We highlight the biggest games of the week as we head into the final three weeks of the regular season.

 We want to sincerely thank Keith Jones and the Milford football boosters for becoming Gold Level supporters of our team’s hard work with a very generous donation to NHsportspage after watching our message to our readers.

 We have received similar donations from Brian Pafford of Portsmouth, Chris Sanborn of Plymouth and Bill Raycraft & Bryan Fenn from Windham football. We cannot continue for our level of coverage without support from coaches & parents so thank you to those coaches who have reached out to support our coverage of the kids.

 The New Hampshire Football Show returns Saturday morning from 9 to 11 am on ESPN NH when Pete Tarrier & I will welcome Nashua North head coach Dante Laurendi and Keith Jones of Milford.

 Listen Live right here on our site by simply clicking the button on the homepage or on Tune In Radio by searching ESPN NH.

 A reminder that we are still looking for season statistics from a number of teams. Please send stats to davehaley@nhsportspage.com
 
Division I

Nashua North (4-2) at Bishop Guertin (4-2)    at Stellos Stadium 

 The Nashua neighbors will meet Friday night in a game that is essentially for the North Conference title and a top 4 seed in the Division I playoffs.

 Dante Laurendi’s team has won three games in a row after a 1-2 start and has done so behind an offensive line that has improved by the week. Junior center Trey LeGraw anchors a line that features LT Finn Littlefield, G Nate Green and fellow seniors Hanzla Sheikh and Greg Stanton.

 Defensively it starts in the trenches once again with a defensive line led by defensive tackles Mike Muchemore & Jordan Alexander. Laurendi praises the production he has gotten out of nose guard Phil Pereira and Stanton’s play at middle linebacker. A Titans defense that couldn’t stop anyone early in the season has clamped down and played extremely well over the past month. That is a credit to Laurendi and a new coaching staff that had a smart/veteran group to work with.

 The mission Friday night is to slow down JT Hiscoe and a BG spread offense that has gone for 50 points or more on three occasions.
 
 Timberlane (4-2) at Pinkerton Academy (5-1)

 I wonder if maybe Brian O’Reilly saw that loss coming?
 I’ve sat in Manchester Central basketball coach Doc Wheeler’s office for hours listening to him list all of his teams weaknesses and shortcomings while thinking to myself ‘Does he realize his team is 12-1?’

 The great coaches are smart enough to look for the holes that no one else sees. With a narrow escape against Merrimack and a lot of new faces in new places you have to wonder if O’Reilly was the least shocked person on the Astros sideline last weekend when Winnacunnet came in and saved their season with a 17-7 win. A game we had full coverage of Pinkerton vs. Winnacunnet

 There is no panic button in Derry nor is there a reason to push it but the Astros had about a day to feel sorry for themselves before they started getting ready for a very tough Timberlane team who beat that same Winnacunnet team on their home field two weeks ago. Kevin Fitzgerald's team gives you a healthy dose of Tyler Furey (638 yds. rushing and 8 TDs) between the tackles and Jake Post (208 rushing and 128 receiving) out in the flat.

 A Pinkerton defense led by James Tulley and Mike Curley has to play well against a Timberlane team happy to win a 17-14 grind it out affair.
 
 Merrimack (4-2) at Salem (4-2)

 The eyeball test tells us that these are both playoff teams. Sadly life is usually not that fair. This game won’t knock the team that comes up short out of the picture but it will certainly leave them with no room for error the rest of the way.

 If you had to pinpoint the greatest strength of this Salem team it would probably be their ability to slow down your running attack. Rob Pike’s Blue Devils came up on the short end of games against Pinkerton and Exeter but neither team dominated Salem on the ground. A defense led by All-state LB Doug Maroun (who also ran for a pair of touchdowns last weekend) is 6th in Division I in points allowed.

 The bad news is Merrimack will be happy to have Justin Grassini put the ball up 30 times. The Tomahawks have found creative ways to get Joe Eichman the ball out of the backfield and have enough balance between running the ball and Grassini’s ability to get the ball downfield to keep defenses honest. Even a defense as good as Salem’s.
 
 Division II

 Lebanon (5-1) at Kennett (4-1)

 Our Game of the Week as Pete Tarrier and The Great Jon Kesty will bring you all the coverage from North Conway in game coverage sponsored by our friend Gary Mayo and A.B Gile Insurance out of West Lebanon/Hanover.

 The Eagles come off a bye week in a game with a share of first place at stake Friday night. Will Pollard has been as good as advertised in throwing for 818 yards and 15 touchdowns while running for 458 yards in five games. Their lone loss of the season came with two key lineman sidelined against Plymouth but expect all hands on deck Friday night when Lebanon comes rolling in.

 Ryan Milliken took over the Division II lead in rushing yards when he went over the 1,000 yard mark last weekend against Hanover. Chris Childs’ team has gotten really strong play on the line from team captain Calvin Honeywell, a player his head coach calls the team leader and a ‘warrior’ in the trenches. Tavian Tobin has been tremendous on the Raiders defensive line while Mike Fluery has emerged as one of the best underclassman lineman in the state. Anchoring the line that Milliken has been so successful running behind is center Brandon Decato who worked his way into the starting lineup through the weight room and has become a huge part of Lebanon’s 5-1 start.

 You can see all the highlights and all the post-game interviews with the winning players and coaches in our A.B Gile Insurance Game of the Week.
 
 Division III

 Epping-Newmarket (2-3) at Winnisquam (5-0)

 The mother of all trap games for Pat Riberdy’s Bears as they await a huge game next weekend against Bow (in a game we will have full coverage of). Before all of that though they have to beat a good Epping-Newmarket team who kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 19-14 win over defending champion Campbell two weeks ago.

 Blue Devils QB Jake Bisaillion leads all of Division III with 604 yards through the air and has had a lot of success finding wide receiver Noah Armstrong (252 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns). Epping-Newmarket has their own huge game waiting next week when a game against Somersworth may decide the fourth and final playoff spot in the South conference. Jared Vincent (4 sacks) is part of a good defense that includes Jeremy Espo (37 tackles), Bradley George (32), Alex Toribio (30) and captain Nick Arsenault (31).

 For Winnisquam it has been a terrific start to the season behind QB Christian Serrano, RB Jake Snow and WR Tim Harmon (who just won himself a new Xbox fundraising with me). Riberdy knows how dangerous this Blue Devil team is and is smart enough to have his kids focused coming off the bye week.