UNION LEADER/WGIR/WMUR FOOTBALL POWER POLL The top 10 high school football teams in New Hampshire, as voted by the staffs of the New Hampshire Union Leader, WGIR AM and FM, and WMUR-TV after Week 11 of the 2013 NHIAA season, with first-place votes/points in parentheses:
 

1. Concord, 11-0 (6/60) 

2. Pinkerton, 9-2 (54) 

3. Keene, 8-3 (47)

4. Nashua South, 8-2 (39) 

5. Exeter, 7-4 (37)

6. Portsmouth, 10-1 (27) 

7. Bedford, 7-2 (23)

8. Manchester Central, 7-3 (18) 

9. Plymouth, 10-1 (17)

10. Trinity, 8-3 (3)

Also receiving votes:Bishop Guertin, 6-3 (2), Bow, 10-1 (2), Spaulding, 6-4 (1)

Here's how I voted...

1. Concord...and so it comes down to this for the only unbeaten team in all of New Hampshire...a date with Pinkerton in Concord on Saturday afternoon for a shot at a perfect season and true bragging rights as the best team in the state.  A lot of people have been swayed by the Astros pure dominance of Keene last weekend, and think that Pinkerton is now the favorite to win D1, but I've been touting the Tide all season long as the team to beat so I'm staying on the bandwagon and picking them to seal the deal.

2. Pinkerton...it should be a great game when the Astros head up I-93 into the Capital City for the Championship Game, and I'll be on the scene with Jen Chick and the NHSportspage.com video camera to highlight all the action.  I think the big story line in this one is how the underrated, but still very solid Concord linemen can handle the bigger and stronger guys on both sides of the ball for Pinkerton.  In the regular season matchup, Pinkerton held a distinct edge in that area for most of the game until Concord changed the tide in the very end.

3. Keene...it was a great senior class for the Blackbirds as Alex Parenteau and company proved they belonged in the discussion of the top teams in the state.  John Luopa has a very good program out west and even though they are losing a lot of talent to graduation next spring I'm wiling to bet they be back in the mix again next fall.

4. Nashua South...as disappointing as the loss to Keene in the conference Championship Game was 2 weeks ago, at least the Panthers and Trevor Knight have one more game remaining in the Nashua Turkey Bowl vs Nashua North.

5. Portsmouth...the Clippers sure are clutch, having twice rallied to win in comeback fashion with late-game long touchdown passes to knock off 2 of the top 3 teams in D2...Plymouth in October & Trinity last weekend in the division semis.  Now they get a return trip to the Land of Lenahan(copyright John Habib) with a state Championship on the line.  Something tells me the Clippers mantra this week will be to spoil the party in Plymouth

6. Plymouth...speaking of coach Chuck Lenahan, did you hear he's retiring after the season? It's been well-documented that Lenahan has been the coach in Plymouth for 43 years and has won 19 Championship plaques during that time.  No offense to Portsmouth, but what better way to go out than to win #20 on your home field in front of what is sure to be a HUGE crowd in Plymouth on what is sure to be a memorable day.  Dave Haley will be there with videographer Jon Kesty so you can share in the sights and sounds.

7. Exeter...the 2 year reign of the Blue Hawks is officially over after the semifinal loss in Concord last Saturday.  Here's a big congratulations to coach Ball and his entire program for one hell of a run!  With the way the numbers in Exeter keep growing and growing I think you can count on more playoff football in the seasons to come.

8. Manchester Central...I'm really excited about the Manchester Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day.  Central and Trinity have developed quite a rivalry on the football field that always seems to provide good games.  I'm setting the over/under on Jesiah Wade's rushing yards at 200 for the game.  Listen for the LIVE broadcast of the game with myself and Dave Haley on WGIR AM 610...and watch for the video cast of the game on NHSportspage.com.  

9. Bedford...thanks to Kurt Hines for joining me and Dave on the "NH High School Football Show" last weekend.  I was glad to hear he wasn't crying about the NHIAA's playoff format that had his really good, 7-2 football team sitting out the postseason while 4-5 Londonderry was in.  He and his team accepted the fact that they didn't get it done when they needed to, and that cold, hard reality already has the kids who will be back next year in the weight room determined to not let it happen again.

10. Trinity...heartbreaking loss on Saturday against Portsmouth for the Pioneers who led most of the way before falling 18-14.  You gotta like the way this team blocked out the noise from the critics after blowout losses to Plymouth and Windham had people(including me) questioning what was wrong with the football team at the school on the top of Bridge Street in Manchester.  Now, as I know coach Steve Burns likes to say, Trinity has a little time to "lick their wounds" and then move on and get ready for the next one...which is of course Manchester Central at Gill Stadium on Thanksgiving.