Everyone loves Power Polls – no matter how silly the Rankings are. Remember when Winnacunnet beat Exeter, and was somehow ranked beneath them? HA! Anyway, everyone knows that the ONLY Power Poll that matters belongs to WTSN’s Justin McIsaac….
 

10. MIKE NAPOLI
Dude had a good time after the parade on Saturday, eh? Shirtless wandering of the streets of Boston, becoming a substitute barkeep at some local speakeasies, and generally getting himself into the Barstool Sports Hall of Fame. It didn’t suck to be Napoli this week.

9. BEDFORD’S DONE       
After racing out to a 6-0 start, people were penciling the Bulldogs into the D1 Title Game, but losing 2 out of 3 down the stretch has Bedford looking forward to Open Gym for basketball. Can’t say the ‘Dogs didn’t have a chance though, they knew playing Central was essentially a playoff game.

8. RIVALRY PLAYOFF GAME IN D3
Stevens and Newport are just down the road from each other, but until a 9-6 Cardinal win this season in Newport, the two squads hadn’t met since 2009 – they’ll get a rematch just two weeks after the original, this time at Barnes Park in Claremont, where it’s tough to beat the Cards

7. SERIOUSLY THOUGH, WE NEED TO FIX THE PLAYOFF SYSTEM
Londonderry: 4-5, in. BG: 6-3, out.  Kennett 5-4, in. Saint Thomas 6-3, out. Mascoma & Campbell, 5-3 out. Epping/Newmarket & Bishop Brady 4-4, in.  The teams that are in did what they had to do, but I think everyone agrees we need a tweak so that the best teams can have a crack at the title.

6. GO GET YOUR SHINEBOX, PITTSBURGH
I’m not going to lie, Peyton Manning might be my most hated player in the NFL, but I think Pittsburgh is my least favorite team. Those stupid towels, the “sixburgh” stuff, and what the hell is a “Yinzer”, anyway? Watching Brady hang a fifty burger on the Troy Polamalu’s corpse was the highlight of the Pats season. Now go get your f*#@ing shinebox, Pittsburgh!

5. SNOT ROCKETS
We’ve reached the time of year when the temperature starts dipping, but nobody seems to have told the Fox and CBS directors. I swear, every close up of a player on the sidelines ended with post nasal drip being jettisoned at a high velocity onto Field Turf. I thought we had a 7 second delay on these broadcasts?  This is 5000x more offensive than anything Janet Jackson did during the Super Bowl.

4. HAYDEN MIDDLETON’S DROPKICK
No, not the Dropkick Murphy’s either. Saint Thomas took a 43-28 loss at Trinity Friday night, which ended their season. STA’s had a great year, finishing 6-3, but coming up short of the playoffs. STA Coach Eric Cumba sent me a link to, in my opinion, was their greatest play of the year:
http://www.hudl.com/team/21573/highlights/48786819
DROPKICK FOR THE EXTRA POINT! I love goofy football stuff like this. The last dropkick I can remember seeing was, of course Doug Flutie in 2006http://www.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2277308 . I’m pretty sure the dropkick is still legal from ANY POINT ON THE FIELD. I’m dying for someone to pull it off during regular game play, aside from an extra point, but I’ll take what I can get.

3. LOOK OUT FOR KEENE 
The Blackbirds are the only road team in the upcoming D1 Playoffs to beat their opponent in the regular season. People seem to think that South is going to mop the floor with Keene just because the game is at Stellos. I’m taking Alex Parenteau and his crew, I think they might be the 2nd most overlooked team in D1.

2. MONADNOCK CAN SILENCE THE CRITICS
The Huskies are a favorite to beat Sanborn Saturday, and I think everyone agrees they’ll take care of business. If everyone in D2 can hold serve, it’ll be Portsmouth traveling to take on the last D5 Champs on their home field. THAT would be a contrast in styles, and a fascinating game. It would also give the Huskies a chance to humble the chorus of media who think Monadnock is no good whatsoever.

1.  THE FIGHTING MCISAACS!!! 
Spaulding had to get over a mental hump Friday by beating their ancient rivals Dover, 29-26 at Dunaway Field, a team they hadn’t beaten since a plucky little website called “Twitter” was just getting going (anything ever happen with that?). If you went up to anyone in NH and told them “Spaulding’s going to go 6-3, beating both Exeter AND Winnacunnet, in their first year in D1”, they would’ve drug tested you on the spot.
SHS will host their first playoff game since 1993, and just about everyone has already penciled Exeter in as a winner. That’s just how the Spaulding kids like it- they’ve been overlooked and dissed by the expert all year, and they’ll be ready for what will undoubtedly be an ornery Blue Hawk team (who have their own PR department) on Saturday at Hugo Bolin field.  

ALSO RECIEVEING VOTES: Jake Peavy bought a duckboat?, I’m blocking anyone that tweets about NaNoWriMo, Being an NFL coach is evidently bad for your heart, Haley roasting me about a trade with Eliot, Still only 40% through GTA 5

Follow Justin on twitter: @Justin_McIsaac