Playoff Picture: Division III football (Sept. 25)

This weekend's schedule in Division III will reveal a lot about the teams that are battling for the bottom couple of playoff spots.

Four of those teams - Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Stevens, Franklin and Bishop Brady - take on teams that are a combined 15-1 on the season.

As we've seen in the last few years in D3, what a team does in the regular season doesn't mean as much as how it's playing going into the playoffs. For any one of those teams, this week may just be more of a gauge of what the gap might be.

Of course, it really only means anything if any of them gets into the playoffs.

Here is a look at what the postseason field would be like if the D3 playoffs started this week.

Note: Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official pairings.

North Conference

1. x-Newport (4-0), 13.5000
2. x-Monadnock (4-0), 12.5000
3. x-Kearsarge (3-1), 9.0000
4. x-Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (2-2), 6.0000
5. Stevens (2-2), 5.5000
6. Fall Mountain (1-3), 2.5000
7. Mascoma Valley (1-3), 2.5000
8. Newfound (0-4), 0.00

South Conference

1. x-Campbell (4-0), 12.0000
2. x-Somersworth (4-0), 12.0000
3. x-Bishop Brady (3-1), 7.5000
4. x-Epping-Newmarket (2-2), 6.0000
5. Franklin (2-2), 5.0000
6. Farmington-Nute (0-4), 0.00
7. Winnsiquam (0-4), 0.00
8. Raymond (0-4), 0.00

Playoff teams: Newport, Monadnock, Kearsarge, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Somersworth, Campbell, Bishop Brady, Epping-Newmarket.

Quarterfinal matchups: No. 8 Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at No. 1 Newport; No. 7 Epping-Newmarket at No. 2 Campbell; No. 6 Bishop Brady at No. 3 Monadnock; No. 5 Keasarge at No. 4 Somersworth.

Tiebreakers

• Newport wins the tiebreaker with Somersworth and Campbell for the No. 1 seed thanks to a better overall rating.
• Campbell wins the tiebreaker with Somersworth for the No. 2 seed thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.
• Monadnock wins the tiebreaker with Somersworth for the No. 3 seed thanks to a better overall rating.
• In a four-way tie for the final two playoff spots, Epping-Newmarket and Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough finish ahead of Franklin and Stevens thanks to a better overall rating.
• Epping-Newmarket wins the tiebreaker with Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough for the No. 7 seed thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

Games to watch this week: Franklin at Somersworth, Friday, 7 p.m.; Monadnock at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.; Stevens at Kearsarge, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.; Bishop Brady at Campbell, Saturday, 7 p.m.