Playoff Picture: Football (Oct. 4)

Rivalry is the lifeblood of sports.

By definition, every team - every individual - who steps the playing surface across from you is someone you have a rivalry with, regardless of your history with that opponent.

But for most of the football teams in the state, this week has a little something extra to it.

It's the unofficial Rivalry Week in the New Hampshire high school football, with 10 games on the schedule between teams that have had longtime feuds with each other, or that familiarity over recent years has created some animosity.

Most of these games are in Division I, including a pair of games in Nashua that come dripping with playoff implications. On Friday night, the public schools go at it, as Nashua South and Nashua North resume the Battle for the Bridge on the gridiron at 6:30 p.m. at Stellos Stadium. Then on Saturday, Merrimack comes to town to take on Bishop Guertin at 7:30 p.m.

On the seacoast, Spaulding heads to Dover to renew the state's oldest football rivalry at 7 p.m. on Friday, while Exeter will play host to Winnacunnet at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. After falling to Londonderry for the first time since 2001, Pinkerton faces another rival in Salem, with the two kicking off at 2 p.m. Saturday in Haverhill, Mass.

Two budding rivalries also take place in D1 this week, with Bedford heading to Gill Stadium to face Manchester Central for a 7:15 p.m. kickoff on Friday, while Londonderry goes to Windham for the first time at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

In D2, longtime rivals Souhegan and Milford square off in a game that has plenty of potential postseason implications, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. in Milford. On Saturday, St. Thomas heads to Plymouth for a 2 p.m. start; the Bobcats have beat the Saints in each of the last three years, including two postseason wins. Also Saturday, Hollis Brookline goes to Pelham for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Here is how each division looks as the fourth 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 (4-0, 13.0000)
• Goffstown (3-1, 9.5000)
• Manchester Memorial (1-3, 2.5000)
• Manchester Central (1-3, 2.5000)
• Concord (0-4, 0.0000)

South Conference

• Londonderry (4-0, 12.5000)
• Salem (3-1, 8.0000)
• Pinkerton (2-2, 6.0000)
• Windham (2-2, 6.0000)
• Timberlane (0-4, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Bedford gets the No. 1 seed thanks to a better rating than Londonderry; Goffstown gets the higher seed thanks to a better rating than Salem.

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

East/West Cluster

East Conference

• Exeter (3-1, 10.0000)
• Portsmouth-Oyster River (2-2, 6.0000)
• Spaulding (1-3, 3.0000)
• Winnacunnet (1-3, 3.0000)
• Dover (1-3, 2.5000)

West Conference

• Nashua North (4-0, 13.0000)
• Bishop Guertin (3-1, 10.0000)
• Nashua South (3-1, 9.5000)
• Merrimack (2-2, 6.0000)
• Keene (0-4, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Exeter gets the No. 2 seed as a conference leader; Bishop Guertin gets the higher seed thanks to a head-to-head win over Nashua South.

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

This weekend’s schedule

• Friday: Nashua South at Nashua North, 6:30 p.m.; Portsmouth-Oyster River at Keene, 6:30 p.m.; Concord at Timberlane, 6:30 p.m.; Spaulding at Dover, 7 p.m.; Goffstown at Manchester Memorial, 7 p.m.; Bedford at Manchester Central, 7:15 p.m.
• Saturday: Winnacunnet at Exeter, 1:30 p.m.; Londonderry at Windham, 1:30 p.m.; Pinkerton vs. Salem (at Haverhill, Mass.), 2 p.m.; Merrimack at Bishop Guertin, 7:30 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 (4-0, 13.0000)
• Kennett (4-0, 12.0000)
• Plymouth (2-2, 6.0000)
• Kingswood (2-2, 5.5000)
• Merrimack Valley (1-3, 3.0000)
• John Stark (1-3, 3.0000)
• Gilford-Belmont (1-3, 3.0000)
• Pembroke (1-3, 2.5000)
• Hanover (0-4, 0.0000)

South Conference

• Milford (4-0, 14.5000)
• Alvirne (3-1, 10.5000)
• Souhegan (3-1, 9.0000)
• Hollis Brookline (3-1, 9.0000)
• St. Thomas (2-2, 6.5000)
• Manchester West (2-2, 5.5000)
• Pelham (2-2, 5.5000)
• ConVal (1-3, 3.5000)
• Sanborn (0-4, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Souhegan wins the tiebreaker with Hollis Brookline thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

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

This weekend’s schedule

• Friday: Hanover at Merrimack Valley, 6 p.m.; Manchester West at ConVal, 7 p.m.; Souhegan at Milford, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Alvirne at Sanborn, 1:30 p.m.; St. Thomas at Plymouth, 2 p.m.; Bow at Pembroke, 2:30 p.m.; Kennett at John Stark, 2:30 p.m.; Hollis Brookline at Pelham, 6 p.m.; Kingswood at Gilford-Belmont, 7 p.m.

Division III

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

• Lebanon (4-0, 13.0000)
• Campbell (4-0, 12.0000)
• Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (4-0, 11.5000)
• Trinity (3-1, 9.0000)
• Stevens (3-1, 8.0000)
• Monadnock (2-2, 5.0000)
• Laconia (2-2, 5.0000)
• Newport (1-3, 4.0000)
• Epping-Newmarket (1-3, 2.5000)
• Somersworth (0-4, 0.0000)
• Kearsarge-Mount Royal (0-4, 0.0000)
• Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (0-4, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Monadnock wins the tiebreaker with Laconia thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.

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

This weekend’s games

• Friday: Epping-Newmarket at Laconia, 7 p.m.; Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Somersworth, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Monadnock at Newport, 1:30 p.m.; Lebanon at Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, 3 p.m.; Campbell at Trinity, 7 p.m.; Stevens at Kearsarge-Mount Royal, 7 p.m.

Division IV

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

• Winnisquam (4-0, 13.0000)
• Raymond (3-1, 10.5000)
• Bishop Brady (3-1, 9.5000)
• Mascoma Valley (2-2, 5.5000)
• Fall Mountain (2-2, 5.5000)
• Newfound (1-3, 3.5000)
• Franklin (1-3, 2.5000)
• Farmington-Nute (0-4, 0.0000)

Playoff matchups: No. 1 Winnisquam vs. No. 4 Mascoma Valley; No. 2 Raymond vs. No. 3 Bishop Brady.

Tiebreakers: Mascoma Valley wins the tiebreaker with Fall Mountain thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.

This weekend’s schedule

• Friday: Mascoma Valley at Winnisquam, 7 p.m.; Bishop Brady at Fall Mountain, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Farmington-Nute at Newfound, 2 p.m.; Raymond at Franklin, 2 p.m.