For the past seventeen seasons, we have turned our championship previews over to the people who know these teams better than anyone, the coaches who faced them during the season.

 We asked three head coaches of playoff teams to break down the two teams and Saturday's match-up at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.

 Our scouting report is brought to you by our partner Ryan Carr at Rhino Tax and Financial Services!

(1) Bedford vs. (3) Pinkerton Academy

We asked our three coaches to break down both teams, beginning with the undefeated Bulldogs.

" It starts with their big three," said one head coach we spoke to. " In Brody Helton, Bennett Matthews, and Connor Flaherty, they have three of the top six or seven players in the state."

" They, as a team, can lean on you. They'll run it left behind Flaherty, and when in doubt, give the ball to Brody Helton."

 Another coach spoke about the Bulldogs' defensive line.

" Brennan Krause and the defensive line really stood out when we faced them. It's Krause, Benn, Flaherty, and they keep their linebackers like Helton clean by controlling your line."

"I give them a definite advantage against the Pinkerton offensive and defensive lines."

" Bedford is difficult to throw on because they can pressure you with four and drop seven into coverage. "

" This is as athletic a defense as I've seen Bedford have. It's not as good as the 2023 (championship) team; that team might have been the best defense I've ever seen, but they are very athletic across the board."

" One of the difficulties Pinkerton will have preparing for Bedford is that you can't replicate (QB) Bennett Matthews as a runner. You can as a passer, but his ability to scramble out of trouble and make plays is so unique."

 What about the defending champion Pinkerton Astros?

" Brady Spellman is the second-best running back in our division. To me, it's Brody Helton, and he is second."

" Pinkerton will go spread, but I don't see that being effective against Bedford. They should focus on controlling the clock and keeping Bedford's offense off the field. You do that by running the Wing T."

"When Coach O'Reilly is calling the shots, that's a tough offense to hold to nine yards on three plays."

"When Matt Morrison got injured last season, they went back to a more traditional O'Reilly offense, and it was really effective. They've gotten away from it and been able to make a couple of big plays every week, but they should go back to it."

Fellow coaches weighed in.

" It's Pinkerton's depth that overwhelms you. They have battled injuries all year, but have enough depth to still be here in the end. There is no one on that defense to exploit."

" What makes their defense so good is that they have an all-state player at all three levels of the defense. James Caruso upfront, Joseph Osanya at linebacker, and Brady Spellman at safety."

" It's like having an all-star catcher, pitcher, and center fielder."

" Spellman and Noah Rao are elite offensively. You can move the ball on Bedford; they are just very tough in the red zone."

" Pinkerton's top-end talent is not as good as Bedford's, but they are deeper across the board. To win, they are going to need to be able to run the ball and take their shots with Aiden McDonald and Rao."

" I was very impressed with Ryson Michaud at Cornerback. We looked to stay away from him. Aiden King was also a problem for us at defensive tackle."

So who wins on Saturday?

"Bedford by two scores."

" Bedford 28-14"

" Bedford, maybe by two scores, but I think it will be a close game."