today’s column is sponsored by our friends & partners at White Mountains Community College! Official sponsors of the coverage of Plymouth & Kennett as well as the North Country schools.

 

 Division I

 Salem (6-1) at Goffstown (5-2)

 And

 Merrimack (5-2) at Nashua North (7-0)

 Division I Standings and statistical leaders

  Teams that can absolutely end up as the Division I champions:

  Londonderry (7-0), Salem (6-1), Nashua North (7-0) & Exeter (6-1)

 Those four teams look a step above everyone else in the division while Bedford, Goffstown, Merrimack, and Nashua South look like the other four teams that will move on to the post-season.

 The Lancers have looked the part of the best team in the state all season long. I would have been very surprised back in late August if you had told me any team on that side of the bracket would go undefeated but Jimmy Lauzon’s team is two wins away from doing just that.

 I asked several coaches last week who they thought was the better team, Bedford or Salem?

 Unanimously I was told Rob Pike’s Blue Devils were a step above the defending champs and they proved that & more last weekend with a decisive win. Box Score: Salem 34, Bedford 3

 Nashua North has been terrific all season and Curtis Harris gets my player of the year vote. That defense led by Max Ackerman has been better than expected and they are deep on offense, with playmakers like Jayden Espinol and Anthony Greene.

 Dante Laurendi’s team can wrap up the top seed with a win over Merrimack this weekend. Kip Jackson’s Tomahawks have played very well lately, as quarterback James Dowling, TE/DE Jared Dyer & Devin Wood have been very good in particular.

 The question is can the defense stop the Titans rushing attack and Harris in particular?

 Every year there is a team that beats all the teams below them and loses to all the teams above them. Right now that team is Merrimack, but they have a chance to change that narrative this weekend.

 

 The dark horse team that could crash the party: If Brian O’Reilly’s Pinkerton Astros could sneak in they would be my pick…can you imagine Pinkerton at Londonderry in the first round??

 The Astros loss on opening weekend at Goffstown is the result that likely keeps them out. Even if Goffstown loses to Salem this weekend they would only have to beat winless Timberlane to eliminate Pinkerton.

 So the pick is Bedford. They are likely going to get another shot at Salem, and even though the first time around was an emphatic win by the Blue Devils, the champs likely are not going to go quietly.

 

 Division II

 St. Thomas (4-3) at Pelham (5-2)

 And

 Alvirne (6-1) at Hollis-Brookline (5-2)

 Division II Standings and Statistical Leaders

 Welcome to Banana Land…..now let’s try to break this down.

 Teams that can absolutely end up as the Division II champions:

 Milford, Bow, Alvirne, and Pelham.

 

 Here are the seedings and match-ups if the playoffs started today:

1. Milford (strength of schedule puts them here)
2. Bow
3. Alvirne
4. Kennett
5. Plymouth
6. Pelham
7. Hollis-Brookline
8. Souhegan

 

    9. St. Thomas

 Nothing demonstrates the parity in this division more than a possible Souhegan at Milford first-round game…as the Sabers are the only team to beat the Spartans this season.

 Hollis-Brookline (who picked up their best win in three years when they beat Souhegan last weekend) would travel to Bow (Bow has to prove they can beat spread teams after two losses to Souhegan a year ago).

 Alvirne would play Pelham in a first-round game that would feel worthy of the big field at UNH and Plymouth would get another shot at Kennett in North Conway.

 With all that said there is a lot to still be determined, beginning with the game Jen & I will be covering tomorrow night. Bow will look to wrap up a Top 2 seed and possibly the #1 seed in the Division II playoffs.

 Speaking of Bow, this Pelham team reminds me a lot of the Bow teams that advanced to UNH in 2016 and 2017.

 They are primarily a running team but they can absolutely throw the football with Ian Hoey at quarterback. The defense is elite and they do not beat themselves.

 Tom Babaian’s team is very disciplined and as that Bow team had to go on the road to get to the championship game, the Pythons have already won at Souhegan and gone to the wire at Milford Box Score: Milford 14, Pelham 13

 Alvirne has two very tough games to close the season and the winner of their season finale at Milford may get home field all the way to UNH. The Broncos have gotten healthier against an easier schedule of late but their final two games against Hollis-Brookline and Milford will have them playoff ready.

 St. Thomas is on the outside looking in today, but they control their own destiny. The Saints close with Pelham and Hollis-Brookline, so for Dave Bryant’s team, the playoffs start this weekend.

 

The dark horse team that could crash the party: I think you already know who it is…..

 Look Plymouth has their flaws; they haven’t executed as well as we’ve come to expect or been elite running the football, although Joe D’Ambruoso is capable of a breakout post-season.

 Cody Bannon was very good last weekend against Pembroke but they don’t have the kind of passing attack they did two years ago with Jordan Docen at wide receiver or Owen Brickley doing his best James White impersonation out of the backfield.

 But….the defense has been very good and probably underrated as a unit this season. Cale Swanson hasn’t had the kind of all-state season as a senior we thought he would but is also capable of a post-season run.

 I was there when this team went into Windham and beat the Jaguars as a 4 –seed three years ago, a team many thought was a year away.

 That was a team that needed to beat Milford in the season finale just to get in the playoffs. Three weeks later they were jumping around on camera with us at midfield in Durham.

 This is a coaching staff, led by Head Coach Chris Sanborn, that has been in a ton of big games. If they’re coming to you in the semifinals……they are going to have your full attention.

 

 

 Division III

 Monadnock (5-2) at Campbell (6-1)

 Division III Standings and Statistical Leaders

 Teams that can absolutely end up as the Division III champions:

 Lebanon, Campbell, and Trinity

 Lebanon still has an upcoming showdown with Campbell to end the regular season but they have been the best team in Division III this season.

 In Division III a lot of teams can run the football, few can run the football and play defense, and even fewer can run the football, play defense and throw the football as well. Lebanon can do all three.

 Jon Willeman has been terrific at quarterback, Wade Rainey gives them a back you can hand the ball to 25 times in a playoff game and Head Coach Chris Childs has a title on his resume.

 The line doesn’t have a lot of depth but the starters have been very good. Noah Tyler, Mason Adams, and Josh Mondragon have protected Willeman and paved the way for Rainey and Phillip Mellish.

 Campbell was the pre-season #1 (Lebanon was #2) and has to feel like no one is talking about them. This is a team that has made two straight trips to UNH. They get back to their rivalry game with Monadnock this weekend before possibly playing Lebanon for the top seed in the playoffs next weekend.

 Trinity has proven themselves with wins over Campbell, Monadnock, and Hillsborough-Deering-Hopkinton. They’ll be favored in their final two games against Stevens & Somersworth.

 When Campbell & Lebanon meet in the season final game of the regular season Trinity will likely be rooting for Lebanon, a win by the Raiders would make the Pioneers the 2-seed and give them a pair of home games in the playoffs.

 

 The dark horse team that could crash the party: It’s hard to find that out, as the gap between the Top 3 teams and the rest of the division has been big, but I’ll go with the defending champs.

 Monadnock wants a game where they can line up across from you and knock you off of your spot. They have the kind of offense that can control the clock and a defense that can win with physicality. That could be a tough team to eliminate come November.

 Stevens has the pedigree under Paul Silva that you never count them out, but if Monadnock has the right match-up, and I think they could match up well with Campbell; they’ll be a tough out once again.

 

 Division IV

 Division IV Standings and Statistical Leaders

 

 Teams that can absolutely end up as the Division II champions:

 Winnisquam, Raymond & Fall Mountain

 

 Here are your (highly likely) semifinal match-ups in Division IV:

 

 Bishop Brady at Winnisquam

 Fall Mountain at Raymond

  Here is a double dose of bad news for Division IV teams: The champ’s closest game of the year was a 33-14 win over Fall Mountain and this is a junior-class dominated team, with only two seniors on the roster.

 Both Raymond and Fall Mountain, who has been led offensively by Izaak Westover (678 rushing yards), could give Derek Hunt’s Bears a tough game in the championship.

 With the championship game being played again in Laconia, which is a great sport for it, well done NHIAA, that game will feel like a home game for Winnisquam as Tilton is the next town over.

 In other words…….my money is on the champs.