Fall Sports

Breakdown of the Division III football schedule for 2016

Here's a look at the football schedule for Division III.

The high school football season will kickoff in New Hampshire in less than a month, but there's no need to wait until then to take a look at what is in store for this year.

All this week, we'll be taking a look at the schedule in each division, breaking it down week by week to highlight what should be the biggest matchups of the season.

In Division III, each team will play eight games in the regular season, with all 16 teams having a bye week in Week 6 of the season.

The teams are divided up into two conferences - the North (Fall Mountain, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Kearsarge, Mascoma Valley, Monadnock, Newfound, Newport, Stevens) and the South (Bishop Brady, Campbell, Epping-Newmarket, Farmington-Nute, Franklin, Raymond, Somersworth, Winnisquam).

Each team plays all of the other teams in its conference once, and then has one crossover game against a team from the other conference. The top four teams from each conference make the playoffs.

Here's a look at the Division III regular-season schedule.

Week 1

Friday, Sept. 2

Newfound at Monadnock, 6:30 p.m.: The Huskies drop down to D3 after making the playoffs two times in the last three years in D2. They open the season by hosting a Bears team that has gone 1-15 in the last two years.
Campbell at Raymond, 7 p.m.: Campbell will be looking to get off on the right foot after starting last year 1-4. The Cougars should again be in contention for a playoff spot, while the Rams have won three games in the last two years.
Winnisquam at Somersworth, 7 p.m.: A matchup of two of the top returning players in the division in Winnisquam running back Jacob Snow and Somersworth lineman Isaiah Puchtler, and also two teams that made the playoffs a year ago.
Mascoma Valley at Stevens, 7 p.m.: The Cardinals have two first-team division players back in Richard Bell and Parker Smith and should be one of the top teams in the North after going 6-2 in the regular season a year ago.

Saturday, Sept. 3

Bishop Brady at Farmington-Nute, 1 p.m.: The Giants and running back Moses Murenzi start their quest for a fourth-straight playoff appearance against a Farmington-Nute team that won its final two games of the season last year.
Epping-Newmarket at Franklin, 1:30 p.m.: Franklin plays its first game as a member of the South Conference against an Epping-Newmarket team that lose three games by six points or less last year.
Kearsarge at Newport, 1:30 p.m.: After making the playoffs the last two years in D2, the Cougars moved down to D3 and open the year against the defending champions. The Tigers lost six players from last year's team who were named D3 first team.
Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Fall Mountain, 7 p.m.: The Lakers begin their trek back to the championship game against a Wildcats team that has won just three games in the last three seasons.

Week 2

Friday, Sept. 9

Stevens at Somersworth, 7 p.m.: A weekend of crossover games starts off with what could be a potential playoff matchup between the Cardinals and the Hilltoppers.

Saturday, Sept. 10

Monadnock at Campbell, 1:30 p.m.: Another good game to judge where both teams are at early in the season.
Kearsarge at Franklin, 1:30 p.m.
Epping-Newmarket at Newfound, 1:30 p.m.
Winnisquam at Newport, 1:30 p.m.: The two teams that looked like they were on a crash course to last year's championship game get to meet in Week 2 this year.
Farmington-Nute at Mascoma Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Bishop Brady, 2 p.m.: Another potential matchup between teams that could meet in the first round of the playoffs.
Raymond at Fall Mountain, 7 p.m.

Week 3

Friday, Sept. 16

Fall Mountain at Kearsarge, 7 p.m.: The first meeting between these two teams since they were both in Division V in 2011.
Bishop Brady at Raymond, 7 p.m.
Newfound at Stevens, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 17

Farmington-Nute at Campbell, 1:30 p.m.
Somersworth at Epping-Newmarket, 1:30 p.m.: The Hilltoppers won last year's meeting by four points, one of three close games lost by Epping-Newmarket that helped keep it out of the playoffs.
Franklin at Winnisquam, 1:30 p.m.: These two rivals, who are just three miles apart from each other, haven't played since 2013.
Monadnock at Mascoma Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Newport at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, 2:30 p.m.: Rematch of last year's D3 title game, won by Newport.

Week 4

Friday, Sept. 23

Fall Mountain at Monadnock, 6:30 p.m.: These two teams haven't played since 2007, when both were in Division IV.
Bishop Brady at Winnisquam, 7 p.m.: Two years ago, these two teams combined to score a hundred points in a regular-season game.
Raymond at Somersworth, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 24

Mascoma Valley at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, 12 p.m.
Franklin at Farmington-Nute, 1 p.m.
Campbell at Epping-Newmarket, 1:30 p.m.: Epping-Newmarket was 1-4 in games decided by 13 points or less last year, with the Blue Devils lone win against Campbell. The Cougars likely haven't forgotten how that loss helped keep them out of the playoffs.
Stevens at Newport, 1:30 p.m.: Stevens will look to avenge last year's 30-point loss to the Tigers in what should be the biggest game of the week.
Newfound at Kearsarge, 6:30 p.m.

Week 5

Friday, Sept. 30

Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Monadnock, 6:30 p.m.: One of two games on the night that could have huge implications on the playoff teams from the North.
Kearsarge at Stevens, 7 p.m.: The other potentially huge game in terms of playoff positioning for the North.
Epping-Newmarket at Farmington-Nute, 7 p.m.
Newport at Fall Mountain, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 1

Winnisquam at Raymond, 1:30 p.m.
Somersworth at Franklin, 3:30 p.m.: An unfamiliar matchup between two teams that could end up as playoff teams from the South.
Campbell at Bishop Brady, 6 p.m.: Last year's win for Bishop Brady snapped a four-game losing streak against Campbell.
Mascoma Valley at Newfound, 7 p.m.

Week 6

No games

Week 7

Friday, Oct. 14

Monadnock at Kearsarge, 7 p.m.: This will be the sixth meeting between the teams in the last five years, even though both are in their third different division during that span.

Saturday, Oct. 15

Stevens at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, 12 p.m.: This was one of the most surprising games of the regular season last year, as Stevens entered 4-0 and was thumped 42-0 by the Lakers.
Newport at Mascoma Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Farmington-Nute at Winnisquam, 1:30 p.m.
Franklin at Bishop Brady, 2 p.m.: These teams met in back-to-back Division V championship games in 2005-06, with Bishop Brady winning both.
Fall Mountain at Newfound, 2 p.m.
Raymond at Epping-Newmarket, 2:30 p.m.
Somersworth at Campbell, 7 p.m.: The Hilltoppers lead the all-time series 4-2, but the Cougars have won the last two, including a semifinal win in 2014.

Week 8

Friday, Oct. 21

Fall Mountain at Stevens, 7 p.m.
Farmington-Nute at Somersworth, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Newfound at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, 12 p.m.
Bishop Brady at Epping-Newmarket, 1 p.m.: The Giants hold a 3-2 edge over the Blue Devils in the all-time series between these two teams, although E-N has won the lone playoff meeting.
Winnisquam at Campbell, 1:30 p.m.: The Bears had lost their two previous meetings with the Cougars before last year's 14-point win.
Kearsarge at Mascoma Valley, 1:30 p.m.
Monadnock at Newport, 1:30 p.m.: A playoff berth, or more, could be on the line between two teams who have each been in the postseason in three of the last four years.
Franklin at Raymond, 1:30 p.m.

Week 9

Friday, Oct. 28

Stevens at Monadnock, 6:30 p.m.: These teams haven't played since 2012, when both were playoff teams in Division V, and this meeting could have also have postseason implications.
Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Kearsarge, 7 p.m.: Another game that could have playoff implications, it will be only the second meeting between the two teams. Kearsarge won the first in 2012.
Mascoma Valley at Fall Mountain, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Campbell at Franklin, 1:30 p.m.
Epping-Newmarket at Winnisquam, 1:30 p.m.
Raymond at Farmington-Nute, 1:30 p.m.
Newport at Newfound, 2 p.m.
Somersworth at Bishop Brady, 2 p.m.: A loss to the Hilltoppers last year started the Giants on a 1-3 skid to end the season.