Playoff Picture: Football

It's the final weekend of September and the high school football regular season is already a third of the way done.

While no team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs just yet, teams that start the season with two or more losses in a row rarely bounce back to make the postseason.

Since the number of divisions was reduced from six to three, and now four, there have only been seven teams to start a season 0-2 and reach the postseason.

However, it has happened three times in the last two seasons; Goffstown started 0-3 last year and reached the Division I playoffs, while Somersworth opened 0-4 and ended up in the Division III playoffs. Both teams lost in the quarterfinals.

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 (3-0, 12.0000)
• Goffstown (2-1, 8.6667)
• Manchester Memorial (1-2, 3.3333)
• Manchester Central (1-2, 3.3333)
• Concord (0-3, 0.0000)

South Conference

• Londonderry (3-0, 11.3333)
• Pinkerton (2-1, 8.0000)
• Salem (2-1, 7.3333)
• Windham (1-2, 4.0000)
• Timberlane (0-3, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Bedford gets the No. 1 seed thanks to a better rating than Londonderry; Goffstown and Pinkerton are in thanks to a better rating than Salem; Goffstown gets the higher seed thanks to a head-to-head win over Pinkerton.

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

East/West Cluster

East Conference

• Exeter (3-0, 12,6667)
• Portsmouth-Oyster River (1-2, 3.3333)
• Spaulding (1-2, 3.3333)
• Dover (1-2, 3.3333)
• Winnacunnet (0-3, 0.0000)

West Conference

• Nashua North (3-0, 11.3333)
• Bishop Guertin (2-1, 8.6667)
• Merrimack (2-1, 8.0000)
• Nashua South (2-1, 7.3333)
• Keene (0-3, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Exeter gets the No. 1 seed thanks to a better rating than Nashua North; Bishop Guertin and Merrimack are in thanks to a better rating than Nashua South; Bishop Guertin gets the higher seed thanks to a better rating than Merrimack.

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

This weekend's schedule

• Friday: Exeter at Nashua North, 6:30 p.m.; Nashua South at Merrimack, 6:30 p.m.; Salem at Timberlane, 6:30 p.m.; Bishop Guertin at Keene, 6:30 p.m.; Londonderry at Pinkerton, 7 p.m.; Manchester Central at Windham, 7 p.m.; Manchester Memorial at Bedford; Dover at Winnacunnet, 7 p.m.; Spaulding at Portsmouth-Oyster River, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Goffstown at Concord, 1 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 (3-0, 12.6667)
• Kennett (3-0, 10.6667)
• Plymouth (2-1, 8.0000)
• Merrimack Valley (1-2, 4.0000)
• John Stark (1-2, 4.0000)
• Kingswood (1-2, 3.3333)
• Gilford-Belmont (1-2, 3.3333)
• Pembroke (0-3, 0.0000)
• Hanover (0-3, 0.0000)

South Conference

• Milford (3-0, 13.3333)
• Alvirne (2-1, 8.6667)
• Souhegan (2-1, 8.6667)
• St. Thomas (2-1, 8.0000)
• Hollis Brookline (2-1, 7.3333)
• Manchester West (2-1, 6.6667)
• ConVal (1-2, 4.0000)
• Pelham (1-2, 3.3333)
• Sanborn (0-3, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Alvirne wins the tiebreaker with Souhegan thanks to a head-to-head victory; St. Thomas wins the tiebreaker with Plymouth thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

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

This weekend's schedule

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

Division III

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

• Lebanon (3-0, 13.3333)
• Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (3-0, 11.3333)
• Campbell (3-0, 10.6667)
• Monadnock (2-1, 6.6667)
• Stevens (2-1, 6.6667)
• Laconia (2-1, 6.6667)
• Trinity (2-1, 6.6667)
• Newport (1-2, 4.6667)
• Somersworth (0-3, 0.0000)
• Kearsarge-Mount Royal (0-3, 0.0000)
• Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (0-3, 0.0000)
• Epping-Newmarket (0-3, 0.0000)

Tiebreakers: Monadnock and Stevens finish ahead of Laconia and Trinity thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents; the tie between Monadnock and Stevens can't currently be broken; Laconia wins the tiebreaker with Trinity thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.

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

This weekend's games

• Friday: Somersworth at Stevens, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Laconia at Campbell, 1 p.m.; Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton at Newport, 1:30 p.m.; Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Epping-Newmarket, 2 p.m.; Trinity at Monadnock, 6:30 p.m.; Kearsarge-Mount Royal at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

Division IV

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

• Raymond (3-0, 12.0000)
• Winnisquam (3-0, 10.6667)
• Bishop Brady (2-1, 8.0000)
• Mascoma Valley (2-1, 7.3333)
• Fall Mountain (1-2, 4.0000)
• Franklin (1-2, 3.3333)
• Farmington-Nute (0-3, 0.0000)
• Newfound (0-3, 0.0000)

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

This weekend's schedule

• Friday: Winnisquam at Raymond, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: Fall Mountain at Farmington-Nute, 2 p.m.; Newfound at Mascoma Valley, 3:30 p.m.; Franklin at Bishop Brady, 6 p.m.