(2) Londonderry at (1) Pinkerton Academy

 The most painful feeling in sports, both as a fan and as a participant, isn’t the moment your season is over. It is the moment the season moves on without you.

 As bad as those Salem kids felt last Friday night and Saturday morning, and I think I speak for everyone when I say your heart went out to each one of them. They had better find a good movie, a trip up north where cell service isn’t an option or even a weekend trip out of the state because the feeling will be worse Saturday afternoon when Londonderry and 2,000 people in attendance move on without them in Derry.

 Londonderry lost a highly anticipated game to Pinkerton at home earlier in the season ( a game we covered here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJbZs5tpNSA&list=UUYsYojuTC26gXnZ1DhkR9TA ) and feels like if they could have gotten one or two sequences to do over again the game would have been much closer. They get that chance again Saturday against what the eyeball test tells you is the best team in the state.
 
 (2) Portsmouth at (1) Exeter

 The coverage of Exeter is sponsored by Chad Fletcher at Blue Water Mortgage

 We have a nose for future playoff match-ups….in a game we covered Exeter beat Portsmouth to earn the conference top seed.  (the lowest viewed game of the entire season by a wide margin by the way…good grief Portsmouth & Exeter where were you??  We had radio shows with more viewers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZkSk6AMTc&list=UUYsYojuTC26gXnZ1DhkR9TA )

 That game was notable for Exeter’s ability to pound the ball up the middle and for the fact that Connor DiCesare had to ice his arm like Madison Bumgarner after throwing nearly 60 passes. Clippers offensive coordinator John Iafolla was not at that game and his presence for the rematch will make a big difference. Just as important is the health of Joey Auger, Justis Mattis-Clark, Mikel Toar and Loden Formichelli. Get those five guys back and this is a different Portsmouth team.

  It is also a team that realizes this playoff road game is a two exits down trip to play on the same surface they use for home games and practices. In other words it’s not exactly a trip to Keene…

 Bill Ball has Exeter playing like a Bill Ball coached team; they finish blocks & tackles, take care of the football and execute in all three phases. Every coach you talk to will tell you the key is getting Exeter down two scores and out of their comfort zone (i.e.: running on every down). Portsmouth wants to get up early and make Exeter chase this time. Expect a very good one Saturday afternoon.
 
 (2) Concord at (1) Bedford

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

  Does Concord have the line play to get Bedford off the field on 3rd down? That likely decides this one Saturday afternoon. Concord couldn’t get Exeter off the field on 3rddown and the Bulldogs are a similar offensive unit. Mike Vailas can make plays with his feet when everything around him breaks down and containment will be a key in this one.

 For Concord it is about the big play. They’re more than capable of the Home Run play and Robert Law is a quarterback who is yet to lose a playoff game. Saturday they get a chance to defend their title in the post-season. Just getting here was a struggle, staying for at least an extra weekend will be even harder.
 
 (2) Alvirne at (1) Bishop Guertin

 These two teams know what you….ok we…have been saying about them. They’ve been told they don’t belong here and are taking up spots that should have gone to Salem and Goffstown. That is neither their fault nor in their control.

 They are still going to show up Saturday afternoon and one of them is going to be around next weekend too.

 Alvirne has flat lined in the last few weeks (credit that line to my radio partner Pete Tarrier) while BG has come on and played good football with the return of Kelvin Rivera and their overall confidence.

 I believe BG thinks they can win more than one playoff game, I’m not sure Alvirne does anymore. What 100 years of experience in sports tells us is that every team is truly 0-0 when the post-season arrives. In the first year with my website I covered a Division I basketball playoff game between an Alvirne team, losers of 8 straight games, playing at Dover, the winner of 8 straight games. Guess who won that game? Kevin Bonney, Eliot Bless and Seth Garon led the Broncos to a playoff win at Dover. After eight straight losses coming in.

 Both teams are 0-0 and they are in….let’s see what they can do.