NHIAA DIVISION II PREVIEW

The League: Keene, Dover, Spaulding, Merrimack, Timberlane, Alvirne, Manchester West, Winnacunnet, Bishop Guertin.

Defending Champion: Bishop Guertin beat Winnacunnet, 14-13, in the 2010 Division II championship game.

Top Story Line: Will it be BG again? The Cardinals have won the Division II championship in six of the last seven years.

Player to Watch: Running back/defensive back Jackson King is one of two starters returning for Merrimack, but he gives the Tomahawks a big-play threat on offense.

Game to Watch: BG at Keene (Nov. 4). Historically, Keene has given even the best BG teams a hard time. The Blackbirds may be BG's stiffest competition in the division this season, and this game will likely have playoff implications.

Noteworthy: The biggest news in the offseason came out of BG, where head coach Tony Johnson resigned under pressure. Former Manchester West coach Travis Cote replaced Johnson, who remains BG's athletic director. The Cardinals will have a different look on offense (Wing-T), but still have plenty of talent to challenge for another championship. The key players include quarterback Bob Fahey, split end/defensive back Brody Smith and running back/defensive lineman Jimmy Carver. "Our skill guys are very good, and we're pretty deep," Cote said. "We have a lot of guys who can carry the ball and a lot of guys who can catch the ball on the perimeter.". ... Keene returned eight offensive starters from a team that lost to BG in last year's semifinals. Quarterback Lucas Luopa and split end/running back Jimmy Boulay are among the returnees. Graduation hit the Blackbirds the hardest on the offensive line. ... Defense will have to carry Winnacunnet, which much replace 10 offensive starters from last fall. The Warriors have lost to BG in each of the last two Division II championship games. ... Expect Dover, last year's other playoff team, to be in the hunt for a playoff spot again this season. Quarterback Tyler Zabkar and running back Max Rewucki are among the Green Wave's returning starters. ... If there's a surprise team in the division it may be Timberlane, which looked good against Pinkerton Academy in the Queen City Jamboree. ... Dennis Fontaine has replaced Joe Benham as Spaulding's head coach. Spaulding has had three head coaches in the last three years. ... West's Jim Lauzon is the other new head coach in the division. The Blue Knights will rely heavily on senior quarterback Aaron Martin. ... Lineman Sam Prive is Merrimack's other returning starter. The Tomahawks will enter the season as the most inexperienced team in the division. ... Like Winnacunnet, Alvirne must replace 10 offensive starters.

Coming Friday: Division I preview.

                                                                                                                -- Roger Brown