The State of Football: Week 1
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly prefers to fill his open dates with out-of-state opponents. He also likes to avoid his toughest opponents on the opening weekend.
So why is he looking forward to Saturday's non-league contest against Division II Bishop Guertin? Perhaps because many people consider his team to be the underdog.
"I'm usually not a big fan of these games, but this year I am," O'Reilly said. "In these crossover games we're the Division I team and we're supposed to win. I'd rather fill my two open dates with Everett, Brockton, or St. Johns Prep.
"This year everyone considers (BG) to be the top team in the state. I saw them in the Queen City Jamboree. They're very fast, decent size and they run the option very well. They seem like a complete team from what I can see."
BG posted a 10-3 victory over Pinkerton in Nashua last season. Saturday's game will be played in Derry. It'll be part of a full slate of crossover games involving Division I and Division II teams this weekend.
The other matchups are Alvirne at Concord, Keene at Londonderry, Exeter at Manchester Central, Spaulding at Manchester Memorial, Winnacunnet at Manchester West, Merrimack at Nashua North, Timberlane at Nashua South and Dover at Salem.
"I think the concept is great," BG coach Tony Johnson said. "When I took over this program I wanted a very, very hard preseason. We always scrimmaged a lot against the toughest opponents I could find.
"You always want to find out what you have and what you don't have. That was the case last year with Billerica. They knew our weaknesses and they exploited us. We had to fix it real quick or the season could have been over."
It appears we'll get our first look at Pinkerton wingback Eric Guinto since he suffered a season-ending knee injury last season. O'Reilly said Guinto will wear a brace, and he will start.
'Is he going to be the same as he was before the injury?" O'Reilly asked. "That's something I'm going to find out Saturday. We'll all find out.
"I do know he's healthy, and he's getting the ball."
The Picks ...
Alvirne 21
Concord 20
Alvirne may be the surprise team in Division II this season.
Winnacunnet 26
Manchester West 7
West coach Travis Cote will be the first to tell you his Blue Knights don't belong in Division I.
Exeter 21
Manchester Central 14
Could be the most intriguing matchup on the Friday night menu.
Nashua South 28
Timberlane 14
Division II teams can't win all of these matchups.
Londonderry 20
Keene 14
The biggest question regarding this Londonderry team: What do the Lancers have up front?
Nashua North 20
Merrimack 12
This might be the year North earns its first playoff berth.
Bishop Guertin 21
Pinkerton 14
Most non-league games have minimal appeal. This one is an exception.
Salem 21
Dover 20
Both of these teams have a chance to be better than most people expect.
Memorial 26
Spaulding 12
The Crusaders are another team that has a chance to be better than people expect.
Milford 20
Bedford 6
Milford's offense may take a step back this season, but Milford's defense should be solid.
Souhegan 36
Goffstown 13
Souhegan would be a playoff team in Division II.
Portsmouth 33
John Stark 13
The Clippers are going to score a lot of points this season.
Merrimack Valley 20
Pembroke Academy 13
Give a slight edge to the home team.
Plymouth 28
Monadnock 6
The Bobcats make it 45 in a row.
Con-Val 26
Hollis-Brookline 14
Con-Val will reach postseason play this season. Hollis-Brookline might get there too.
Laconia 14
Hanover 13
The Sachems may have to win with defense this season.
Kingswood 26
Sanborn 14
New coach at Sanborn. New offense too.
Kennett 21
Lebanon 14
Some coaches have called Lebanon the most-improved team in Division IV.
Bishop Brady 20
Franklin 19
A loss to Bishop Brady didn't seem to bother Franklin too much last season.
Somersworth 34
Epping-Newmarket 6
Epping-Newmarket's Ryan Francoeur makes his coaching debut against his alma mater.
Trinity 22
Pelham 21
Other than BG-Pinkerton, this may be the best game on the board. These teams could meet in the Division V championship game.
St. Thomas 26
Stevens 14
St. Thomas will have the best player on the field (QB Jack MacNevin) and he'll make the difference.
Kearsarge 20
Bow 6
Kearsarge has more experience, and experience counts for a lot at this time of year.
Campbell 28
Inter-Lakes 14
Wonder how many TD passes Kiel Canada will have when the season is over.
Raymond 20
Farmington 6
This will be a big night for the Raymond program.
Gilford 20
Newport 14
Each of these teams will finish in the upper half of the Division VI standings.
Newfound 8
Mascoma 6
The Bears are used to playing in hostile territory.
Winnisquam 20
Fall Mountain 6
there are lots and lots of seniors on the Winnisquam roster.
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2008 record: 210-53
Roger Brown is a member of the Football Writers Association of America. His column, The State of Football, appears every Friday throughout the season.
