Playoff Picture: Football (Oct. 17)

Not only has the Division II champion come from the North Conference the last three years, but for two of those seasons, the runner-up has also come from the same conference.

And so far this season, the team with the best record in the division - Bow - hails from the North. But this year more than any other, it may be difficult to determine just how much better, if at all, the top team from that side of the division is from the teams in the South.

So far this year, there have been six crossover games between teams from the North and South conferences, one for every week of the season. The South teams are 5-1 in those games, with the lone win for the North a 7-6 victory for Plymouth at home against St. Thomas.

But who among the South contenders is really the best? Milford leads the conference and its lone loss was to Souhegan, which lost by one point to Alvirne and to Pelham, in overtime.

Pelham also has a one-point overtime loss to Milford and a loss to Alvirne, while the Broncos' only defeat was to St. Thomas. The Saints also have losses to Souhegan and Milford, while Hollis Brookline has lost against Milford and Pelham.

And there's still a long way to go - Souhegan and HB play Saturday; Alvirne still has to play the Cavs and the Spartans; St. Thomas still has HB and Pelham left on its schedule. And to close out the regular season, Souhegan travels to play Bow.

Here is how each division looks as the sixth week of the regular season is about to get underway.

Note: Divisions I, II and III will have eight playoff teams and Division IV will have four playoffs teams. These are not official standings or pairings.

Division I

For the 2019 season, the division is split into the North/South cluster and the East/West cluster. The top team in each conference earns a playoff berth and will be seeded Nos. 1 and 2 based on win/loss record. The next two best teams in the cluster, again based on win/loss record, will be seeded Nos. 3 and 4.

North/South cluster

North Conference

• Bedford (5-1, 12.0000)
• Goffstown (5-1, 11.3333)
• Concord (2-4, 3.6667)
• Manchester Memorial (1-5, 1.6667)
• Manchester Central (1-5, 1.6667)

South Conference

• Londonderry (6-0, 15.6667)
• Salem (5-1, 11.0000)
• Pinkerton (3-3, 5.6667)
• Windham (2-4, 4.0000)
• Timberlane (0-6, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Bedford wins the tiebreaker with Goffstown for the No. 2 seed thanks to a head-to-head victory. Goffstown wins the tiebreaker with Salem for the No. 3 seed thanks to a better football rating.

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Londonderry vs. No. 4 Salem; No. 2 Bedford vs. No. 3 Goffstown.

East/West Cluster

East Conference

• Exeter (5-1, 11.6667)
• Portsmouth-Oyster River (3-3, 6.0000)
• Spaulding (2-4, 4.3333)
• Dover (2-4, 4.3333)
• Winnacunnet (1-5, 2.3333)

West Conference

• Nashua North (6-0, 15.6667)
• Nashua South (4-2, 9.3333)
• Merrimack (4-2, 9.0000)
• Bishop Guertin (3-3, 7.3333)
• Keene (0-6, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Nashua South wins the tiebreaker with Merrimack thanks to a head-to-head victory.

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Nashua North vs. No. 4 Merrimack; No. 2 Exeter vs. No. 3 Nashua South.

This weekend’s schedule

• Friday, Oct. 18: Portsmouth-Oyster River at Merrimack, 6:30 p.m.; Windham at Timberlane, 6:30 p.m.; Spaulding at Nashua South, 6:30 p.m.; Dover at Exeter, 7 p.m.; Goffstown at Londonderry, 7 p.m.; Concord at Pinkerton, 7 p.m.; Manchester Memorial at Manchester Central, 7:15 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 19: Nashua North at Keene, 1 p.m.; Bedford at Salem (at Haverhill, Mass.), 2 p.m.; Winnacunnet at Bishop Guertin, 6:30 p.m.

Division II

The top team in each conference makes the playoffs and will be seeded as Nos. 1 and 2. The next six best teams, based on football rating will qualify for the playoffs, regardless of conference.

North Conference

• Bow (6-0, 14.6667)
• Kennett (5-1, 11.3333)
• Plymouth (4-2, 9.6667)
• Gilford-Belmont (3-3, 6.3333)
• Merrimack Valley (2-4, 4.3333)
• Kingswood (2-4, 3.6667)
• Pembroke (2-4, 3.6667)
• John Stark (1-5, 2.3333)
• Hanover (0-6, 0.0000)

South Conference

• Milford (5-1, 14.6667)
• Alvirne (5-1, 12.3333)
• Pelham (4-2, 10.0000)
• Souhegan (4-2, 9.6667)
• Hollis Brookline (4-2, 8.0000)
• St. Thomas (3-3, 7.0000)
• Manchester West (3-3, 6.0000)
• ConVal (1-5, 2.3333)
• Sanborn (0-6, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Bow wins the tiebreaker with Milford for the No. 1 seed thanks to a better football rating against tournament teams. Souhegan wins the tiebreaker with Plymouth for the No. 6 seed thanks to a better football rating against tournament teams.

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Bow vs. No. 8 Hollis Brookline; No. 4 Kennett vs. No. 5 Pelham; No. 2 Milford vs. No. 7 Plymouth; No. 3 Alvirne vs. No. 6 Souhegan.

This weekend’s schedule

• Friday, Oct. 18: Kingswood at Merrimack Valley, 5 p.m.; John Stark at Alvirne, 7 p.m.; Pelham at ConVal, 7 p.m.; St. Thomas at Manchester West, 7 p.m.; Sanborn at Milford, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 19: Hanover at Bow, 2 p.m.; Kennett at Gilford-Belmont, 2 p.m.; Plymouth at Pembroke, 2:30 p.m.; Souhegan at Hollis Brookline, 2:30 p.m.

Division III

The top eight teams, based on point rating, will make the playoffs.

• Lebanon (6-0, 15.0000)
• Trinity (5-1, 12.0000)
• Campbell (5-1, 10.3333)
• Stevens (5-1, 10.3333)
• Monadnock (4-2, 9.0000)
• Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (4-2, 8.3333)
• Laconia (3-3, 5.6667)
• Newport (1-5, 3.3333)
• Epping-Newmarket (1-5, 2.0000)
• Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (1-5, 2.0000)
• Somersworth (1-5, 2.0000)
• Kearsarge-Mount Royal (0-6, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Campbell wins the tiebreaker with Stevens thanks to a better football rating against tournament teams.

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Lebanon vs. No. 8 Newport; No. 4 Stevens vs. No. 5 Monadnock; No. 2 Trinity vs. No. 7 Laconia; No. 3 Campbell vs. No. 6 Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton.

This weekend’s games

• Friday, Sat 18: Newport at Kearsarge-Mount Royal, 7 p.m.; Monadnock at Laconia, 7 p.m.; Lebanon at Stevens, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Sat. 19: Campbell at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, 12 p.m.; Somersworth at Epping-Newmarket, 2 p.m.; Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton at Trinity, 7 p.m.

Division IV

The top four teams, based on point rating, will make the playoffs.

• Winnisquam (5-0, 14.4000)
• Raymond (4-1, 11.6000)
• Bishop Brady (3-2, 8.0000)
• Fall Mountain (3-2, 7.6000)
• Newfound (2-3, 4.8000)
• Mascoma Valley (2-3, 4.4000)
• Franklin (1-4, 2.0000)
• Farmington-Nute (0-5, 0.0000)

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Winnisquam vs. No. 4 Fall Mountain; No. 2 Raymond vs. No. 3 Bishop Brady.

This weekend’s schedule

• Saturday, Oct. 19: Bishop Brady at Winnisquam, 1 p.m.; Fall Mountain at Mascoma Valley, 2 p.m.; Franklin at Newfound, 2 p.m.; Raymond at Farmington-Nute, 2 p.m.