Division II

Playoff Picture: Division II Football (Oct. 2)

For the third year in a row, the Plymouth High School football team handed St. Thomas a loss, but this time, it wasn't the end of the Saints season. Instead, it was just a regular-season crossover game, which maybe will determine who ends up with the No. 1 seed in Division II. A lot can still happen

Joe Marchilena

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Playoff Picture: Division II Football (Oct. 2)

For the third year in a row, the Plymouth High School football team handed St. Thomas a loss, but this time, it wasn't the end of the Saints season.

Instead, it was just a regular-season crossover game, which maybe will determine who ends up with the No. 1 seed in Division II. A lot can still happen between now and the start of November.

But that win for the Bobcats continued what has started to look like a trend in the division this season. For the first time since the NHIAA added conferences to D2, every team in a conference is playing a balanced schedule, meaning everyone with in the conference plays the other eight teams, with one exception - it's crossover game.

Through five weeks of the regular season, there have been five crossover games played so far, and to this point, the teams from the South are 3-2. But a closer look at those results will show that the North's two wins - Plymouth over St. Thomas and Hanover over Hollis Brookline - have been by teams at the top of the standings, while all three losses have been by teams at the bottom.

Those extra wins for the South though could have a big impact on the playoff field. Since teams are selected based on their football rating, and that number factors in opponent's victories, a win over teams at the bottom of the South more valuable than those in the North, at least for the time being.

Here’s what the D2 postseason would look like if it started this week.

North Conference

  1. Plymouth (5-0), 16.4000
  2. Hanover (5-0), 12.0000
  3. Bow (4-1), 10.4000
  4. John Stark (3-2), 6.8000
  5. Gilford-Belmont (3-2), 6.0000
  6. Kennett (2-3), 4.0000
  7. Merrimack Valley (0-5), 0.0000
  8. Kingswood (0-5), 0.0000
  9. Pembroke (0-5), 0.0000

South Conference

  1. St. Thomas (4-1), 12.0000
  2. Alvirne (4-1), 10.8000
  3. Milford (3-2), 8.8000
  4. Hollis Brookline (3-2), 8.4000
  5. Pelham (3-2), 7.6000
  6. Souhegan (2-3), 4.8000
  7. Manchester West (2-3), 4.4000
  8. Sanborn (1-4), 2.8000
  9. ConVal (1-4), 2.0000

Playoff teams: Plymouth, St. Thomas, Hanover, Alvirne, Bow, Milford, Hollis Brookline, Pelham.

Quarterfinals: No. 8 Pelham at No. 1 Plymouth; No. 5 Bow at No. 4 Alvirne; No. 7 Hollis Brookline at No. 2 St. Thomas; No. 6 Milford at No. 3 Hanover.

Games to watch: Kennett at Milford, Friday, 7 p.m.; Souhegan at Pelham, Friday, 7 p.m.; Hanover at Gilford-Belmont, Saturday, 4 p.m.

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