NHIAA DIVISION IV PREVIEW

The League: Merrimack Valley, Kingswood, Kennett,
John Stark, Laconia, Plymouth, Hanover, Lebanon, Monadnock, Trinity.

Defending Champion: Lebanon beat Trinity, 24-14, in last year's championship game.

Top Story Line: Will Plymouth return to the postseason? The Bobcats entered last season with a 55-game winning streak, but stumbled after a 2-0 start and failed to make the playoffs.

Player to Watch: Lebanon lineman Alexander Morrill. Morrill is among the Division I prospects in the Class of 2012. He received a scholarship offer from the University of New Hampshire earlier this summer.

Game to Watch: Laconia at Trinity (Sept. 16). These teams could meet again in the postseason.

Noteworthy: Some leagues lack a true preseason favorite. Others have Trinity, which is clearly the team to beat in Division IV this season. The Pioneers return seven starters on each side of the ball from a team that reached the Division IV championship game last season. "We have three players we have to replace on our offensive line, and the other issue we have to deal with is depth," Trinity coach Gary Leonard said. "We have 40 kids on the team, but experience-wise it drops off after our first team." ... If things do get crowded at the top of this division expect Laconia to be in the mix for the Division IV title. Running backs David Mahoney and Ronnie Steele return to what could be an explosive Laconia offense. ...  Chuck Lenahan is in his 40th season at Plymouth's head coach. He has a career record of 325-67-1 and has guided the Bobcats to 18 state championships. Plymouth has won 11 titles in the last 14 years. ...Lebanon, last year's Division IV champion, lost most of its skill-position players, including running back Cody Patch, who is now playing for Dartmouth. ...  Expect Kennett and Plymouth to be the other teams fighting for home-field advantage for the Division IV semifinals. ... Dave Jackson has replaced Eric Anderson as Merrimack Valley's head coach.

Coming Wednesday: Division III preview.

                                                                                                                 -- Roger Brown