Bedford football remains at top of Union Leader/ESPN NH power poll
Here is the Union Leader/ESPN New Hampshire football power poll for Week 7 of the 2016 season.
These are the top 10 high school football teams in New Hampshire, with record, first-place votes/points in parentheses, plus last week’s ranking:
- Bedford, 7-0 (6/69), 1st
- Merrimack, 6-1 (1/63), 2nd
- Goffstown, 6-1 (50), tie-3rd
- Windham, 7-0 (47), tie-3rd
- Exeter, 6-1 (45), tie-5th
- Salem, 6-1 (40), tie-5th
- tie John Stark, 7-0 (24), 8th
- tie Bishop Guertin, 6-1 (24), 7th
- tie Dover, 5-2 (7) NR
- tie Nashua North, 5-2 (7), NR
Also receiving votes: Plymouth, 6-1 (6), 9th; Hanover, 7-0 (3.5), NR; Monadnock, 6-0 (2.5), NR.
Voters are:
- Roger Brown, Union Leader
- Alex Hall, Union Leader
- Chris Duffy, Union Leader
- Nick Anastos, ESPN New Hampshire
- Pete Tarrier, ESPN New Hampshire
- Dave Haley, New Hampshire Sports Page
- Joe Marchilena, NH-HighSchoolSports.com
And here is how I voted in the poll:
- Merrimack, beat Pinkerton 68-29
- Bedford, beat Manchester Memorial 58-0
- Windham, beat Lebanon 58-21
- Exeter, beat Nashua South 35-14
- Goffstown, beat Manchester Central 21-10
- Salem, beat Londonderry 29-17
- John Stark, beat Plymouth 42-35
- Bishop Guertin, beat Alvirne 23-16
- Dover, beat Keene 34-28
- Monadnock, beat Kearsarge 64-13
So what would it take to move the last undefeated team in Division I out of the top spot in the power poll? For me, I guess it's the team at No. 2 hanging almost 70 points against one of the most storied high school football programs in the state, and add in the quarterback setting a state record for touchdown passes in a game.
I know Pinkerton is having a down year - or what it's program could consider a down year - but 68 points is 68 points, and it was 31 more than what Bedford scored against the Astros.
But it isn't just that game. Since those first three quarters of the season, where Merrimack looked uncomfortable and lost against the Bulldogs, the Tomahawks have been a different team. And one that I feel has moved ahead of Bedford, at least for this week.
Windham went to Lebanon for its crossover game last weekend and handed a playoff-caliber team a 37-point defeat. The 21 points by the Raiders was the most the Jaguars have given up this season, and only the second time a team has reached double digits.
Most everyone else has Goffstown ahead of Exeter in the poll, but I can't get out of my head what the Blue Hawks did to Nashua North two weeks ago. Thirty-four minutes of time of possession? Exeter had it's hiccup against Portsmouth and it looks like the team to beat in the East/West in Division I.
I had a hard time placing Goffstown and Salem this week, but we'll learn a whole lot more about both in the next two weeks. Both have already clinched playoff berths, but they play each other on Saturday, Goffstown will play Merrimack and Salem will host Bedford.
John Stark's win over Plymouth may have been the biggest in the program's history, and the Generals certainly look like a team that's ready to take the next step. Two big games remain against Bow and Hanover.
Bishop Guertin has the talent to be a contender in Division I, the Cardinals just don't have much depth, and it might be catching up to them. This week at Exeter will tell a lot.
Dover stayed in the driver's seat for a postseason berth with a win over Keene, and with games against Winnacunnet (2-5) and Nashua South (4-3) to end the season, the Green Wave could be looking at a seven-win season.
Monadnock continued its domination of Division III, rolling over a Kearsarge team that is fighting for a playoff spot.
