Football Schedule for Week 4

Let's call this week in New Hampshire high school football Rivalry Week, Part 2.

Week 4 brings us some great hot-blooded matchups with nicknames, like Londonderry-Pinkerton (Mack Plaque) and Nashua North-Nashua South (Battle of the Bridge), but the top rivalry of the weekend takes place Saturday, with Winnacunnet-Exeter.

There are plenty of other stellar games on the docket for this weekend. Starting this week, we'll have each game ranked, based on potential for a competitive game and its impact on the postseason. The higher the number of happy footballs, the higher the level of both of those categories.

On to the games ...

Division I: Winnacunnet (2-1) at Exeter (3-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

This game typically draws one of the biggest crowds for a regular-season football game, and this year, there's more than just bragging rights on the line. Under the old playoff system, these teams - as the only ones with wins in the East Conference - would be well on their way to a postseason berth. This year, only the conference winner is a lock, and an Exeter win would give the Blue Hawks what essentially would be a three-game lead. A Winnacunnet win would put the Warriors in the driver's seat.

Division I: Salem (2-1) at Timberlane (2-1), Friday, 6:30 p.m.

The loser of the previous game could very well find itself in a fight with these two teams for one of those playoff spots. Both Salem and Timberlane played a team that was a preseason favorite - Pinkerton and Exeter, respectively - very close, and haven shown that they're capable of being one of the top tier teams in the state early on this year.

Division I: Concord (2-1) at Manchester Central (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Wait, how did these two teams, which lost by a combined 76 points in Week 1, be here? The winner gets the advantage toward a postseason spot. Since giving up 54 points to Bishop Guertin to start the season, Central has allowed 12 in two games. But a week after that offensive explosion, Concord held Bishop Guertin to just 14 points the following week.

Division II: St. Thomas (3-0) at Plymouth (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

This will be the first big test for St. Thomas, which had little trouble in winning its first three games by an average of 35.7 points. Saints quarterback Stephen Hedberg had already thrown for nine touchdowns this season and 510 yards, numbers that trail only Kennett's Will Pollard (10 and 520). Speaking of Kennett, the Bobcats ran away from the Eagles late, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to open up a one-point game.

Division II: Monadnock (2-1) at John Stark (1-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

OK, so maybe neither of these teams is tops in the division, but someone has to win the West Conference, and right now, Monadnock is in that spot. However, John Stark has been more impressive, giving Milford and Windham about all they could handle in the Generals' two losses this year.

Division III: Newport (3-0) at I-L/Moultonborough (3-0), Saturday, 12 p.m.

Newport has outscored opponents 132-6 this season; ILM has done the same by a count of 120-30. Newport got a monster game last week from Noah Wade, who had 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just 12 carries.

Division III: Franklin (2-1) at Stevens (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Franklin has been a bit of a surprise this season, although its two wins have been blowouts against winless teams. Stevens revamped its whole offense after losing starting quarterback Henri Bourque, and the Cardinals responded with a 22-0 win over Mascoma Valley. Richard Bell made the move from running back to quarterback, and rushed 114 yards  and two touchdowns, and threw for another 92 yards.

Division I: Nashua South (1-2) at Nashua North (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

This rivalry is as intense as ever, but outside the Gate City, its lost a little luster since 2010. That year, the teams met three times, with South winning in the regular season and on Thanksgiving, and North winning in the playoffs. This year, the teams could be playing to keep playoff hopes alive in a West Conference were only one team (see below) has a winning record.

Division I: Keene (2-1) at Bishop Guertin (1-2), Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

At the start of September, which of these teams did you have in first place in the West Conference? If you said Keene, you might be a Blackbird player, parent, coach or fan. Or you might be a liar. Keene could take a big step this week, but the last time it faced a big-play offense, it was blown out by Goffstown. Bishop Guertin went from scoring 54 points in its opener, to scoring 36 in its last two combined. Keene has allowed 79 points in its last two games, so the potential is there for a lot of scoring.

Division II: Lebanon (3-0) at Kingswood (1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

The big question here is will Kingswood find a way to slow down Lebanon running back Ryan Milliken? The guess is no.

Division II: Kearsarge (2-1) at Merrimack Valley (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

This game is big for both teams, given the new playoff format, maybe more so for Keasarge. The Cougars appear to be a team on a mission in the North Conference, while its looking more likely that the East Conference is going to have one team in the postseason.

Division III: Campbell (1-2) at Winnisquam (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Division III: Epping-Newmarket (1-2) at Bow (3-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

A lot of questions to be answered here. Do the two 1-2 teams, after rough starts to the season, have a change to be contenders? How for real are the two undefeated teams? Bow sure seems like a team with one goal in mind, as the Falcons have outscored the opposition 131-13.

Division I: Londonderry (1-2) at Pinkerton (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

It's always a big event, but the reality is Pinkerton has won every meeting between the teams since 2001, including twice the last two years. Londonderry sure gave Exeter a scare last week, and maybe the Lancers can do it again this week, but it might be too much to ask.

Division I: Dover (0-3) at Merrimack (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

A win this week would put Merrimack, at worst, in second place in the South Conference and in the playoff mix. Will the Tomahawks make the postseason? A Division I coach said he wouldn't expect it, but also wouldn't be surprised to see Merrimack making things interesting every week.

Division II: Hollis Brookline (1-2) at Souhegan (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

These schools are rivals in everything else, but Souhegan owns a 6-2 record all-time against the Cavaliers, including the postseason, and most of those wins have been by double digits. The teams have split the last four meetings, but the Sabers are coming off a 28-point win over Milford, which defeated HB by 31 points the week before. And the Cavs will be without starting quarterback Joey Delaney, who suffered a shoulder injury last week.

Division II: Milford (2-1) at Pelham (0-2), Saturday, 6 p.m.

Milford is in need of a bounce-back game after getting throttled in the second half by Souhegan. The Spartans had some trouble putting away Pelham last year, but Milford tends to respond to loses by regrouping and pulling things together.

Division II: Hanover (1-1) at Laconia (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Hanover not only suffered a big loss to Kearsarge last week, but also saw running back Don Linehan and lineman Chan Kim go down with injuries. As if things weren't going to be tough enough for the Marauders against a Laconia team that might be better than its record indicates.

Division III: Bishop Brady (2-1) at Farmington-Nute (1-2), Saturday, 12 p.m.

With its field still under construction, Farmington-Nute will host a game at Kingswood High School on Saturday. Both teams are coming off blowout losses against an undefeated team last week.

Division III: Raymond (1-2) at Somersworth (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Division I: Spaulding (0-3) at Portsmouth (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Neither team was given an easy start to the season by the schedule makers. Spaulding opened with teams that are a combined 8-1, including Pinkerton and Exeter. Portsmouth's opponents opened the year 7-2.

Division I: Goffstown (3-0) at Alvirne (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Forget that Goffstown's offense has averaged 38 points per game. The first-team defense has allowed one score all year and will be going against an Alvirne offense missing quarterback Dan Brown.

Division I: Manchester Memorial (0-3) at Bedford (3-0), Saturday, 7 p.m.

Speaking of points, Bedford has averaged 53.3 points a game this season. There are five teams in Division I that haven't scored that many points total this season. Memorial has allowed an average of 38.7 this season.

Division II: Pembroke (0-3) at Kennett (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Kennett suffered its first regular-season loss last week going back to Oct. 19, 2013. The team that beat the Eagles that week? Pembroke, which won 14-6. Of course, the Spartans have only won twice since then, and have allowed an average of 42 points so far this year.

Division II: Windham (3-0) at Sanborn (0-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Windham beat Hollis Brookline by 26 points to open the season. Hollis Brookline beat Sanborn by six points last Saturday. It could be a rough day for Sanborn, which gave up 60 points in the season opener to St. Thomas.

Division II: Mill River Union (Vt.) at ConVal (1-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.

Things we know about Mill River Union High School: it's in Clarendon, Vt., which almost two hours from Peterborough and ConVal High School. The Cougars appear to be turning a corner in the second season under coach Paul Landau. In last week's 16-14 loss to Monadnock, quarterback Dan Spezzaferri threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns, one each to Isaac Bacon and Brandon Carland for 50-plus yards.

Division III: Fall Mountain (0-3) at Gilford (0-3), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Division III: Mascoma Valley (0-3) at Newfound (0-3), Saturday, 2 p.m.

The bottom of Division III's North Conference will get a little less crowded on Saturday, as two of its teams will get their first win. Gilford has been a bit of a surprise. After reaching the semifinals last year, the Golden Eagles haven't scored a point yet this year.