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The 900 Degrees Pizzaria Thursday Thoughts

By Dave Haley, 10/22/15, 4:15PM EDT

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Christian Serrano leads Winnisquam into Bow

 With only two weeks remaining in the regular season we take a look at the games with playoff implications from all three divisions.
 
Division I

Exeter (7-0) at Merrimack (4-3)

 Exeter has clinched the East Conference title while Merrimack’s hopes hang by a thread after losing to Salem 37-26 despite 243 yards passing and four touchdowns from Justin Grassini. The Merrimack QB took over the Division I lead in passing yards from Cody Graham of Portsmouth last week but needs to guide his team to back to back wins over Exeter & Timberlane for any hope to make the post-season.

 Bill Ball’s team closes with the Tomahawks this weekend and a date with Pinkerton at home next Friday night. That is a game we will have full coverage of.

 Pete Tarrier & The Great Jon Kesty will be in Merrimack Friday night to bring you all the play by play, highlights and post-game interviews.
 
Bishop Guertin (5-2) at Goffstown (7-0)

 The Grizzlies need only one win in their final two games to win the North Conference but for Justin Hufft’s team it is about wining out and hosting a pair of playoff games. BG can finish 1-1 (they will close with Nashua South) and still win the West Conference for a second year in a row.

 This is a match-up of two of the most exciting quarterbacks in the state when JT Hiscoe and Casey Gervais square off. With the North & West paired off in the Division I football brackets this might not be the last time we see these two teams hook-up.
 
 Pinkerton (5-2) at Dover (1-6)

 As I said on a radio appearance Monday with Christian Arcand & Pete Sheppard on our partner station ESPN NH, the thought of the Astros not making the Division I playoffs five weeks after their mere existence was deemed unfair for everyone else is the story of the year. You can bet the mortgage that they are not losing three in a row but Brian O’Reilly’s team will be scoreboard watching and preparing for a must win at Exeter next weekend when this is over with.
 
 Division II
 Kearsarge Regional (4-2) at Lebanon (4-2)

 The format in Division II is a little different than Division I. Instead of the brackets being divided into East/South and West/North the conference winners all will qualify for the playoffs. St. Thomas, Kennett, Windham & Monadnock (depending if a Laconia win on the bye week will count) would be your conference winners as of today.

 As for at large berths throw the East out of that discussion, St. Thomas is only playoff team there. Souhegan & Milford sit at 5-1 meaning the winner here put themselves in control of their own destiny.

 These are two similar teams that will pound the ball on the ground behind three elite running backs; Riley Antle & Justin Norris of Kearsarge Regional and Ryan Milliken of Lebanon.
 
 Milford (5-1) at Windham (6-0)

 Souhegan & Milford may be arch-rivals but they will be united in rooting for Keith Jones’ Spartans Saturday afternoon. A win by Milford (and Souhegan taking care of business this weekend at Con-Val) would mean a three way tie at the top of the conference at 6-1, with each team finishing 1-1 against the other two. That would leave it in the hands of a popsicle headache point system tie-breaker.

 If you hate math as much as I do root for Windham. A win by Bill Raycraft’s team clinches their second consecutive conference title and a top 4 seed.
 
 Kennett (5-1) at Laconia (4-3)

  The Sachems have been in playoff mode the past two weeks and wins over Plymouth (on the road) and Merrimack Valley last Friday night have Craig Kouzens team alive and peaking at the right time. The Sachems are getting all-state play from Kyle Chiasson, Jacob Filgate and Brendan Mooney on offense and havoc is being wreaked on the defensive side from Keith Schultz.

 Kennett’s win over Lebanon sets them up for another conference title, with a senior night game against Kingswood next weekend a win here will just about assure them of a top 4 seed. Meaning someone is going to North Conway in November.
 
 Hollis-Brookline (2-4) at Monadnock (4-3)

 Hollis-Brookline needs the win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive while the Huskies, who own the tie-breaker with John Stark, need to win out to win the conference and pick up a Top 4 seed.
 
 Division III

 Winnisquam (6-0) at Bow (6-0)

  Winner here clinches the conference title and the #1 seed that comes with it. We will be there Saturday afternoon with video coverage by Pete Tarrier and Bow senior Mike Mallette who was kind enough to step in as a videographer!

 The eyeball test tells you these two teams along with Newport and Inter-Lakes Moultonborough are a few steps above every other team in the Division. The order in which they will be seeded will be decided Saturday afternoon.
 
 Campbell (2-4) at Bishop Brady (4-2)

  Don’t quite bury the champs yet…but they need to beat Bishop Brady in Concord to keep their post-season hopes alive. Bishop Brady can still finish as the #2 seed in the south (if they can win out by beating Campbell & Winnisquam and Bow beats Winnisquam this weekend) but the focus here is about winning and clinching a spot in the post-season for a second straight year.

 Greg Gush’s defending champs need to win out and hope that a 39-32 win over Somersworth back in September punches their ticket back to the post-season.

 If you are a team in the South you want that top 2 seed, that avoids going to Newport or Inter-Lakes Moultonborough.

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