By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

(Editor's Note: This column also ran in Friday's Portsmouth Herald.)

The NHIAA football committee met Thursday and moved closer to finalizing the football landscape for the next two years.
New Hampshire's 55 varsity teams will be chopped up into six divisions, five of which will have nine teams. Teams in some divisions will play two non-league games, one of which will be filled by a non-league opponent within the state.
Division V and Division VI will likely be sorted out next week, after it's determined if Epping and Newmarket will have a cooperative team. Realignment won't be considered again until after the 2009 season.
Despite the committee's best intentions, the plan it puts forth will have both advocates and critics. It's impossible to please everyone. No one on the committee called this desk looking for advice, but if they had here's what would have been proposed:

DIVISION V
OFFENSE

HB: Bruce Vieira (Pelham)
QB: Joe DeAngelo (Pelham)
OL:Dave Wesson (Pelham)
TE: Wayne Parisi (Pelham)
QB: Colby Athanas (Gilford)
TB: Eric Dean (Gilford)
TE: Josh McCutcheon (Gilford)
G: Steven Bartlett (Gilford)
RB: Josh Flanders (Bishop Brady)
G: Cody Martin (Bishop Brady)
T: Chas Cornell (Bishop Brady)
WR: Eric Feehan (Bishop Brady)
RB: Ian Hanson (Bow)
K: Tom Poitras (Bow)
QB: Kiel Canada (Campbell)
WR: Zach Laganier (Campbell)
T: Justin Leonard (Newport)
RB: Chad Goodliff (Newport)
RB: Tyler Husband (Franklin)
QB: John Hilditch (Newfound)

DEFENSE

LB: Max Roth (Pelham)
LB: Corey Peterson (Pelham)
DL: Bill Helliwell (Pelham)
LB: Conor McColgan (Pelham)
LB: Tyler Grant (Pelham)
CB: Justin Breton (Gilford)
CB: Shaw Terrill (Gilford)
DE: Zack Blake (Gilford)
DT: Chris Franklin (Gilford)
NT: Kyle Duca (Bishop Brady)
DB: Chase Phaneuf (Bishop Brady)
LB: John Preston (Bishop Brady)
P: Atticus Swett (Bow)
DB: Steve Gallerani (Bow)
LB: Carter Johnson (Bow)
DT: Jim Paveglio (Bow)
S: Justin Gauthier (Campbell)
DT: Mark McCartney (Campbell)
P: Walter Lovely (Newport)
DT: Garrett Hubert (Newport)
LB: Will Sullivan (Newport)
LB: Nick Palermo (Franklin)
DL: Matt Companion (Franklin)
DB: Jimmy German (Epping)
DL: Marcus Boswell (Epping)
DE: Kevin Johnston (Winnisquam)
OLB: Curtis Lebreque (Winnisquam)
DT: Tyler NIxon (Winnisquam)

HONORABLE MENTION

PELHAM: Josh Luciano (HB); Mike Lombard (LB).
EPPING: Kevin Case (SE); Matt Roy (QB); Travis Woodward (C).
CAMPBELL: Ryan Clark (FB); Matt Kelly (OT); John Coughlin (C); Rick Katella (DT); Kevin Cushman (CB); Peter Chuckrar (DE).
FRANKLIN: Nate Ross (G); Matt Kaplan (T); Justin Hinds (TE); Josh Merrill (LB); Travis Ericson (DB); Ryan Yonaitis (DE).
NEWFOUND: Sean Provencher (G); Cody Lowry (LB).
FARMINGTON: John McKenna (FB); Mike Lemelin (DT).
NEWPORT: Garrett Moote (E); Nick Moote (E); Jared DeGraffe (G); David Spear (RB); Albon Chapman (DT); Jon Searles (DB); Mike Gallo (DB).
BISHOP BRADY: Alex Ryan (OT); Shawn Schofield (RB); Sam Brown (G); Dan Weidman (DE); Dan Carbonneau (DT); Ryan Ewing (LB); Mike Smirnioudis (LB).
BOW: Nathan Potter (TE); Mike Finnegan (DB); Laim McCarthy (LB).
GILFORD: Sam Chapin (T); Carl Leclair (T); Charlie McNutt (WR); Andy Pumphret (T); Tom Bobotas (LB).

COACH OF THE YEAR: Tom Babaian (Pelham).

DIVISION IV
OFFENSE

HB: Christian Birt (Laconia)
HB: Robert Moss (Laconia)
OL: Joe Marquis (Laconia)
OL: Ben Cartier (Laconia)
TE: Peter Evans (Laconia)
HB: Carl Cutler (Hanover)
HB: Dylan Mosethal (Hanover)
OL: Jeff Fairbrothers (Hanover)
FB: Jason Hadley (Hanover)
C: Cody Dodds (Hanover)
HB: Chris Corey (Kearsarge)
QB: Bobby Williams (Kearsarge)
G: Billy Downs (Kearsarge)
E: Matt McLaughlin (St. Thomas)
T: Justin Ray (St. Thomas)
QB: Nate Duford (Stevens)
WR: Josh Duford (Stevens)
RB: Matt Day (Stevens)
RB: Tim Seawards (Somersworth)
OL: Chris Lockett (Somersworth)
RB: Ian Hart (Monadnock)
RB: Sam Armfield (Hollis-Brookline)

DEFENSE

LG: Brian Bozek (Laconia)
OLB: John Sands (Laconia)
FS: Nick Holmes (Laconia)
LB: J.J. York (Laconia)
DE: Eric Sanchez (Laconia)
DL: Skyler Schlenker (Hanover)
LB: Hiroki Podjuban (Hanover)
DL: Peter Miller (Hanover)
LB: Chris McGuire (St. Thomas)
DB: Greg Molloy (St. Thomas)
LB: David Pike (St. Thomas)
DL: Will Race (Stevens)
DL: Chad Letourneau (Somersworth)
OL: James Martineau (Monadnock)
LB: Dan Thompson (Monadnock)
LB: Charles Blackman (Lebanon)
DB: Nathan Hunnewell (Lebanon)
DL: Derek Brewer (Fall Mountain)

HONORABLE MENTION

FALL MOUNTAIN: Eric Bentley (TE); Kevin Martel (FB); David McGuirk (DL).
KEARSARGE: Sam Cavallaro (TE); D.J. Hodgmen (RB); Darcy Hayes (T); Bruce Lapeasa (C).
MONADNOCK: Chris Lavigne (OL); Peter Speckman (DL); Tyson Cole (DB).
STEVENS: Ryan Hoyt (WR); Shae Simino (C); Zach Thomas (G); Matt Cox (DE).
HANOVER: Steve Buskey (TE); Wil Currie (K); Sam Carney (QB); Christian Harris (SE); David Wilmot (DB); Steve Dacey (OL).
LACONIA: Beniz Celebic (K/P); Matt Drouin (CB).
ST. THOMAS: Bill Reagan (OL); Tony Doan (OL); Pat Curry (DL); Matt Musto (LB).
HOLLIS-BROOKLINE: Andrew Drazin (TE); T.J. Lawlor (P); John Hyde (T); Justin Shutt (LB).
LEBANON: Max Finnegan (C); Cody Patch (RB); Andrew Morse (LB).
SOMERSWORTH: Chad Hauser (G); Dan Lambert (G); Chris Hill (LB); Zach Fetters (CB).

COACH OF THE YEAR: Craig Kozens (Laconia).

DIVISION III
OFFENSE

HB: Shawn Sweeney (Plymouth)
TE: Tyler Kuehl (Plymouth)
G: Beau Beltrami (Plymouth)
FB: Nick Barnes (Plymouth)
K: Kyle Underwood (Plymouth)
SE: Ryan Cray (Souhegan)
SE: Ben Stallman (Souhegan)
HB: Steven Jellison (Souhegan)
FB: Justin Buskey (Milford)
TE: Chris McCarthy (Milford)
HB: Joe King (Milford)
HB: Justin Morgan (Con-Val)
HB: Lee Powers (Con-Val)
G: Mike Gagnon (Con-Val)
HB: Justin Muniz (Pembroke Academy)
TE: Gavin Sappier (John Stark)
FB: Alain Lanciaux (Kennett)
OL: Kevin Wadlinger (Kingswood)

DEFENSE

The State of Football, NHFR's commentary on high school football in New Hampshire, will be posted Friday. It'll be the final column for the 2007 calendar year, and will offer a proposal to realign New Hampshire's fooball-playing schools (six divisions aren't necessary).

NHFR will also keep you up to date with any news that comes out of Thursday's NHIAA football committee meeting in Concord. The committee was expected to receive petitions from schools that want to compete in a division higher than where they're placed by enrollment. The committee was also scheduled to discuss the possibility of scheduling non-league crossover games in each of the next two seasons.

The Joe Yukica New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation will hold its annual end-of-the-year Coaches Huddle at Manchester's Sweeney Post on Thursday night.

The head coaches from New Hampshire's five state championship teams (Pinkerton Academy, Exeter, Plymouth, Laconia and Pelham) will be honored, and an award will be presented to the official voted to be the most outstanding by his colleagues.

Social activities are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Just a reminder that New Hampshire coaches must submit all player nominations for the 2008 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl by Friday. The selection committee will meet in either December or January.

Next year's game will be played Aug. 2 at Darmouth College in Hanover. New Hampshire beat Vermont 23-20 in the 2007 game, and has a 39-13-2 lead in the overall series.

Three senior quarterbacks were named finalists for the Walter Payton Award on Monday, but the University of New Hampshire's Ricky Santos was not among them.

Northern Iowa's Eric Sanders, Georgia Southern's Jayson Foster and San Diego's Josh Joshson are those still in the running for the award, which Santos won last season. Santos finished fifth in this year's voting.

This year's winner will be announced Dec. 13.

UNH Notebook

Late Saturday night fans who attended the University of New Hampshire's playoff game against Northern Iowa saw what they have seen out of UNH for much of the season: plenty of offense and not quite enough defense.

A 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eric Sanders to freshman Montari Leonard with seven seconds remaining was the game's biggest play and helped Northern Iowa escape with a 38-35 victory.

Northern Iowa will face Delaware -- a team UNH beat during the regular season -- in this weekend's quarterfinals. UNH completed its season with a 7-5 record.

UNH postscript:

Union Leader

Portsmouth Herald

With the high school and college football seasons in New Hampshire complete, many of you are probably wondering what will become of New Hampshire Football Report in the winter months. Here's the answer:

Information will be posted on NHFR throughout the offseason, although on a less-frequent basis. In addition to a postscript on UNH's season, here's some of the coverage that will be provided:

• Continued coverage of NHIAA realignment and other news generated from NHIAA football committee meetings.
• Features on Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, both of whom have New Hampshire roots.
• Stories on national signing day.
• New Hampshire-related stories leading up to the NFL Draft (Will Ricky Santos be selected?).
• Spring football.
• Stories related to the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.
• Any offseason news, including coaching changes.

This week NHFR will also present its top 10 high school games of the 2007 season and offer an opinion on how New Hampshire's high school teams should be divided (not into six divisions). Story ideas, news tips and suggestions are welcome and can be submitted to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

The University of New Hampshire's season came to end following Saturday's night's 38-35 loss to top-ranked Northern Iowa.

UNH took its first lead of the game with 1:16 to play, when running back Chad Kackert scored on 15-yard touchdown run. Although Northern Iowa had no timeouts left, the Panthers moved the ball to UNH's 24-yard line with 12 seconds remaining, and on the next play quarterback Eric Sanders connected with freshman Montari Leonard for a touchdown that proved to be the difference.

To read more about the game, click on the links below:

Northern Iowa 38, UNH 35

UNH notebook

Game statistics

Weather won't be a factor when the University of New Hampshire and the University of Northern Iowa meet in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs tonight.

The teams will battle in Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome, a 16,000-seat facility that opened in 1976. A crowd of at least 13,000 is expected for tonight's matchup.

Northern Iowa has a 159-40-1 record in its home facility, which has an AstroTurf surface.

UNH will be facing a team that's averaging 36.7 points per game. The Panthers have a 1,000-yard rusher (Corey Lewis) and a quarterback (Eric Sanders) who has completed more than 76 percent of his passes this season.

UNH/Northern Iowa preview

UNH Notebook

Northern Iowa perspective

The high school football season wrapped up Thursday with Thanksgving Day games across the state. Nashua South, Souhegan, Dover, Manchester West and Keene were among the New Hampshire teams thankful for the opportunity to play one more game.

Click on the links below to read about the following games:

Nashua South 28, Nashua North 7

Souhegan 31, Merrimack 27

Tyngsborough, Mass. 49, Alvirne 21

Dover 15, Portsmouth 0

Manchester West 19, Manchester Central 13

Keene 34, Monadnock 0

Ricky Santos won't be the only big-name quarterback on the field when the University of New Hampshire faces Northern Iowa in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday night.

Like Santos, Northern Iowa quarterback Eric Sanders is one of 16 candidates for the Walter Payton Award. Sanders, a 6-foot-1 senior, has completed 76.4 percent of his passes for a Northern Iowa team that's the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

QB comparison

Nashua South at Nashua North

Manchester Central at Manchester West

Alvirne at Tyngsboro, Mass

Monadnock at Keene, 10 a.m. (WOQL-FM 97.7, broadcast starts at 9:30 a.m.)

Merrimack at Souhegan

Portsmouth at Dover, 10 a.m. (WTSN-AM 1270)

Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and ran weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated more than 200 regular-season varsity games in all five divisions. He has also officiated more than 25 playoff games and worked his 11th championship game last weekend (Pinkerton at Nashua South). Hall, who is a member of the New Hampshire Football Officials' Association Board of Directors, has been the NHFOA rules interpreter for the last seven years.

(This will be Steve's final column for the 2007 season. I'd like to thank him for all his help this year, which has made for some interesting reading. If you have questions about high school officiating you can submit them to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com or reach Steve directly through the New Hampshire Football Officials' Association.)

Question: I'm hoping you can clarify what a player can and cannot do when he goes in motion. I was under the impression that a player was not allowed to move forward at all before he went in motion, but you almost always see players take a step forward before they move left or right. My team (freshman) was on defense and received a penalty for crossing the line of scrimmage on a fourth-down play this year, and my players moved when the halfback went in motion.

A.V., Nashua

Answer:  A back is allowed to go in motion provided that all eleven players have come to a complete stop for at least one full second prior to the motion beginning and that the player in motion is not moving toward the
line of scrimmage at the snap. Players in motion can take a step or two forward while in motion (or as they begin their motion) as long as they are not moving forward when the ball is snapped. Also, the act of going in motion cannot simulate action at the snap. In other words, it has to be a relatively slow and deliberate commencement of the motion. A back could not quickly charge forward for a step or two and then go in motion, because that would simulate action at the snap (it would be a false start). From your description of the play in the freshman game, it sounds like the covering officials deemed that the motion was legal.  Without seeing the play, I can't give you an opinion of whether I would have considered it legal.  However, if the halfback's movement was relatively slow, then I
would not consider that as simulating action at the snap. In that case, your team would have been charged with encroachment (5-yard penalty).

It's been five days since Nashua South sputtered on offense and dropped a 14-2 decision to Pinkerton in the Division I championship game. Are the Panthers emotionally ready for their Thanksgiving Day matchup with Nashua North?

South won the regular-season meeting 19-6 and will be trying to win on Thanksgiving for the third consecutive season.

North/South preview

The Merrimack and Souhegan football teams will play their 11th Thanksgiving Day game this year, and both will be trying to erase some painful memories.

Souhegan's last game was a 34-0 loss to Plymouth in the Division III championship game. Merrimack is coming off a 2-7 season in Division II.

This year's game will be played in Amherst.

Souhegan/Merrimack preview

The Division II All-State football team:

OFFENSE

QB Ryan Burgess (Bishop Guertin)
SE Andy Vailas (Bishop Guertin)
C Tim Tuttle (Bishop Guertin)
OT Sam Edes (Bishop Guertin)
TE Nick Croteau (Bishop Guertin)
WR Tyler Long (Dover)
RB Gabe Bourgeois (Exeter)
TE Brad Kelly (Exeter)
OG Dan DelVechio (Exeter)
K Sean Coleman (Exeter)
OG Richard Chavez (Goffstown)
QB Tanner Boucher (Keene)
WR Zack Roeder (Keene)
RB Mike Blouin (Spaulding)
RB James Dionne (Timberlane)
OT Mike Furey (Timberlane)
OB Ryan Cronan (Winnacunnet)
RB Sam Auffant (Winnacunnet)
OT Pat Sullivan (Winnacunnet)

DEFENSE

DL Jim Vailas (Bishop Guertin)
LB Jamie Moore (Bishop Guertin)
DB Matt Cyr (Bishop Guertin)
P Mike Pettiglio (Bishop Guertin)
LB Akil Al-Darraji (Dover)
DB Robbie Teixeira (Dover)
DL Bryan Musk (Dover)
DB Brett McAllister (Exeter)
DB Andrew Kukesh (Exeter)
LB Steve Case (Goffstown)
DL Tom Foote (Goffstown)
DL Kerry Tower (Goffstown)
DL Jesse Bardis (Keene)
LB Greg McDonough (Merrimack)
LB Ian Culling (Spaulding)
DL Russ Hilliard (Winnacunnet)

*Those with information on the Division I, Division III, Division IV and Division V All-State teams can forward it to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

Two years ago the University of Northern Iowa traveled to Durham and upset the University of New Hampshire in the Division I-AA playoffs. Saturday, UNH will have a chance to get even.

UNH (7-4) will play at Northern Iowa (11-0) in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, and the Wildcats don't want to let the home crowd go home happy.

UNH/UNI matchup

The University of New Hampshire will meet the University of Northern Iowa in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday. The game will be played at the UNI Dome, and is scheduled to start at 7:35 p.m.

UNH (7-4) is one of five Colonial Athletic Association schools in the 16-team playoff field. Massachusetts, James Madison, Richmond and Delaware are the others.

Northern Iowa (11-0) is the tournament's No. 1 seed. Northern Iowa's unbeaten season included a 24-13 victory over Iowa State.

This is UNH's sixth appearance in the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats are 3-5 in playoff games. Northern Iowa is making its 13th playoff appearance. The Panthers are 15-12, and that includes a 24-21 playoff victory over UNH in 2005.

UNH coach Sean McDonnell provided the following answers during Monday's CAA conference call with the media:

Question: Did you guys really feel you had a shot at the playoff spot and what was the emotion like? It seemed like after the game last week (a 39-14 victory over Maine) everybody was resigned to the fact that that was it and saying their goodbyes, then all of a sudden -- wham! -- you're in. Just wondering if you could comment on the emotional roller coaster that you were on and what the players are feeling?

McDonnell: We played early (noon) and after the game knowing for the most part that over the course of history there had only been one or two 7-4 teams that had gotten in ... and you're sitting there and then all of a sudden you come up after the game an you see that a couple things have swung your way. Colgate lost a game. Georgia Southern is losing a game and there's a little bit of life going on. Realistically, I'm sitting there with the staff and we're thinking it's gonna be tough to take five from a league. And then later in the night you watch the Villanova/Delaware game and Villanova beats Delaware and there's another 7-4 team that's very, very deserving to be in. A great football team. So you go through all that and then you wake up the next day and we planned just to have the seniors -- a couple guys in the locker room -- and that's what we did. We're sitting there and then it came up on the board. I tilted my head, wanted to make sure I was seeing what I saw. We got in. Just to see the looks on our seniors' faces. Knowing they got another opportunity to play a football game. They got an opportunity to play for a national championship, and I think deep in our hearts we believe we're one of the top 16 teams in the country, because of the strength of schedule, because of the competition we played, because of the way we played teams. We have an opportunity. Right now everybody's 0-0 coming into this weekend.

Sean McDonnell had planned to leave on a recruiting trip Monday, Instead, he'll join his University of New Hampshire football team in practice.

McDonnell learned Sunday afternoon that UNH's season was extended with a bid to the 16-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. UNH (7-4) will face Northern Iowa, the tournament's top seed, Saturday night. Northern Iowa (11-0) is one of three unbeaten teams in the playoffs.

Five Colonial Athletic Association teams will be involved in the playoffs. UNH, Delaware, Massachusetts, Richmond and James Madison.

UNH/UNI matchup

The University of New Hampshire is headed to the postseason.

UNH is one of 16 teams that will compete in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs this season. The Wildcats (7-4) will play at Northern Iowa (11-0) on Saturday (7:35 p.m.). Northern Iowa is the tournament's No. 1 seed.

Many considered UNH a longshot to make the field after back-to-back losses against Northeastern and Massachusetts, but the Wildcats earned a playoff bid for the fourth consecutive season.

UNH's league, the Colonial Athletic Association, sent five teams to the 16-team tournament. It's the first time any conference will be represented by more than four teams.

Northern Iowa beat UNH, 24-21, in the 2005 tournament.

Playoff bracket

Pinkerton Academy, Exeter and Pelham became New Hampshire's most recent state champions in football Saturday.

Pinkerton won the Division I title with a 14-2 victory over Nashua South; Exeter nipped Bishop Guertin 14-13 in the Division II championship game; and Pelham posted a 21-7 victory over Gilford in the Division V title game.

Click on the links below to read about all three championship games:

Pinkerton/Nashua South (Nashua Telegraph)

Exeter/Bishop Guertin  (Portsmouth Herald)

Pelham/Gilford (Concord Monitor)

Senior quarterback Ricky Santos completed 25 of his 32 pass attempts for 355 yards and four touchdowns to lead the University of New Hampshire to a 39-14 triumph over Maine on Saturday.

The victory improved UNH's record to 7-4. The Wildcats are sill hoping they'll receive an at-large bid to this year's Division I playoffs. The 16-team field will be announced today (3:30 p.m.) on ESPNews.

Elsewhere Saturday, Dartmouth dropped a 17-14 decision to Princeton in overtime; and Plymouth State defeated Bridgewater State 24-21 in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl.

UNH 39, Maine 14

Princeton 17, Dartmouth 14

Plymouth State 24, Bridgewater State 21

WGAM Radio (900-AM in Nashua and 1250-AM in Manchester) will have correspondents at each of Saturday's three state championship games.

Chris Shuker and Darrin Root will provide updated scores, interviews and highlights from the WGAM studio from noon to 4 p.m. Fans can call the studio and offer their opinions at 883-9900.

Saturday's schedule features Pinkerton Academy at Nashua South (Division I); Bishop Guertin at Exeter (Division II) and Gilford at Pelham (Division V).

The 12 seniors on the University of New Hampshire roster will be in the spotlight Saturday, when UNH faces Maine in what could be the final game of the season for each team.

UNH is coming off back-to-back losses against Northeastern and Massachusetts and will need a victory to have any hope of reaching postseason play. The Division I playoff selection show will be Sunday.

UNH/Maine preview

Nashua South quarterback Bill Ferriter and running back David Zocco have been competing against each other all season. On Saturday they'll both turn their attention to a different challenge: a matchup against Pinkerton Academy in the Division I championship game.

Nashua South/Pinkerton preview

Bishop Guertin will be trying to win its fourth consecutive Division II championship when it faces top-seeded Exeter at Eustis Field on Saturday: They key for Exeter? Limit BG's options.

Exeter/Bishop Guertin preview

Gilford failed on a two-point-conversion attempt in its one-point loss to Pelham during the regular season. You can expect another close contest when these teams meet in Saturday's Division V title game.

Pelham/Gilford preview

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Pinkerton Academy will be trying to win its third straight Division I championship. To do so, the Astros will have to beat a Nashua South team that handed Pinkerton a 30-7 loss in Derry two weeks ago.

Pelham can complete the first unbeaten season in the program's history if it wins the Division V championship game. The Pythons will be facing an upstart Gilford team that dropped a one-point decision to Pelham earlier this month.

Perhaps Saturday's most intriguing storyline involves Bishop Guertin, however. The Cardinals have their sights set on a fourth consecutive Division II championship. Exeter is the only team standing in their way. The same Exeter team that beat BG 28-21 during the regular season.

"We had an opportunity to close the door on them and we didn't do it," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "If our offense and defense is not sharp we will not win this game. We will not beat Exeter."

DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Nashua South vs. No. 2 Pinkerton

When and where: Saturday (12:30 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Team records: Nashua South is 9-1 overall, 8-1 in Division I. Pinkerton is 8-2 overall, 8-1 in Division I.
Regular-season result: Nashua South won 30-7 in Derry.
Last state championship: Nashua South (1997). Pinkerton (2006).
Noteworthy: South dominated the game when these teams met two weeks ago. Pinkerton opened the contest with an 11-play, 69-yard scoring drive, but South responded by scoring on its first three possessions. Pinkerton turned the ball over four times and was held to 125 yards of net offense in the loss. ... The Astros will be trying to win their third consecutive Division I title. Pinkerton beat Salem in the 2005 championship game (7-0) and again in last year's title game (27-7). ... South quarterback Billy Ferriter and running back David Zocco each rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season. Zocco, a junior, had two interceptions and scored two touchdowns in the regular-season meeting with Pinkerton. Ferriter completed 10 of 14 pass attempts for 91 yards, but was intercepted twice. ... The Astros spread it around on offense. Pinkerton's main threats are running back Bobby Dattilo (493 yards and 7 TDs on 73 carries), running back Eric Guinto (344 yards and 6 TDs on 53 carries) quarterback Peter Mazzola (314 yards and 3 TDs on 64 carries) and fullback Mike Crupi (288 yards and 6 TDs on 53 carries). Mazzola has also completed 35 of 75 passes for 682 yards and 7 TDs. ... Nashua South advanced by beating fourth-seeded Londonderry, 35-31, in the semifinals. Pinkerton moved on with a 34-7 triumph over third-seeded Manchester West.

Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and will run weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated more than 200 regular-season varsity games in all five divisions. He has also officiated more than 25 playoff games and will work his 11th championship game Saturday (Pinkerton at Nashua South). Hall, who is a member of the New Hampshire Football Officials' Association Board of Directors, has been the NHFOA rules interpreter for the last seven years. Questions for Steve can be sent to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Questions may be edited for clarity.

Question: Does a field goal or extra point have to travel inside the uprights or can it go directly over either pole?
P.C., Plymouth

Answer: For a field goal or kick try to be successful, the ball must pass entirely inside of the upright. If any part of the ball is beyond the inside edge of the uprights extended, the field goal or kick try is no good.

DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Exeter vs. No. 2 Bishop Guertin

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Exeter's Eustis Field.
Team records: Top-seeded Exeter is 10-1 overall, 9-1 in Division II. Second-seeded BG is 10-1 overall, 9-1 in Division II.
Regular-season result: Exeter won, 28-21, in Exeter.
Last state championship: Exeter (2003). BG (2006).
Noteworthy: This is the sixth time Bishop Guertin and Exeter have met in the Division II championship game. BG won in 1973 (13-8), 2005 (21-7) and 2006 (21-14). Exeter prevailed in 1997 (24-15) and 1998 (20-17). ... Exeter advanced by beating fourth-seeded Winnacunnet 28-6 in the semifinals. Exeter fullback Gabe Bourgeois gained a game-high 152 yards on 20 carries in the victory. The Blue Hawks also received two touchdowns from senior halfback Brett McAllister. ... BG reached the championship game with a 34-12 triumph over third-seeded Dover in the semifinals. BG quarterback Ryan Burgess completed 10 of his 12 pass attempts for 164 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals overcame four turnovers in that game. ... A 14-point fourth quarter propelled Exeter to a 28-21 victory over BG during the regular season. BG led 21-14 after three quarters. McAllister had three TDs in that game, one of which came when he returned an interception 35 yards. The Blue Hawks trailed 21-20 until McAllister scored on a 1-yard run with 1:50 to play. Although he operates a run-based offense, Exeter quarterback Andrew Kukesh completed more passes (six) than Burgess (five) in that game. ... Burgess (75 yards on 14 carries) and tailback Matt Cyr (74 yards on 11 carries) led BG's ground attack in the regular-season game against Exeter. Burgess and Cyr both live in Dracut, Mass. ... Bourgeois leads Exeter with 1,300 yards on 166 carries (7.83 ypc). He has also run for 16 touchdowns. McAllister has gained 912 yards on 158 rushing attempts (5.77 ypc). He's run for 12 touchdowns and caught three TD passes. Kukesh is averaging 7.06 yards per carry (339 yards on 48 attempts) and has completed 32 of 53 passes for 556 yards and nine touchdowns. He's had one pass intercepted. ... McAllister leads the team in tackles (59). Defensive ends Brad Kelly and Joe Richard each have a team-high three sacks, and Kukesh and Rob Bardell lead the team with three interceptions apiece. ... Burgess came off the bench to lead BG to three fourth-quarter touchdowns in last year's championship game. He completed all six of his pass attempts for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a 2-yard TD. ... Exeter has a 14-7 record in playoff games since Bill Ball became the program's head coach in 1993. Ball's overall record is 124-37. ... BG is trying to become the first team to win four consecutive Division II championships since Milford accomplished that feat from 1976 to 1979. ... BG has a 95-63 record since Tony Johnson became the program's head coach in 1994. Johnson played on the 1975 BG team that won the Division II title. He played college football at the University of Rhode Island and was an assistant coach at Plymouth State and UNH before taking over at BG.

Eyebrows were raised when Jamie Moore transferred from the New Hampton School to Bishop Guertin after the 2006 football season had started. The move bolstered an already strong BG roster, but forced BG coach Tony Johnson to deal with recruiting allegations.

This much is true: Moore, a senior fullback/linebacker, will win his second state championship with BG if the second-seeded Cardinals can defeat top-seeded Exeter in Saturday's Division II championship game.

BG will be attempting to win its fourth consecutive Division II title.

BG/Exeter preview

Pinkerton Academy will attempt to win its third consecutive Division I state championship Saturday. To do so the second-seeded Astros will have to beat a Nashua South team that handed Pinkerton a 30-7 loss in Derry two weeks ago.

Top-seeded Nashua South is the only New Hampshire team that has beaten Pinkerton in the last three years, and will have home-field advantage when the teams meet at Stellos Stadium. The key for Pinkerton? Stopping South's spread offense.

Pinkerton/Nashua South preview

Tickets for Saturday's Division II championship game between top-seeded Exeter (10-1) and second-seeded Bishop Guertin (10-1) can be purchased in advance. Tickets will be on sale Wednesday (2 to 5 p.m.), Thursday (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.) and Friday (8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at the Exeter High School athletic office.

Tickets for adults are $7. Tickets for students and senior citizens are $5.

Would anyone who can confirm times and radio/television coverage for the following games please email that information to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. If there is a Thanksgiving Day game involving a New Hampshire team that is not listed please pass along that infomation as well.

Also, NHFR is compiling a list of the 10 best high school games played this year. Suggestions will be accepted through Nov. 23. The top 10 list will be presented (one game per day) beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving. Thanks. 

Nashua South at Nashua North

Manchester Central at Manchester West

Alvirne at Tyngsboro, Mass

Monadnock at Keene, 10 a.m. (WOQL-FM 97.7, broadcast starts at 9:30 a.m.)

Merrimack at Souhegan

Portsmouth at Dover, 10 a.m.

DIVISION V CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Pelham vs. No. 2 Gilford

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Pelham.
Team records: Pelham is 10-0. Gilford is 9-1.
Regular-season result: Pelham won 13-12 in Pelham.
Last state championship: Pelham (none). Gilford (none).
Noteworthy: Pelham, a team with five seniors on its roster, will be trying to complete the first unbeaten season in the program's history. ... Gilford advanced by beating third-seeded Bishop Brady, 30-24, in the semifinals. Gilford quarterback Colby Athanas scored on a 7-yard run in overtime, and the Golden Eagles recovered a fumble on Bishop Brady's OT possession. Eric Dean scored two touchdowns for Gilford. His second TD made it a 24-24 game with 8:48 to play. ... Pelham reached the championship game with a 42-7 triumph over fourth-seeded Bow. The Pythons pulled away by scoring 35 points in the second half. ... Pelham has outscored its oppoents 411-58 this season. The Pythons have scored at least 28 points in nine of their 10 games and have shut out five opponents. Gilford has outscored its opponents 329-145 this season and has scored at least 22 points in nine of its 10 contests. ... Pelham had a 244-216 edge in net offense when these teams met during the regular season. Athanas passed for 145 yards in the loss. Gilford's final three possessions ended in interceptions that night. ... Pelham's Bruce Vieira has run for 1,215 yards this season, but Gilford held him to 22 yards on 11 carries in the earlier meeting.  

Both teams will have the same goal when the University of New Hampshire and the University of Maine meet Saturday at UNH's Cowell Stadium: Finish the season strong.

UNH dropped out of the playoff picture following back-to-back losses against Northeastern and UMass, and will be facing a Maine team that has won three in a row after a 1-6 start. Maine hasn't beaten UNH since 2003.

It will be the final collegiate game for UNH quarterback Ricky Santos and the team's 10 other seniors.

UNH Notebook

Plymouth State University will play its first postseason game since 1999 Saturday, when it will face Bridgewater State College in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl. The opening kickoff is scheduled for noon at Plymouth's Currier Field.

PSU (8-1) will be making its 12th appearance in the ECAC playoffs. Bridgewater State (6-3) qualified for the ECAC playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Bears are the defending ECAC North Atlantic champions. They defeated Coast Guard 41-22 in last year's title game.

Plymouth State and Bridgewater State are the only New England teams that earned ECAC postseason invitations this year.The teams did not meet during the regular season.

Bridgewater State has a 23-6 record over the past three seasons. The Bears lost to Coast Guard, Westfield State and Salve Regina this year.

Plymouth State has a 3-8 record in its 11 previous ECAC playoff games. The Panthers earned NCAA tournament bids in 1984, 1994 and 1995. 

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

'CAT TALE: Any chance the University of New Hampshire had of reaching the postseason this year likely evaporated following the team's 27-7 loss to Massachusetts on Saturday.

UNH quarterback Ricky Santos was sacked eight times and the team's only touchdown came on Chad Kackert's 1-yard TD run. He led UNH's ground game with 30 yards on nine carries.

UMass led 10-7 at halftime and outscored UNH 17-0 in the final two quarters. The loss dropped UNH's record to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

"Very good football team (UMass) and better than us again on that day," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. "They did the things in the second half of the game that they needed to do to win the football game. Disappointing loss to say the least."

NUMBERS GAME: UNH ranks last among the 12 Colonial Athletic Association teams in pass defense (252.9 yards per game) and total defense (445.6 yards per game).

LOOKING AHEAD: UNH will take on Maine in what will likely be the final game of the season for both teams Saturday at Cowell Stadium (noon). Maine (4-6, 3-4) stretched its winning streak to three games by beating Rhode Island 35-0 Saturday. The winning streak followed a six-game losing streak.

The Black Bears are 11th among CAA teams in both scoring offense (17.2 points per game) and total offense (3.6.8 yards per game).

WORD PLAY: "One of the best teams in the league is coming in right now the way they're playing," McDonnell said. "They're a tremendous defensive football team up front. Big, big challenge for this football program after two tough losses to get up off its feet and get ready to go.

"Right now we have to find a way to make things happen to get (victory) No. 7 and send these seniors off who have done so well for us on the right note. The guys who are graduated from this football program have invested an awful lot. It's important to understand that they want to go out of here with a win."

NOTEWORTHY: UNH wide receiver Keith LeVan made nine catches for 100 yards in the loss to UMass and passed David Gamble for fourth place on UNH's all-time reception list with 190. ... Maine's Jhamal Fluellen gained 84 yards on 20 carries against Rhode Island to become the sixth player in the program's history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Fluellen is averaging 102.1 yards per game, which is sixth in the CAA. ... The all-time series between UNH and Maine is 43-43-8. UNH beat Maine 19-13 in overtime last year, and has won the last four meetings. 

Top-seeded Exeter scored 14 points in each half and advanced to Saturday's Division II championship game by beating fourth-seeded Winnacunnet, 28-6, Saturday.

Senior halfback Brett McAllister scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) for the Blue Hawks, who also received a 153-yard rushing performance from senior fullback Gabe Bourgeois.

Exeter will meet second-seeded Bishop Guertin in the championship game, which will be played at Exeter's Eustis Field. BG advanced by beating third-seeded Dover 34-12 Friday.

This is the third time in as many seasons Exeter and BG will play for the title. BG has won three straight Division II championships, but dropped a 28-21 decision to Exeter during the regular season.

"It'll be a fun week," Exeter coach Bill Ball said. "An opportunity like this to play for a state championship is an honor. We're excited."

Two teams won state championships Saturday. Top-seeded Plymouth extended its winning streak to 33 games by beating second-seeded Souhegan 34-0 in the Division III title game, and top-seeded Laconia claimed the Division IV championship with a 35-14 triumph over second-seeded Hanover.

Form held in Division I, where top-seeded Nashua South and second-seeded Pinkerton Academy posted semifinal victories Saturday. South topped fourth-seeded Londonderry 35-31, and Pinkerton beat third-seeded Manchester West 34-7. South beat Pinkerton 30-7 in Derry last weekend.

The top seeds will also play for the championship in Division V. Top-seeded Pelham trounced fourth-seeded Bow 42-7 Saturday, and second-seeded Gilford beat third-seeded Bishop Brady 30-24 in the other semifinal. Pelham nipped Gilford 13-12 last weekend.  

Any chance the University of New Hampshire had of reaching the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs likely disappeared following a 27-7 loss to the University of Massachusetts on Saturday.

The loss dropped UNH's record to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association. UNH will wrap up its regular season with a home game against Maine on Saturday.

Elsewhere Saturday, wide receiver Bobby Sewall caught 18 passes for 141 yards and threw a TD pass to lead Brown to a 56-35 triumph over Dartmouth; and St. Anselm completed its season 0-10 overall and 0-9 in the Northeast-10 following a 54-14 loss to Southern Connecticut.

UMass 27, UNH 7

Brown 56, Dartmouth 35

Southern Connecticut 54, St. Anselm 14 

DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 2 Souhegan vs. No. 1 Plymouth

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Plymouth High School. 
Team records: Plymouth is 10-0. Souhegan is 9-1.
Regular-season result: Plymouth won 11-9 in Amherst.
Last state championship: Plymouth (2006). Souhegan (2004).
Noteworthy: No game had a more unusual ending this year than the regular-season matchup between the Bobcats and Sabers. Plymouth won the game on a free kick following a fair catch with 16 seconds to play. Kyle Underwood, who missed an extra-point attempt earlier in the game, made a 47-yard field goal to give Plymouth a two-point lead. ... Plymouth has won six of the last seven Division III championships and eight of the last 10. The Bobcats scored more points than any other Division III team this season (370) and are allowing an average of 8.1 points per game. ... Souhegan surrendered 78 points in its 10 game, and is coming off a 10-0 victory over third-seeded Milford in the semifinals. The Souhegan offense is averaging 25.7 points per contest. ... Plymouth advanced by beating fourth-seeded Con-Val 35-14 in the semifinals. ... This is Souhegan's seventh appearance in the championship game in the last 13 years. ... Plymouth owns a 32-game winning streak and has won its last 13 playoff games played at home. ... Souhegan forced 28 turnovers this season. ... Plymouth's Nick Barnes scored on a 61-yard run when these teams met in the regular season. Souhegan received a 32-yard field goal from Ben Lawrence and a 10-yard TD run from Steve Daigneau. Barnes also made the fair catch that set up what turned out to be the game-winning kick.

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

What once seemed inevitable no longer looks like a sure thing. Since the start of the season -- perhaps even the end of last season -- those who follow New Hampshire high school football have been eagerly awaiting a matchup between Exeter and Bishop Guertin in the Division II championship game.

While second-seeded BG will probably find a way to get past third-seeded Dover in Friday night's semifinals, there's no guarantee that top-seeded Exeter will beat fourth-seeded Winnacunnet. The two schools are fierce rivals and the Warriors have already won in Exeter this season (28-26).

"They executed well last game," Exeter tight end/defensive end Brad Kelly said after practice earlier this week. "We remember it like it was yesterday. I think everyone lost a lot of sleep after that game. Losing to them my senior year and not getting another shot at them ... I just want another shot at them."

DIVISION IV CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 2 Hanover vs. No. 1 Laconia

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Laconia High School.
Team records: Laconia is 10-0. Hanover is 9-1.
Regular-season result: Laconia won 24-7 in Hanover.
Last state championship: Hanover (2005). Laconia (1999).
Noteworthy: Laconia enters this contest as one of three unbeaten teams in the state (Plymouth and Pelham are the others), but the only team that hasn't come close to losing. The Sachems have won every game by at least 14 points and have outscored their 10 opponents 359-54. Laconia hasn't allowed more than seven points in a game since August (a 49-19 victory over Lebanon) and has outscored its last five opponents 195-7. ... Hanover has won eight in a row since losing to Laconia and is seeking its fourth state championship in the last seven years. The Marauders won the Division IV title in 2002, 2004 and 2005. ... Laconia advanced by beating fourth-seeded St. Thomas 34-7. Running backs Christian Birt and Robert Moss each scored two touchdowns in that victory. Birt has rushed for 1,193 yards and 17 touchdowns on 130 carries. Moss has gained 833 yards and eight TDs on 110 rushing attempts. ... Hanover needed some late magic to pull out a 22-19 victory over third-seeded Kearsarge in the semifinals. Kearsarge fumbled the ball away with 1:30 to play, and Hanover took advantage when freshman quarterback Sam Carney hooked up with Syracuse-bound wingback Carl Cutler for a 6-yard TD pass with 33.9 seconds left. ... This Laconia team holds the school record for points scored in a season. The previous record of 324 was set by the 1999 team, which beat Souhegan to win the program's last state title. 

Dartmouth is coming off its most impressive performance of the season -- a 59-31 triumph over Cornell -- and will look to build on that momentum when it plays at Brown on Saturday.

Dartmouth hadn't scored 59 or more points in a game since 1935, when it beat Bates 59-0. The Big Green defense forced seven turnovers against Cornell.

Brown is allowing an average of 460 yards per game and ranks last among Ivy League teams in total defense.

Dartmouth/Brown preview

Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and will run weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated more than 200 regular-season varsity games in all five divisions. He has also officiated 10 championship games and more than 25 playoff games. Hall, who is a member of the New Hampshire Football Officials' Association Board of Directors, has been the NHFOA rules interpreter for the last seven years. Questions for Steve can be sent to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Questions may be edited for clarity.

Question: Can you please explain the difference between running into the kicker and roughing the kicker? Not the penalty yardage, but what makes an official call one penalty instead of the other?
P.S., Bow

Answer: Running into the kicker (or holder) is contact with the kicker that displaces the kicker from his location. Roughing the kicker (or holder) is contact that is harder than just displacing the kicker. Roughing frequently involves knocking the kicker to the ground.

Running into and roughing the kicker are calls made exclusively by the referee. I find that these calls (along with roughing the passer) are the most difficult calls to decide on. Running into or roughing the kicker is not called when: a) contact is unavoidable because it isn't reasonably certain that a kick will be made; b) the defense touches the kick near the kicker and contact is thereafter unavoidable; c) contact is slight and is partially caused by movement of the kicker; or d) contact is caused by a kicking team member blocking his opponent into the kicker.

As you can see from the criteria above, there is no clear-cut standard for determining whether a foul for running into or roughing the kicker has occurred, nor is it completely clear as to the difference between running into and roughing.  As a result, no two referees will call it the same way because it's largely a matter of judgment as to whether a foul has occurred and, if so, whether it's roughing or just running into the kicker. In games that I have worked, it seems that every time there is any contact with the kicker, the kicker will take a dive, hoping to draw a flag. I find it relatively easy to determine whether the kicker has taken a dive, and I will not call a foul if I decide that there was only slight contact and the kicker has intentionally thrown himself to the ground.

Running into the kicker is a 5-yard penalty from the spot of the snap. Roughing the kicker is a 15-yard penalty from the spot of the snap, plus an automatic first down. You can quickly tell the difference when the referee
gives his signal. Roughing the kicker will be preceded by the personal foul signal, while running into the kicker will only be the "leg kick" signal.

DIVISION I SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Londonderry vs. No. 1 Nashua South

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Team records: Londonderry is 7-3 overall, 6-3 in Division I. Nashua South is 8-1 overall, 7-1 in Division I.
Regular-season result: Nashua South won 22-13 in Nashua.
Last state championship: Nashua South (1997). Londonderry (1998).
Noteworthy: Unless the Lancers advance, this will be Tom Sawyer's final game as Londonderry's head coach. Sawyer took over a new Londonderry program in 1980 and has guided the Lancers to five state titles. ... South earned the No. 1 seed by trouncing Pinkerton 30-7 in Derry Sunday. South is known for its no-huddle, spread offense, but no Division I team scored more points than Londonderry (318) this season. The Lancers also allowed fewer points (153) than any other Division I playoff team. ... Nashua South quarterback/defensive back Billy Ferriter intercepted three passes in his team's regular-season victory over Londonderry. South running back David Zocco scored two TDs in that game. ..The Lancers, who run a single-wing offense, will rely heavily on running back Alex Theodhosi, who broke the school's single-season rushing record in the Nashua South game. Theodhosi gained 156 yards on 26 carries that night. ... South's only loss came against Salem (55-20), a team that didn't qualify for the playoffs. ... If South wins this matchup, next weekend's Division I championship game will be played in Nashua. If Londonderry wins, it will be on the road for the championship game.

No. 3 Manchester West vs. No. 2 Pinkerton

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.
Team records: West is 6-4 overall, 5-3 in Division I. Pinkerton is 7-2 overall, 7-1 in Division I.
Regular-season result: Pinkerton won 16-14 in Derry.
Last state championship: Pinkerton (2006). West (none).
Noteworthy: Pinkerton is seeking its third straight Division I title and its fourth consecutive appearance in the Division I championship game. West earned a playoff berth by beating Salem 17-14 in the final regular-season game for each team. ...West had a 14-0 first-quarter lead when these teams met in the regular season, It was 14-7 at halftime and 14-10 entering the final quarter. The key point in the game may have come when West failed to score when it had a first-and-goal situation from the 4-yard line in the first half. West had a 14-point lead at the time. ... Pinkerton's only Division I loss came against top-seeded Nashua South on Sunday (30-7). Pinkerton had a 7-0 lead in that game, but South took control after the Astros scored on their opening possession. ... West went 1-2 against Division I playoff teams this season. Its victory came against Londonderry (31-7). ... The Blue Knights outscored their opponents 243-185 this season, but 50 of the 185 points they allowed came in a 50-21 non-league loss against Everett, Mass. ... Pinkerton's non-league loss came against Brockton, Mass. (54-19). ... If Londonderry upsets Nashua South in the other semifinal, the winner of this game will be at home for the Division I championship game.

DIVISION II SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Winnacunnet vs. No. 1 Exeter

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Exeter's Eustis Field.
Team records: Winnacunnet is 7-3 overall, 6-3 in Division II. Exeter is 9-1 overall, 8-1 in Division II.
Regular-season result: Winnacunnet won 28-26 in Exeter.
Last state championship: Winnacunnet (2000). Exeter (2003).
Noteworthy: Expect a healthy crowd in Exeter for this contest, which features two teams that make up one of the fiercest rivalries in the state. Winnacunnet quarterback Ryan Cronan ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the regular-season game against Exeter. He also blocked an extra point. It was Winnacunnet's first victory over Exeter since the 2002 season. ... Exeter committed two turnovers (one fumble, one interception) in its loss to Winnacunnet. Winnacunnet recovered the fumble for a touchdown. ... Cronan and running back Sam Auffant have rushed for more than 2,800 yards between them. ... Senior fullback Gabe Bourgeois leads Exeter with 1,148 yards and 15 touchdowns on 146 carries. The Blue Hawks are averaging 6.07 yards per carry as a team. Exeter quarterback Andrew Kukesh has completed 30 of his 49 pass attempts for 522 yards and eight TDs. His only interception came against Winnacunnet. ... The Warriors have scored at least 20 points in nine of their 10 games, but have allowed at least 19 points in every contest. ... No Division II team allowed fewer points than Exeter (114). ... Winnacunnet is 4-1 on the road. ... Either Exeter or Winnacunnet has reached the Division II championship game in 10 of the last 11 years. ... Exeter leads the all-time series 51-23-2.

No. 3 Dover vs. No. 2 Bishop Guertin

When and where: Friday (7 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
Team records: Dover is 6-4 overall, 6-3 in Division II. BG is 9-1 overall, 8-1 in Division II.
Regular-season result: BG won 55-13 in Nashua.
Last state championship: Dover (1996). BG (2006).
Noteworthy: BG is attempting to win its fourth straight Division II title and enters this game with the most powerful offense in the division. The Cardinals scored 413 points in their 10 games. No other Division II team scored more than 311 (Exeter). ... No team has improved more than Dover this season. The Green Wave lost three of its first four games, but then won five of its last six. The only loss in that span came last week in a non-league game against Division I Londonderry (41-20). ... BG had a 21-7 lead at halftime when these teams met during the regular season. BG scored a defensive touchdown early in the third. It was 28-13 before the Cardinals pulled away. "We're not as good and they're not as bad as that score would indicate," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "They run a spread offense and some of their skill kids have improved a lot since the start of the year." ... Dover outscored its opponents 244-231 this season and scored at least 34 points in each of its last four Division II games. ... Tailback Matt Cyr leads BG in rushing with 850 yards. BG quarterback Ryan Burgess has passed for more than 1,000 yards and run for more than 500. ... Dover will likely need a big game from quarterback Matt Kimball to keep things competitive. Kimball has thrown for more than 200 yards each of his last two games. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 224 yards and three TDs against Timberlane, and connected on 17 of 26 pass attempts for 218 yards in last weekend's loss to Londonderry. ... BG has won 44 of its last 46 games. Both losses came against Exeter.

DIVISION V SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Bow vs. No. 1 Pelham

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Pelham.
Team records: Pelham is 9-0. Bow is 6-4 overall, 6-3 in Division V.
Regular-season result: Pelham won 33-14 in Bow.
Last state championship: Pelham (none). Bow (2004).
Noteworthy: It was a 6-6 game after one quarter when these teams met in the regular season, but Pelham took control by scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter and two more in the third. Bow fumbled the ball away two times and turned it over on downs twice. ... Bow averaged 25.7 points per game against Division V competition this season, but will be facing a Pelham team that posted five shutouts and surrendered 51 points in its nine contests. ... Bow ran 27 plays that netted 21 yards in the second and third quarters of its earlier game against Pelham. ... The Pythons scored at least 28 points in eight of their nine games. Running back Bruce Vieira rushed for 95 yards on 12 carries in the regular-season meeting. ... Bow went 0-3 against Division V playoff teams. The Falcons also lost a non-league game against Trinity (41-6). ... Bow beat Pelham 28-7 to win the inaugural Division V championship in 2004.

No. 3 Bishop Brady vs. No. 2 Gilford

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Gilford.
Team records: Bishop Brady is 7-3 overall, 7-2 in Division V. Gilford is 8-1 
Regular-season result: Gilford won 38-28.
Last state championship: Bishop Brady (2006). Gilford (none).
Noteworthy: Gilford came a two-point conversion away from finishing the regular season unbeaten, but had to settle for the No. 2 seed following last weekend's 13-12 loss at Pelham. ... Bishop Brady committed five turnovers during its regular-season loss to Gilford. The Green Giants also had two botched punts that led to 13 points. Gilford's Eric Dean rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in that contest. ... Gilford has played five of its last six games on the road. Bishop Brady, which has won the last two Division V championships, has played its last four games at home. ... Bishop Brady allowed 86 points in its two Division V losses. ... Gilford has scored at least 22 points in eight of its nine games. ... The winner of this game will play either top-seeded Pelham or fourth-seeded Bow for the Division V championship next weekend. 

'CAT TALE: Northeastern put an end to the University of New Hampshire's four-game winning streak by literally running over the Wildcats en route to a 31-13 victory at Cowell Stadium on Saturday.

Northeastern tailback Maurice Murray gained 206 yards on a school-record 55 carries. The Huskies (2-7 overall, 1-5 Colonial Athletic Association) put together scoring drives of 11 plays, 16 plays and 18 plays to build a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Murray had more carries than UNH had offensive plays (48).

UNH quarterback Ricky Santos was intercepted twice. They were the first interceptions he's thrown since a season-opening loss at James Madison.

Northeastern's victory ended a five-game losing streak.

"You gotta give a lot of credit to Northeastern on both sides of the ball," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. "I thought their offensive line did an excellent job. They just finished drives all day long. When you have drives of 11, 16, 18, 14 and 11 you tend to wear a defense down. We were not very good with the football. Tough game for us."

NUMBERS GAME: Northeastern had possession of the football for 48 minutes and 13 seconds and never had to punt. The Huskies entered the contest averaging 27:31 in time of possession, which ranked last in the 12-team CAA.

LOOKING AHEAD: UNH will play a must-win game at Massachusetts on Saturday. UNH will likely have to win both of its remaining games (UMass and Maine) to have any chance of qualifying for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. UMass is coming off a 12-6 overtime loss to Rhode Island. UMass scored all of its points on safeties.

WORD PLAY: "UMass is a very, very good football team. We've played Richmond, we've played Delaware, we've played JMU. I watch UMass and when they're firing on all cylinders this is the best team we're playing. The best team we've played period. They're a dominating team on defense. We have a major, major challenge trying to get by these guys this weekend. We'll find out what kind of football team we are."

NOTEWORTHY: Murray needs 215 yards in his last two games to become Northeastern's all-time leading rusher. ... UNH safety Jeff Pammer recorded 21 tackles against Northeastern and moved into third place among UNH players in career tackles (326). ... The setback against Northeastern was UNH's first home loss of the season. ... UMass beat UNH twice last season, including once in the NCAA playoffs. ... After Saturday's game at UMass, UNH will wrap up its regular season with a home game against Maine.

The final piece to this year's playoff puzzle was put in place Sunday when Nashua South beat Pinkerton Academy 30-7 in Derry.

The victory earned Nashua South (7-1) the No. 1 seed for the Division I playoffs. The Purple Panthers will meet fourth-seeded Londonderry (5-3) in Saturday's semifinals. Second-seeded Pinkerton (7-1) will meet third-seeded Manchester West (5-3) in the other semifinal.

Timberlane's victory over Goffstown on Saturday handed Winnacunnet the No. 4 seed in Division II. Winnacunnet (6-3) will face top-seeded Exeter (8-1) in the semifinals. The Warriors handed the Blue Hawks their only loss during the regular season (28-26). 

Second-seeded Bishop Guertin (8-1) will play third-seeded Dover (6-3) in the other semifinal. BG is seeking its fourth consecutive Division II championship.

Top-seeded Pelham (9-0) will meet fourth-seeded Bow (6-3) in the Division V semifinals. The winner of that game will face either second-seeded Gilford (8-1) or third-seeded Bishop Brady (7-2).

Two state championship games will also be played Saturday. Top-seeded Plymouth (10-0) will meet second-seeded Souhegan (9-1) in the Division III title game, and top-seeded Laconia (10-0) will face second-seeded Hanover (9-1) for the Division IV championship.

All postseason games will be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.

New Hampshire Football Report will have capsule previews of each playoff game. The first previews will appear Tuesday.

Running back Jeff Mack ran for a career-high 207 yards and two touchdowns to lead Plymouth State University to a 21-0 victory over Salve Regina on Sunday. Mack also became the ninth player in Plymouth State history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

It was Plymouth State's third shutout in the last four games.

The Panthers improved their record to 8-1 and are in position to receive their first ECAC playoff invitation since 1999.

Plymouth State 21, Salve Regina 0

Maurice Murray gained 206 yards on 55 carries to lead Northeastern to a 31-13 upset over UNH on Saturday. It was UNH's first home loss of the season.

The Huskies ran the ball 78 times and had a significant edge in time of possessin (48:13 to 11:47). The Wildcats entered the contest averaging 41.9 points per game.

Elsewhere Saturday, Dartmouth beat Cornell 59-31 and St. Anselm's losing streak reached 28 games following a 30-9 setback against American International College.

Plymouth State's game against Salve Regina was postponed Saturday and will be played today (2 p.m.).

Northeastern 31, UNH 13

Dartmouth 59, Cornell 31

AIC 30, St. Anselm 9

Much of the credit for the University of Oregon's 7-1 start is being given to former University of New Hampshire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (right), who left UNH after last season to accept a similar position with the Ducks.

Kelly, who was born in Manchester, is tutoring a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Dennis Dixon, who will lead the fourth-ranked Ducks into a Pacific-10 matchup against sixth-ranked Arizona State (8-0) on Saturday night.

Kelly oversaw a UNH offense that finished second among Division I-AA teams in scoring last season, and produced the Walter Payton Award winner (quarterback Ricky Santos).

Oregon is currently fourth in the nation in total offense, and has struck a balance between the run (280 yards per game) and the pass (244). 

You can read more about Kelly's contribution to Oregon's success in this USA Today article.

When the University of Wisconsin pulled its scholarship offer to wide receiver J.T.Wright, he chose a path that led to the University of New Hampshire.

Wright, a sophomore, has become a reliable target for UNH quarterback Ricky Santos and has added depth to the UNH receiving corps. He has 18 catches for 248 yards this season.

Wright will try to help UNH extend its winning streak to five games when it faces Northeastern in Durham this weekend.

UNH Notebook 

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

If University of New Hampshire athletic director Marty Scarano has his way, high school playoff games will be held at UNH's Cowell Stadium in the near future.

Scarano said he has had conversations with NHIAA executive director Patrick Corbin about moving at least one playoff game, possibly a championship game, to Durham. Scarano said he hopes to meet with the NHIAA football committee after the 2007 high school season.

"I'd like to get things going," Scarano said. "I'd like to get some traction next year. I don't know if we could do all six (championship games). Maybe one, maybe two."

DIVISION IV SEMIFINALS
No. 4 St. Thomas vs. No. 1 Laconia

When and where: Sunday (1 p.m.) at Laconia High School.
Team records: St. Thomas is 6-3. Laconia is 9-0.
Regular-season result: Laconia won 28-7 in Dover.
Last state championship: St. Thomas (2006). Laconia (1999).
Noteworthy: St. Thomas turned the ball over five times when these teams met in the regular season. Three of those turnovers led to Laconia touchdowns. ... Laconia hasn't allowed a point in its last four games and hasn't surrendered more than seven points in a game since its opening contest against Lebanon (49-19). The Saints have been pretty stingy lately as well. St. Thomas has given up 31 points in its last four games, 13 of which came late in Saturday's 26-16 victory over Fall Mountain. ... St. Thomas also entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed last year, when it upset Laconia 21-3 in the Division IV championship game. ... Laconia has a two-pronged rushing attack that features junior Christian Birt and senior Robert Moss. Birt passed the 1,000-yard mark in last weekend's victory over Monadnock. ... St. Thomas split end Matt McLaughlin gives the Saints a big-play threat in the passing game and on kick returns. ... St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton enters this game with a career coaching record of 323-68-3. ... The winner of this game will play either second-seeded Hanover (8-1) or third-seeded Kearsarge (7-2) in the Division IV championship game.

No. 3 Kearsarge vs. No. 2 Hanover

When and where: Sunday (1 p.m.) at Hanover High School.
Team records: Kearsarge is 7-2. Hanover is 8-1.
Regular-season result: Hanover won 44-14 in Hanover.
Last state championship: Kearsarge (none). Hanover  (2005).
Noteworthy: Kearsarge's two losses were against the two top seeds in the Division IV playoffs, and neither game was close. Kearsarge's 30-point loss against Hanover came one week after the Cougars lost to Laconia, 38-0. ... Hanover has won seven in a row. The Marauders haven't allowed more than 14 points in any of their victories. ... Kearsarge runs a double-wing offense, but has a big-play threat in quarterback Bobby Williams. The key will likely be how well the Cougars can move the ball on the ground. ... Each of these teams lost to Laconia, but beat St. Thomas during the regular season. ... Hanover has won three of the last five Division IV championships.  ... If St. Thomas upsets Laconia in the other semifinal, the winner of this game will be at home for the Division IV championship game. If Laconia beats St. Thomas the championship game will be played in Laconia.

DIVISION III SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Con-Val vs. No. 1 Plymouth

When and where: Sunday (1 p.m.) at Plymouth High School. 
Team records: Plymouth is 9-0. Con-Val is 6-3.
Regular-season result: Plymouth won 23-6 in Peterborough.
Last state championship: Plymouth (2006). Con-Val (none).
Noteworthy: These teams got to know each other last weekend and are meeting for the second consecutive week. ... Plymouth enters this contest with a 31-game winning streak and a 12-game home winning streak in the playoffs. The Bobcats have won eight of the last 10 Division III championships. ... Con-Val's three losses came against the three other playoff teams: Plymouth (23-6), Souhegan (28-14) and Milford (6-2). Two of those losses came on the road. ... Seven of Plymouth's nine opponents failed to score more than seven points. ... .. Con-Val is making its first playoff appearance in the program's 16-year history. The Cougars set a school-record for victories in a season. ... The winner of this game will face either second-seeded Souhegan (8-1) or third-seeded Milford (7-2) in the Division III championship game.

No. 3 Milford vs. No. 2 Souhegan

When and where: Sunday (1 p.m.) at Souhegan High School in Amherst.
Team records: Souhegan is 8-1. Milford is 7-2.
Regular-season result: Souhegan won 29-7 in Milford.
Last state championship: Souhegan (2004). Milford (2003/Division IV).
Noteworthy: These teams met on the season's opening weekend in what was Milford's only true home game this season. The Spartans played home games at several locations (including two games at Souhegan) while a new field was being installed at the high school. ... Milford will likely need a big effort from quarterback Jeff Agnew to advance. Agnew rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries in last weekend's 27-20 triumph over Portsmouth. ... Souhegan runs a no-huddle, spread offense and has plenty of weapons. Quarterback Matt Reed and split end Ryan Cray give the Sabers a dangerous passing combination. The Sabers also have a stingy defense that surrendered 78 points in nine games. ... Milford is 0-10 against Souhegan and Plymouth since moving from Division IV to Division III after the 2003 season. ... Souhegan beat Milford to win the 2004 state championship. ... Milford enters this contest with a five-game winning streak.