Division I

Can anyone be 'this year's Goffstown' in Division I football?

It was the phrase spoken most often by high school football coaches from around Division I. "We want to be this year's Goffstown." For some teams, like Merrimack or Portsmouth or Timberlane or even this year's Goffstown, the comparison is fitting and the imitation would be accurate. But that thought

It was the phrase spoken most often by high school football coaches from around Division I.

"We want to be this year's Goffstown."

For some teams, like Merrimack or Portsmouth or Timberlane or even this year's Goffstown, the comparison is fitting and the imitation would be accurate. But that thought is also on the minds of players and coaches at Bedford and Nashua North and maybe Pinkerton and Exeter.

"We would love to be this year's Goffstown," Merrimack coach Kip Jackson said during the first week of practice. "We can't tell if that's what we're going to do, but that's our goal."

Jackson appears to have the returning cast to make it happen, led by a three-year starter in quarterback Justin Grassini. But is it realistic for a program that has made the playoffs once in 20 years to run the table?

There's a lot standing in the Tomahawks' way, including a Bedford team that also has a ton of skill players returning to the fold. And don't count out Exeter and Pinkerton and North and Bishop Guertin and ...

East Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year's record)

Exeter (9-3, lost in title game to Goffstown)
Portsmouth (1-8)
Winnacunnet (6-3)
Dover (2-7)
Spaulding (0-9)

Notes: Exeter returns one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the state in senior Kyle Ball, who has helped lead the Blue Hawks to the final four and the championship game as a sophomore and junior, respectively. ... Portsmouth has a great trio of offensive performers returning in quarterback Cody Graham and receivers Christian Peete and Shon Parham. ... Winnacunnet lost a lot of talent from last year's team, but the Warriors return quarterback Patrick MacDougall, a junior who could end up being one of the top players in the state next season. ... Dover is hoping to build off a season in which it came close to beating Pinkerton and Londonderry. ... Spaulding will have a new head coach this fall, as John Shea replaces Jeff Hunt.

Game to watch: Portsmouth at Exeter, Sept. 30. Of course Exeter-Winnacunnet and Dover-Spaulding are big rivalry games, but that matchup between the Clippers and the Blue Hawks could be worth more than bragging rights.

West Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year's record)

Nashua North (7-4, lost in quarterfinals to Goffstown)
Bishop Guertin (6-4, lost in quarterfinals to Bedford)
Nashua South (2-7)
Keene (3-6)
Alvirne (1-8)

Notes: North has a ton of returning players, including quarterback Jeff Baldassari, running backs Jordan Buckmire and Tylor Chase and linemen Austin Rancourt and Finn Littlefield. ... Bishop Guertin graduated almost two dozen seniors, including quarterback JT Hiscoe. Senior Mike Allanach and junior Sam Raitt were battling for the starting job in the preseason. ... South had one of its worst seasons in recent memory last year, as injuries led to a number of young players getting time. Now those players have experience, led by quarterback Sean Holland and receivers Max Osgood, Terrell Lewis and Alex Amigo. ... Keene took a step forward last season after winning one game in 2014, and could take another big one this year. ... Alvirne will be a young team looking to gain experience this season.

Game to watch: Nashua South at Bishop Guertin, Sept. 9. It's early in the year, but it could end up determining who gets one of the final playoff sports in the cluster.

Crossover game to watch: Exeter at Nashua North, Oct. 7. Could be for the No. 1 seed in the playoff cluster.

North Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year's record)

Merrimack (5-4)
Pinkerton (8-3, lost in semifinals to Exeter)
Salem (7-3, lost in quarterfinals to Exeter)
Londonderry (3-6)
Timberlane (7-3, lost in quarterfinals to Pinkerton)

Notes: This conference could end up having five of the division's seven best teams, but at most, only three will make the playoffs. ... Despite winning records in 2010 and 2015, Merrimack has made the playoffs just once in the last 20 season, with that lone appearance coming in 2005. The Tomahawks have quarterback Justin Grassini back, along with offensive standouts Tyler DeNeill, Joe Eichman and Brody Kelley. ... Pinkerton has a lot of youth, but there are good returning players, like running back Nicco Buccieri and quarterback Ryan Albrecht, and it's never safe to count out any team coached by Brian O'Reilly. ... Salem could easily slip past Pinkerton and take one of those playoff spots, especially if junior running back Josh Sibanda has a breakout season. ... Londonderry coach Jimmy Lauzon had one of the biggest turnouts this preseason, with 125 players showing up the first week of practice. How that quantity translates on the field will determine how far the Lancers go. ... Jacob Post should be on of the top players in the division this season for Timberlane, and the Owls would definitely be a playoff team in any other conference.

Game to watch: Merrimack at Pinkerton, Oct. 14. The Tomahawks look at last year's 42-32 loss to the Astros as the one that got away, and kept Merrimack out of the playoffs. This year's meeting could be just as big.

South Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year's record)

Bedford (9-2, lost in semifinals to Goffstown)
Goffstown (12-0, won championship)
Manchester Central (5-4)
Manchester Memorial (0-9)
Concord (5-4)

Notes: Bedford has one of the best backfield duos returning in senior running back Nick Leahy and junior quarterback Connor Robert. The entire offensive line graduated, but the Bulldogs seem to grow linemen on trees in Bedford. ... Goffstown was hit hard by graduation, but the Grizzlies have several players returning who got a lot of varsity experience, including receivers Franklin Castillo-Diaz and Andrew Duval, quarterback Nik Moquin and linebackers Peyton Bickford and Joey Poisson. ... Central looks poised to take the next step behind running back Josh Thrasher and a passing game that could be much improved. ... Memorial has no where to go but up, and should behind quarterback Tyler Battista. ... Concord appears to be in a bit of a rebuild after going 23-8 the last three seasons.

Game to watch: Goffstown at Bedford, Sept. 24. These teams have formed quite the rivalry since Bedford opened in 2007, and it's only intensified in recent years. The Grizzlies won both meetings last year, including coming back from a 14-point deficit in the semifinals.

Crossover game to watch: Merrimack at Bedford, Sept. 2. Doubtful that these two will be at their best this year in the season, but many consider this game to be between the top two teams in the state.