Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Two of New Hampshire's top prep school football teams will meet Saturday, when Kimball Union Academy faces Proctor Academy in Andover.

Both teams are 6-0 entering the contest.

Former Dartmouth coach John Lyons is now the head coach at Kimball Union Academy, which won last year's Evergreen League. The Kimball Union roster includes Kasim Edebali (verbal committment to Boston College), Kevin Gangeloff (verbal committment to UNH) and former Bishop Guertin standouts Jimmy Vailas and Ryan Burgess.

Proctor, which won the Evergreen League title in 2007, is led by linebacker Spencer Wood, a Division I prospect, and Harris Williams, one of the top offensive linemen in the Class of 2010.

The Proctor roster also features Stephan Alli, a 6-foot-8 wide receiver from Canada who will likely receive Division I offers in both football and basketball. Clemson, Vanderbilt, Connecticut and Boston College are among the Division I football programs that have shown interest.

Proctor has outscored its opponents 233-68 this season.

College: Are eight enough for Wildcats? >> Manchester Union Leader

College: UNH may get breather against hobbled Hofstra >> Nashua Telegraph

College: UNH focused on Hofstra matchup >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: For Stetson, college game may be simpler >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Locals focused on strong finish >> Laconia Citizen

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

A look at the playoff picture as we enter the regular season's final weekend in Divisions III and IV, and the home stretch in Divisions I, II, V and VI:

DIVISION I: Pinkerton Academy (6-2 overall, 6-0 Division I), Nashua South (5-3, 5-1), Manchester Central (7-1, 5-1) and Londonderry (6-2, 5-2) have all clinched playoff berths. The order has yet to be determined, however.

Two games this weekend will help solve the puzzle: Londonderry at Nashua South, and Manchester Central at Pinkerton. Victories by Pinkerton and Nashua South would give the Astros and Panthers home-field advantage for the semifinals.

DIVISION II: Exeter (7-1, 6-1), Bishop Guertin (6-2, 5-1) and Timberlane (6-2, 5-1) have secured playoff spots. Keene ((4-3, 4-2) will clinch a playoff berth if it can beat Dover on Friday. BG can finish in any of the four playoff positions.

DIVISION III: Souhegan (8-0, 7-0), Portsmouth (7-1, 6-1) and Milford (6-2, 6-1) have all extended their seasons. Souhegan has already locked up the No. 1 seed. Portsmouth will play Milford on Friday in a game that will determine the No. 2 seed (Portsmouth/Milford winner) and No. 3 seed (Portsmouth/Milford loser). The winner of Saturday's Goffstown/Con-Val game will be the fourth seed.

DIVISION IV: Plymouth (8-0, 7-0), Laconia (6-2, 6-1) and Kennett (6-2, 5-2) are safe. Friday night's Hanover/Merrimack Valley winner will complete the field.

DIVISION V: Pelham (7-0, 7-0), St. Thomas (6-1, 6-1), Trinity (6-1, 5-1) and Kearsarge (5-3, 4-3) will be your playoff teams here. Pelham can finish no lower than second, and can wrap up the No. 1 seed by beating Stevens on Friday. The winner of Sunday's St. Thomas/Trinity game will be the other home team in the semifinals.

DIVISION VI: Franklin (7-1, 7-0), Newport (7-1, 7-0) and Campbell (6-2, 6-1). have each earned a postseason invitation. Winnisquam (4-4, 4-3), Inter-Lakes (3-4, 3-4) and Newfound (3-5, 3-4) are in the hunt for the final playoff spot.

THE PICKS ...  

Editor's Note: Ben Stallman is a senior at Souhegan High School and a wide receiver/defensive back on the SHS football team. He entered the 2008 season with 60 career receptions, which is a school record. He also set the school record for receptions in a season when he caught 35 passes last year. Ben was named to the Division III All-State First Team following the 2007 season. His Varsity Insider column will appear each week throughout the season.

As the final regular-season weekend approaches in Division III this year, the seeds are far from locked up, though there is a general outlook as of now. Last week, with a tough victory over a solid Con-Val program, 35-21, Souhegan of Amherst clinched the No. 1 seed for the playoffs, and home-field advantage throughout.

Souhegan has played supurb defense throughout the season, though Con-Val managed to find a few holes in the defense for some points. Souhegan uses a sustained ground attack with a handful of running backs to get the job done. Also mixing in what can be an explosive pass game is a major way that the Sabers have kept teams off balance.

Though the No. 1 seed is locked up, the two and three seeds are completely up for grabs, and that will also be decided this weekend in a head-to-head matchup of the Milford Spartans and Portsmouth Clippers. Both teams enter this contest with 6-1 records in the division and both also have locked up playoff spots. They will play each other in back to back weeks, and the winner of this game will get that semifinal game at home next weekend.  At any given point, the offenses of these two teams can be dynamic, or can struggle, but both have found ways to put up many points in most games week after week. Portsmouth was one of the few teams to give Souhegan trouble, staging a second-half comeback to make the score extremely close, though both Milford and Portsmouth are concentrating on beating each other for now.

The fourth and final seed in Division III has boiled down to one game and yet again another head-to-head contest.  The Goffstown Grizzlies will face off against the Con-Val Cougars this Saturday in what is sure to be a passionate and heated game. Goffstown came out of the gate slow, suffering some tough losses, though as of late the Grizzlies have picked up the slack and have been playing a hard, grind-it-out style of football, hanging tight with Portsmouth and pulling out some key wins. Con-Val comes into the game having played a solid season, playing Souhegan, Milford, and Portsmouth all tough and having a lot of confidence going into the contest.

The winner of this game will face Souhegan next Saturday, while the loser begins to focus on the basketball season. Either way, this game is too close to call and should be an exciting day in Peterborough, and all across the state, as division seedings and battles for those last playoff spots rage on.

College: Hinds goes from special to specialist >> Concord Monitor

College: Plymouth State looks to extend streak >> PSU athletics

Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and runs weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated nearly 300 NHIAA regular-season varsity games. He has also officiated more than 25 playoff games, and worked his 11th championship game last year (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 since 2001, and is also the New Hampshire representative on the National Federation of High Schools rules committee. Questions, which may be edited for clarity, can be submitted to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Please include your hometown.

Question: If a pass is deflected by a defensive player, can the ball be caught and advanced by an offensive lineman? Does it matter if the ball is caught behind or beyond the line of scrimmage?

-- Amherst

Answer:  Yes. Once a pass is touched by the defense, all ineligible receivers become eligible. Anyone can then catch and advance the ball, regardless of whether the ball is caught behind or beyond the neutral zone.
If the touching of the pass by the defense occurs behind the neutral zone, then there is no foul if ineligible players are downfield before the pass crosses the line of scrimmage, and pass interference restrictions are
cancelled. If the touching of the pass by the defense occurs beyond the neutral zone, there could still be a foul for ineligible downfield if the ineligible crossed the neutral zone before the pass was thrown. There could also be pass interference occurring before the pass is touched by the defense beyond the line of scrimmage. Essentially, touching of the pass by the defense behind the neutral zone eliminates any ineligible downfield or pass interference fouls.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

This weekend's Division V football game between Trinity and St. Thomas has been moved from Saturday to Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be played in Dover.

The game was moved to avoid a conflict with the St. Thomas boys soccer team, which is the No. 2 seed in the Class I tournament. The Saints will face seventh-seeded Pembroke Academy in the Class I quarterfinals Saturday at 2 p.m.

Trinity and St. Thomas are both 6-1 overall and 5-1 in Division V. The winner of Sunday's game will likely be the No. 2 seed for the Division V playoffs, and be at home for the Division V semifinals. Pelham can secure the No. 1 seed in Division V by winning one of its final two games (Stevens and Epping-Newmarket).

St. Thomas was without starting quarterback Jack MacNevin for Saturday's loss to Pelham. MacNevin injured his ankle in a victory over Bishop Brady two weeks ago, and aggravated the injury during warmups before the Pelham game.

College: Dartmouth takes aim at Harvard >> Dartmouth athletics

College: UNH/Hofstra game notes >> UNH athletics

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Exeter resident Kyle McAllister, a junior safety on the Bates College football team, was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 31-21 victory over Colby.

McAllister (pictured), who played at Exeter High School, recorded seven tackles (six solo), intercepted a pass, forced two fumbles and returned one of the fumbles 41 yards for a touchdown. It was the second time this season McAllister has been named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week.

McAllister represented New Hampshire in the 2005 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Two Plymouth State University football players were honored by the New England Football Conference on Monday for their contributions in a 28-17 victory over Curry College on Saturday at Currier Field.

Sophomore linebacker Steve Campbell was selected as the NEFC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, and sophomore wide receiver J.J. Brooks was named to the NEFC Weekly Honor Roll. They both made big plays in the victory, which ended Curry's NEFC winning streak at 37 games.

Campbell recorded a team-high nine tackles with one sack (minus 13 yards) and two tackles for loss against Curry. He anchored a PSU defense that held the Colonels to 17 points -- 23 points below their season average.

Brooks, who played at Winnacunnet High Schoool, caught two passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. His first catch was good for 45 yards on a third-and-29 play that helped set up PSU's first score. His second catch was a 62-yard TD reception, also on third down, to put the Panthers ahead 14-3 midway through the second quarter.

Brooks, who is also a back-up quarterback, is the leading receiver on a Panther team that runs the ball almost 90 percent of the time. He has seven catches for 223 yards with three touchdowns. He has also rushed for a TD.

The Panthers (7-1 overall, 5-0 in the NEFC Boyd Division) are third in this week's New England Division III poll and have two regular-season games remaining. PSU travels to MIT on Saturday and will finish up on Nov. 8 at home against Salve Regina. Plymouth State needs one win in its final two games to clinch at least a share of the Boyd Division title and a berth in the NEFC Championship game on Nov. 15. 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Before the season began, quarterback R.J. Toman may have been the biggest question mark on the University of New Hampshire football team. Toman was stepping into a position vacated by Ricky Santos, the most prolific QB in the program's history.

Now the season is seven games old, and UNH coach Sean McDonnell is mentioning Toman as one of the team strengths.

"Very pleased with the quarterback play," McDonnell said Monday. "R.J. Toman has stepped in here and become a very good football player by doing the things he needs to do to make this offense go."

Toman is directing an offense that leads the league in scoring (37.4 points per game). He'll enter Saturday's home game against Hofstra (noon) ranked second in the CAA, behind Towson's Sean Schaefer, in passing yards per game (254.9).

"He's not pressing, he's not forcing anything," McDonnell said. "He's playing well within himself. If he continues to do that he's gonna give us an opportunity to win."

Hinds-sight

McDonnell on UNH defensive back Ryan Hinds, who was selected as The Sports Network's Defensive Player of the Week and the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in UNH's 42-14 victory over Towson on Saturday:

"He came from Canada. Played very little defensive back, if any, in high school. Becoming a safety was a learning experience for him. He's split time with Dino Vasso, Johnny Clements, Ryan McGuinness and Terrance Klein. This week Dino was a little dinged up and (Hinds) got his opportunity to play and he played the whole game. He made some big plays."

Hinds intercepted two passes and recorded six tackles (four solo) in the victory. He returned his first interception 74 yards for a touchdown.

"The kid has stuck with it," McDonnell said. "He's a very good athlete. Very talented. Got good speed. He played better. It was great to see a kid play that kind of game after how hard he's worked."

 Playing with Pride

Hofstra will enter Saturday's game 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the CAA.

Hofstra is coming off last weekend's 17-0 loss to Delaware. Freshman quarterback Steve Probst made his first start in the Delaware loss. He completed 11 of 28 passes for 71 yards during a game played in strong winds. Probst began the season third on the depth chart.

"I thought Delaware's defensive front controlled the football game," Hofstra coach Dave Cohen said. "They really played well. It was one of those days when we didn't make plays when we needed to in any of our three phases -- offense, defense or kicking."

Cohen said he expects to start seven freshmen and nine sophomores against ninth-ranked UNH (6-1, 3-1), which has won the last five games against Hofstra.

"I'm looking forward to going up to New Hampshire," Cohen said. "Obviously they pose another whole set of issues. They're as explosive as ever on offense. They really play physical against the run on defense."

 Team focus

UNH will wrap up its regular season with games against Villanova, UMass and Maine, but McDonnell said he's not worried about his Wildcats overlooking Hofstra this weekend. 

"We're not good enough to look by anybody," he said. "We're not good enough to do that. We're good enough to beat some people if we play hard and do the things we're supposed to do. Hopefully that's gonna happen Saturday."

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Ryan Hinds, a junior defensive back at the University of New Hampshire, has been named the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in UNH's 42-14 triumph over Towson on Saturday.

Hinds (pictured) opened the scoring Saturday when he grabbed a Sean Schaefer pass and returned the interception 74 yards for a touchdown with 10:23 left in the first quarter.

Hinds also intercepted a Schaefer pass in the second quarter. He returned the ball 35 yards to set up quarterback R.J. Toman's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Sean Jellison.

Hinds recorded six tackles (four solo) in the victory, which was the 500th in the program's history.

UNH will face Hofstra in Durham on Saturday (noon).

High School: Strange days in Division II >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG caught off guard >> Manchester Union Leader

College: 'Cats take another step >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Focused 'Cats continue to roll >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Five topics on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1. Plymouth State football.

The Panthers posted their most impressive victory of the season Saturday, when they beat Curry, 28-17.

The loss ended Curry's 37-game winning streak against New England Football Conference opponents. Curry's last league loss came in 2005, when it dropped a 28-21 decision to Maine Maritime.

Plymouth State, which improved its record to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the NEFC, held Curry to 12 yards rushing.

2. Division III football (part one).

Souhegan (8-0, 7-0) wrapped up the top seed for the Division III playoffs by beating Con-Val, 35-21, Saturday. Souhegan will play either Con-Val (5-3, 4-3) or Goffstown (4-4. 4-3) in the Division III semifinals. Con-Val and Goffstown will meet Saturday in Peterborough.

3. Division III football (part two).

Portsmouth (7-1, 6-1) and Milford (6-2, 6-1) will be the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds for the Division III playoffs, but not necessarily in that order. The Clippers and Spartans will meet in Milford on Friday night. The winner will earn the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage for the semifinals. The loser of that contest will be the No. 3 seed. Either way, the teams will face each other in consecutive weeks.

4. An unbeaten falls.

St. Thomas has been without starting quarterback Jack MacNevin for the last seven quarters. MacNevin suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of a 21-6 victory over Bishop Brady two weeks ago, and re-injured the ankle about 30 minutes before Saturday's contest against Pelham.

Sophomore Brett Lago completed 6 of 10 pass attempts for 68 yards in the 17-3 loss to Pelham, but was intercepted twice. His first interception set up Pelham's first touchdown with 4:02 to play. Pelham got a 16-yard touchdown run from Bruce Vieira with 2:46 to play.

"Obviously (MacNevin) makes a difference," Pelham coach Tom Babaian said. "I think (not having MacNevin) hurt them a little bit, but I still think you have to stop the run."

The loss improved Pelham's record to 7-0 overall, 6-0 in Division V. St. Thomas dropped to 6-1 overall, 5-1 in Division V. Pelham, Souhegan and Plymouth are the only teams in the state that are still undefeated.

Pelham can secure the No. 1 seed for the Division V playoffs by beating Stevens Friday. The No. 2 seed will be awarded to the winner of Saturday's matchup between St. Thomas and Trinity (6-1, 5-1).

5. R. J. Toman.

University of New Hampshire quarterback R.J. Toman's 2008 passing statistics: 151 completions in 211 attempts for 1,784 yards and 19 touchdowns. Toman, who has been intercepted six times, is averaging 254.9 passing yards per game.

College: Tailback Mack is driven >> The Boston Globe

College: Dartmouth comes up short >> Dartmouth athletics

College: Falcons rally past Hawks >> St. Anselm athletics

College: Plymouth State shocks Curry >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Plenty of NH polling problems >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Defense, special teams sparks Broncos win >> Nashua Telegraph

College: 'Cats crush Towson >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Astros have upper hand >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Hollis-Brookline blanks Bedford >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: McCartney powers Cougars past Winnisquam >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sabers hold off late Con-Val charge >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Plymouth State knocks off Curry >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Spartans run out of steam >> Concord Monitor

High School: Astros show dominance on D >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Pelham hands St. Thomas first loss >> Portsmouth Herald

College: UNH routs Towson for 500th win >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Even without Santos, UNH offense marches on >> Portsmouth Herald

Editor's Note: Ben Stallman is a senior at Souhegan High School and a wide receiver/defensive back on the SHS football team. He entered the 2008 season with 60 career receptions, which is a school record. He also set the school record for receptions in a season when he caught 35 passes last year. Ben was named to the Division III All-State First Team following the 2007 season. His Varsity Insider column will appear each week throughout the season.

As Friday's Division III contest between the Souhegan Sabers and Pembroke Spartans commenced, it appeared to be another successful home game for the Sabers. Their defense opened with a good stop of the Pembroke offense after a little struggle, and the Sabers' offense wasted no time in turning the defensive stop into six points, as two plays put the first score of the game up on the board.

With every defensive stop by the Sabers' defense, the entire team became more excited but also more relaxed, allowing the offense to play calmly and smoothly, with no fear of making mistakes. With the first half nearing a close, the Spartans' offense began to drive the ball on the ground a little bit and lined up for a field goal attempt.  The kick sailed wide left, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty on Souhegan kept the drive alive.

            However, that was far from the first thing on our minds, as two players on the field goal block unit did not get up at the end of the play. One of the players rose slowly and struggled to walk to the sideline, where it was discovered he suffered a foot injury. The second player was not as fortunate. He lay flat on the field, not moving arms or legs, the crowd watching in stunned silence to see what was occurring on the field. Even though both teams stood in silence, wondering what had just happened. He was later diagnosed with the highest grade of concussion possible and will be out from two weeks to the entire season.

            When a play like that occurs, it reminds us that football, no matter how many players may eat, sleep and breathe it, is only a game. Injuries like this make you realize that playing the sport is a privilege, and should be handled as such, because your season can be snatched away from you with the simiple snap of fingers.

            As the second half resumed with Souhegan leading 28-3, the Sabers had half their mind on football and half on their teammate in the hospital. The rest of the game played  out much like the first half had, with Souhegan punching in some quick scores on the ground, backed by impressive defensive play, to win the game 41-17. It was a solid, but not perfect game for the Sabers, who will face an impressive Con-Val team Saturday. The Cougars are definitely a playoff-caliber team and will look to take a chip out of undefeated Souhegan. It will be a must-see matchup this weekend,though no matter how big the contest, it's still just a sport.

College: UNH will host Towson >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: STA ready for showdown >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Caiazzo has Owls flying >> Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

College: PSU set to host Curry >> Laconia Citizen

College: Wildcats need to take care of business >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Dartmouth in search of first victory >> The Dartmouth

High School: South banks on good defense >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Grizzlies clawing for berth >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Laconia entertains Kennett >> Laconia Citizen

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Bishop Guertin a No. 3 seed? Can't happen, right?

Yes it can -- and it might. Here's how:

If Exeter beats BG on Nov. 7 it's possible that BG, Exeter and Timberlane will each finish with a 7-1 record in Division II. In that scenario, all three teams would also have the same record in the following tiebreakers: head-to-head competiton (1-1), record against Division II playoff teams (2-1), record in road games against Division II opponents (3-1) and record in home games against Division II opponents (4-0).

According to the NHIAA handbook, the three-way tie would be broken by each team's overall road record. Exeter would be 4-1, Timberlane would be 4-1 and BG would be 3-2 (losses to Billerica, Mass., and Exeter). Timberlane would win its two-way tiebreaker against Exeter (head-to-head result) and receive the No. 1 seed. Exeter would be seeded No. 2 ,and BG would be the No. 3 seed. The Cardinals would be on the road for the Division II semifinals.

The regular season may end with a three-way tie at the top of the Division V standings as well. That scenario will likely unfold if St. Thomas (5-0) defeats Pelham (6-0) on Saturday and then loses to Trinity (4-1) on Nov. 1. St. Thomas, Pelham and Trinity could all finish 7-1 in Division V games.

In that scenario, all three teams would have a 1-1 record in head-to-head competition (Pelham beat Trinity), and all three would be 2-1 against Division V playoff teams. This tie would be broken by each team's road record against Division V opponents.

St. Thomas would be 4-0 in road games against Division V competition. Pelham and Trinity would each be 4-1. St. Thomas would be awarded the top seed, Pelham would be seeded No. 2 and Trinity would be No. 3. 

THE PICKS ...

High School: Prep school paying off for Burgess >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Looking for road win at UNH >> The Towerlight

College: In the middle of 'Cats success >> Concord Monitor

College: Mante behind the kick >> Yale Daily News

NFL: Graham doing all he can to stay on the field >> Daily Herald

Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and runs weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated nearly 300 NHIAA regular-season varsity games. He has also officiated more than 25 playoff games, and worked his 11th championship game last year (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 since 2001, and is also the New Hampshire representative on the National Federation of High Schools rules committee. Questions, which may be edited for clarity, can be submitted to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Please include your hometown.

Question: Roger, I saw Dracut (Mass.) play Andover (Mass.) Friday night and one of Andover's kickoffs bounced into the end zone without being touched and was recovered for an Andover touchdown. Dracut made no attempt to fall on the ball. You might want to include this play in the "Officially Speaking" column, since in New Hampshire this would be an automatic touchback. I always thought each state used NHFS rules.

-- Pelham

Answer:  Massachusetts and Texas are the only two states that use NCAA rules for high school football. All other states use NFHS rules. Even in Massachusetts and Texas, the rules are modified from standard NCAA rules. For example, kickoffs are from the 40-yard line as compared to the 30-yard line under NCAA rules.  Additionally, the length of quarters in high school games in Texas and Massachusetts are not 15 minutes, as under NCAA rules.
I believe Texas uses 12-minute quarters (the same as under NFHS rules) while Massachusetts uses 11-minute quarters (or at least that's what was used in a game that I observed last weekend). Each state athletic association makes the decision on which rules will be used. The NHIAA has opted for NFHS rules.

In the play cited above, it would be a touchback as soon as the ball breaks the plane of the receiving team's goal line. Under NCAA rules, a kick that has not been touched in the field of play can be returned if it's caught or
recovered in the receiving team's end zone and does not contact the ground in the end zone. A kick that is touched by the receiving team in the field of play remains live even it strikes the ground in the receiving team's end
zone. That's probably what occurred in the play that you observed.

The differences between the two codes can create confusion for coaches, players and spectators when teams from New Hampshire play teams from Massachusetts. If the game is played in New Hampshire, it is officiated by
the NHFOA using NFHS rules. If it's played in Massachusetts, then Massachusetts crews officiate the game under their modified NCAA rules. Pinkerton, Nashua South, Dover, Exeter and Bishop Guertin all have teams from Massachusetts on their schedules this season.

College: Plymouth State/Curry game notes >> PSU athletics

College: UNH/Towson game notes >> UNH athletics

College: Dartmouth/Columbia game notes >> Dartmouth athletics

College: St. Anselm Two Deep vs. Bentley >> St. Anselm athletics

High School: Fall Mountain enjoys winning feeling >> Keene Sentinel

College: Hampton Falls' Stevens a standout at Fordham >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Playoff talk starts for CAA teams >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Plymouth State preps for Curry >> Nashua Telegraph

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

He's a four-year starter who has passed for more than 10,000 yards during his collegiate career. His name is Sean Schaefer, and he's one of the reasons Towson could give the University of New Hampshire some trouble this weekend.

"I think it starts with their quarterback," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. "Sean Schaefer can make every throw that has to be made at this level. They have three really good receivers who can not only catch, they can run after the catch. They spread you out in a lot of different ways.

"They're a team that, offensively, spreads the field to find out where your weaknesses are and gets the ball to those spots. It's a little bit like what we do. When they have a kid that can pull the trigger like they do with Sean Schaefer, now it adds to the anxiety for a defensive coordinator, a defensive team."

UNH and Towson will meet at UNH's Cowell Stadium on Saturday at noon.

Towson, which is coming off a bye week, is 3-4 overall, 1-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. UNH improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the CAA with Saturday's 33-21 victory at Northeastern.

In Towson's last game, a 37-32 victory over Rhode Island, Schaefer completed 25 of 34 passes for 373 yards. He became the 20th Football Championship Subdivsion quarterback to pass for at least 10,000 yards in that contest.

Schaefer will enter Saturday's game having passed for 10,211 yards and 64 touchdowns since arriving at Towson.

"The thing that always strikes me with Sean is his accuracy, and secondly, his poise," Towson coach Gordy Combs said. "The thing that has surprised me the most is his ability to run with the football. Not that we design things for him to run the football, but how he can sense it and then when he has it he'll go and run with the football. Every time he's under center or in the shotgun he gives us an opportunity to win."

Towson is averaging 264.7 yards passing per game, which ranks first among CAA teams.

"We need to put some pressure on the quarterback out of our four-man rush, because the people who blitz them have some problems because they're so talented at the wide receiver position," McDonnell said. "One of the things that we need to improve upon is coverage in space, and this will be a major test for us."

Noteworthy

Towson wide receiver  Marcus Lee, a senior, has caught at least one pass in each of his 40 career games. Lee has 28 receptions for "He's very dependable," Combs said. "He's not the guy who's going to break the long touchdown run, but Sean is always gonna know where Marcus is. He very seldom drops a ball. He's just a winner. He approaches the game in a professional way." ...  Saturday's game can be seen on Comcast SportsNet New England. Gary Tanguay (play by play) and Andy Gresh (color commentary) will call the action ... UNH is 4-0 in the all-time series against Towson, including 2-0 in conference games. UNH beat Towson 62-24 in 2004, and 62-21 in 2005. .. Cooms said defensive lineman Richard Lee will not play Saturday. ... UNH ranks first among CAA teams in total offense (437.8 yards per game) and second in scoring offense (36.7 points per game).

The weekly honors continue for members of the Plymouth State University football team. as two standouts were named to the New England Football Conference Weekly Honor Roll after the team's 36-9 victory over Nichols College on Saturday. 

Senior tailback Jeff Mack (top left) and sophomore defensive back Kevin Whalen (bottom left) were PSU's representatives on this week's list.  Mack has been honored by the NEFC six times in seven weeks this season, four times on the weekly honor roll and twice as Co-Player of the Week, while Whalen made his second appearance on the weekly honor list.

A 5-foot-11, 215-pound back, Mack rushed for 114 yards on 21 carries (5.4 avg.) with two touchdowns (8 and 5 yards) against the Bison, sitting out most of the second half.  His first touchdown came late in the second quarter to put the Panthers up 30-9, and his second TD came on the first drive of the third quarter to round out the scoring.

An All-New England running back a year ago after rushing for 1,353 yards and 14 touchdowns, Mack ranks second in the NEFC this season with 1,179 yards.  He is also tied for fourth in the NEFC in scoring with 14 touchdowns. Mack continues to climb up PSU's all-time rushing list; he is now second with 3,343 yards on 593 carries (5.6 avg.) with 37 touchdowns.  He moved into the second spot last Saturday, passing Russ Massahos, who rushed for 3,276 yards and 36 TDs from 1998-01.

 A 5'-foot-9, 177-pound cornerback, Whalen registered five tackles against Nichols (four solo) and an interception (19-yard return).  His interception came with 1:40 left in the second quarter and gave PSU the ball at the Nichols 38, setting up a touchdown to give PSU a 30-9 lead at halftime.  The Panthers limited Nichols to only 13 pass completions in 36 attempts and 189 passing yards while picking off two passes.

 An All-NEFC Second Team pick a year ago, Whalen is tied for second on the team in tackles this season with 32 stops, including 27 solo tackles. He is also tied for second in interceptions with two and pass break-ups with three. Whalen was on the NEFC Honor Roll last month after making 10 tackles and an interception in a win over Coast Guard.

The Panthers, 6-1 overall and fourth in this week's New England Division III poll, are tied for first place in the NEFC Boyd Division (4-0).  PSU will host co-leader Curry College on Saturday (1 p.m.) in a NEFC Boyd Division showdown at Currier Field in a battle for first place.

                         -- Plymouth State athletics 

High School: BG beaten up in first test >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Newcomers struggling in Division III >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: North keeps plugging >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: South defense on the rise >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Central has balanced cast >> Manchester Union Leader

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Five items on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1. Top teams stumble.

Brockton (Mass.) 28, Pinkerton 27.
Timberlane 21, Exeter 7.
Billerica (Mass.) 21, Bishop Guertin 7.

When was the last time Pinkerton, Exeter and Bishop Guertin all lost during the same weekend? Glad you asked.

It was Oct. 26, 2001, when Manchester Memorial beat Pinkerton 27-10, Winnacunnet beat BG 19-7 and Andover (Mass.) beat Exeter 21-20.

Who is the best team in New Hampshire?

2. Fall Mountain ends streak.

Fall Mountain's 22-6 triumph over Mascoma on Saturday ended the program's 30-game losing streak. The Wildcats, who were held to 29 points in their first six games this season, will have a chance to make it two wins in as many weeks when they play Farmington (0-7) at home Friday night.

3. Chasing perfection.

When BG and Exeter lost last weekend it trimmed the number of unbeaten NHIAA teams to four: Souhegan (Division III), Plymouth (Division IV), Pelham (Division V) and St. Thomas (Division V).

That number will be reduced this weekend, when St. Thomas and Pelham meet in Dover. This weekend's other heavyweight matchup will feature Pinkerton and Nashua South. Those teams will play Saturday in Derry.

The Astros and Panthers are both 5-0 in Division I.

4. Winnacunnet wins.

The Warriors earned their first victory of the season when they beat Alvirne, 35-6, Friday night. It may have been the most surprising score of the weekend. Especially when you consider that Winnacunnet had allowed at least 26 points in each of its first six games. The Warriors were outscored 234-96 in those six contests.

 5. Defensive question.

What NHIAA team has allowed the fewest points this season?

The answer is Kennett, which has surrendered 40 points in seven games. The Eagles gave up 34 of those 40 points during a 34-6 loss to Plymouth.

Kennett posted its fourth consecutive shutout when it beat John Stark, 34-0, Friday.

College: Strong second half propels UNH >> UNH athletics

College: UNH tops Northeastern >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Dartmouth falls to Holy Cross >> Dartmouth athletics

College: Plymouth State rolls past Nichols >> Plymouth State athletics

College: 'Cats end NU skid >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Late-game playmaking lifts UNH >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Clippers sail past Hollis-Brookline >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Cougars pitch a shutout >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Tornadoes romp over Winnisquam >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Concord shut out of postseason >> Concord Monitor

High School: Franklin gets emotional victory >> Laconia Citizen

High School: North can't catch any breaks >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Brockton wins with huge comeback >> Brockton Enterprise

High School: Timberlane upsets Exeter >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Billerica stops BG >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Merrimack can't stop Dover QB >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Alvirne gets overwhelmed >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: King leads Milford >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Lapham is helping BC >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Londonderry posts wild win >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Sachems march past Knights >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Pelham fights off Kearsarge >> Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

High School: Cronan leads Winnacunnet to first win >> Portsmouth Herald

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The 2009 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl will be played at Windsor (Vt.) High School, according to a story in Friday's Rutland (Vt.) Herald.

Renovations to Dartmouth College's press box and stands will make the facility unavailable for next year's game, which features some of the best high school players from Vermont and New Hampshire. Dartmouth became the permanent home for the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl in 1958,.

The 2009 contest will be the second time the game will be played in Vermont. The 1967 game was played at Centennial Field in Burlington. The game has also been played at Holman Stadium (Nashua), Athletic Stadium (Manchester), Cowell Stadium (Durham) and Currier Field (Plymouth).

Because of limited seating at Windsor High School, temporary bleachers will be brought in for the game.

New Hampshire won this year's game 42-0 and has a 40-13-2 edge in the series. The 2009 game will be played Aug. 1.

The head coaches for next year's game will be named in December. The New Hampshire and Vermont rosters will be released in February.

College: St. Anselm has cause to celebrate >> Boston Globe

College: Wildcats hope to rebound >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Northeastern no longer an easy mark >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Much hinges on UNH game >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: BG, Pinkerton to take Mass. test >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: For good teams, intensity never wavers >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Panthers look to extend streak >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Franklin, Winnisquam set to clash >> Laconia Citizen

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Rod Wotton has guided teams to 21 state championships in his high school football coaching career, and he may add to that total this season.

Wotton's St. Thomas team enters tonight's game at Bishop Brady 5-0 overall and 4-0 in Division V. Pelham (5-0, 5-0) is the only other undefeated team in the division.

Wotton is about to find out a lot more about his team. After tonight's game, the Saints will play home games against Pelham and Trinity (5-1, 4-1). It may require an unbeaten regular season to earn the No. 1 seed for the Division V playoffs.

"I think we're getting better and I think we're going to end up in the second season," Wotton said. "We have the next three teams that will probably make the playoffs in the next three weeks. That will tell us what we're capable of. I'm kind of anxious about the next three games and I think the kids are too."

Wotton won 17 state titles while he was the head coach at Marshwood High School in Eliot, Maine. Marshwood remains one of the best programs in that state.

He came out of retirement in 1996, and, after passing on an opportunity to coach at Portsmouth, took over a St. Thomas program that was anything but competitive. Wotton led the Saints to the Division IV championship in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006. He'll enter Friday's contest with a 328-69-3 career record.

One of the keys for St. Thomas this season has been running back Zach Merrigan's decision to play football in his senior season. A concussion shortened Merrigan's junior season.

"We didn't think we were going to have him," Wotton said. "His father said he wasn't going to play unless he got a lot stronger. That's what he did in the offseason. He gained about 20 pounds and he's running with confidence."

Merrigan has gained at least 100 yards in four of his team's five games this season.

Bishop Brady's only two losses came against Trinity and Pelham. Pelham had a 9-8 lead at halftime of last Friday's game against Bishop Brady (3-2, 2-2), but returned an interception and a fumble for a touchdown in the second half.

"Trinity doesn't do anything fancy, but what they do they do well," Wotton said. "They hand the ball to someone and 10 kids block. It's the push-and-shove offense.

"Pelham is very quick. Until someone beats them, I think they're the team to beat.

"We look to be in good shape at the moment, but we'll know a lot more Friday night. If we go up there and beat Brady we could be a team to be reckoned with."

THE PICKS ... 

Editor's Note: Ben Stallman is a senior at Souhegan High School and a wide receiver/defensive back on the SHS football team. He entered the 2008 season with 60 career receptions, which is a school record. He also set the school record for receptions in a season when he caught 35 passes last year. Ben was named to the Division III All-State First Team following the 2007 season. His Varsity Insider column will appear each week throughout the season.

As last Friday's matchup between Souhegan and Milford High School drew close, many wondered how Souhegan would stack up against a quality Division III football team like Milford. Many questioned whether Souhegan's defense could contain and stop a potent offense with a dual-threat quarterback and an elusive running back. After Milford played Souhegan close in last year's semi-final game and lost 10-0, there were thoughts that the Spartans could give Souhegan a run for its money this year.

Both teams entered the contest undefeated in division play, and the game possessed serious playoff implications for both squads.  It came down to which team would answer the call.           

However, it appeared Souhegan and its defense answered the call in a major way. Souhegan concentrated on shutting down Milford's main playmakers and taking away either the run or the pass, whichever came first, making the Spartans one-dimensional. It seemed as though the pass was taken away first and Milford went run heavy.  However, near the end of the first half, the Spartans started to find some running room. They used the Wing-T offense to perfection and moved the ball down the field with a few effective dive plays and off-tackle options.  Had it not been for the whistle sounding the end of the first half, Milford may have punched it in, changing the flow and momentum of the ball game. Time was on Souhegan's side then.