Five items on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1. UNH vs. Northern Iowa

It was announced Sunday that Saturday's FCS quarterfinal matchup between the Wildcats and Panthers will begin at 7 p.m.( ET) at Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Saturday's contest will be the third game between the programs. The previous two games were also in the FCS playoffs: Northern Iowa won in 2005 (24-21) and 2007 (38-35).

2. New Hampshire's Mr. Football

It has to be Nashua South running back/defensive back David Zocco right? Hard to picture anyone else winning the award. Zocco scored five touchdowns in Nashua South's victory over Pinkerton Academy in this year's Division I championship game.

3. Chip Kelly

It appears that Kelly, a former Manchester Central quarterback, will interview for the head coaching position at Syracuse this week. Published reports said the interview is scheduled for Wednesday, although New Hampshire Football Report has been told it will take place Thursday.

Kelly, 44, served as the offensive coordinator at UNH before accepting his current position as the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.

4. Mike Hatt

Hatt, the head coach at Springfield High School, will guide Vermont in next year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. Hatt's Springfield team scored 488 points in 11 games en route to the Division III championship last season. No other team in the state scored more than 381.

5. Offseason news

Readers are reminded that any offseason items of note can be submitted to New Hampshire Football Report using the following email address: rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Many items, like coaching vacancies, fund-raisers, camps and clinics, will be placed on the Chalkboard, which can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top of this site. 

College: Kelly has Ducks firing on all cylinders >> The Oregonian

College: Bellotti confidence Ducks can keep Kelly >> Portland Tribune

College: So long, Salukis >> Concord Monitor

College: UNH advances, 29-20 >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Bishop's foot sinks Southern Illinois >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Third-quarter woes come back to bite SIU >> The Southern

College: Dawgs knocked down, out >> The Southern

College: Southern Illinois struggles on the ground >> Chicago Tribune

College: Defense, special teams carry UNH >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Bishop propels UNH >> ESPNU

The University of New Hampshire and the University of Northern Iowa football programs will meet in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the third time in the last four years when the teams tangle at Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome next Saturday.

Northern Iowa advanced by beating Maine, 40-15, in Saturday's first round. UNH beat Southern Illinois, 29-20, earlier in the day.

Northern Iowa beat UNH, 24-21, in Durham in 2005, and scored on a 24-yard TD pass from quarterback Eric Sanders to Montari Leonard with seven second to play to pull out a 38-35 victory in Iowa last season.

UNH grabbed the lead in last year's game when running back Chad Kackert scored on a 15-yard run with 1:16 to play, but Northern Iowa moved the ball 71 yards in 1:09 for the game-winning score.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Tom Bishop kicked five field goals and John Clements returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to help the University of New Hampshire post a 29-20 victory over Southern Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday.

The Wildcats led 26-20 until Bishop kicked a 39-yard field goal with 2:13 to play.

UNH, which improved its record to 10-2, will face Northern Iowa in next Saturday's quarterfinals. UNH lost to Northern Iowa in last year's playoffs.

Southern Illinois, which entered Saturday's game with a seven-game winning streak, completed its season with a 9-3 record.

A victory next week would earn UNH its first trip to the NCAA semifinals.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

According to a report on Rivals.com, former University of New Hampshire assistant coach Chip Kelly will interview for the Syracuse head coaching job on Wednesday.

Kelly (pictured), who is the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon, previously held the same position at the UNH. The Wildcats averaged more than 400 yards per game in seven of his eight seasons in Durham. 

Before being elevated to offensive coordinator, Kelly, 44, coached UNH's offensive line (1997-98) and running backs (1994-96). Kelly also served as the defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins in 1993. He broke into coaching at Columbia in 1990.

Syracuse is looking to replace Greg Robinison, who was told on Nov. 17 that he would not return next season.

Kelly, who was born in Dover and grew up in Manchester, played high school football at Manchester Central.

College: Kelly to Syracuse talk increases >> The Oregonian

College: UNH eager for playoff opener >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Salukis maintain playoff standard >> Chicago Tribune

College: Wildcats confident on the road >> Manchester Union Leader

College: NH football takes center stage in hub >> Manchester Union Leader

College; UNH's Young acts and looks the part >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Salukis' defense has its hands full >> The Southern

College: Boyle hopes fairly tale has happy ending >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Southern Illinois/UNH media notes >> SIU athletics

College: Defense has been key for UNH >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Tough and talented >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Dicecca boots South past North >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Souhegan caps 12-0 season >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Central comes back for seconds >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Central stuffs Memorial >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Memorial ends season as more than leftovers >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Turkey Bowl roundup >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Portsmouth offense shines >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Spaulding tastes victory >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Manchester Central 47
Manchester Memorial 6

Portsmouth 35
Dover 28

Nashua South 17
Nashua North 16

Souhegan 28
Merrimack 21

Keene 36
Monadnock 0

Spaulding 30
Somersworth 20

The University of New Hampshire will be making its fifth consecutive apperance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs when if faces ninth-ranked Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill., on Saturday.

Both teams enter the contest with 9-2 records. Tenth-ranked UNH qualified for the FCS playoffs for the seventh time. The Wildcats have a 3-6 record in postseason play.

Saturday's game can be heard on the UNH Sports Radio Network and will be the first meeting between the two schools.

UNH/Southern Illinois game notes

DIVISION I ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAM

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Colin Brown, Sr., Concord; Running Backs: Mike Cavanaugh, Jr., Manchester Central; David Zocco, Sr., Nashua South; Eric Guinto, Jr., Pinkerton; Wide Receivers: Brett Parenteau, Sr., Manchester Central; Jake Tremblay Sr., Manchester Central; Tight End: Cory Lavallee, Sr., Salem; Offensive Line: Seamus O'Neil, Sr., Manchester Central; Josh Rogolski, Sr., Nashua South; Alex Deyeso, Sr., Londonderry; Ryan Raymond, Sr., Pinkerton; Chris Trieb, Jr., Pinkerton; Dan Herrick, Sr., Concord; Kicker: Anthony Guidice, Jr., Nashua North; Punter: Beau Breton, Sr., Manchester West

First Team Defense

Defensive Ends: Mike Grillakis, Sr., Nashua South; Chris George, Sr., Pinkerton; Defensive Tackles: Ben Proulx, Sr., Pinkerton; Jon Lara, Sr., Manchester Central; Josh Nitso, Sr., Londonderry; Linebackers: Jharid Pratt, Sr., Salem; Sean Coughlin, Sr., Nashua North; Marty Voorhis, Jr., Nashua South; Mike Bradley Sr., Concord; Defensive Backs: Marc Peroni, Sr., Manchester Central, Adam Bardwell, Sr., Londonderry; Mark Maguire, Sr., Pinkerton; Colby Verge, Sr., Pinkerton.

Note; Please send All-State information to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

College: For Boyle. fleeting fame >> Concord Monitor

College: SIU opens with UNH >> St. Louis Post-Dispatch

College: Kackert and Boyle shine in spotlight >> Laconia Citizen

High School: It's Nashua's Turkey Bowl >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sabers hope to avoid letdown >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: End arrives for seniors >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Portsmouth, Dover eager for tussle >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Dover, Portsmouth ready to clash >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: A reunion for Hebert and Keays >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Thanksgiving Day games involving teams from New Hampshire:

Nashua South vs. Nashua North (10 a.m.)

Panthers are riding high after beating Pinkerton to win this year's Division I championship.

Souhegan at Merrimack (10 a.m.)

Souhegan leads the series 7-4 and will be attempting to complete an unbeaten season.

Dover at Portsmouth (10 a.m.)

These teams split their first two Thanksgving Day games. Each won on its home field.

Keene at Monadnock (10 a.m.)

Monadnock will be trying to prove that the gap between Division II and Division IV isn't as big as some think it is.

Somersworth at Spaulding (10 a.m.)

There's plenty of incentive for the Red Raiders. This will be Spaulding's last chance to avoid a winless season.

Manchester Central vs. Manchester Memorial (10:15 a.m.)

Central scored 41 first-half points en route to a 47-0 triumph over Memorial during the regular season.

High School: Memorial has plenty to prove >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Perfect ending for Franklin >> Laconia Citizen

College: Future looks bright for PSU >> Laconia Citizen

College: Turnovers are key for UNH defense >> Portsmouth Herald

College: SIU must conjury up crowd for playoff game >> TheSouthern.com

Voting has begun for the WGAM Friday Night Lights Mr. Football 2008 Award.

This year's winner will be announced at the Mr. Football banquet, which will be held Dec. 9 (6 p.m.) at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manchester. Voting by selected media members will produce five finalists, who will each be invited to this year's banquet. Past Mr. Football winners:

2002: Jeff Farrington, Souhegan
2003: Mike Boyle, Plymouth
2004: Dave Philistin, Central
2005: John Shurgrue, Pinkerton
2006: Mark Spinney, Bishop Guertin
2007: Alex Theodosi, Londonderry  

Anyone with information regarding this year's All-State teams who would like to see the teams published on New Hampshire Football Report can send that information to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

 

According to a story in Tuesday's Rutland (Vt.) Herald, Springfield High School coach Mike Hatt has been named Vermont's head coach for the 2009 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

The Herald story said Vermont Interscholastic Football League executive director Bob Hingston made the announcement at a meeting Monday at Hartford High School. Vermont will be trying to end an eight-game losing streak against New Hampshire in the annual all-star high school football game.

"We have a lot of skill kids this year who not only have great athleticism, but great size," Hatt told the Herald. "That excites me."

The New Hampshire head coach has not been announced.

Hatt's coaching staff will include Springfield assistant Rich Saypack, Bill Miller and Chris Sawyer from Brattleboro, and Bellows Falls head coach Bob Lockerby.

Hatt guided Springfield to the Division III championship this season.

Hatt graduated from Springfield in 1978 and was a three-sport athlete for the Cosmos. He then earned a physical education degree from Springfield (Mass.) College

Hatt has also coached varsity basketball at Stevens High School (Claremont) and at Springfield.

During his eight years as Springfield's football coach, the Cosmos are 39-37, including an 11-0 record in 2008.

The Vermont and New Hampshire Shrine teams will report to Kimball Union Academy in Meriden on July 24. Next year's game will be played Aug. 1 at Windsor High School.

The game is usually played at Dartmouth College, but that site will be unavailable in 2009 because of construction at Dartmouth's Memorial Field.

College: No TV for UNH >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: It's time for a Super Bowl Sunday >> Concord Monitor

College: High Five >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Wildcats take road trip in stride >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Despite loss to UNH, Maine earns berth >> Portsmouth Herald

The New England Football Conference announced its 2008 All-Star team Monday, and 10 Plymouth State University players were among those named Boyd Division All-Stars. The teams are voted on by the league's head coaches.

Eight Panthers were selected to the Boyd Division First Team, four on offense and four on defense, and two other defensive players were named to the Second Team. Four of the selections are repeat honorees from last season. They were all key players in Plymouth State's run to the NEFC championship and berth in the NCAA playoffs.

The offensive players named First Team All-Stars include senior running back Jeff Mack (Milford), senior tight end Tim Nicholson, senior offensive lineman Joe Duval (Dover) and junior offensive lineman Zac Duval (Dover). Mack received the honor for the second straight season, while the others are all first-time picks.

The four defensive players selected to the First Team are senior defensive lineman Justin Jarvis (Surry), junior defensive lineman Jim Sestito, senior linebacker Brian Keenan (Hampstead) and sophomore defensive back Kevin Whalen. Jarvis is a three-time All-Conference selection, moving up to the First Team after two years on the Second Team. Whalen was on the Second Team last year, and the other two are first time choices.

PSU's Second Team selections are first-time honorees in senior defensive lineman Ryan Harrington (Hampton) and sophomore defensive back Zach Parsons.

Mack completed an outstanding season, rushing for a school-record 1,779 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ran for more than 200 yards four times, and ranked in the top 10 in the nation in rushing. He carried the load for the Panthers, who ran the ball nearly 90 percent of the time.

PSU had a powerful offensive line opening holes for Mack, led by the Duval brothers. Joe is a four-year starter who spent time at both guard positions as well as center, while Zac started every game at right tackle. Nicholson, who shared co-captain duties with Mack, was a strong blocking tight end, moving back to the offense this season after a year at linebacker last season.

The Panthers had the top defense in the NEFC this season, and they were rewarded with six all-conference selections.  Sestito, Jarvis, and Harrington gave PSU anchors on the interior line, Sestito with 41 tackles, including a team-high 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, Jarvis with 46 tackles, including seven for lost yardage, and Harrington with 29 tackles, including three for losses and one sack.

Keenan backboned a solid linebacking unit, leading the team in tackles with 58, while also collecting an interception and a forced fumble. Whalen had three interceptions and eight pass break-ups and Parsons recorded four interceptions and four break-ups to lead the Panther defensive backs.

Plymouth State won nine games in a row this year, including the NEFC championship game, before losing to SUNY Cortland last Saturday, 31-14, in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, finishing the season with a 10-2 overall record.

For the third time in four weeks, Dartmouth cornerback and kick returner Shawn Abuhoff has been selected as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week.

The Big Green's top cover man on defense, Abuhoff recorded a career-high 10 tackles, three of which were solo, while helping hold Princeton to 88 passing yards in Dartmouth's 28-10 road loss to the Tigers. He also returned a pair of kickoffs 43 yards and brought back three punts for 10 more.

Two other Big Green players were recognized on the Ivy Honor Roll for their efforts versus Princeton: senior linebacker Joe Battaglia finished his career with a career-best 12 tackles, five solo, to lead the Dartmouth defense; and junior Peter Pidermann returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and contributed five tackles from his free safety position.

The Colonial Athletic Association announced its all-conference award winners and various players of the year on Monday and the University of New Hampshire saw nine different players earn accolades, including Brian McNally, who received CAA Defensive Rookie Of The Year honors.

McNally, a redshirt freshman defensive end, started every game for the Wildcats and was the team's ninth leading tackler on the season. He also recorded a team-high seven tackles for loss, collected a team-best 2.5 sacks, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble.

The Wildcats had two players named first-team all-conference on the offensive side of the football in senior wide receiver Mike Boyle (Plymouth) and junior tight end Scott Sicko.

Boyle leads the team with 10 touchdown receptions and needs 74 more receiving yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark in receiving. He is presently ranked second in the CAA in receiving yards and third in receptions, averaging 5.1 per contest. Boyle had two key touchdowns in UNH's win at Maine this past weekend, including the game-winner.

Sicko, who was named a preseason All-American by several media outlets, has 41 catches for 506 yards and seven touchdowns this season..

Six different players were also named second-team all-conference, two on offense and four on defense.

Sophomore quarterback R.J. Toman has passed for 27 touchdowns and run for four this season. He is presently ranked No. 4 in the nation in passing efficiency (167.69) and 17th in the country in total offense (253.08 ypg.).

Senior Josh Droesch, who is 6-foot-6 and weighs 290 pounds, has the size and power to play at the next level. He has excelled at protecting the quarterback this season and is one of the main reasons why UNH is second in the CAA in scoring offense (36.4 ppg.) and first in total offense (414.9 ypg.).

Senior linebacker Matt Parent ranks second on the squad in tackles (28-57-85). He is third all-time at UNH in total tackles with 344. Parent also has posted 6.5 tackles for a loss this season and two sacks.

John Clements, a defensive back, is third on the team in tackles (41-31-72). He also recorded two interceptions for 47 yards and recovered two fumbles. He returned one interception for a touchdown.

Also named to the second team was sophomore cornerback Dino Vasso, who is first on the team in tackles (57-29-86) and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with four.

Senior Tom Bishop was named second-team punter. Bishop is averaging 41.1 yards per punt this season and has put 17 punts inside the 20. He also has booted seven punts over 50 yards in 2008 with a long of 56 yards.

The Bedford Jaguars junior high school varsity team defeated the Londonderry Wildcats, 37-0, earlier this month and will represent New Hampshire in the American Youth Football national championships. This year's event will be held in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 6-13.

Bedford defeated Pembroke, 30-0, on Nov. 8 to win the Granite State Football League championship.

College: Murphy collects postseason honor >> D2football.com

College: SIU will face New Hampshire >> TheSouthern.com

College: UNH, Maine earn playoff berths >> Boston Herald

College: UNH takes playoff act on road >> Manchester Union Leader

College: On the road for Wildcats >> Concord Monitor

College: UNH draws Southern Illinois >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: UNH earns playoff berth >> Portsmouth Herald

College: NCAA FCS playoff bracket >> NCAA.com

The field of 16 teams competing for the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee on Sunday night.

James Madison University (10-1) tops the bracket as the top seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes, who won the 2004 national championship, are making their ninth tournament appearance.  

Second-seeded Appalachian State University (10-2), the three-time defending Football Championship Subdivision national champion, is making its 16th appearance. The Mountaineers captured the Southern Conference automatic berth.

The University of Northern Iowa (10-2), which is making its 14th tournament appearance, is the number-three seed. The Panthers were the national runners-up to Appalachian State in 2005.

Rounding out this year's seeded teams is the University of Montana (11-1) with the number- four seed. The Grizzlies, who won the 1995 and 2001 national championship, are making their 16th straight appearance and 19th overall.

Other first-round hosts include Cal Poly (8-2), University of Richmond (9-3), Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic qualifier Southern Illinois University (9-2), and Villanova University (9-2).

Other automatic qualifiers in the tournament include 2003 national runners-up Colgate University (9-2), which earned the automatic bid from the Patriot League. Eastern Kentucky University (8-3) was the automatic qualifier from the Ohio Valley Conference, while South Carolina State University (10-2) earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's automatic bid. Texas State University (8-4) was the automatic qualifier from the Southland Conference and Weber State University (9-3) was the automatic qualifier from the Big Sky Conference.

Other teams in the field are University of Maine (8-4), University of New Hampshire (9-2), Richmond University (9-3) and Wofford College (9-2).

Eight conferences received automatic-qualifying berths: the Big Sky Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference and Southland Conference.

November 29 at Harrisburg, Virginia
Wofford (9-2) at No. 1 James Madison (10-1)

November 29 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Colgate (9-2) at Villanova (9-2)

November 29 at Missoula, Montana
Texas St. (8-4) at No. 4 Montana (11-1)

November 29 at San Luis Obispo, California
Weber St. (9-3) at Cal Poly (8-2)

November 29 at Boone, North Carolina
South Carolina St. (10-2) at No. 2 Appalachian St. (10-2)

November 29 at Richmond, Virginia
Eastern Ky. (8-3) at Richmond (9-3)

November 29 at Cedar Falls, Iowa
Maine (8-4) at No. 3 UNI (10-2)

November 29 at Carbondale, Illinois
New Hampshire (9-2) at Southern Ill. (9-2)

College: UNH outlasts Maine >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Plymouth State falls in NCAA playoffs >> PSU athletics

College: Panthers lose to Cortland >> Laconia Citizen

College: Dartmouth falls in final game >> Dartmouth athletics

College: A big win and UNH is in >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Farkas thrives as Pinkerton's executioner >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Panthers claw out OT win >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Cards defense locks up championship >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Campbell's title hopes dashed >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Exeter suffers 14-7 loss >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: South tops Pinkerton >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: BG holds off Exeter >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Pelham writes perfect ending >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Defense carries Franklin >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Eight is enough >> Concord Monitor

High School: Defense carries Franklin >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Pelham retains state title >> Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

DIVISION I

Nashua South 33
Pinkerton 32

DIVISION II

Bishop Guertin 14
Exeter 7

DIVISION V

Pelham 22
St. Thomas 0

DIVISION VI

Franklin 8
Campbell 0

High School: South expects unexpected at Pinkerton >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG, Exeter add chapter to rivalry >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Campbell hoping it can avoid turnovers >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Who wants it more? >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Tornadoes warned >> Concord Monitor

High School: Blue Hawks hoping to peak at best time >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: St. Thomas aiming for upset >> 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 that beat Portsmouth, 28-14, in this year's Division III championship game. 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 appeared each week throughout the season.

After slowly walking off the "Land of Lenahan" field in the Division III state championship game against Plymouth last year, the Souhegan players had a sour taste in their mouth. It was the bitter taste of defeat. The good thing about this bad aftertaste, however, was that it made the returning Sabers players even hungrier for a title. They would get that chance again facing the Portsmouth Clippers in this year's Division III championship game.

As the light faded in "The Jungle" stadium at Souhegan High School, all eyes were on the scoreboard. The seconds slowly ticked off the clock, Souhegan inching closer and closer to an undefeated championship season.  Every fan turned their attention almost away from the field of play and towards the scoreboard, anxiously awaiting the final buzzer. As the rain poured steadily down on the field, forming large puddles and thick mud, the Souhegan Sabers finally tasted that ever-elusive taste of success. Taking the final knee, the starters on the field watched those last seconds disappear and embraced their teammates, knowing it had all come to a perfect end.

The atmosphere of the postgame festivities was electric, players bawling their eyes out left and right, knowing all their blood, sweat, and tears given throughout the season, the double sessions in August, had not gone to waste.  Their hurdles had brought them to their ultimate success. First, the Sabers applauded the Clippers as they received the runner-up trophy. Portsmouth fought to the end with just as much hunger as the Sabers had, and had been gracious in defeat. Then came the moment for all of the players, from freshmen up to varsity, that had been long awaited: The championship trophy was in their grasp, and the weight and pressure of being the favorite and undefeated lifted off their shoulders. Feeling the cold metal of the plaque was an unforgettable experience, and the players and coaches will keep it with them the rest of their lives.

Even an hour after the game, no player wanted to leave the field despite mud and rain, with a fear that maybe the euphoria wouldn't last if they left. However, after many pictures, tears, and hugs, the players and coaches drove to the center of Amherst, where the captains hoisted up the State Champion flag high and proudly, many starting to understand what they had just witnessed, and been a part of. Then the crowd that had gathered went silent, with a few families taking pictures, the rest gazing up, completely appreciating what had just occurring during the day. They never wanted to forget the moment where the clock went from one second left to zero, the taste of victory overcoming them.

College: UNH, Maine in the running for FCS playoff spots >> Nashua Telegraph

College: A lot at stake in UNH/Maine matchup >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Pinkerton/Nashua South have promises to keep >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Tornadoes aim for title >> Laconia Citizen

College: Hard work paying off for Plymouth State >> Laconia Citizen

College: UNH, Maine ready to lay it on the line >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Generating offense is Exeter's top concern >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: St. Thomas has chance for payback >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Wildcat snub motivates UMaine senior >> Bangor Daily News

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

If you're a media member, obtaining a program at a playoff football game without shelling out five bucks can be like trying to wrestle a chicken leg away from a crocodile. Other than that, the NHIAA and the host school usually do a fine job of putting on a top-notch event.
However, someone once said that if you're not moving forward people are gaining on you. With that thought in mind, how can we improve our state championship football games here in New Hampshire?

Here are two ways:

•Reduce the number of state championships from six to three. This proposal has been put forth here before. Keep the six-division format (sort the teams by enrollment, location or even strength of program) and award six league championships. Then play three state championship games the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
You may have to eliminate a bye week or a non-league game to make the schedule work, but do we really need to see games like Concord vs. Spaulding and Portsmouth vs. Kingswood?

The divisions would be renamed: IA (Division I), IB (Division II), 2A (Division III), 2B (Division IV), 3A (Division V) and 3B (Division VI). Two Division I teams would meet for a state title, as would two teams from Division 2 and two from Division 3.

This would enhance the experience for the athletes and put more meaning into each state championship. New Hampshire isn't big enough for six state champions.

It would also eliminate all the yapping about the need for Plymouth, Souhegan, Exeter and BG to move up a division.

•Play each of the three state championship games at one site.

Finding a suitable location is currently a problem, since you wouldn't want a third-seeded Nashua team playing a top-seeded Pinkerton team for a title in Nashua. Nor would you want a top-seeded Bishop Guertin team traveling to Eustis Field to play a second-seeded Exeter team. Similar situations could arise in other divisions as well. The NHIAA football committee ran into this problem last season.

The solution is to play the championship games at the University of New Hampshire once (if?) Cowell Stadium is upgraded and lights are added. The day we have three state championship games in Durham is the day New Hampshire high school football takes a huge step forward.

The Picks ...

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

•When and where: Saturday (noon) at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.
•Team records: Nashua South is 8-3 overall, 8-1 in Division I. Pinkerton is 8-3 overall, 8-1 in Division I.
•Regular-season result: Pinkerton won, 10-0, in Derry.
•Noteworthy: This is a rematch of last year's Division I title game, which Pinkerton won in Nashua 14-2. The Astros are attempting to win their fourth consecutive state title. ... This is the third time the Astros and Purple Panthers have faced each other in a state championship game. Pinkerton beat Nashua 46-6 to win the Class L title in 1991. ... Pinkerton reached the championship game by beating fourth-seeded Londonderry, 19-15, in the semifinals. The Astros trailed 9-0 at halftime and 15-6 with 7:19 to play, but scored on an 84-yard screen pass from quarterback Ryan Simpson to Matt Mangano and then took the lead on Colby Verge's 40-yard touchdown run - his second TD run in the game - with 44 seconds to play. ... Nashua South intercepted four passes in its 24-9 triumph over third-seeded Manchester Central in the semifinals. The Panthers scored on a 24-yard pass from quarterback Keith Farkas to Nick Haskell, a 10-yard run by running back David Zocco, a 2-yard run by Cory Boudreau and Cameron DiCecca's 26-yard field goal. Zocco ran for 162 yards in that game and will enter Saturday's contest with 1,417 yards on the ground this season. ... Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly has a 9-1 record in championship games. ... Pinkerton fullback/linebacker Chris George ran for 100 yards on 16 carries when Pinkerton beat Nashua South during the regular season. He scored the game's only touchdown on a 6-yard run with 8:11 to play, and made a team-high eight tackles. The Astros also received a 36-yard field goal from Shawn Clukey. Pinkerton held Zocco to 46 yards on 15 carries. The Astros had the ball for nearly 34 minutes. ... Farkas has completed 95-of-181 passes for 1,164 yards this season. ... The Panthers haven't won a state championship since 1997, when they beat Londonderry 20-0. That was before Nashua had two public high schools. ... This game will be televised live by CN8.

Plymouth State University will make its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship Tournament on Saturday when the Panthers visit the State University of New York College at Cortland for a first-round game.

The Panthers (10-1) and Red Dragons (9-1) will kick off at noon at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. Both teams earned automatic bids in the NCAA Tournament, Plymouth State by winning the New England Football Conference championship and Cortland State by capturing the New Jersey Athletic Conference title. PSU went 7-0 in the NEFC Boyd Division and knocked off Bogan Division winner Maine Maritime in the conference championship game last Saturday, 46-16, while Cortland posted a perfect 9-0 mark in the NJAC to claim the title before losing to rival Ithaca College in a non-conference game last Saturday, 35-13.

Plymouth State is riding a nine-game winning streak, capped off by last Saturday's NEFC victory over Maine Maritime. Also in the streak was a 28-17 victory over Curry College on Oct. 25, snapping the Colonels' 37-game NEFC unbeaten streak and ending Curry's five-year reign atop the NEFC. PSU captured its first NEFC championship since winning or sharing nine NEFC titles in 10 years from 1981-90, including eight straight from 1981-88.  PSU also won Freedom Football Conference championships in 1994, 1995 and 2001. The Panthers are ranked #2 in New England behind Trinity College, and have been receiving votes in both Division III national polls.

Led by the top defense in the league, PSU has allowed 15 points per game and 268 yards per outing, including an average of 115 yards rushing. The Panther offense runs the ball almost 90 percent of the time and features a 1,500-yard running back and a veteran offensive line. The Panthers gain almost 300 of their 356 yards per game on the ground, where they have scored 45 of their 49 touchdowns.

Saturday will be the second meeting in football between Plymouth State and Cortland State. The Red Dragons defeated the Panthers, 21-6, in the 1991 ECAC Division III Northwest Championship game at Cortland.

GAME #12:  NCAA Division III Championships - First Round Game

                     Plymouth State (N.H.) (10-1, 7-0 NEFC) at Cortland State (N.Y.) (9-1, 9-0 NJAC)

                     Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, 12:00 p.m., SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex, Cortland, N.Y. 

High School: They're quietly leading Campbell >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Unrivaled anticipation >> Concord Monitor

College: Duvals key to Plymouth State's success >> Laconia Citizen

College: McDonnell says UNH belongs in playoffs >> Portsmouth Herald

Colllege: Maine has chance for special win >> Portland Press Herald

High School: St. Thomas defense hopes to set tone >> Foster's Daily Democrat

DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 3 Exeter vs. No. 1 Bishop Guertin

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
•Team records: Exeter is 8-3 overall, 7-2 in Division II. BG is 9-2 overall, 8-1 in Division II.
•Regular-season result: BG won, 45-9, in Exeter.
•Noteworthy: This is the sixth time Exeter coach Bill Ball and BG coach Tony Johnson have opposed each other in the Division II championship game. Exeter won in 1997, 1998 and 2007. BG prevailed in 2005 and 2006. BG also beat Exeter in the 1973 Division II championship game (13-8). ... At least one of these teams has reached the championship game in each of the last 12 seasons. ... Top-seeded BG advanced by beating fourth-seeded Keene, 18-8, in the semifinals. BG trailed 8-6 in the fourth quarter, but scored 12 points in the final six minutes. ... Exeter reached the championship game with a 7-6 victory over second-seeded Timberlane. The Blue Hawks trailed 6-0 until quarterback Andrew Kukesh hooked up with Nick Provost for a 42-yard touchdown pass with 6:25 remaining in the first half. James Holler's point-after kick proved to be the difference. ... The 45 points BG scored against Exeter earlier this season were the most points an Exeter team has allowed in Bill Ball's 16 seasons as the program's head coach. The Cardinals outscored the Blue Hawks 21-0 in the second half of that game. ... BG has a 104-39 record since Johnson became the program's head coach in 1994. Johnson, who played on the 1975 BG team that won the Division II title, played college football at the University of Rhode Island. He was an assistant coach at Plymouth State and UNH before taking over at BG. ... Exeter fullback Zach Kelleher has gained a team-high 683 yards on 113 carries this season, but halfback Robbie Kisiel has rushed for a team-high eight touchdowns. Kukesh has completed 32-of-82 passes for 477 yards and seven touchdowns. He's been intercepted six times.

Coming Friday: Division I capsule preview

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: I have never seen this happen and hope I never will, but what would the ruling be on this play? There's an interception near the defensive team's goal line and the player who intercepted the pass has a clear path to the end zone. There's no one around him, so he stops at the opposing team's 40-yard line and makes a taunting gesture to the other team. He then continues to the end zone. Touchdown?

-- Amherst

DIVISION V CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 3 St. Thomas vs. No. 1 Pelham

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Pelham.
•Team records: St. Thomas is 8-2 overall, 7-2 in Division V. Pelham is 10-0 overall, 9-0 in Division V.
•Regular-season result: Pelham won, 17-3, in Dover.
•Noteworthy: This matchup will feature two of the best running backs in the division: Pelham's Bruce Vieira and St. Thomas' Zach Merrigan. ... Vieira rushed for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns in Pelham's 28-6 victory over fourth-seeded Kearsarge in Saturday's Division V semifinals. He also made seven tackles in that contest. ... St. Thomas reached the championship game by beating second-seeded Trinity, 21-15, in the semifinals. The Saints scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns in that victory. St. Thomas quarterback Jack MacNevin completed 8-of-15 passes for 110 yards against Trinity. It was the 100th victory for St. Thomas since Rod Wotton became the program's head coach in 1996. Wotton, the winningest coach in New England high school football history, will enter the championship game with a 331-9-3 record, and will be trying to collect his 22nd state championship. Wotton guided St. Thomas to the Division IV championship in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006. He also won 17 state title when he was the head coach at Marshwood High School in Elitot, Maine. ... Pelham, which beat Gilford in last year's Division V championship game, will enter this contest with a 21-game winning streak. ... St. Thomas has a 10-1 edge in the all-time series against Pelham. The Pythons collected their only victory against the Saints earlier this season. St. Thomas quarterback Jack MacNevin did not play in that game because of an ankle injury. It was a 3-3 contest until Pelham quarterback Joe DeAngelo scored on a 32-yard run with 4:02 to play. The TD came one play after an Andrew Keegan interception. Vieira added a 16-yard touchdown run with 2:46 to play. He finished the game with 99 yards rushing on 25 carries. ... Merrigan rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries against Pelham, but was held to 2 yards on four carries in the second half.

Coming Thursday: Division II capsule preview

College: UNH/Maine media notes >> UNH athletics

High School: Six champs? Do we need all six? >> Nashua Telegraph

Prep School: Huskies get a local boost >> Laconia Citizen

College: Black Bears need strong finish >> Bangor Daily News

High School: Kell anchors BG defense >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sophmores ignite South's run >> Nashua Telegraph

DIVISION VI CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 3 Campbell vs. No. 1 Franklin

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Franklin High School.
•Team records: Campbell is 8-3 overall, 8-2 in Division VI. Franklin is 10-1 overall, 10-0 in Division VI.
•Regular-season result: Franklin won, 22-7, in Litchfield.
•Noteworthy: Franklin advanced to this year's title game by beating fourth-seeded Winnisquam, 14-6, in the semifinals. This is Franklin's third appearance in a championship game in the last five years. The Golden Tornadoes lost to Bishop Brady in the Division V title game in 2005 (13-0) and 2006 (49-21). ...  Campbell reached the championship game for the first time in the program's history by upsetting second-seeded Newport, 14-0, in the semifinals. Campbell quarterback Kiel Canada overcame three first-half interceptions in that game to toss two touchdown passes. He threw a 30-yard TD pass to Zach Laganiere in the second quarter, and a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Christopher in the fourth. ... Running back Austyn Turner scored two TDs in Franklin's victory over Winnisquam. He rushed for 110 yards on 26 carries in that game. ... Turner scored two TDs and added two two-point conversions when Franklin beat Campbell during the regular season. Franklin's other touchdown came on a 70-yard kickoff return by Abe Muniz. Campbell took a 7-0 lead in that contest. Cananda hooked up with Laganiere for a 5-yard touchdown pass on Campbell's opening possession. Canada completed 12-of-23 passes for 145 yards in the loss. He also ran for 83 yards. ... Franklin enters this contest with a 10-game winning streak. The team's only loss came against Division V Bishop Brady, 28-8. The Golden Tornadoes gave up more than nine points once in their 10 Division VI games. ... Campbell's semifinal victory over Newport was its fourth shutout of the season.

Coming Wednesday: Division V capsule preview

College: Maine/UNH game notes >> Maine athletics

College: Dudek's rushing record falls >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Bobcats leave their mark >> Laconia Citizen

College: Black Bear season opens for UNH >> Laconia Citizen

College: UNH/Maine winner likely to land playoff berth >> Portsmouth Herald

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Even though his team was coming off what may have been its most impressive performance of the season -- a 52-21 triumph over the University of Massachusetts on Saturday -- University of New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell didn't seem to be in a reflective mood Monday.

When he was asked about the UMass game, McDonnell turned the topic to UNH's next opponent: the University of Maine.

UNH (8-2 overall, 5-2 Colonial Athletic Association) and Maine (8-3, 5-2) will meet in what some are calling a playoff game Saturday at Maine's Alfond Stadium. The opening kickoff is scheduled for noon.

The winner will finish at the top of the CAA's North Division and lock up a berth in the 16-team Football Championship Subdivision playoff field.

"I told the kids you obviously savor a win like that guys, but you have to let that go real quick because the team we're playing right now is proably playing as good as anybody in the CAA in not better," McDonnell said. "It's very big game this weekend in Orono.

"Our kids know what's at stake, as their kids do. The opportunity to go on and keep the season playing. It's a great, great, great situation for both teams to be playing in. It's your arch-rival you're playing in the last game of the year in a must-win situation for both teams. That's what makes November great."

UNH may qualify for the playoffs even if it loses to Maine, but there's no guarantee. The Black Bears will likely need a victory to exend their season.

Maine beat the University of Rhode Island, 37-7, on the road Saturday. That extended the team's winning streak to six games.

"Obviously we have a great rivalry with New Hampshire," Maine coach Jack Cosgrove said. "The fact that there's a Northern Division championship and a playoff spot at stake just adds to it. We have not done a good job the past few years in that rivalry. We really need to step up this year."

Maine, which has the No. 2 rushing offense in the CAA (201.7 yards per game), hasn't qualified for the playoffs since 2002.

"We have a chance to extend our season and get a great win for our program," Cosgrove said. "It's a great opportunity for us to be here and to play with so much at stake."

Saturday's Division I championship game between top-seeded Pinkerton Academy (8-3) and second-seeded Nashua South (8-3) will be broadcast live on CN8. The game will begin at noon.

Pinkerton advanced by beating fourth-seeded Londonderry, 19-15, in the semifinals. Nashua South reached the title game with a 24-9 victory over third-seeded Manchester Central in the semifinals.

Grand Stadium will be offering the game for those who do not have CN8 on their cable system. Visit www.grandstadium.tv to view the game on the internet.

Pinkerton beat Nashua South, 14-2, to win last year's Division I championship.

In addition, Saturday's Division II championship game between top-seeded Bishop Guertin (9-2) and third-seeded Exeter (8-3) will be broadcast by the Northeast Sports Network live from Stellos Stadium. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

To view the game, log on to www.NSNsports.net and click on the live coverage logo. There is no cost.

Senior linebacker Matt Parent was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the University of New Hampshire's 52-21 victory over rival Massachusetts on Saturday.

Parent won the Bill Knight Trophy, which is awarded annually to the MVP of the UNH/UMass game, after he tied a league-record for the longest interception return when he picked off a Liam Coen pass and took it back 100 yards for a score.

With 2:50 left in the first quarter, junior defensive lineman T.J. Taylor knocked a ball loose and Parent picked it up for a fumble recovery and 5-yard return.  One play later, New Hampshire extended its lead to 24-0 with a 48-yard touchdown run. Parent, who came up with another fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, ended his day with six total tackles, including one for a loss of 4 yards.

University of New Hampshire tight end Chris Jeannot has been selected as the Colonial Athletic Association's Rookie of the Week for his two touchdown catches in UNH's 52-21 victory over Massachusetts on Saturday.

Jeannot's TD catches accounted for 92 of the Wildcats' 295 receiving yards. Jeannot, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound redshirt freshman, caught a 77-yard touchdown pass in the closing minutes of the first half -- the first TD-catch of his career. He then caught a 15-yard touchdown toss from sophomore quarterback R.J. Toman with 7:46 left in the game.

Prior to the contest against UMass, Jeannot (pictured) had caught just two passes for 10 yards playing a back-up role to junior All-America tight end Scott Sicko.

Jeannot and the Wildcats return to action Saturday (noon) at Maine. It will be the final regular season game of the 2008 season for both teams and will decide the champion of the CAA North Division. Both teams are 5-2 in the CAA.

Freshman kick returner and cornerback Shawn Abuhoff was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his performance in Dartmouth's 45-16 home loss against Brown on Saturday. This is his second weekly award as the league's top rookie in three weeks. He was honored after the Harvard game on Nov. 1 as well.

Abuhoff (pictured) set a school record with 190 kickoff return yards on five returns against the Bears, including the first touchdown on a kickoff return for the Big Green in seven years. His 94-yard return was the sixth longest in Dartmouth history, equaling the distance on the last one by Steve Jensen versus Columbia in 2001.

In addition to his work on kickoffs, he returned one punt for 11 yards, plus had three tackles (one solo) from his cornerback position.

Three other Big Green players were recognized on the Ivy Honor Roll for their efforts versus Brown: senior linebacker Andrew Dete led Dartmouth with nine tackles; freshman quarterback Conner Kempe completed 27-of-42 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown; and sophomore receiver Tim McManus caught a career-high 10 passes for the second straight week for 118 yards, his third 100-yard game of the season and fourth of his career.

The Big Green (0-9, 0-6 Ivy) has one more chance to win a game in 2008 this Saturday when it plays at Princeton (3-6, 2-4 Ivy) at 1 p.m. The Tigers defeated Princeton in Hanover in overtime last year, 17-14.

James Madison clinched the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday and retained its No. 1 ranking in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll on Monday.

The Dukes (9-1) received 106 of 120 first-place votes and 2,986 out of a possible 3,000 points following their 48-24 victory at home against then-12th-ranked William & Mary. JMU closes out the regular season Saturday on the road against Towson.

Along with James Madison, the rest of the top 10 stayed the same this week.

Appalachian State (9-2) clinched the automatic bid in the Southern Conference by beating Elon 24-16 in the cold, rain, ice and snow of Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers were rewarded by receiving 13 first-place votes and 2,871 points to stay on JMU's heels at No. 2 in the poll.

Cal Poly (8-1) won the Great West Conference title on Saturday night by downing UC Davis 51-28 and remained No. 3 in the poll. The Mustangs received one first-place vote and 2,623 points.

Northern Iowa (9-2) captured a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference crown on Saturday with a 28-0 victory at winless Indiana State. The No. 4 Panthers barely held off No. 5 Montana (10-1), which dumped winless Idaho State at home, 29-10.

Villanova (8-2) came in at No. 6 again after surviving a close call at home against Towson, 34-31, while Richmond (8-3) remained at No. 7  with a 31-14 victory at home over Delaware.

Weber State (9-2) had an off-week after wrapping up the Big Sky Conference auto bid last week and held on to the No. 8 position.

Wofford (8-2) used a solid 28-7 win at Samford to stay in the ninth position, while Southern Illinois remained at No. 10 by holding off South Dakota State 38-35 at home.

New Hampshire (8-2) picked up a crucial 52-21 victory at home against Massachusetts to improve by two spots in the new poll at No. 11. UMass fell from No.22 out of the top 25 for the first time since the final 2004 poll. The Minutemen had been ranked for 55 consecutive weeks.

Joining UNH in the second 10 are Central Arkansas at No. 12, followed by Elon, McNeese State, South Carolina State, William & Mary, Maine, Tennessee-Martin, Harvard and Furman.

Completing the poll are Colgate at No. 21, Liberty at No. 22, Western Illinois at No. 23, Jacksonville State at No. 24 and Tennessee State at No. 25. Jacksonville State returns to the poll after a three-week absence.

Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes)        Record  Points
1. James Madison Dukes (106)    9-1     2,986
2. Appalachian State Mountaineers (13)  9-2     2,871
3. Cal Poly Mustangs (1)        8-1     2,623
4. Northern Iowa Panthers       9-2     2,517
5. Montana Grizzlies    10-1    2,499
6. Villanova Wildcats   8-2     2,355
7. Richmond Spiders     8-3     2,188
8. Weber State Wildcats         9-2     2,161
9. Wofford Terriers     8-2     2,005
10. Southern Illinois Salukis   8-2     1,988
11. New Hampshire Wildcats      8-2     1,659
12. Elon Phoenix        8-3     1,473
13. Central Arkansas Bears      9-2     1,448
14. McNeese State Cowboys       7-3     1,272
15. South Carolina State Bulldogs       9-2     1,231
16. William & Mary Tribe        7-3     1,106
17. Maine Black Bears   8-3     900 
18. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks   8-3     863
19. Harvard Crimson     8-1     769
20. Furman Paladins     7-4     595
21. Colgate Raiders     8-2     506
22. Liberty Flames      9-2     409
23. Western Illinois Leathernecks       6-4     338
24. Jacksonville State  8-3     242
25. Tennessee State Tigers      8-3     238

Others receiving votes: Holy Cross 196, Prairie View 185, Eastern Kentucky 174, North Dakota State 147, Grambling 117, Montana State 111, Texas State 107, South Dakota State 87,  Lafayette 47, Massachusetts 43,  Florida A&M 35, Albany 28, Georgia Southern 23, Bethune-Cookman 18, Brown 10, Northern Arizona 7, Dayton 6, Jacksonville 5, San Diego 4, Yale 3, Monmouth 2 Northwestern State 2, South Dakota 2.

High School: Souhegan puts it all together >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Seniors step up for UNH >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG/Exeter meet again >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Pinkerton pulls off miracle >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Bring on Maine >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Seniors led Clippers to brink of title >> Portsmouth Herald

Five items on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1. Plymouth State is still practicing

Plymouth State University is one of 32 teams in this year's NCAA Division III playoffs. The sixth-seeded Panthers (10-1) earned an automatic berth by beating Maine Maritime, 46-16, in the New England Football Conference championship game last Saturday, and will play at third-seeded Cortland State (9-1) Saturday.The Red Dragons earned an automatic berth by winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference title with a 9-0 record. The tournament field is divided into four eight-team brackets.

2. Familiar faces in different places

The participants in this year's Division I and Division II championship games are the same as they were a year ago: Nashua South vs. Pinkerton in Division I, and Exeter vs. Bishop Guertin in Division ll. Saturday's games will be played in Derry (Division I) and Nashua (Division II). Pinkerton beat Nashua South, 14-2, in Nashua to win last year's Division I title. Exeter won the Division II championship by beating BG, 14-13, in Exeter.

3. Rod Wotton

Rod Wotton recorded his 100th victory since becoming the head coach at St. Thomas when the Saints beat Trinity, 21-15, in Saturday's Division V semifinals. Third-seeded St. Thomas (8-2) will face top-seeded Pelham (10-0) in Saturday's championship game. Wotton, the winningest coach in New England high school football history, will enter that game with a 331-69-3 career record, and will be trying to collect his 22nd state championship.

Wotton guided St. Thomas to the Division IV championship in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006. He also won 17 state titles when he was the head coach at Marshwood High School in Eliot, Maine. The football field in Eliot is named after Wotton, and, when he decides to retire, the St. Thomas football field should be named after him as well.

4. Plenty at stake for UNH 

The University of New Hampshire (8-2 overall, 5-2 Colonial Athletic Association) can secure its fifth consecutive Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth by beating Maine in Maine on Saturday. The Black Bears (8-3, 5-2) stretched their winning streak to six games with a 37-7 victory over Rhode Island on Saturday.

5. Mack sets record

Former Milford High School standout Jeff Mack set Plymouth State's single-season rushing record in Saturday's victory over Maine Maritime. Mack rushed for 139 yards to push his season total to 1,679. Joe Dudek, who rushed for 1,615 yards in 1985, held the previous record.

High School: Effort's there, but victory's elusive >> Concord Monitor

High School: Ball bounces Cardinals' way >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Jellison breaks away from brother's shadow >> Nashua Telegraph

College: UNH snaps streak against UMass >> Nashua Telegraph

College: Memorable day for UNH's Parent >> Foster's Daily Democrat

College: Seniors leads way in rout of UMass >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: St. Thomas upsets Trinity >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Saints reach another final >> Manchester Union Leader

College: UNH rolls over UMass >> UNH athletics

High School: Clippers lose in championship game >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Jellison leads Souhegan >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Plymouth captures fourth straight >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: BG wins a weird one >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Exeter squeezes past Timberlane >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Pelham looks to repeat perfection >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Historic win for Campbell >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Franklin powers to final >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Exeter advances to title game >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Brown spoils Senior Day >> Dartmouth athletics

Fullback Steve Jellison scored four touchdowns in muddy conditions to lead top-seeded Souhegan to a 28-14 victory over second-seeded Portsmouth in Saturday's Division III championship game.

Jellison, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior, returned an interception 28 yards for a score on the game's opening possession, and added scoring runs of 43, 50 and 34 yards. Souhegan (11-0 overall, 10-0 in Division III), led 14-0 after one quarter and 21-0 at the half.

Portsmouth (9-2, 8-2) scored both of its touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Running back Gallagher Hogan scored on a 2-yard run with 9:18 to play, and quarterback Mike Fransoso added a 2-yard TD run with 52 seconds left.

"A lot of people question why we have a kid like that at running back, but on a day like today it certainly paid off," Souhegan coach Mike Beliveau said.  

Portsmouth committed three turnovers, all of which came in the first half.

It was Souhegan's second state championship. The Sabers beat Milford, 41-0, to win the 2004 Division III championship.

"The conditions certainly didn't help us, but give the credit to them," Portsmouth coach Bill Murphy said. "They were the better team today."

Senior Tim Farina scored on 16-yard touchdown run with 5:10 remaining to give top-seeded Plymouth its first lead of the day and the Bobcats held off Laconia, 14-7, in a rain-soaked Division IV championship game Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Bobcats (11-0) claimed their fourth straight state title and extended their winning streak to 44 games. Plymouth now has won eight titles (all unbeaten seasons) in nine years, posting a 95-3 record during that span.

The Bobcats, trailing in the fourth quarter for the first time since last year, stormed back to score 14 points in the final 12 minutes to pull out the thrilling victory and spoil a gritty effort by the Sachems (8-3). On fourth and a long one, Plymouth quarterback Rich Manzi (6-of-14 for 79 yards) connected with Phil Slaughter for a 19-yard touchdown with 7:55 remaining in the game. The PAT kick was no good, and the Sachems were clinging to a 7-6 edge.

After a defensive stand, Plymouth went 44 yards in four plays with Farina covering the final 16 for what turned out to be the winning score. Manzi ran in the two-point coversion. Plymouth was led by Nick Barnes (76 yards, 21 carries) and Kyle McAuliffe (12-56).

Laconia went on top when Christian Birt scored on a 56-yard run with 8:39 left in the first quarter. Birt finished with 64 yards on 13 attempts. Laconia QB Nick Converse completed 8 of 27 passes for 94 yards.

The Sachems had their final drive stall at the Plymouth 16 with 5.9 seconds remaining.

(Thanks to Laconia Citizen sports editor Joe Souza for his help with this report.)

Plymouth State University was crowned champion of the New England Football Conference Son aturday, when it scored 32 unanswered points to run away from Maine Maritime Academy, 46-16, in the NEFC Championship game at Ritchie Stadium.

Senior Jeff Mack led the way for the Panthers, rushing for 139 yards and two touchdowns and receiving the William J. Mattola Most Valuable Player Award. Senior John DeMarco and sophomore Steve Campbell also ran for two touchdowns apiece for the Panthers, DeMarco rushed for 74 yards on 12 carries, and Campbell added 44 yards on five carries.

PSU captured its 10th NEFC championship, and first since winning nine titles in 10 years from 1981-90.  It is also the Panthers' first conference title of any kind since sharing the Freedom Football Conference championship in 2001.

"We got here by working very hard," said PSU coach Paul Castonia. "It's great for these kids and this program and the fact that we can continue the winning tradition at Plymouth is even more of a plus. This group of players has really done a good job of turning things around for Plymouth State."

The Panthers, who won their ninth straight game and improved to 10-1 overall, receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, and will find out their first round opponent and site Sunday at 3 p.m. on a nationally televised selection show on ESPNews.  It will be PSU's first NCAA berth since back-to-back appearances in 1994 and 1995.

Maine Maritime, which was the Bogan Division representative in the game, finished its season at 7-4 overall.

The Panther defense held MMA to 216 yards rushing, 167 yards below its average, and held the nation's third leading rusher (Jim Bower) to 47 yards on the ground.

Each team scored on its first possession, DeMarco on a 40-yard run, and Bower on a 14-yard run three minutes later. It was Bower's 25th TD of the year, which ties the school and NEFC single-season record for touchdowns in a season. MMA converted a two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead.

Plymouth State took a 14-8 lead on a Brandon Clough 1-yard run, which was set up by a 56-yard completion from DeMarco to sophomore J.J. Brooks.

MMA opened the second quarter with a Nick Bourassa touchdown run and a Matthew Rende two-point conversion, giving the Mariners a 16-14 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Tim Nicholson returned the ball to the MMA 22-yard line, setting up another Plymouth State touchdown just six plays later. The short drive was capped off by a Mack 2-yard run. The extra point kick missed wide to the right and Plymouth led 20-16.

PSU struck again after recovering an MMA fumble, which set up a Campbell 1-yard TD run. Seconds later Rende on his own 32-yard line, and the ball was recovered by Campbell. The Panthers managed the clock, and with 23 seconds left in the half, DeMarco (12 rushes for 78 yards and two scores) scrambled over the left side and punched it in from  6 yards out. The score gave the Panthers the 33-16 lead at the half.

Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter and with barely five seconds gone in the fourth, Mack scored from 9-yards out. With his 139 yards rushing Saturday, Mack broke the PSU single-season rushing record with 1,679 yards.

 Plymouth State added another score just minutes later, once again converting off of a MMA fumble. Campbell rumbled in from 28 yards to push the lead to 46-16 and round out the scoring.

                                                   -- Plymouth State athletics   

Playoff scores ...

DIVISION I
Semifinals

Nashua South 24
Manchester Central 9

Pinkerton 19
Londonderry 15

DIVISION II
Semifinals

Bishop Guertin 18
Keene 8

Exeter 7
Timberlane 6

DIVISION III
Championship game

Souhegan 28
Portsmouth 14

DIVISION IV
Championship game

Plymouth 14
Laconia 7

DIVISION V
Semifinals

St. Thomas 21
Trinity 15

Pelham 28
Kearsarge 6

DIVISION VI
Semifinals

Franklin 14
Winnisquam 6

Campbell 14
Newport 0

High School: Souhegan's mission: Let offense go to work >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Panthers' senior emerges at right time >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: South capitalizes on Central errors >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG motivated to see Keene >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: South slams Central >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Grid perfection on the line >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Brawn and brains >> Concord Monitor

High School: Veterans set the tone >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Plymouth seniors pursue perfection >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Franklin, Winnisquam ready for defensive battle >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Clippers playing underdog role >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Clippers look for upset >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: STA needs to minimize mistakes >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Second-seeded Nashua South beat third-seeded Manchester Central, 24-9, Friday night in the Division I semifinals at Stellos Stadium.

Nashua South, which improved its record to 8-3 overall and 8-1 in Division I, will face either top-seeded Pinkerton Academy (7-3, 7-1) or fourth-seeded Londonderry (6-3, 5-3) in next weekend's Division I championship game. Pinkerton and Londonderry will meet in Derry on Saturday (1 p.m.).

Nashua South beat Central (9-2, 7-2), 21-20, during the regular season. 

DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Souhegan vs. No. 2 Portsmouth

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Souhegan High School in Amherst.
•Team records: Second-seeded Portsmouth is 9-1 overall, 8-1 in Division III. Top-seeded Souhegan is 10-0 overall, 9-0 in Division III.
•Regular-season result: Souhegan won, 28-21, in Portsmouth.
•Noteworthy: This is Portsmouth's second trip to the championship game since the program moved from Division II to Division III after the 2005 season. Plymouth beat Portsmouth, 35-20, in the 2006 Division III title game. ... The Clippers advanced by beating third-seeded Milford, 14-13, in the semifinals. Souhegan trounced fourth-seeded Goffstown, 42-18, in the semifinals. ... Souhegan built a 28-0 lead midway through the third quarter in its regular-season victory over Portsmouth. The Clippers roared back and made it a 28-21 game on Mike Fransoso's 31-yard touchdown pass to Mike Montville with 5:25 to play. Fransoso completed 29 of 50 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns in that game. He also had a TD pass negated because he crossed the line of scrimmage before releasing the ball. His 50 pass attempts in that contest established a school record. ... Montville also set a school record in that game by catching 17 passes. Junior split end Nate Jones had six receptions for 74 yards. ... Souhegan also had success through the air in the regular-season matchup between these teams. Quarterback D.J. Petropulos completed 12 of 20 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Both TD passes went to split end Ben Stallman. Petropulos has thrown for 1,350 yards and 16 touchdowns (six interceptions) this season. ... Souhegan's Steve Jellison, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound fullback/linebacker, didn't play in the regular-season game against Portsmouth. Jellison will enter Saturday's contest with 1,025 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns. Jellison's brother, Sean, is a running back at UNH. ... Souhegan won its only state title in 2004. Portsmouth's last state championship came in 1981, when it beat Salem, 14-7, to win the Division I title.

DIVISION IV CHAMIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Plymouth vs. No. 2 Laconia

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Plymouth Regional High School.
•Team records: Plymouth is 10-0 overall, 9-0 in Division IV. Laconia is 8-2 overall, 8-1 in Division IV.
•Regular-season result: Plymouth won, 27-14, in Laconia.
•Noteworthy: Plymouth is attempting to win its 10th state championship in the last 12 years. The program's last nine titles came in Division III. The Bobcats enter this contest with a 43-game winning streak. ... Laconia beat Hanover in last year's Division IV championship game. Plymouth was the only Division IV team that beat Laconia this season. Souhegan, which competes in Division III, handed the Sachems their other loss. ... Plymouth scored 20 first-quarter points en route to a 27-14 victory when these teams met during the regular season. Plymouth quarterback Rich Manzi completed 4 of 5 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns in that victory. The Bobcats also received 161 yards rushing and two touchdowns from fullback Nick Barnes. ... Laconia running back/defensive back Christian Birt gained 1,107 yards and scored 23 touchdowns (18 rushing) this season. He's being recruited by several Division I (FBS and FCS) schools. ... Plymouth has a six-game winning streak against Laconia that dates back to the 2000 season. ... Plymouth's Tim Farina holds the state record for punts returned for a touchdown (seven). ... Plymouth coach Chuck Lenahan has a 308-63-1 record in his high school coaching career, and has guided Plymouth to 16 state championships. ... Kingswood is the last team to beat Plymouth in a state championship game. The Knights earned a 20-14 victory in the 1996 Division III title game.

College: Panthers aim for NEFC crown >> Laconia Citizen

High School: South seeking repeat performance >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Campbell looking to limit mistakes >> Nashua Telegraph 

High School: Varsatility a strength for Vailas >> Nashua Telegraph

College: UNH needs to bouce back >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: A favorite? Not in this matchup >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Copy 'Cats? >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Division IV showdown >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Coaches see two talented teams >> Laconia Citizen

High School: St. Thomas hopes history repeats >> Fosters Daily Democrat

High School: No love lost between UNH, UMass >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Game plan will be key to Portsmouth's title hopes >> Portsmouth Herald

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Talk about teams that have something in common.

Laconia and Portsmouth each earned the No. 2 seed for the playoffs in their respective divisions. Each will play for a state championship Saturday. Each will be facing an unbeaten team it lost to during the regular season. Each is an underdog.

Laconia will try to win back-to-back titles when it faces Plymouth in Saturday's Division IV championship game. The Bobcats have a 43-game winning streak and won nine of the last 11 Division III championships before dropping down a division after the 2007 season.

Plymouth beat Laconia, 27-14, earlier this season.

"We play our best game and they don't play their best game ... we can get them," Laconia coach Craig Kozens said. "We outscored them 14-7 in the second half (during the regular season) and the starters were in until the end, so we have something to build on.

"They're good, fast, strong. We need to make it a game in the fourth quarter. Put them in a position they've never been in.

"Hey, this is what we play for. This kind of game."

Portsmouth will be trying to win the program's first state championship since 1981 (the Clippers beat Salem for the Division I title that season) when it meets Souhegan in Saturday's Division III championship game.

The contest features two pass-happy offenses. Souhegan quarterback D.J. Petropulos has thrown 16 TD passes this season. Portsmouth quarterback Mike Fransoso has thrown for 15 TDs.

Souhegan beat Portsmouth, 28-21, during the regular season.

"They have the whole package," Portsmouth coach Bill Murphy said. "They have a running game. They have a good passing game. They're sound defensively.

"They're one of the teams that's always at the top of this division, so i would say most people look at us as the underdog. I don't think people had high expectations for us when the season started. Our kids have performed better than expected.

"Defense is the key. Both of us are pretty good offensively. Who can defend the other better will probably be the victor. I just hope that it's a well-played game by both teams."

THE PICKS ...

In the game of football, there is no bigger adversary than pressure. Pressure to succeed. Pressure to live up to expectations. Pressure to win when you are the favorite. This force can either drive a team on to victory or can be the downfall of a team unprepared to take the pressure. How a team handles and copes with it is a huge key to having a successful season and a championship run. 

There has been no team under more pressure than Souhegan High School of Amherst in their respective division this year, and Saturday the Sabers will again face pressure. Souhegan will face Portsmouth at home in the Division III championship game, and with this game the Sabers will put an undefeated season on the line. Souhegan has never gone undefeated since the school's opening in 1991, and they hope to alter that this time around. However the pressure and expectation to win a state championship will be Souhegan's primary focus, and this year's team looks to re-write Souhegan's championship past, having gone 1-6 in previous championship games. The Sabers have been in the big game seven out of the last 11 years. They will face a familiar opponent that will no doubt put the pressure on in Portsmouth, and stopping the Clippers is no easy task.

since midway through the year, Portsmouth has turned to its passing game to put points on the board, primarily from the spread offense, though mixing in the run to keep teams honest. With talented receivers and a quick-release quarterback, Portsmouth looks to hit quick routes and make sustained drives as it did against Souhegan in the regular season, making a comeback at the end that fell short, 28-21, in favor of Souhegan.

Portsmouth does have the ability to run. The Clippers possess two or three running backs who can either pound the ball or speed through the hole. They relied much more on this early on in the season, but can still run successfully when called upon. With a mobile quarterback under center, its run game can be tricky to figure out.

Souhegan, however, can also put up points in a hurry, having scored under 30 points in a game only twice this season. The main reason for Souhegan's success is maintaining balance in the offense, which is backed by a very strong defense. With a two-headed monster in the backfield and a dangerous quarterback and skill players on the edge, many teams struggle to cover all the bases when facing the Sabers, and this hole is found in the defense whether it be through the air or on the ground sooner or later.

Balance will be the key to the Sabers success Saturday, and all eyes around the state will be watching to see if Souhegan can once again fend off pressure and grasp the ever-elusive state championship. 

Saturday's Division II semifinal between top-seeded Bishop Guertin and fourth-seeded Keene at Nashua's Stellos Stadium (1 p.m.) will be broadcast live by Northeast Sports Network. To see the action, log on to NSNsports.net and click on the live coverage logo. From there you will find the video link for the game. There is no cost.

 
DIVISION I SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Londonderry vs. No. 1 Pinkerton Academy

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.
•Team records: Pinkerton is 7-3 overall, 7-1 in Division I. Londonderry is 6-3 overall, 5-3 in Division I.
•Regular-season result: Pinkerton won, 31-12, in Londonderry.
•Noteworthy: This is one of the best rivalries in the state. ... Pinkerton is seeking its fourth consecutive Division I championship. Londonderry's last state title came in 1998, when it beat Concord, 33-7, in the Division I championship game. ... Wingback Eric Guinto rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries when the Astros beat the Lancers in the regular season, but Guinto won't play in this contest. He suffered a season-ending injury in a 24-21 loss to Manchester Central. ... Pinkerton had a 17-0 halftime lead in its first meeting with Londonderry and scored another TD on its first possession in the third quarter. Pinkerton fullback Chris George rushed for a career-high 111 yards on 12 carries in that victory. Anthony Terenzi scored twice for the Lancers, who turned the ball over four times. ... Pinkerton outscored its opponents 261-141 in its 10 regular-season games. Londonderry outscored its 10 opponents 259-193. ... Londonderry was 0-3 against the other teams in this year's playoff field. ... Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly enters this game with a 224-89-0 career coaching record.  ... The winner of this game will face either second-seeded Nashua South or third-seeded Manchester Central in the Division I championship game.

No. 3 Manchester Central vs. No. 2 Nashua South

•When and where: Friday (7 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
•Team records: Nashua South is 7-3 overall, 7-1 in Division I. Manchester Central is 9-1 overall, 7-1 in Division I.
•Regular-season result: Nashua South won, 21-20, in Nashua.
•Noteworthy: This game was moved to Friday from Saturday to avoid a conflict with the Division II semifinal between Bishop Guertin and Keene. That game will also be played at Stellos Stadium. ... The Nashua/Central rivalry dates back to the days when former NFL quarterback Greg Landry was calling signals for Nashua. ... Central's focus will be on containing Nashua South running back David Zocco, who may be the best player in the state. Zocco rushed for 1,255 yards during the regular season. ... Nashua South quarterback Keith Farkas, a sophomore, completed 88 of 167 passes for 1,048 yards this season. ... Central's only loss this season came against Nashua South.  Zocco rushed for 234 yards on 30 carries and scored two touchdowns in that game. Nashua South scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown when Farkas hooked up with Nick Haskell for a 5-yard TD pass with 38 seconds to play. Michael Cavanaugh led the Central offense that night. Cavanaugh rushed for 190 yards on 28 carries, and scored on TD runs of 75 and 19 yards. ... Central led all Division I teams in points scored (281) and points allowed (101) this season.

Coming Friday: Division III and Division IV capsule previews. 

College: UNH has little room for error >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Playoff implications on line against UMass >> Concord Monitor

College: Wildcats await UMass in Durham >> Daily Collegian

High School: Campbell back in postseason >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Back on center stage >> Laconia Citizen

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: Does the penalty for offensive pass interference include a loss of down?

-- Nashua

Answer: Yes. Offensive pass interference carries a 15-yard penalty from where the ball was previously snapped plus a loss of down.

Led by freshman quarterback Marc Wilson, four St. Anselm College football players were honored by the Northeast-10 as members of the 2008 Northeast-10 Football All-Conference teams.

Wilson was named the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Hawk to win the award. In addition, junior running back Luke St. Marie was named as a First Team All-Conference selection, and freshmen Wilson, Kyle Hayes and Bryant Lane were all named to the All-Rookie Team.

Wilson finished his freshman season with nearly every St. Anselm rushing record. He finished with 1,214 yards on 270 carries, both single-season program records. In addition, Wilson finished his rookie season with a single-game school-record 285 yards on 35 carries in a win over Pace. For his performance, he was named as the Northeast-10 Freshman and Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Week.

Wilson's 285-yard effort is the third highest single-game total in the nation this year, and he ranks sixth in the country in rushing (121.4 yards per game). Wilson was honored twice this season as the Northeast-10 Player of the Week and once as the Freshman of the Week. In addition, Wilson surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark six times this season, a St. Anselm single-season record.

St. Marie, who earlier in the season ran for a then single-game record 241 yards in a 48-42 shootout win over Merrimack, became the first St. Anselm running back to earn First Team All-Conference honors since 2003. St. Marie finished the season with 712 yards and six touchdowns, the sixth-highest single-season rushing total in St. Anselm history. St. Marie capped his season off with a 144-yard, two-touchdown effort that landed him a spot on the Northeast-10 Weekly Honor Roll.

Lane caught 27 passes for a team-best 208 yards and two touchdowns this season, including a season-high nine catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in a home loss against Bentley in October.

Hayes finished his freshman season with 50 tackles, including 26 solo stops, and led all Saint Anselm freshmen in total tackles. He had 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks and one pass breakup.

St. Anselm finished the season 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the Northeast-10 under first-year head coach Patrick Murphy.

Prep school game involving New Hampshire teams that will be played Saturday:

DELPRETE-THEOBOLD BOWL
(Class A championship game)

Proctor Academy vs. Hotchkiss
at the Williston-Northampton School (2:30 p.m.)

EATON-ESTEY BOWL

Kimball Union Academy vs. Trinity Pawling
at Cushing Academy (1 p.m.)

AUSTIN BOWL

Tilton vs. Cheshire
at Northfield-Mt. Hermon (1 p.m.)

DIVISION II SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Keene at No. 1 Bishop Guertin

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.
•Team records: BG is 8-2 overall, 7-1 in Division III.
•Regular-season result: Keene won, 18-14, in Nashua.
•Noteworthy: BG has reached the Division II championship game in each of the last four seasons. The Cardinals won the Division II title in 2004, 2005 and 2006 before losing to Exeter in last year's championship game. ... Keene hasn't reached the Division II championship game since 1994, when it lost to Londonderry (21-0). ... Keene running back Ray Boulay rushed for 1,131 yards and scored 20 touchdowns during the regular season. He's complemented by Keene quarterback Tanner Luopa, who threw for 978 yards and seven touchdowns. ... BG was without quarterback Andy Vailas (concussion) when it loss to Keene, 18-14, during the regular season. BG blocked a field goal attempt with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter, but Keene's Colby Wilkinson scooped up the loose ball and carried it to BG's 1-yard line. Boulay scored the go-ahead touchdown - his third of the game - and finished the contest with 126 yards rushing on 26 carries. ... Sophomore quarterback Steve Cuipia threw two TD passes to Andy Cunningham in the loss. His second TD pass covered 26 yards and gave BG a 14-12 lead with 8:50 left in the third quarter. ...The winner of this game will face either second-seeded Timberlane or third-seeded Exeter in the Division II championship game. Exeter and BG have met in the title game each of the last three seasons.

No. 3 Exeter vs. No. 2 Timberlane

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow.
•Team records: Exeter is 7-3 overall, 6-2 in Division II. Timberlane is 7-3 overall, 6-2 in Division II.
•Regular-season result: Timberlane won, 21-7, in Plaistow.
•Noteworthy: Exeter will be trying to end a two-game losing streak. The Blue Hawks enter this contest coming off losses to Plymouth (Mass.) North (8-7) and Bishop Guertin (45-9). ... The 45 points BG scored were the most surrendered by an Exeter team in Bill Ball's 16 seasons as the program's head coach. A victory over BG would have given Exeter the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. ... The Timberlane offense is propelled by running back Derek Furey and quarterback Erik Hatton. Furey, a junior, rushed for 1,417 yards on 238 carries during the regular season. Hatton has completed 68 of 123 passes for 1,004 yards. ... Exeter was held to 116 yards rushing on 35 carries in its regular-season loss to Timberlane. No Exeter player ran for more than 46 yards in that game. ... Hatton completed 12 of 18 passes for 196 yards and two TDs in the regular-season meeting with Exeter. He also scored on a 2-yard run. Timberlane's Matt Caiazzo caught four passes for 106 yards in that contest. ... Kevin Fitzgerald is in his first season as Timberlane's head coach. The Owls are seeking their first state championship since 2001, when they beat BG (26-20) in the Division II championship game. Timberlane also beat Exeter (28-14) to win the 1999 Division II championship. ... The Blue Hawks, who won last year's Division II championship, have advanced to the championship game in five of the last six seasons.

Coming Thursday: Division I capsule previews

College: PSU preparing for NEFC title game >> Plymouth State athletics

High School: BG, Keene know each other well >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: South defense led by Greek warriors >> Nashua Telegraph

College: UNH/UMass game notes >> UNH athletics

College: UMass/UNH game notes >> UMass athletics

College: Dartmouth could play spoiler >> Dartmouth athletics

DIVISION V SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Kearsarge at No. 1 Pelham

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Pelham.
Team records: Pelham is 9-0 overall, 8-0 in Division V. Kearsarge is 6-3 overall, 5-3 in Division V.
Regular-season result: Pelham won, 26-20, in Pelham.
Noteworthy: Pelham is trying to win back-to-back Division V championships. The Pythons beat Gilford, 21-7, to win last year's title. ... Pelham running back Bruce Vieira was the star when these teams met during the regular season. Vieira scored on runs of 36, 56 and 50 yards in Pelham's victory. The Pythons scored three TDs in the first quarter of that contest. ... Kearsarge was among the teams that moved to Division V from Division IV following the 2007 season. The Cougars reached their only championship game in 2000. St. Thomas beat Kearsarge, 33-13, for the Division IV title that season. ... Kearsarge quarterback Jack Morgan completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns during the earlier meeting with Pelham this season. The Cougars also received a 6-yard TD run from D.J. Hodgdon, who made six catches for 60 yards. ... Pelham enters this contest with a 20-game winning streak. ... Pelham led all Division V teams in points scored (276) and points allowed (78) during the regular season. Kearsarge ranked third in points scored (259) and second in points allowed (111). ... The winner of this contest will face either second-seeded Trinity or third-seeded St. Thomas in the Division V championship game.

No. 3 St. Thomas at No. 2 Trinity

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Manchester's Gill Stadium
Team records: Trinity is 8-1 overall, 7-1 in Division V. St. Thomas is 7-2 overall, 6-2 in Division V.
Regular-season result: Trinity won, 21-20 in overtime, in Dover.
Noteworthy: The earlier meeting between these teams (Nov. 2) may have produced the most exciting game during the regular season. St. Thomas overcame a 20-7 fourth-quarter deficit when quarterback Jack MacNevin fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to Paul Brown on the final play of regulation. Trinity smothered the holder on the PAT attempt, however, and the game went to overtime. After tailback Zach Merrigan gave the Saints a 26-20 lead, Sean Lyons scored his third touchdown of the game and kicked the PAT to give Trinity a one-point victory. ... MacNevin, who injured his ankle on that TD pass to Brown, didn't play in last week's 13-12 triumph over Somersworth. ... Trinity, which played an independent schedule last year, scored a league-high 287 points during the regular season. Trinity's only loss came against Pelham, 29-14, on Sept. 12. The Pioneers enter the postseason with a seven-game winning streak. ... The Trinity program hasn't won a state championship since 1988, when the Pioneers beat Concord, 10-9, in the Division I championship game. ... St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton has a 330-69-3 career coaching record. No New England high school football coach - past or present - has won more games. Wotton guided St. Thomas to the Division IV championship in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006. Wotton also won 17 state titles while he was the head coach at Marshwood High School in Eliot, Maine. ... Trinity's James Horn had a team-high seven interceptions during the regular season.

Coming Wednesday: Division II capsule previews.

College: Milford duo leads PSU to playoffs >> Nashua Telegraph

College: 'Cats must clean up their act against UMass >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Among the bright spots in the University of New Hampshire's 24-13 loss to Villanova on Saturday was the performance turned in by senior wide receiver Mike Boyle.

Boyle, who wasn't heavily recruited coming out of Plymouth Regional High School, made five catches for 101 yards in the contest.

Boyle (pictured) was named New Hampshire's Mr. Football following his senior season at Plymouth. The Bobcats were 44-0 and won four state championships during his high school career. He scored 27 touchdowns as a senior and led New Hampshire to a 41-14 victory over Vermont in the 2004 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

"He's the best player on our offense," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. "He's a kid who can run, he can catch. He blocked extremely well on Saturday. He's a senior leader. He's a senior captain.

"He's had a successful, successful career here because he's a hell of a football player -- and he's a winner. He's been very, very consistent for us in doing everything we need him to do. Not just catching the football, but returning kicks and running the ball on our speed sweeps and our option stuff.

"We're pleased he's healthy, because when he's healthy he's a heck of a football player."

Work at home 

UNH (7-2 overall, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Conference) will take on the University of Massachusetts (6-4, 3-3) at Cowell Stadium on Saturday (noon), but McDonnell said home-field advantage isn't worth much in this rivalry.

I don't think it matters where we play this game," McDonnell said. "It's a war every time we play. We go down there and we buckle it up, and when they come up here they're gonna have it saddled up.

"You look at the teams they've played this year and the teams that they've lost to, and those teams don't have many losses. They've lost to a very good JMU team, a very good Texas Tech team, a very good Richmond team and a very good Maine team. It's UMass, and we're gonna be challenged again."

After Saturday's contest, UNH will wrap up its regular season with a game at Maine (7-3, 4-2) Nov. 22. The Black Bears extended their winning streak to five games by beating UMass, 21-20, last weekend.

"We gotta go play,"McDonnell said. "This (UMass) is one of our fiercest rivals in the league, and then our border rival the next week. Our kids are looking forward to playing the games, and are excited about it, but we know how challenging it's going to be. It's starts with a very physical, good football team in UMass. Gotta find a way to win this football game."

Postseason possibility?

UMass coach Don Brown on his team's chances of qualifying for the FCS playoffs: "New Hampshire got in last year with seven wins. I think our strength of schedule is around third or fourth in the country. If we could get to eight wins, that would give us the minimum seven Division I wins. You never know, but the bottom line is you gotta take care of the business that's in front of you and we're playing our huge rival New Hampshire this week, which is always a big game if you're a UMass Minuteman." 

St. Anselm freshman quarterback Marc Wilson and senior linebacker Brian Tormollan have swept the Northeast-10 Conference Football weekly awards, which were announced Monday.

Wilson (pictured) was named the league's Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week, while Tormollan earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. The honor marks the second Player of the Week award for Wilson this year, while Tormollan is honored for the first time.

Wilson continued to rewrite the St. Anselm record book as he set the program's single-game record for yards rushing by running for 285 yards on 35 carries in Saturday's 28-14 win over Pace. Wilson became the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in the first half on a 67-yard touchdown run, and finished his freshman season with 1,214 yards on the ground. In addition, his 270 rushing attempts broke the previous record of 193.

Tormollan capped off his Saint Anselm career by recording eight tackles. He also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble.

In addition to Wilson and Tormollan, junior running back Luke St. Marie earned a spot on the NE-10 weekly honor roll with a 144-yard, two-touchdown afternoon in the win.

DIVISION VI SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Winnisquam at No. 1 Franklin

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Franklin High School.
Team records: Franklin is 9-1 overall, 9-0 in Division VI. Winnisquam is 6-4 overall, 6-3 in Division VI.
Regular-season result: Franklin won, 14-0, in Franklin.
Noteworthy: Expect a good crowd for this game, which features two high schools that are about three miles apart. ... Franklin enters this contest on a nine-game winning streak. The team's only loss came in a non-league game against Bishop Brady (28-8) during the season's opening weekend. The Golden Tornadoes secured the No. 1 seed by beating Newport, 30-8, last weekend. That was Newport's only Division VI loss this season. ... This is Winnisquam's first winning season in the program's four-year history. The Bears allowed 80 points during the regular season -- the fewest among Division VI teams. Winnisquam didn't allow a point in any of its six victories. ... The defenses dominated the regular-season matchup between these teams. The game's only offensive touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Nick Gosselin to Abe Muniz. Franklin's other score came when linebacker Mike Stone scooped up a fumble and returned it 21 yards for a TD. Winnisquam committed four turnovers in the loss and never moved the ball inside Franklin's 33-yard line. ... The winner of this game will face either second-seeded Newport or third-seeded Campbell in the Division VI championship game. ... Franklin's last state title came in 1991, when it beat Newport (28-14) in the Class M-S championship game.

No. 3 Campbell at No. 2 Newport

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Newport High School.
Team records: Newport is 8-2 overall, 8-1 in Division VI. Campbell is 7-3 overall, 7-2 in Division VI.
Regular-season result: Newport won, 28-7, in Newport.
Noteworthy: This game could be determined by how well Campbell quarterback Kiel Canada can throw the football. Newport sacked Canada four times when these teams met in the regular season. Canada completed 1 of 10 passes for 16 yards and was intercepted once in that loss. ... Newport quarterback Ryan Beaulieu ran for a touchdown and threw a 33-yard TD pass to Nick Moote in the first meeting between these teams. Moote had four receptions for 74 yards in that game. The Tigers scored one touchdown in each quarter. ...Newport hasn't won a state championship since 1995, when it beat Plymouth (25-12) for the Division IV title. ... Newport outscored its opponents 308-108 this season. Campbell outscored its opponents 232-115. ...This is Campbell's third playoff appearance in the program's five-year history. The Cougars lost to Bishop Brady in the 2006 Division V semifinals, and to Pelham in the 2004 Division V semifinals. ... The winner of this contest will face either top-seeded Franklin or fourth-seeded Winnisquam in the Division VI championship game. That game will be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.

Coming Tuesday: Division V capsule previews.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, James Madison retained the top spot in the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll, which was released Monday.

The first seven spots in the poll remained the same as the previous week.

The Dukes (8-1) had their final off week before preparing for Saturday's game at home with 12th-ranked William & Mary (7-2) in a Colonial Athletic Association contest that can clinch the automatic bid to the playoffs for the Dukes.

JMU received 91 of 110 first-place votes and 2,729 points to stay ahead of No. 2 Appalachian State (8-2). The Mountaineers received 17 first-place votes and picked up 2,642 points after a 49-7 victory over Tennessee-Chattanooga.

No. 3 Cal Poly (7-1) earned two first-places votes and was given 2,390 points to edge out No. 4 Northern Iowa (8-2), which had 2,364 points. Cal Poly earned a 49-3 win over North Carolina Central and Northern Iowa stopped Missouri State 42-0.

Montana (9-1), Villanova (7-2) and Richmond (7-3) stayed at No. 5, 6 and 7, respectively. Montana bested Portland State 29-12, while Villanova knocked off previously-eighth-ranked New Hampshire 24-13 and Richmond defeated Hofstra 34-14.

Weber State (9-2) clinched a share of its first Big Sky championship and the first auto bid given out to this year's playoffs with a 59-27 victory over winless Idaho State. The Wildcats were rewarded with a jump of one spot to No. 8 by the Sports Network pollsters.

Wofford (7-2) improved one position to No. 9 with its tough 33-28 win over The Citadel and Southern Illinois (7-2) moved back into the top 10 with a key Missouri Valley Football Conference triumph over then-No. 17 Western Illinois 24-14.

Elon remained at No. 11, followed by William & Mary, New Hampshire, Furman and Central Arkansas. The rest of the top 20 consists of No. 16 McNeese State, South Carolina State, Tennessee State, Harvard and Tennessee-Martin.

Maine moved into the poll for the first time this season at No. 21, following a 21-20 victory over previously-No. 13-ranked Massachusetts. UMass plummeted to No. 22 in the poll.

Colgate, Liberty and Western Illinois complete the poll.

Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes) Record  Points
1. James Madison Dukes (91) 8-1 2,729  
2. Appalachian State Mountaineers (17)  8-2 2,642
3. Cal Poly Mustangs (2) 7-1 2,390
4. Northern Iowa Panthers 8-2 2,364
5. Montana Grizzlies 9-1 2,247
6. Villanova Wildcats 7-2 2,169 
7. Richmond Spiders 7-3 2,034
8. Weber State Wildcats 9-2 1,967
9. Wofford Terriers 7-2 1,767
10. Southern Illinois Salukis 7-2 1,757
11. Elon Phoenix 8-2 1,685
12. William & Mary Tribe 7-2 1,394
13. New Hampshire Wildcats 7-2 1,375
14. Furman Paladins 7-3 1,191
15. Central Arkansas Bears 8-2 1,153
16. McNeese State Cowboys 6-3 949
17. South Carolina State Bulldogs 8-2 871
18. Tennessee State Tigers 8-2 653
19. Harvard Crimson 7-1 598
20. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 7-3 583
21. Maine Black Bears 7-3 561
22. Massachusetts Minutemen 6-4 462
23. Colgate Raiders 8-2 387
24. Liberty Flames 8-2 279
25. Western Illinois Leathernecks 5-4 274
Others receiving votes: South Dakota State 195, Lafayette 131, Prairie View 118, Jacksonville State 101, Holy Cross 79, North Dakota State 78, Eastern Kentucky 63, Grambling 57, Northern Arizona 53, Montana State 33, Texas State 19, Florida A&M 16, Dayton 14, Northwestern State 13, Albany 12, Monmouth 9, San Diego 6, Morgan State 5, Penn 4, Samford 3, Bethune-Cookman 2, Georgia Southern 2, Hampton 2, Jacksonville 2, Sacred Heart 2, UC Davis 2.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Friday's Division I semifinal between second-seeded Nashua South (7-3 overall, 7-1 in Division I) and third-seeded Manchester Central (9-1, 7-1) has been moved from Saturday afternoon to Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be played at Nashua's Stellos Stadium.

The game was moved because the Division II semifinal between top-seeded Bishop Guertin (8-2, 7-1) and fourth-seeded Keene (7-3, 6-2) was also scheduled to be played at Stellos Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. That game will be played as scheduled.

Keene played last Saturday, when it beat Merrimack 41-13. Nashua South, Manchester Central and Bishop Guertin all played Friday night. 

Sophomore running back Steve Campbell and junior defensive lineman Jim Sestito, both of whom play for the Plymouth State University fooftball team, were named to the New England Football Conference's weekly honor roll for their contributions in PSU's 34-7 victory over Salve Regina on Saturday.

Campbell started the game at linebacker, but moved to offense due to an illness to Jeff Mack, PSU's top running back. Campbell rushed for 177 yards on 16 carries and scored four touchdowns against the Seahawks. He scored on runs of 9, 4, 61 and 3 yards. He received NEFC Defensive Honor Roll accolades last month after a win over Western New England.

Campbell is tied for fourth on the team this season with 40 tackles, including a sack and five tackles for lost yardage. He also has two interceptions, a pass break-up and a blocked punt. On the offensive side of the ball, Campbell has rushed for 301 yards on 34 carries with six touchdowns.

Sestito, a defensive end, spent much of Saturday afternoon in the Salve Regina backfield. He led the Panther defense with four tackles, two of which were sacks. He helped PSU hold Salve Regina to 33 yards rushing in the game.

Sestito is tied for the NEFC lead with 7 1/2 sacks. He also has a team-high 13 stops for lost yardage among his 36 overall tackles.

The Panthers (9-1 overall, 7-0 in the NEFC Boyd Division) will travel to Maine Maritime for Saturday's NEFC championship game, which will kick off at noon. The winner will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Freshman quarterback Conner Kempe has been named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his performance in Dartmouth's 37-14 loss at Cornell on Saturday.

Kempe, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound product of The Benjamin School, completed 25 of 52 passes for 256 yards against Cornell. He completed his first five passes of the game, and scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run.

Kempe (pictured) entered the game with 10 completions for 104 yards and one touchdown in two games.

In addition, two Dartmouth players were named to the Ivy League weekly honor roll for their work at Cornell. Senior linebacker Andrew Dete recorded a season-high 11 tackles in the game, and sophomore Tim McManus made a career-high 10 receptions for 122 yards. It was the third 100-yard game of his collegiate career.

The Big Green (0-8, 0-5 Ivy) will attempt to snap its 10-game losing streak against Ivy co-leader Brown (5-3, 4-1 Ivy) in Hanover on Saturday (12:30 p.m.).

College: Playoffs within reach for UNH >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Second season begins >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: HIgh School football review >> Nashua Telegraph

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Five items on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1) A football doubleheader.

That's what we could have Saturday afternoon at Nashua's Stellos Stadium. Second-seeded Nashua South is scheduled to play third-seeded Manchester Central at 1 p.m., and the Division II semifinal between top-seeded Bishop Guertin and fourth-seeded Keene could follow.

The date and time for the BG/Keene game will likely be announced Monday. The game could be moved from Saturday to Friday night, but in that scenario it would be Keene's second game in a seven-day period. Keene beat Merrimack 41-13 Saturday.

2. St. Anselm runs to victory.

Freshman quarterback Marc Wilson rushed for 285 yards to lead St. Anselm to a 28-14 victory over Pace on Saturday. Wilson's rushing effort was a single-game record for a St. Anselm player. The Hawks also set a team record by rushing for 448 yards in the game.

St. Anselm finished 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the Northeast-10 in Pat Murphy's first season as head coach. That has to be considered a step in the right direction, since the Hawks began the season with a 29-game losing streak.

3. Winnisquam's pointless efforts.

Fourth-seeded Winnisquam, which will face top-seeded Franklin in Saturday's Division VI semifinals, didn't allow a point in any of its six regular-season victories. The Bears capped their regular season by beating Farmington, 32-0, Saturday.

4. Exeter/BG leftovers.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about BG's 45-9 victory over Exeter on Friday night was the BG defense, particularly in the third and fourth quarters. Exeter gained 56 yards on 25 second-half plays.

"Speed on the edge," Exeter coach Bill Ball said after the game. "We couldn't sustain anything. At halftime (BG led 21-9) I thought we still had a shot. They took it away from us."

5. Plymouth State.

The winner of Saturday's New England Football Conference championship game between Plymouth State and Maine Maritime will earn an automatic berth in this year's NCAA Division III playoffs. PSU has qualified for the NCAA playoffs three times: 1984, 1994 and 1995.

College: Wilson, St. Anselm finish strong >> St. Anselm athletics

College: Dartmouth falls to Cornell >> ESPN.com

High School: Sabers roll into title game >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: North gives Pinkerton all it can handle >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sabers making good on promise >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Laconia, Plymouth to meet for title >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Keene overwhelms Merrimack >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Villanova turns back ragged UNH >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Franklin secures No. 1 seed >> Concord Monitor

High School: Plymouth scorches Hanover >> Laconia Citizen

College: Panthers rout Salve Regina >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Vieira, Pelham drub Epping-Newmarket >> Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

College: UNH loses to Villanova >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Zocco, South cruise >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG romps all the way home >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Tough end for Milford >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG rolls in showdown with Exeter >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Central wins game, not style points >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Villanova defense presents challenge >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sachems ready for hungry Kennett squad >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Bobcats to battle No. 4 Hanover >> Laconia Citizen

High School: Portsmouth squeezes past Milford >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: St. Thomas nips Hilltoppers >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Clippers advance to title game >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Winnacunnet closes with win >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Exeter will be No. 3 seed >> Portsmouth Herald

College: UNH has something to prove >> Portsmouth Herald

By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Bishop Guertin earned the No. 1 seed for next weekend's Division II semifinals with a convincing 45-9 victory over Exeter on Friday night.

Quarterback Andy Vailas scored three TDs for BG, which outscored Exeter 24-0 in the second half. Vailas scored his first TD on a 45-yard pass from backup quarterback Steve Cuipia on the game's first play.

Vailas scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter and a 1-yard run in the fourth.

"I think Andy Vailas is the best athlete in the state," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "He proved it tonight. We played a very good game offensively, defensively and on special teams."

BG, which lost to Exeter in last year's Division II championship game, improved its record to 8-2 overall and 7-1 in Division II. Top-seeded BG will face either Keene or Dover in the semifinals. Keene will clinch the final playoff berth if it beats Merrimack on Saturday.

Exeter (7-3, 6-2) will be the No. 3 seed, and will play a semifinal-round game at second-seeded Timberlane (7-3, 6-2) next weekend.

BG outgained Exeter 423-164. Exeter accounted for nearly half of its total offense on its third possesssion, when quarterback Andrew Kukesh capped a nine-play, 72-yard scoring drive with a 25-yard TD run.

"We definitely didn't expect that," Exeter coach Bill Ball said. "We couldn't sustain anything. I certainly don't feel very good about how we competed in the second half. We have to get back to playing Exeter football in November. This will be a real character check for our guys."

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

New Hampshire Football Report will be at Friday night's Division II game between Exeter and Bishop Guertin at Exeter's Eustis Field. A recap of the game will be posted shortly after the contest ends.

There will also be a full game story on MaxPreps.com (New Hampshire page) that will be posted Saturday.

The Exeter/BG winner will secure home-field advantage for the Division II semifinals. BG would be the top seed if it beats Exeter, but can still finish as low as No. 3. Exeter can finish no lower than second if it beats BG. An Exeter victory coupled with an Alvirne victory over Timberlane would make the Blue Hawks the No. 1 seed.

If Exeter and Timberlane both win, Exeter and BG will meet again in next weekend's semifinals.

College: UNH capsule preview >> Concord Monitor

College: PSU wraps up regular season at home >> Laconia Citizen

High School: First and 10 >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Souhegan, Milford trying to peak now >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: BG trying not to get too comfortable at Exeter >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Franklin, Newport fight for top spot >> Laconia Citizen

College: A lot on the line for UNH >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Clippers confident, not overconfident >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Even though there will be playoff games in Division III and Divison IV this weekend, the regular-season contest between Exeter and Bishop Guertin may be the game that generates the most interest.

A victory over Exeter would earn BG (7-2 overall, 6-1 in Division II) the top seed for next weekend's Division II semifinals. An Exeter win would drop BG to the No. 3 seed, and likely set up a rematch with Exeter at Eustis Field.

Exeter (7-2, 6-1) also has to win to secure home-field advantage for the Division II semifinals. Exeter can finish no lower than second if it beats BG. An Exeter victory coupled with an Alvirne victory over Timberlane would make the Blue Hawks the No. 1 seed.

"This is a must-win game for us," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "It's for home-field advantage. You want to keep them in their own environment. The good news is we control our own victory."

BG and Exeter have met in each of the last three Division II championship games. BG prevailed in 2005 and 2006, and Exeter won last year's title.

The Blue Hawks have beaten BG in three of the last four meetings.

"Defensively we're playing well," Exeter coach Bill Ball said. "Offensively it's been OK. We have to move the chains, stop the big play and try to do a good job in the kicking game."

The game will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the state. Exeter's Andrew Kukesh has completed 30 of 76 passes for 463 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He's also run for 401 yards and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. BG's Andy Vailas runs an option attack that helped  BG score more points (258) than any other Division II team.

"Their offense runs through Andy Vailas," Ball said. "He's an option quarterback, but they have a pretty good power game. They're fast and they have pretty good skill."

The game may be decided by BG's ability to move the ball through the air. Johnson said BG's passing game hasn't been as effective this season as it was in recent years.

"It's inconsisent," Johnson said. "Andy is a major threat when he's running the ball, but we still haven't found our rhythm in our passing attack.

"We don't have to play a perfect game, but if we make mistakes against Exeter it's going to cost us."

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.

With every day crossed off on the calendar, the Division III semifinal match-up between Goffstown High School and Souhegan High School draws ever closer. Each team comes in red-hot, with Goffstown winning four of its last five games after a slow start. Souhegan comes in riding an undefeated season, seeking perfection at last. Though the regular-season contest between these two playoff teams was not close, with Souhegan taking it 41-0, Goffstown has changed up its personnel and it has benefited the Grizzlies greatly. However, the coaching staff for Souhegan will have the Sabers working harder than ever in practice, more so than a normal week.

Every Monday is film sessions for the Sabers, dissecting the previous week's game, seeing even in victory how badly some of us played on certain snaps, and all of the coaches are not hesitant to point out these flaws in the least bit. Even over the yelling however, the players know it is to benefit them, and see through the noise. Then thought turns to the next week's game, viewing previous years' games against that team and other film helpful against that team. In a playoff week however, the coaches will pour on a heavy dose of the footage, pointing out any weak area where we could possibly strike our opponent. To many of the players it seems tedious, but we all know that this may possibly be the most important day of the week, so we are certain to not zone out.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are offensive and defensive practices, and are definitely the most intense days of the week. Most weeks, the coaches keep their heads, helping the players to learn new skills and learn from their mistakes. However, with a playoff game looming right around the corner, all courtesy is thrown out the window.  The coaches let their points and thoughts be known loud and clear, from a player mouthing off to a false start during drills, the players feel a lot more pressure during these days as the intensity is turned up several notches.

Thursdays and Fridays are used as mental days, and days to rest sore muscles. Just because the hitting is not as intense does not mean the mindsets of the coaches and players is not. The majority of the practices are spent learning the ins and outs of the special teams part of the game, perfecting every single one, and the players at Souhegan have always taken great pride in special teams. After Friday practices the team gathers for a last meeting, watching game film and highlights from the last week to get every player's mind thinking only of one thing: winning the game the next day. 

Pre-game Saturdays, however, are the most serious times of each week. As I draw near the locker room, I can hear the speakers blasting music from a mile away, as they have to be the biggest speakers in the state.  Walking down into it, I can see a look of anxiety and seriousness on each and every player's face from varsity right down to freshman. Talking to any player I can hint the business-like tone that has to be associated with attempting to win a championship. Every playoff game has to be played to the fullest like it is the last time you will ever lace up cleats and step on the field. As I sit in the locker room before facing Goffstown this Saturday, I am sure I will hear and see the same things described.  Everyone has that same common goal, championship or bust.  

College: UNH facing critical showdown >> Concord Monitor

College: Plymouth State/Salve Regina game notes >> PSU athletics

College: Villanova/UNH game notes >> Villanova athletics

College: Three Dartmouth players earn adademic honor >> Dartmouth athletics

DIVISION IV SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Hanover at No. 1 Plymouth

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Plymouth Regional High School.
•Team records: Plymouth is 9-0 overall, 8-0 in Division IV. Hanover is 6-3 overall, 5-3 in Division IV.
•Regular-season result: Plymouth won, 47-13, in Plymouth.
•Noteworthy: No one collects state championships like Plymouth, which won nine of the last 11 titles in Division III before dropping to Division IV after the 2007 season. The Bobcats have won six titles in the last seven years. ... Hanover is no stranger to championships either. The Marauders won the Division IV championship in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Laconia beat Hanover, 35-14, in last year's Division IV championship game. ... Plymouth scored 360 points this season, which is the most scored by any NHIAA team. The Bobcats scored at least 34 points in eight of their nine games, and held their opponent to one touchdown in six of those nine contests. ... Hanover enters this game having won four in a row. The Marauders clinched a playoff spot by beating Merrimack Valley, 28-27, in overtime  last weekend. ... Plymouth coach Chuck Lenahan has a 307-63-1 record in his high school coaching career, and has guided Plymouth to 16 state championships. ... Hanover quarterback Sam Carney has completed 56 of 101 passes for 918 yards this season. He's thrown eight touchdown passes and has been intercepted seven times. Christian Harris leads the Hanover running game. Harris has rushed for 1,135 yards on 148 carries.

No. 3 Kennett at No. 2 Laconia

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Laconia High School.
•Team records: Laconia is 7-2 overall, 7-1 in Division IV. Kennett is 7-2 overall, 6-2 in Division IV.
•Regular-season result: Laconia won, 41-12, in Laconia.
•Noteworthy: Laconia is trying to reach the Division IV championship game for the third consecutive season. The Sachems lost to St. Thomas, 21-3, in 2006, and beat Hanover, 35-14, last season. ... Kennett's last state championship came in 1988, when it beat Plymouth, 12-10, to claim the Division III title. Kennett hasn't reached a championship game since 2001. Plymouth beat Kennett, 29-8, to win the Division III title that year. ... Kennett outscored its opponents 228-88 this season. The Eagles posted shutouts in five of their seven victories. ... Laconia dominated the game when these teams met during the regular season. The Sachems led 28-0 at halftime and 41-0 entering the fourth quarter. Laconia running back Christian Birt rushed for 211 yards on 24 carries and scored four touchdowns in that victory. Birt scored on runs of 10, 17 and 17 yards, and returned a fumble 51 yards for another TD. ... Laconia's two losses came against unbeaten Plymouth (27-14) and unbeaten Souhegan (26-17). Souhegan is the No. 1 seed for the Division III playoffs. ... The winner of this game will face either top-seeded Plymouth or fourth-seeded Hanover in the Division IV championship game, which will be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.

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: Central has a first down on its own 20 yard line, and gains 15 yards on a running play. Central is called for holding on its 25-yard line on the play and is penalized 10 yards. Is it now first and 5, or second and
5?

-- Manchester

Answer: Neither. A foul by the offense that occurs behind the end of the run is enforced from the spot of the foul. Therefore, we would enforce the penalty from the 25-yard line to the 15-yard line and replay the down. First
and 15. If the foul occurred beyond the end of the run, it would be enforced from the end of the run. Assume the foul was on the 40-yard line. We would penalize from the 35-yard line (the end of the run) and replay the down. First and 5 on the 25-yard line.

DIVISION III SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Goffstown at No. 1 Souhegan

•When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Souhegan High School.
•Team records: Souhegan is 9-0 overall, 8-0 in Division III. Goffstown is 5-4 overall, 5-3 in Division III.
•Regular-season result: Souhegan won, 41-0, in Goffstown.
•Noteworthy: Souhegan completed the regular season unbeaten and enters this contest as one of three undefeated teams in the state. Plymouth (Division IV) and Pelham (Division V) are the others. ... The Sabers are trying to win the program's first state championship since 2004. ... Goffstown, which competed in Division II last season, had to beat Con-Val last weekend to make the playoffs. The Grizzlies came from behind to post a 36-30 victory to earn the No. 4 seed.  ... Goffstown won four of its last five regular-season games and scored at least 36 points in each of those four victories. The Grizzlies are 0-3 against teams in the Division III playoffs. They also suffered a 28-13 non-league loss to Division IV Hanover. ... Souhegan ranked first among Division III teams in points scored (327) and points allowed (96) during the regular season. The Sabers have a potent passing attack, led by junior quarterback D.J. Petropulos and split end Ben Stallman. The Souhegan offense can also attack on the ground with 6-3, 240-pound junior fullback Steven Jellison and senior tailback Nick Chacos. ... Goffstown running back Jake Staffiere passed the 1,000-yard mark in Saturday's victory over Con-Val. Staffiere rushed for 1,030 yards during the regular season. ... The winner of this game will face either second-seeded Portsmouth (8-1, 7-1) or third-seeded Milford (6-3, 6-2) in next weekend's Division III championship game.

No. 3 Milford at No. 2 Portsmouth

•When and where: Friday (7 p.m.) at Portsmouth High School.
•Team records: Portsmouth is 8-1 overall, 7-1 in Division III. Milford is 6-3 overall, 6-2 in Division III.
•Regular-season result: Portsmouth won, 43-15, in Milford.
•Noteworthy: This contest was moved from Saturday to Friday because of an arts and crafts fair being held at Portsmouth High School on Saturday. ...The Clippers and Spartans met last Friday, when Portsmouth scored 36 points off six Milford turnovers in its 28-point victory. That win earned Portsmouth its first home playoff game since 1996, when the Clippers lost to Exeter in the Division II semifinals. ... Milford quarterback Jeff Agnew returned to the lineup last Friday after missing two games with an ankle injury. He was used sparingly at quarterback, however.  Agnew usually lined up as a wingback when Milford was on offense. Milford coach Keith Jones said Agnew will likely see more time at QB in this contest. ... Portsmouth quarterback Mike Fransoso threw for 15 touchdown passes in eight regular-season games. Fransoso missed one game with a shoulder injury. ... Senior tailback Gallagher Hogan rushed for 115 yards on 13 carries in last Friday's victory over Milford. It was the fifth time Hogan has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season. ... Running back Joe King, who filled in at QB when Agnew wasn't available, and fullback Justin Buskey are Milford's other offensive threats. ... Milford has made the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons. ... The winner of this game will face either top-seeded Souhegan (9-0, 8-0) or fourth-seeded Goffstown (5-4, 5-3) in next weekend's Division III championship game. Souhegan and Goffstown will play their semifinal game Saturday (1 p.m.) in Amherst.

College: UNH/Villanova game notes >> UNH athletics

College: Dartmouth/Cornell preview >> Dartmouth athletics

The Granite State Football League's middle school varsity championship will be decided Saturday (1 p.m.) at Bedford High School, where undefeated Bedford (8-0) will face Pembroke (7-1).

Bedford beat Pembroke, 28-20, during the regular season.

The Granite State Football League consists of 13 middle school teams in New Hampshire. Bedford defeated Gilford in the semifinals, and Pembroke advanced with a victory over Concord.

Saturday's third annual GSFL championship game will crown a new champion as the two previous championships were won by Concord (2007) and Kearsarge (2006).

Kearsarge finished the season 8-0 in the JV division this season and won the tournament held in North Sutton last Saturday.

For more details see www.granitestatefootball.com.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The challenge facing the University of New Hampshire football team this weekend?

The Wildcats will have to beat the best team they've played this season -- and they'll have to beat that team on the road. At least that's how UNH coach Sean McDonnell sized up the situation when he was asked about Saturday's game at Villanova.

"We're playing one of the best teams in the country right now," McDonnell said. "Probably the best all-around team that we have faced. Defensively they're tremendous. Offensively they're right around 400 yards a game. They can do it running. They can do it passing.

"This team has not one, but two good quarterbacks, two good running backs, three or four good receivers and a talented offensive line. We've talked about their defense. They can kick field goals pretty well too."

Ninth-ranked UNH, which is 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Colonial Atheltic Association, will be trying to improve its road record to 5-0. Sixth-ranked Villanova is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., and can be seen on CN8.

"We're gonna have our hands full this week with the run game," McDonnell said. "To win this football game we're gonna have to stop the run, and that's what we've been concentrating on on defense this year.

"You look forward to playing games like this because you find out how good you really are. Hopefully we go down there and play the game we're capable of, but this is a real good Villanova team we're playing."

It's good to be home

Although some coaches avoid talking about any opponent but the next one, Villanova's Andy Talley took a big-picture approach this week. Talley said his Wildcats are focused on gaining home-field advantage for the postseason.

"For Villanova, we're trying to get to the magic number of eight (wins) and if you're fortunate enough to get to the magic number of nine, potentially you could be a top four seed," Talley said. "Playing at home in the playoffs, as we all know, is paramount. It's critical. And so it's something that we are striving for.

"The ramifications of this game, for us, our tremendous."

In the running?

McDonnell sounded hopeful that junior running back Chad Kackert could return to active duty soon, perhaps as early as this week.

Kackert suffered a shoulder injury in the first half of UNH's 38-34 loss to William & Mary. He's run for 355 yards in four games (41 carries) this season.

"Still hasn't been cleared," McDonnell said. "We're hoping. We're hoping. Kackert is our most explosive (back). He's a return guy. He adds another dimension to our team.

"Doctors are still leery with his shoulder. We'll know more as the week goes on, but right now he's not cleared."

Kackert had arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this season.

James Madison used a 41-7 thrashing of Delaware to remain on top of the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll, but the gap between the Dukes and runner-up Appalachian State closed in results released Monday.

JMU (8-1) received 91 of 109 first-place votes and 2,707 points, but Appalachian State gained ground with its 70-24 victory over then-No. 3 Wofford, a first-place Southern Conference showdown that was shown nationally Friday night on ESPN2.

ASU (7-2) finished with 17 first-place votes and 2,617 points, up from three first-place ballots the previous week. The Mountaineers, the three-time defending FCS champions, have lost only to defending BCS champion LSU and James Madison (35-32) on the road this season.

Wofford tumbled from third to 10th in the poll with its devastating loss to Appalachian State.

Cal Poly (6-1) replaced Wofford in the third spot, moving up one place after a 49-10 win at home over Idaho State. The Mustangs received one first-place vote.

Northern Iowa (7-2) captured a key Missouri Valley Football Conference road victory over then-No. 12 Western Illinois 30-6 and was rewarded with a jump up one slot in the poll to No. 4.

Montana (8-1) used a 45-10 victory at home over Northern Arizona in an important Big Sky Conference game to vault to No. 5, while Villanova (6-2) rose one position to No. 6 with a tight 20-14 win at Northeastern in CAA play.

Richmond (6-3) inched up to No. 7 in a bye week, while New Hampshire (7-1) improved a spot to No. 8 with a 45-25 victory over Hofstra in CAA play.

No. 9 Weber State (8-2) moved into the top 10 for the first time since 1998 after a 31-21 tussle with Portland State at home. The Wildcats, who are closing in on their first Big Sky title since 1968, leaped four positions from No. 13 for the biggest rise of the week.

The second 10 features Elon at No. 11, followed by Southern Illinois, Massachusetts, William & Mary, Furman, Central Arkansas, Western Illinois, McNeese State, South Carolina State and Tennessee-Martin.

Harvard, Tennessee State, Northern Arizona, Colgate and Liberty finish out the poll from No. 21 to No. 25. Colgate forged a 21-13 win over previously-No. 21-ranked Lafayette to move into the poll for the first time this season. Lafayette dropped out of the poll after a two-week stay.

 

SPORTS NETWORK's FCS COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL

Team (First-place votes)  Record 
1. James Madison Dukes (91) 8-1    
2. Appalachian State Mountaineers (17) 7-2    
3. Cal Poly Mustangs (1) 6-1    
4. Northern Iowa Panthers 7-2   
5. Montana Grizzlies 8-1   
6. Villanova Wildcats 6-2  
7. Richmond Spiders 6-3    
8. New Hampshire Wildcats 7-1
9. Weber State Wildcats 8-2
10. Wofford Terriers 6-2 
11. Elon Phoenix 7-2
12. Southern Illinois Salukis 6-2
13. Massachusetts Minutemen 6-3
14. William & Mary Tribe 6-2
15. Furman Paladins 7-3
16. Central Arkansas Bears 7-2
17. Western Illinois Leathernecks 5-3
18. McNeese State Cowboys 5-3
19. South Carolina State Bulldogs 7-2
20. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 7-2
21. Harvard Crimson 6-1
22. Tennessee State Tigers 7-2
23. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 6-3
24. Colgate Raiders 7-2
25. Liberty Flames 7-2

Others receiving votes: Maine 181, South Dakota State 136, Northwestern State 114, North Dakota State 97, Jacksonville State 95, Lafayette 89, Georgia Southern 81, Prairie View 78, Eastern Kentucky 63, Grambling 54, Holy Cross 41, Morgan State 34, UC Davis 26, Albany 25, Brown 14, Hampton 13, Sacred Heart 12, Dayton 10, Texas State 9, Florida A&M 7, San Diego 6, Nicholls State 5, Montana State 4, Monmouth 2, Penn 2, Jacksonville 1.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Dartmouth College's Shawn Abuhoff, a freshman cornerback, was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his performance in Dartmouth's 35-7 home loss against 23rd-ranked Harvard on Saturday.

Abuhoff (pictured) is the second Big Green football player to earn one of the conference weekly awards this year, joining freshman place-kicker Foley Schmidt, who received the Rookie of the Week award on Sept. 22.

Abuhoff helped the Big Green defense hold Harvard's passing attack to less than 100 yards. He broke up one pass and made five tackles (three solo). Abuhoff lined up against Matt Luft, the Crimson's leading receiver this season, for most of the game. He limited Luft to two catches for 27 yards.

Abuhoff was also Dartmouth's return man on punts and kickoffs. He gained 28 yards (9.3 average) on three punt returns, and brought back two kickoffs for 44 total yards.

The Big Green (0-7, 0-4 Ivy) will attempt to snap its nine-game losing streak Saturday at Cornell (1 p.m.). Dartmouth defeated Cornell, 59-31, in Hanover last year.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Senior running back Jeff Mack and sophomore defensive back Dan Kelly were honored by the New England Football Conference on Monday after they helped Plymouth State University defeat MIT, 27-14, Saturday in Cambridge, Mass. Both players were named to the NEFC Weekly Honor Roll.

Mack (Milford) was recognized by the NEFC for the seventh time this season. Kelly (Londonderry) is a first-time honoree and the sixth different Panther defender to be honored. Saturday's victory helped PSU capture at least a share of the NEFC Boyd Division crown and clinch a berth in next week's NEFC Championship game.

Mack, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back, rushed for 221 yards on 31 carries (7.1 avg.) with two touchdowns against MIT. It was his fourth 200-yard rushing performance this season.

Mack has 1,515 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns this season. He ranks second in the NEFC in rushing and fourth in scoring. Mack has also moved into second place on PSU's single-season rushing list, trailing only Joe Dudek's senior season. Dudek rushed for 1,615 yards and scored 24 TDs in 1985.

Mack is second to Dudek in Plymouth State career rushing as well. Mack has 3,680 yards (5.7 avg.) and 41 touchdowns. Dudek finished his collegiate career (1982-85) with 5,560 yards rushing (7.1 avg.) and 76 TDs.

Kelly, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound cornerback, made four tackles (all solo) and intercepted two passes against MIT.

Kelly, who played in seven games as a reserve last year, has started all nine contests this season.  He has made 30 tackles, including 27 solo stops, and has seven pass break-ups and a blocked kick to go along with his two interceptions.

The Panthers (8-1 overall, 6-0 in the NEFC Boyd Division) will wrap up the regular season against Salve Regina at Currier Field (1 p.m.). Plymouth State has clinched a berth in the NEFC Championship game (Nov. 15) at the Bogan Division champion, which will be either Maine Maritime Academy or Bridgewater State College.

Dino Vasso, a sophomore cornerback on the University of New Hampshire football team, was named the co-CAA Defensive Player of the Week for his defensive efforts in UNH's 45-25 victory over Hofstra on Saturday. 

Vasso (pictured) made a team-high 12 tackles in the game -- including one for a loss of 7 yards -- and forced a fumble. He had two of New Hampshire's five interceptions in the contest, and returned his fourth-quarter interception 66 yards for a touchdown.

The Wildcat defense forced seven Pride turnovers

Vasso is the third Wildcat to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors this season. He joins Hugo Souza who won the honor following the Army game, and Ryan Hinds, who was selected after UNH's victory over Towson.

Vasso and his teammates return to action Saturday at Villanova (3:30 p.m.). The contest can be seen live on CN8.

High School: Trinity edges STA in OT >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: Pinkerton loss could lead to three-way tie >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Lesson learned, game won >> Manchester Union Leader

College: UNH Notebook >> Manchester Union Leader

College: Wildcats getting primed for stretch run >> Foster's Daily Democrat

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Five topics on the New Hampshire football landscape:

1. Trinity beats St. Thomas.

No game this season has had a more dramatic ending than Trinity's 27-26 victory over St. Thomas on Sunday.

St. Thomas trailed 20-14 until quarterback Jack MacNevin tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to split end Paul Brown as time expired. Brown was hit with a penalty for excessive celebration after he scored, however, and Trinity smothered the St. Thomas holder on the point-after attempt.

St. Thomas took a 26-20 lead in overtime, but the point-after kick was blocked. Trinity scored on its possession and Sean Lyons made the kick to give the Pioneers the victory.

Trinity will be the No. 2 seed for the Division V playoffs and will be at home against St. Thomas for the semifinals.

The loss was extra-painful for St. Thomas. MacNevin injured his right ankle on his touchdown pass to Brown, and will miss at least one game.

2. State pride.

Dover will give New Hampshire its final chance to beat a Massachusetts team during the regular season when it plays Andover at home Friday night.

New Hampshire dropped to 0-4 against Massachusetts when Plymouth North beat Exeter, 8-7, Friday night. The other losses: Brockton 28, Pinkerton 27; Lowell 21, Nashua South 0; and Billerica 21, Bishop Guertin 7.

3. Good timing.

Kearsarge will have a bye this weekend and will have two weeks to prepare for its Division V playoff game against top-seeded Pelham. The Pythons beat the Cougars 26-20 during the regular season. 

4. Eric Guinto.

There's no doubt that losing big-play threat Eric Guinto for the season is a big blow to the Pinkerton offense, but the Astros are still capable of winning the Division I title. This year's Pinkerton team can win by playing power football.

Guinto suffered a torn ACL in Pinkerton's 24-21 loss to Manchester Central on Saturday.

5. UNH's big three.

UNH will conclude the regular season with three very intriguing games: at Villanova (6-2), UMass (6-3) and at Maine (6-3).

It's a stretch that will determine whether or not UNH qualifies for the FCS playoffs, and whether or not the Wildcats will have a chance for a postseason home game.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Goffstown's 36-30 triumph over Con-Val on Saturday finalized next weekend's playoff pairings in Division III and Division IV. Here are Saturday's matchups:

DIVISION III SEMIFINALS

No. 4 Goffstown (5-4, 5-3) at No. 1 Souhegan (9-0, 8-0), 1 p.m.
No. 3 Milford (6-3, 6-2) at No. 2 Portsmouth (8-1, 7-1), 1 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Nov. 15: at highest remaining seed, 1 p.m.

DIVISION IV SEMIFINALS

No. 4 Hanover (6-3, 5-3) at No. 1 Plymouth (9-0, 8-0), 1 p.m.
No. 3 Kennett (7-2, 6-2) at No. 2 Laconia (7-2, 7-1), 1 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Nov. 15: at highest remaining seed, 1 p.m. 

In a matchup between two 6-0 teams, Matt Williams kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to give Proctor Academy a 42-40 win over league rival Kimball Union Academy on Saturday in game marked by incredbile momentum swings.

Josh Harris and Stanley Benion led the Proctor ground attack and helped Proctor build a 33-7 lead in the third quarter. KUA stormed back in the third and the game was tied, 33-33, entering the fourth.

Benion broke the tie with an 11-yard touchdown run with six minutes remaining, but Proctor failed on the two-point-conversion attempt.

Boston College-bound Kaseem Edabali scored the tying touchdown and KUA kicked the extra point to go ahead 40-39 with less than three minutes to play, but Josh Harris returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield and Proctor
drove to the 10-yard line to set up the game-winning field goal..
KUA was riding a 15-game winning streak that dated back to 2006, when KUA lost to Proctor in the Evergreen League championship game.

PROCTOR 42, KUA 40

First Quarter
PA-Peter Fessenden 95-yard interception return (kick failed)
KUA-Kevin Viera 17 run (Kevin Gangelhoff kick)

Second Quarter
PA-Stanley Benion 2 run (pass failed)
PA-Stephen Alli 6 pass from Cody Edgeworth (Matt Williams kick)
PA-Benion 22 run (Williams kick)

Third Quarter
PA-Benion 95-yard kick-off return (Williams kick)
KUA-Gangelhoff 10 pass from Ryan Burgess (kick failed)
KUA-Travis Jones 69 run (Gangelhoff kick)
KUA-Akeem Labitue 30 pass from Burgess (kick failed)
KUA-Jimmy Vailas 20 pass from Burgess (Gangelhoff kick)

Fourth Quarter
PA-Benion 11 run (run failed)
KUA-Kassim Edebali 37 pass from Burgess (Gangelhoff kick)
PA-Williams field goal, 27

High School: Astros lose Guinto for the season >> Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

High School: Cavs finish strong >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Campbell will start on the road >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Goffstown rallies to beat Con-Val >> Manchester Union Leader

College: UNH defense up to the task >> Concord Monitor

College: Turnover feast for Wildcats >> Manchester Union Leader

College: UNH pulls away from Hofstra >> Portsmouth Herald

College: Harvard routs Dartmouth >> ESPN

College: Harvard runs past Dartmouth >> Dartmouth athletics

College: Plymouth State secures spot in NEFC championship game >> PSU athletics

College: Hawks come up short on senior day >> St. Anselm athletics

High School: Dover stays alive >> Foster's Daily Democrat

High School: South gets trick, no treat >> Manchester Union Leader

High School: Portsmouth clinches No. 2 seed >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: BG bounces back >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Souhegan wraps up undefeated season >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Spartans fall hard >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Corey carries Tomahawks >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Old reliable powers South >> Nashua Telegraph

High School: Sachems trounce Huskies >> Laconia Citizen

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The pieces began to fall into place for the Division III playoffs Friday night, when Portsmouth locked up the No. 2 seed by beating Milford, 43-15, in Milford.

Portsmouth (8-1 overall, 7-1 in Division III) will play third-seeded Milford (6-3, 6-2) in the semifinals next Saturday (1 p.m. in Portsmouth). Top-seeded Souhegan (9-0, 8-0) will face the winner of Saturday's matchup between Con-Val (5-3, 4-3) and Goffstown (4-4, 4-3) in next Saturday's other semifinal.

Milford committed six turnovers in Friday's loss. Portsmouth turned those turnovers into five touchdowns.

"We couldn't beat the Chelsea School of Upholstery if we play like that," Milford coach Keith Jones said. "They have a good team with explosive athletes. They're tough enough to stop as it is, never mind when you keep giving them the ball."

The Portsmouth/Milford contest will be Portsmouth's first home playoff game since 1996, when the Clippers were upset by Exeter in the Division II semifinals.

"We don't have to take the long bus ride," Portsmouth coach Bill Murphy said. "You're in your place, you have your own crowd."

Portsmouth quarterback Mike Fransoso threw for two touchdowns and ran for another against Milford. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 158 yards. Fransoso also rushed for 88 yards on five carries.

Portsmouth also received two second-half touchdowns from senior tailback Gallagher Hogan, who ran for 115 yards on 13 carries. It was the fifth time Hogan has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season.

Milford's Jeff Agnew played in the game, but was used sparingly at quarterback. Agnew, who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, was used primarily as a defensive back and wingback. Agnew, a senior, has been Milford's starting quarterback since his sophomore season.

'I'm sure he'll be closer to 100 percent next week," Murphy said. "I was surprised by the score. I've seen them too many times to think this is going to happen again." 

-----

Hanover's 28-27 triumph over Merrimack Valley on Friday finalized the Division IV playoff pairings. Fourth-seeded Hanover will play at top-seeded Plymouth, and third-seeded Kennett will play at second-seeded Laconia. Both games will be played next Saturday at 1 p.m.

Plymouth beat Hanover, 47-13, in Plymouth during the regular season. Laconia posted a 41-12 victory over Kennett in Laconia when those teams met in the regular season.