The final Thursday Thoughts of the football season looks at the playoff seedings in each division as we head into the last regular season games of the year.

 We will have playoff previews next week for all four divisions and for the semifinal round we will have opposing coach’s breakdown the match-ups using blind quotes.

 Today’s preview is sponsored by our longest running partner (over 10 years of supporting high school sports coverage in New Hampshire) Sentinel Title Services in Rye, NH.

 Mention NHSportspage or this ad when scheduling your closing and receive a $100 off your Settlement Fee.

 We’ll be covering one game this weekend and two for every round of the playoffs until we cover all three championship games at Durham.

 On Saturday Jennifer Chick-Ruth & I will be in Tilton when undefeated Winnisquam takes on arch-rival Franklin in a huge Division IV match-up.

 

 Division I

 Seedings with one to game to go:

 East/South Bracket

1. Londonderry
2. Winnacunnet
3. Salem
4. Pinkerton Academy

Still alive: Windham

 West/North Bracket

1. Bedford
2. Merrimack
3. Nashua North
4. Goffstown

Still alive: Manchester Central

 Jimmy Lauzon’s Londonderry Lancers can wrap up the top seed with a win at Exeter (4-4). A win gives them the top seed but a loss paired with a Pinkerton victory throws the seeding into tie-breakerville.

 The Blue Hawks will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2010 but will still be a tough challenge for Londonderry at Bill Ball Stadium meanwhile the Astros must solve the Winnacunnet veer offense or their season very likely come to an end. That would be a stunner for the pre-season pick to win it all.

 Windham should easily handle Portsmouth-Oyster River at home (it’s been a long season for a storied Portsmouth football program) meaning that if Winnacunnet beats Pinkerton, having lost to Windham last week on their home field, are eliminated.

 Bedford and Merrimack square off with the top seed in their half of the bracket on the line. The loser is the 2 seed and Dante Laurendi’s Nashua North Titans are the 3 seed.

 The fourth and final spot comes down to Goffstown or Manchester Central.  The Grizzlies face 1-7 Keene, and a victory seals their fourth straight playoff berth on the strength of their 21-18 win over Central two weeks ago.

 

 Division II

 Standings with one game to go:

1. Plymouth
2. St Thomas
3. Bow
4. Alvirne
5. Milford
6. Hanover
7. Hollis-Brookline
8. Souhegan

Still alive: John Stark

 Let’s start at the top because there is a lot to get through…..Plymouth should have the top seed wrapped up after beating 2 seed St Thomas on the road earlier this season (in a game we covered) but a win over Hanover clinches a second consecutive unbeaten regular season for Chris Sanborn’s team.

 St Thomas, based off wins against both Alvirne & Milford, should be the 2 seed regardless of their result against Hollis-Brookline. By the way, no one has played a tougher schedule this year in the division than St Thomas, who has played Souhegan, Alvirne, Milford and now Hollis-Brookline on the road and Plymouth in their cross-over game.

 Bow needs a win against a suddenly hot Souhegan team to wrap up the 3 seed, and here is why that is huge for the Falcons, it would put them on the opposite side of the bracket from the two-time defending champions. That would guarantee they do not have to get on a bus and go to up 93 to Plymouth.

 After seeing John Stark in person I came away impressed.  Their defense is very good and their offense can control the clock for large chunks of the game.

 Hanover could barely get their offense on the field last Saturday and by the time they found any rhythm the game was already won by the Generals. But Kevin McGinty’s team still needs to earn their way in and get a little help.

 John Stark should beat Gilford-Belmont this weekend (my heart hurts writing that…the Golden Eagles are playoffs or bust in 2019) and then they’ll need Hollis-Brookline or Souhegan to lose.

 The good news for the Generals is Souhegan has to face 6-1 Bow and Hollis-Brookline has to play 6-1 St Thomas.

 Compare that with Manchester Central who needs 1-7 Keene to upset Goffstown to get in and………….it could be a lot worse.

 

 Division III

 Standings with one game to go:

1. Monadnock
2. Campbell
3. Trinity
4. Hillsborough-Deering-Hopkinton
5. Laconia
6. Lebanon
7. Stevens
8. Somersworth

 Still alive: Sadly, no one else

 Monadnock wrapped up the top seed with a convincing win last Friday night in Swanzey. There was no question coming out of that one who the better team was only, can anyone run the ball on the Huskies?

 A question for another day….Campbell has wrapped the #2 seed after beating Trinity earlier this season.  The Pioneers are your 3 seed (and officially your team no one wants to face) and will host the 6 seed next week,

 Who they play is still to be determined.

 Hillsboro-Deering-Hopkinton, Laconia, Lebanon & Stevens are all 5-3 (but points wise fall in the order above).  H-D and Stevens play each other this weekend so the loser will drop to #7. Lebanon has to face Campbell and Laconia shouldn’t have any trouble with Inter-Lakes Moultonborough.

 

 Division IV

 Standings with one game to go:

1. Winnisquam
2. Newfound
3. Franklin
4. Fall Mountain

Still alive:  Raymond

 Still, a lot to be determined this weekend. Winnisquam will clinch the top seed with a win over Franklin on Saturday (in a game we can’t wait to cover).

 If Franklin wins, and they are more than capable, then it could create a three-way tie at the top with Newfound.

 If Winnisquam wins they are the 1 seed, Newfound is the 2 and Franklin 3.

 Fall Mountain is currently the fourth and final playoff team but they have some work to do, and maybe need a little bit of help as well. Fall Mountain has to play at Newfound this weekend; their one-game lead over Raymond is tenuous because they lost the season opener to the Rams.

  A win at Newfound and they are in but they’ll need help from Mascoma Valley if they lose.

 Fall Mountain ( 3 straight wins after a 0-3 start) and Raymond (losers of 3 in a row and outscored 110-6 in those games) are trending in opposite directions but if Raymond can re-group and win at 1-5 Mascoma Valley on Saturday, they are in and not Fall Mountain.

 If the two teams played today Fall Mountain would beat Raymond but that season opener may end up being the deciding factor.

 Listen LIVE to the New Hampshire High School Football Show with Pete Tarrier & Dave Haley every Saturday morning at 9 am.

 You can listen by clicking the listen live link right on our homepage or on 99.9 FM & 1370 WFEA radio in the Manchester area Saturday mornings. Our guest on Saturday will be Nashua North head coach Dante Laurendi.

 Get all the football scores from Friday night, a look at the Saturday games and analysis from Pete Tarrier & Dave Haley.