Playoff Picture: Division II football (Oct. 23)
The final weekend of the regular season is here, and as has been the case the last few years in Division II, every game left to play will have an impact on the postseason field.
The final weekend of the regular season is here, and as has been the case the last few years in Division II, every game left to play will have an impact on the postseason field.
Of course, there are teams that are locks for the playoffs regardless of what happens - Plymouth, Hanover, Windham and St. Thomas, and maybe John Stark, too, will be playing the first weekend of November.
That leaves five teams fighting for three spots, with two of those teams - Souhegan and Hollis Brookline - playing what amounts to a play-in game on Saturday. Bow, ConVal and Pelham are also still alive for a postseason berth.
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 (7-0), 14.2857
- x-Hanover (7-0), 12.8571
- x-John Stark (6-1), 11.7143
- Bow (5-2), 8.8571
- Kennett (3-4), 5.7143
- Laconia (3-4), 4.8571
- Lebanon (1-6), 1.7143
- Merrimack Valley (1-6), 1.7143
- Gilford-Belmont (1-6), 1.4286
- Kingswood (1-6), 1.4286
- Pembroke (0-6), 0.0000
South Conference
- x-Windham (7-0), 16.2857
- x-St. Thomas (7-1), 14.2500
- x-Souhegan (5-2), 10.8571
- x-Hollis Brookline (5-2), 10.0000
- x-Pelham (4-3), 8.8571
- ConVal (4-3), 7.7143
- Sanborn (3-4), 6.2857
- Milford (2-5), 4.2857
- Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (1-6), 1.7143
- Manchester West (1-6), 1.4286
Playoff teams: Windham, Plymouth, St. Thomas, Hanover, John Stark, Souhegan, Hollis Brookline, Pelham.
In the hunt: Bow, ConVal.
Eliminated: Kennett, Laconia, Sanborn, Milford, Lebanon, Merrimack Valley, Gilford-Belmont, Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, Manchester West, Kingswood, Pembroke.
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
- Pelham wins the tiebreaker with Bow thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
Quarterfinal matchups: No. 8 Pelham at No. 1 Windham; No. 7 Hollis Brookline at No. 2 Plymouth; No. 6 Souhegan at No. 3 St. Thomas; No. 5 John Stark at No. 4 Hanover.
Remaining Schedule
- 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.
