Division I

 Portsmouth (5-2) at Concord (5-2) 

 As fun & attractive as this late season match-up looks it will likely not translate on to the field.

 The Clippers have had a terrific Division I season with an over-achieving group and with a playoff spot assured after last weekend’s win over Winnacunnet (attended by Chip Kelly btw..) it is time to get key guys healthy. Joey Auger, Justis Mattis-Clark and Mikel Toar are among the walking wounded. Their health and the team’s overall is the priority right now. So don’t expect to see Portsmouth rushing guys back for a game that ultimately doesn’t matter in the standings.

 Concord on the other hand is fighting for their playoff lives after a gritty overtime loss at Bedford last weekend. They’ll be no resting up, if the champs want a chance to defend their title in the post-season they’ll need to win their last two games and check Twitter for Manchester Memorial updates..
 
 Salem (6-1) at Nashua North (2-5)
 The coverage of Salem is sponsored by Merrimack Valley Sports

 Every year there seems to be that team that when the season has finished and our 20/20 hindsight becomes available you say ‘Man those guys were a lot better than we gave them credit for weren’t they?’

 I think that team is Salem. This could be the best team in New Hampshire.
 
 Goffstown (3-4) at Spaulding (2-5)

 A match-up of two very solid teams that won’t be going to the playoffs. When Goffstown looks back on their season they’ll look back at the season opener they barely lost to Concord ,without either RB Connor Bourque or QB Casey Gervais, as well as the loss to Manchester Central last weekend.

 For Spaulding it will be the 14-7 loss to Exeter where their offense could never generate any points (they scored a special teams TD) and the loss to Memorial in the final minutes. My own personal memory will be the night I nearly died of hypothermia on top of their press box because McIsaac never warned me we were calling a game in the Artic.
 
 Alvirne (4-3) at Bishop Guertin (2-5)

 When & if Alvirne makes the playoffs you’re going to hear a lot of people mention that The Broncos are in while one team that beat them easily, either Londonderry or Salem, is not. That is all true but Alvirne has earned their way into the post-season and they’ve been a great story this season.

 It has been a long frustrating season for BG but they still have a chance to get in the post-season, which probably says more about that conference than it does their team. Their playoffs begin with this game.

 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 Plymouth head coach Chris Sanborn.

Listen online on the link below:
    http://www.iheart.com/live/WGIR-AM-610-2752/
 
 Division II
 Laconia (4-2) at Kennett (6-0)

 Things get a bit more confusing (some would say controversial..) in Division II where Laconia has their backs firmly against the wall after a heartbreaking loss to Merrimack Valley on the road. The Sachems were in control, I was actually told by someone in the Lebanon booth they had won, but MV showed a ton of character in going the length of the field for the winning score in the final minutes. A Laconia defense that has been terrific all year long could not get Merrimack Valley off the field.

 What doesn’t get mentioned is that Merrimack Valley had a bye week to prepare for Laconia. The Sachems meanwhile have been in an absolute meat-grinder of a stretch..tough down to the wire wins over St. Thomas & Plymouth..coming into last week’s game. If they weren’t drained by the end of it they likely will be after four quarters in North Conway Friday night. Either way, it is do or die time for Craig Kozens team.

 Kennett has the top seed wrapped up, the Sachems now need to win out and hope Lebanon stumbles.

 Lebanon (4-2) at Kearsarge Regional (3-3)

 Lebanon we were just talking about you! The Raiders have a real tough road game to get through before their ticket is punched. Head coach Zach Matthews has done a terrific job with a young Kearsarge team featuring Riley Antle. They get to play the role of spoiler this weekend for a Lebanon team with no room for error.
 
 Windham (6-0) at Milford (4-2)

 This is where it gets controversial……according to people I spoke with (three head coaches and The Union Leader and NH Football Report’s Roger Brown), Division II is going by the points system and not head to head results when it comes to the tie-breakers. This is because Division II & III play unbalanced schedules and therefore there is a natural discrepancy in strength of schedule.

 Unlike Division I where Portsmouth is ahead of Exeter on points but is still your likely #2 seed because the Blue Hawks beat them head to head two weeks ago and that is because all Division I teams play a balanced schedule.

 What this all means is that a Trinity team that beat Milford 38-13 could miss out on the playoffs while Milford gets in, even if they finish with the same record. The Pioneers could also finish 3-1 in their conference to Milford’s 2-2 and still not go to the playoffs. I invite you to sit down in front of Trinity head coach Steve Burns and explain why that makes any sense at all.

 The other side of that argument is that strength of schedule should mean something. Plymouth for example has played St. Thomas, Trinity and Merrimack Valley out of conference while Kearsarge has faced Pembroke, Monadnock and Merrimack Valley. Plymouth should be rewarded for the fact that they have faced one of the toughest schedule in the division.

 First things first, Keith Jones will have his team ready for what many believe is the best team in Division II. Although I met some people from North Conway last weekend that might disagree with that assertion.
 
 Division III

 Mascoma (3-3) at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (3-3)

 Winner here should assure themselves of one of the four post-season spots in the North where Gilford (5-1) currently ranks #1 over a 5-1 Newport team that beat them head to head earlier in the season. Let’s just move on..

 Franklin is also lurking at 3-3 but has a tough task ahead when they face Newport this weekend. A season finale against Inter-Lakes could possibly be a play-in game for both teams, depending on the outcome of this one Saturday.

 Bishop Brady (4-2) at Campbell (4-2)

 Winner here is in the playoffs and right now Campbell is one of the hottest teams not named Bow in the division. Greg Gush’s team has done it with defense and on Friday night they will face off against Brady QB Brendan Johnson who is putting up record breaking passing numbers for The Giants.