Playoff Picture: Division II Football (Oct. 16)
Windham, Plymouth remain the top seeds, as one new team moves in and another moves out.
The way Chris Lones sees it, there are three types of games that the Hollis Brookline High School football teams needs to focus on winning in order to make the playoffs.
First on the list is home games, and this season, the Cavaliers are undefeated on their turf. Then there are the games that the coaching staff feels they should win, and HB has come out victorious in all of those this season.
"We’re taking care of that part of the business," Lones said. "We’re 3-0 at home. We’ve got to win our home games. We’ve got to beat the teams that we’re supposed to beat."
And finally, there are the games against the cream of the crop that will help solidify the Cavs' standing as a postseason contender, and maybe even get them a home playoff game.
This week, HB (5-1) goes on the road to face Pelham (3-3) for a game that has taken on a greater value than it did a week ago, thanks to the Pythons' upset win over ConVal (4-2) last weekend.
It's one of four games in Week 8 in which at least one team is in a win-or-else situation. A loss for the Pythons would likely eliminate them from postseason contention, and they'd need help even with a win, while an HB win on Friday likely wraps up a playoff spot regardless of what the Cavs do in the final week.
ConVal has also become one of those teams in desperation mode after last week's loss. The Cougars, who have played without quarterback Dan Spezzaferri the last two weeks, host St. Thomas (6-1) on Friday and have to go to Windham (6-0) the following week, likely needing a win in both.
Also on Friday, Hanover (6-0) travels to face a Kennett (3-3) team that kept its hopes alive with a win over Laconia (3-4) last weekend. The Eagles would get a big boost from a win over the Marauders, and like Pelham, they'd need some help.
The biggest game in D2 will take place Saturday in Bow, as the Falcons (5-1) host John Stark (5-1) in what's a close to a must-win game for both teams as could be. The winner is all but guaranteed a playoff spot, while the loser will need a win in the final week of the regular season to advance. Over the last two seasons, John Stark has gone 13-1 against the rest of D2 and is 0-2 against Bow.
The top team in each conference are seeded first and second, based on rating. The next six teams with the best rating are seeded 3-8. Here’s a look at what the D2 postseason would be like if it started this week.
Note: Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official pairings.
North Conference
- x-Plymouth (6-0), 14.3333
- x-Hanover (6-0), 12.0000
- x-Bow (5-1), 10.3333
- x-John Stark (5-1), 10.0000
- Kennett (3-3), 6.6667
- Laconia (3-4), 4.5714
- Lebanon (1-5), 2.0000
- Gilford-Belmont (1-5), 1.6667
- Merrimack Valley (1-6), 1.4286
- Pembroke (0-6), 0.0000
- Kingswood (0-6), 0.0000
South Conference
- x-Windham (6-0), 16.3333
- x-St. Thomas (6-1), 12.8571
- x-Hollis Brookline (5-1), 11.3333
- x-Souhegan (4-2), 10.0000
- ConVal (4-2), 8.3333
- Pelham (3-3), 7.0000
- Sanborn (2-4), 4.6667
- Milford (2-4), 4.6667
- Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (1-5), 2.0000
- Manchester West (1-6), 1.4286
Playoff teams: Windham, Plymouth, St. Thomas, Hanover, Hollis Brookline, Bow, Souhegan, John Stark.
In the hunt: ConVal, Kennett, Pelham.
Top seeds
- Plymouth is the top seed in the North Conference
- Windham is the top seed in the South Conference
- Windham is the No. 1 overall seed thanks to a better rating than Plymouth.
Tiebreakers
- Souhegan wins the tiebreaker with John Stark thanks to a head-to-head victory.
Quarterfinal matchups: No. 8 John Stark at No. 1 Windham; No. 7 Souhegan at No. 2 Plymouth; No. 6 Bow at No. 3 St. Thomas; No. 5 Hollis Brookline at No. 4 Hanover.
Remaining Schedule
- Friday, Oct. 20: St. Thomas at ConVal, 7 p.m.; Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton at Souhegan, 7 p.m.; Hollis Brooklike at Pelham, 7 p.m.; Hanover at Kennett, 7 p.m.; Pembroke at Kingswood, 7 p.m.; Plymouth at Lebanon, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 21: Milford at Sanborn, 1:30 p.m.; Windham at Gilford-Belmont, 1 p.m.; John Stark at Bow, 2 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 27: Pelham at Manchester West, 6 p.m.; Gilford-Belmont at Laconia, 7 p.m.; Kennett at Kingswood, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 28: ConVal at Windham, 1:30 p.m.; Sanborn at Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, 1 p.m.; Souhegan at Hollis Brookline, 1:30 p.m.; Milford at Plymouth, 1:30 p.m.; Lebanon at Bow, 2 p.m.; Hanover at John Stark, 2 p.m.; Merrimack Valley at Pembroke, 2 p.m.
