Division III

(4) Franklin at (1) Winnisquam

 The fact that this is a rivalry game should concern you if you are a Winnisquam fan. Concern you, not scare you. Winnisquam beat a playoff-bound Bishop Brady team 35-7 last Saturday afternoon, a team that beat Franklin 21-9 in Week 2 of the season. When you look at the numbers it’s hard to see how Franklin slows down Christian Serrano and a Bears offense that averages 38.3 points per game.

 The strength of the Golden Tornadoes is in their line play, anchored by all-state performer Patch Kaplan and the play of their elusive QB Kenney Torres. Winnisquam’s defense is their most overlooked and underrated unit, having given up seven points or fewer on four separate occasions this season. On Saturday Pat Riberdy’s team needs to get out early and let Serrano, Tim Harmon and Jake Snow control the flow of the game and the clock as well. Any other result would be a major upset.
 
 (3) Bishop Brady at (2) Inter-Lakes Moultonborough

  Expect Bishop Brady head coach Matt Shaw and defensive coordinator Chase Phaneuf to come up with a good game plan to try and slow the Lakers down on Saturday. The concern is whether the Giants can score enough points to keep up?

 This is a Lakers team that has only been held under 40 points twice all season and with Nick Brothers (1,049 yards rushing) and brother Andrew (394 yds. and over 50 tackles) leading the way this is a team that believes they can get to UNH in two weeks. Lakers head coach Jon Francis has done a very nice job keeping his players focused on the next opponent. Expect a lot of this week’s discussion to center on Brady running back Moses Murenzi, one of the best backs in Division III.
 
 (3) Stevens at (2) Bow

 Bow’s loss to Winnisquam exposed some flaw’s that need to be fixed before a (possible) trip next week to Newport. Before that they need to beat a Stevens team that matured as the season has gone along and gotten better as well. Head coach Paul Silva and his excellent staff deserve a lot of that credit but players like Richard Bell (879 yards passing & 552 rushing) and Parker Smith (a division leading 563 yards receiving)  have stepped up when their starting quarterback went down in the first two weeks of the season.

 Bow has been nearly as dominant as they were a year ago and have been led on offense by all-state running back Chris Robbins (1,018 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns). Same question applies for Stevens as it does for Bishop Brady: can they score enough to stay in the game? That question has more to do with the Falcons defense than the Cardinals offense. Bow owns a division high four shutouts on the season and comes in having held three of its last four opponents scoreless.

 (4) Somersworth at (1) Newport

 The Hilltoppers are never an easy out, Dan Hodgdon is one of the better coaches in the division, but they face a monumental task and a very long bus ride Saturday.

 QB Matt Menz and RB Ray Mills (only a sophomore) have led a second half charge that got Somersworth in. Now it is about a defense that has been susceptible to giving up the big play stopping a Newport team with the best big play runner in the division.

 The best news coming out of Newport’s season ending win over Newfound was the presence of running back Noah Wade, the leading rusher in Division III at 1,147 yards and 21 touchdowns. Wade had been slowed by an injury but should be good to go Saturday afternoon. Linebacker CJ Lawrence is a tackling machine (88 on the season) and WR Stephan Nix gives QB Dylan McNamara a bona fide deep threat for a Tigers team that wants another shot on the big field at UNH.