Division I

Concord (5-1) at Bedford (6-0)

The coverage of Bedford high school is sponsored by Bedford Dental Care and HK Photography

 If you’ve even spent five minutes with Bedford head coach Kurt Hines you know that he is as positive a guy as you’re ever going to meet. He might not be able to convince you that a Tax Audit is a good thing, but boy he’d try..

 Walking off the field after a 44-7 opening night win over Manchester Memorial you can picture Hines telling his team every win is a good one and although there were mistakes that need to be cleaned up this is a win that would help them along the way to their ultimate goal.

 He couldn’t have any idea how right he was.

 That opening night win puts Bedford squarely in the driver’s seat in the North Conference race and a win over defending champion Concord Friday night would just about wrap up home field advantage in the first round (at least..) of the playoffs. Make no mistake; Friday night it is Concord with a lot to prove and everything to lose.

 A second loss this weekend would mean Concord loses the tie-breaker to both Bedford and Memorial (4-2), that essentially means that their playoff lives are in someone else’s hands. Memorial has a brutal stretch to end the season (Spaulding then at Exeter & Goffstown) but all the Crusaders would need is to tie Concord.

 Friday night Eric Brown and his team can make it all irrelevant with a win in Bedford. This was a team that answered the bell every single time out a year ago, they face their toughest test of the year Friday night.

 It is a game we will have complete coverage of as Pete Tarrier and The Great Jon Kesty bring you all the action in our Beals Insurance Agency Game of the Week.
 
Londonderry (5-1) at Alvirne (4-2)

 Pete & I have had Halloween night in Salem circled since the opening weekend, that’s when the Lancers face Salem (5-1) in what everyone expects to be a regular season playoff game along the same lines of last season’s Bedford/Manchester Central finale.

 All of that attention to one game is probably exactly why Londonderry first year head coach Jim Lauzon is preaching tunnel vision, because the Lancers have two very dangerous opponents to take care of before they get on the bus for Salem.

 Alvirne is the only 4-2 team in the state who probably feels like they still aren’t getting enough respect. That’s a credit to what this group has done to turn around a football program that has served as Nashua’s and BG’s whipping boys the past ten years. That’s no longer the case and last weekend’s 42-14 win over Nashua South had the feel of Ralphie finally beating up Scut Farkus in ‘A Christmas Story’.

 When Jack Mahoney is held in check this can be an ordinary offense but when he gets loose The Broncos are a scary outfit. Londonderry should keep that in mind Friday night.
 
 Division II

 Kennett (5-0) at Lebanon (4-1)

 We will all get our first look at Kennett Friday night as Jennifer Chick and I will be in Lebanon to cover what is a huge Division II match-up in our Crosstown Motors Game of the Week.

 Kennett quarterback Will Pollard is one of the best players in New Hampshire and slowing him down will be a huge part of Raiders head coach Chris Child’s game plan. Nick Graziano, Nate Arnold and Nate Emerson all are difference makers on offense while a defense led by Jacob Cameron and Nick Sherwood has allowed only 13 points per game.

 That defense will face a Lebanon rushing attack that features Ryan Milliken, Cam Broughton and Linebacker/Running back Walker Tuttle in short yardage situations. Lebanon has to win the battle up front Friday night and a win would put them in first place with only two games remaining in the regular season. A loss opens the door for Laconia and Kearsarge to earn the second playoff spot in the best conference in Division II.

Listen in this Saturday morning to another edition of the New Hampshire High School Football Show as Pete Tarrier & I break down the biggest games of the week and preview the Saturday match-ups as well from 8 to 9 am on WGIR 610 AM or 96,7 FM on the seacoast.

 Our guest Saturday morning will be Manchester Memorial Head coach Peter Colcord.

Listen online on the link below:
    http://www.iheart.com/live/WGIR-AM-610-2752/
 
 Sanborn (2-3) at Monadnock (2-3)

  Playoff rematch with a lot more than revenge at stake. Sanborn head coach Jim Welch led his team into Monadnock high school a year ago and pulled the shocker of the Division II playoffs (in a game we covered) when his team knocked off the Huskies.

 This time around the winner takes a very big step towards another playoff berth while the loser has some work to do and little room for error the rest of the way.

 With Sanborn it always starts & ends with the contributions of Zach Matthews but Welch has also gotten all-state level play out of defensive back Cam McNeil as well.Ryan Rose, Sean Kane and Tyler Ward are big reasons for huge improvement on the offensive line and this weekend Sanborn has to match the physicality of Monadnock, a team that likes to beat you up in the trenches.

 River Fish has run the ball very well for Linwood Patnode’s team while Deion Russell has shown an ability to be a two way threat at quarterback.

 
 Division III

 Inter-Lakes Moultonborough (3-2) at Gilford (4-1)

 Big one Saturday afternoon as both teams look like good bets to be back in the post-season again. The Alma mater is trying to wrap up the #1 seed in the North Conference and beating the team that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago is a very big step in getting that done.

 Lakers head coach Jon Francis has done a terrific job with a group forced to put a lot of underclassman in key positions after heavy graduation losses. Andrew Brothers has been tremendous as a freshman RB/ILB with five touchdowns in his last two games. Malik Carter has been the Lakers top running back and forms a veteran backfield with returning quarterback Josh Blundo. Sophomores Zach Swanson (OT/DE) and Ryan Kelly (CB and back-up QB) have stepped right in and on Saturday they face one of the best offenses in Division III.

 The Golden Eagles put up 51 points at Mascoma last weekend and seem to grow more in synch as a unit by the week under head coach Shawn Garrett. QB Carter Mercer (944 yards and 14 touchdowns) will go over 1,000 yards this weekend while Max Troiano (641 yds. rushing/ 205 receiving) and Kyle Gaudet (496 yds. receiving and 8 TDs) are making their case for Division III Player of the Year.

 These are kids that grew up in the same Pop Warner system playing together, expect a good one Saturday when they line up on opposite sides of the ball.
 
 Winnisquam (3-2) at Epping-Newmarket (2-3)

 Match-up of two very good running backs as Christian Serrano (378 yds. rushing) leads the Bears against Alex Toribio and the…Blue Devil/Mules?

 Let’s take a quick look at the South Conference standings as we enter the final three weeks of the regular season:
 Bow (5-0) is in and at this point they may be twenty points better than any other team in the entire Division. That’s an elite defense to go along with about six different kids who can carry the football.

 Somersworth (4-1)  can win two out of their last three (Bishop Brady, Epping-Newmarket & a finale against Bow) and likely still pull out a top 2 seed.

 Bishop Brady (4-1) has a much tougher closing stretch with road games at Somersworth & Campbell (who looks like they have righted the ship) and a finale against Winnisquam that could be for playoff seeding or a spot in the dance.

 Campbell (3-2) has the easiest schedule the rest of the way (Farmington-Nute and Brady at home and a finale at Raymond)…6-2 is realistic and would make them a safe bet for a top 3 seed….thus avoiding Bow in round one (trust me no one wants Bow in round one).

 Epping-Newmarket needs a win this weekend over Winnisquam, which puts them back in the conversation. Winnisquam still has to play Bow and travel to Brady for aforementioned finale….so there is a lot of maneuvering still to be done.