Week four of the regular season is the first weekend of the season where you can call a game ‘a must-win' without sounding like the guy calling Felger & Mazz to talk about Caleb Williams after a 0-2 Patriots start.

 With six games left in the regular season, 0-3 holes are built to be climbed out of.

 0-4 holes are not.

 Today, we will rank the contenders in all four divisions and highlight some of the weekend's biggest games.

 Our column is brought to you by our longtime friends and partners at Nashua Community College. 

 Division I

 Standings, statistical leaders, and Gold Level Coaches/Programs

1. Bedford-  The best defense in the state has given up just three points in three games. They’ll travel to Goffstown this weekend before we are there next Friday night when they take on Nashua North.

2. Londonderry- They’re expecting up to 5,000 people in Derry tomorrow night for the showdown with Pinkerton Academy. We’ll have all the highlights and the post-game with the winners. They’ll be playmakers all over the field, but keep an eye on the battle in the trenches. 

3. Pinkerton Academy- The Astros will be favored in every game they play this season after Friday night. Can the offensive line and the rushing attack of Caden Michaud (247 yards on the season), Matt Morrison (236), and Ryan Catineau (208) break the seven-game losing streak on Mack Plaque weekend?

4. Portsmouth Oyster River- I came away very impressed with the speed and physicality of the defense led by Max Durkin. Cole McLaughlin (177) and Brooks Connors (216) are both elite backs and with playmakers like Aidan Thomas & Angus Moss, this is an offense that can beat you in a number of ways.

5. Exeter- While all the attention on the seacoast was directed at Portsmouth/Dover, the Blue Hawks rolled along with a 31-6 win over Spaulding. Bill Ball’s team rushed for 246 yards (8.6 yards per carry) and three touchdowns in the win.

6. Salem- Wins in 50/50 games can’t be emphasized enough. Those are the wins that can be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them and, in the case of Salem, playing at home in the first round or going on the road. Kevin Todisco (349) has been terrific running the football, while Felix Gonzalez (174) has emerged as a playmaker for Steve Abraham’s team.

7. Dover- Eric Cumba likes his team a lot, and I can see why. The Green Wave are as physical as I have seen them be in many years, and quarterback Ryder Aubin is ‘that kid could play at the next level’ good. Bryce Carberry was terrific on both sides of the ball in the 24-22 loss to Portsmouth Oyster River. If it weren’t for a special teams turnover and a couple of bad penalties, Dover might have walked out with a win last Friday night. 

8. Windham- Huge rivalry game Saturday against #6 Salem and one of those 50/50 games we talked about. In a 49-13 win over Alvirne, Jack Byrne’s team rushed for 271 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.

9. Nashua North- They earned a gritty gutty win over Bishop Guertin Saturday night when Luke Peters picked off a Mike MacDonough pass intended for Connor Lennon in the back corner of the endzone. Now it’s on to rivalry night against Nashua South before we see the Titans take on the champs next Friday night.

10. Concord- I’m keeping the Tide at #10, but the availability of Eli Bahuma, the 2022 rushing champ who left the Thursday night loss to Salem with a leg injury, is a big concern. Here’s hoping he is back soon.

Division II

Standings, statistical leaders & Gold Level Coaches/Programs

1. Pelham- The Pythons' win over John Stark was expected, but the 48-0 final score and the fact that the Generals ran for the ball 23 times for -22 yards tells us the gap between the top teams and the other playoff teams might be more significant than we thought.

2. Souhegan- The Sabers will get a good test on the road this weekend against Division I Timberlane. All-state running back JJ Bright is averaging ten yards per carry through three games.

3. Plymouth-  The Bobcats are beginning to take on the look of a title contender. They’ll face an improved Laconia team this weekend before a showdown with Souhegan next weekend.

4. Kennett- The Eagles were riding high a year ago when they went into Dover and were knocked off by the Saints in a game we covered. They get their shot at revenge on Saturday afternoon in a game that could have home-field implications in November.

5. St Thomas- Ed McDonough’s team is 2-1, but boy did Sanborn make them work for it. Expect another 21-14 type game in North Conway this weekend.

6. John Stark- How much do you penalize a team for being beaten decisively by Pelham? It turns out…not much… as the Generals stay at #6. Ray Kershaw’s team had a very tough schedule out of the gate and now has a chance to roll off some wins against Manchester West, Hillsborough-Deering Hopkinton, and Hollis Brookline.

7. Hanover- The Bears needed a bounce-back performance against Milford, and they got it in a 35-6 victory. Jeff Vidou and David Frechette combined for 259 yards rushing in the win.

8. A Bow/Sanborn/Gilford-Belmont Sandwich- Gilford Belmont beat Sanborn, Sanborn beat Bow, Bow beat Gilford Belmont. So I mean….you tell me, who is the eighth-best team in Division II today?

 Division III

 Standings, statistical leaders, and Gold Level Coaches/Programs

1. Campbell- A dominant defense has only given up twenty points in three games. That unit has been led by Nick Hershberger, Nick Mackey, Logan Allaire and Hunter Henderson.

2. Trinity- All-state standout Devohn Ellis was terrific in a win over Con Val, going for 120 yards and two touchdowns on just three touches.

3. Inter-Lakes Moultonborough- What makes the Lakers unique is that they can throw the ball as effectively as they run it. Brayden Arruda has thrown for a division-high 373 yards with a passer rating of 110.7 through three games.

4. Monadnock- Depth will be an issue all season for the Huskies, with only twenty-two players dressing against the Lakers. It’ll get no easier when they face Trinity this weekend.

5. Fall Mountain- We’ll be at Con Val tomorrow night to cover the Wildcats. Quarterback Eric Franklin threw for 141 yards and a touchdown in last weekend’s win over Epping-Newmarket.

 Division IV

 Standings, Statistical Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches/Programs

1. Somersworth- The champs opened with a 50-0 win over Mascoma and now face a Newfound team that lost to Franklin 37-0 last weekend.

2. Newport- All-state running back Kyle Ashley has rushed for 284 and a whopping eight touchdowns in the Tigers' 2-0 start.

3. Raymond- The Rams head to Winnisquam in a game with early playoff implications.

4. Bishop Brady- Ball security cost the Giants in a 12-6 loss to Raymond. They’ll travel to Mascoma on Saturday.

5. Winnisquam-  Big home games back to back as the Bears square off with a tough Raymond team Saturday before facing arch-rival Franklin next week.

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