On the Gridiron: Trending toward undefeated

For the second time in the last three years, the home teams all came out on top in the state's three football division championships.

But what's unique about this season is that all three of those teams finished the season undefeated, something that hasn't happened in the state's top three divisions in at least a decade.

In fact, in the three seasons since the NHIAA cut the number of divisions from six to three, the nine champions that have been crowned have been more dominant than the 18 teams that won a division title in the three years prior.

The championship teams - Concord, Pinkerton and Goffstown in Division I; Plymouth, Windham and St. Thomas in Division II; Bow, Campbell and Newport in Division III - have combined to go 100-4 on their way to winning a division title. The Cougars are the only team that has had more than one loss and won a title, while all three D1 champions have been undefeated over that time.

Compared to the last three years of the six-division format, the champions of the top three divisions were a combined 91-17, with no perfect seasons. But, in each division, there was a repeat champion, which has yet to happen under the new format.

In the lower divisions, during that three-year stretch, championship teams had a slightly better record, going 92-7, with five perfect seasons, plus a one-loss year by Trinity in 2011, with the lone defeat coming on Thanksgiving. There were no repeat champions during that time.

The average record of a division champion, with all six divisions accounted for, from 2010-2012 was 10.2-1.3. That number is 11.1-0.4 in the last three years with just three divisions.

Since 2013, three teams - Goffstown, Windham and Campbell - have won a championship for the first time in program history, while two others ended an almost decade-long drought. Bow's title in 2013 was its first since 2004, while Concord's win the same year was its first since 2000.

Numbers game?

All three division champions this season also were in the bottom third of their division in terms of enrollment. Here is a look at school size and teams that have made the postseason in the last three years.

Division I breakdown

Of the eight teams that made the postseason in Division I, only three were among the top 10 largest programs in the division, according to the most recent numbers made available by the NHIAA.

However, three of the four semifinals were ranked 11th or higher in enrollment, with Goffstown coming at 17th in the division.

Since the number of divisions was changed, 16 of the 20 teams currently in D1 have made the postseason, with Manchester Memorial (sixth in enrollment), Dover (15th), Merrimack (16th) and Winnacunnet (18th) missing out all three years. Manchester West was also in D1 in 2013 and did not reach the postseason that year.

Division II breakdown

Four of the eight playoff teams were among the 10 largest programs in the division, but only one program of those four was among the top six (Milford, second).

Three of the playoff teams were among the smallest programs, with St. Thomas (18th), Monadnock (19th) and Kearsarge (20th) each making the postseason for the second time in the last three years.

Of the 21 teams currently in the division, 13 have made the postseason, with eight of them reaching the playoffs twice in the last three years. West (first), ConVal (fourth), Pembroke (fifth), Kingswood (10th), Hanover (12th), John Stark (13th), Pelham (16th) and Laconia (17th) have not made the D2 tournament, although Pelham did advance in Division III in 2013.

Windham (ninth) and Kennett (seventh) are the only teams that have been in the playoffs all three years, while Portsmouth was also a playoff team in 2013 before moving up to D1.

Division III breakdown

This year's playoff field was split evenly, with four teams from the division's largest programs and four from among the lowest enrollment, including two of the three smallest - Newport (14th) and Bishop Brady (16th)

In the last three years, a dozen different teams in D3 have reached the postseason, along with Pelham in 2013. Farmington-Nute (first), Fall Mountain (fourth), Raymond (11th) and Newfound (13th) have not advanced to the playoffs under the new format.

Four teams have been all three years - Newport, Bishop Brady, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (third) and Bow (eighth). Three other teams - Stevens (second), Somersworth (fifth) and Gilford (sixth) - have advanced twice.