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# Playoff scenarios for the final weekend of the football season
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/playoff-scenarios-for-the-final-weekend-of-the-football-season/
- Published: 2018-10-26T15:00:43.000Z
- Updated: 2018-10-26T15:00:43.000Z
- Description: There are several football teams who know they will be playing one more game next weekend, and there are some teams who know their fate rests in their hands - or someone the hands of another team - with one week left in the regular season. Here's what is at stake in the final week of the high school
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Fall Sports, Division I, Division II, Division III, Division IV, football, playoff scenarios, playoffs, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

There are several football teams who know they will be playing one more game next weekend, and there are some teams who know their fate rests in their hands - or someone the hands of another team - with one week left in the regular season.

Here's what is at stake in the final week of the high school football regular season.

[*\[Don't forget to pre-order your copy of the 2018 NH-HighSchoolSports.com Football Yearbook!\]*](https://shop.nh-highschoolsports.com/order-form24008560?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com)

### Division I

**North/West Cluster**

- Bedford (8-0), Merrimack (7-1) and Nashua North (6-2) are in the playoffs. Both Bedford and Merrimack have clinched their respective conference, but Friday's game between the two at Bedford will determine seeding. The winner gets the No. 1 seed, the loser is No. 2.
- North will be the three seed, regardless of what happens this weekend, and will be on the road for the quarterfinals.
- Goffstown (5-3) clinches the final playoff spot with a win over Keene (1-7), in a game that will now kickoff at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. If the Grizzlies lose, and Manchester Central (5-3) beats Nashua South (3-5), then the Little Green get that playoff spot. If both teams lose, then Goffstown is the No. 4 seed.

**Prediction:** No. 1 Bedford, No. 2 Merrimack. No. 3 Nashua North. No. 4 Goffstown.

**South/East Cluster**

- Londonderry (7-1) and Winnacunnet (6-2) are in the playoffs. While the Lancers will have to wait until after their game to know where they will be playing, the Warriors know they will be the No. 2 seed as the East Conference winner and will have a home quarterfinal.
- Londonderry gets the No. 1 seed with a win over Exeter (4-4), or if the Lancers lose, with a combination of either a Salem win and Pinkerton loss; a Salem and Pinkerton win; or a Salem and Pinkerton loss. The Lancers can be no lower than the No. 3 seed.
- Salem (6-2) and Pinkerton (6-2) both get in with a win over Dover (4-4) and Winnacunnet, respectively, or with a Windham (5-3) loss to Portsmouth-Oyster River (1-7).
- Windham gets in with a win over Portsmouth-Oyster River, in a game that will now kickoff at 3 p.m. on Friday, and a loss by either Salem or Pinkerton.
- If all three finish with the same record, Windham and Salem are in and Pinkerton is out.

**Prediction:** No. 1 Londonderry, No. 2 Winnacunnet, No. 3 Salem, No. 4 Pinkerton.

### Division II

- The top two teams in each conference are the top two seeds and the next six best teams, by football rating, are seeded Nos. 3-8.
- Plymouth (8-0) and St. Thomas (7-1) are in line to be the top two seeds as winners of the North and South Conferences, respectively. The Bobcats play at Hanover (6-2) Friday night and St. Thomas is scheduled to play at Hollis Brookline (5-3) on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Souhegan.
- Bow (7-1) would likely be the No. 3 seed with a win at Souhegan (5-3) on Friday, while the winner of Friday's game between Milford (6-2) and Alvirne (6-2), in Hudson, will likely by the No. 4 seed, barring a Souhegan upset.
- Hanover and the loser of Milford-Alvirne will likely be the fifth and sixth seeds, playing on the road in the quarterfinals.
- So that leaves two playoff spots for three teams - Souhegan, Hollis Brookline and John Stark (5-3) - although two more teams, Pelham (4-4) and Gilford-Belmont (4-4), could have an incredibly outside shot depending on certain results. For this, let's say that both have been eliminated.
- Hollis Brookline and Souhegan currently have better ratings than John Stark and would get the final two playoff spots if all three win or all three lose. But HB (vs. St. Thomas) and Souhegan (vs. Bow) have tougher games than John Stark (vs. Gilford-Belmont). It's likely John Stark could win and get the No. 7 seed while the other two lose. If that were the case, HB would likely have a higher rating than Souhegan and get the final playoff spot.

**Predictions:** No. 1 Plymouth, No. 2 St. Thomas, No. 3 Bow, No. 4 Milford, No. 5 Alvirne, No. 6 Hanover, No. 7 John Stark, No. 8 Hollis Brookline.

### Division III

- The eight teams for the postseason have been determined. Seeding is still up for grabs.
- Monadnock (8-0) will be the No. 1 seed and Campbell (7-1) should be the No. 2 seed with a win over Lebanon (5-3). There is a small chance that if Campbell loses to Lebanon, and Trinity (6-2) beats Somersworth (4-4), that the Pioneers would have a better rating than the Cougars. [Depending on how you read the NHIAA Football By-Laws](http://www.nhiaa.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/22HB%2018-19%20XX%20Football.pdf?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com), that might mean Trinity would get the No. 2 seed and Campbell would be No. 3.
- Even with a loss to Somersworth, Trinity should still be the No. 3 seed.
- The winner of the game between Stevens (5-3) and Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (5-3), now scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday in Hopkinton, will likely be the No. 4 seed and get the final home quarterfinal game. The loser could drop to No. 7.
- Depending on results in some other games, Laconia (5-3) could get the No. 4 seed with a win over Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (1-7), and would likely need Stevens to beat HDH for that to happen.
- Lebanon and Somersworth are also both in the playoffs and would need to pull over big upsets in order to move up in the standings.

**Prediction:** No. 1 Monadnock, No. 2 Campbell, No. 3 Trinity, No. 4 Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, No. 5 Laconia, No. 6 Lebanon, No. 7 Stevens, No. 8 Somersworth.

### Division IV

- Winnisquam (6-0), Franklin (5-1) and Newfound (5-1) are all in the playoffs.
- Winnisquam gets the No. 1 seed with a win over Franklin. If Franklin wins, and Newfound loses to Fall Mountain (3-3), then Franklin gets the No. 1 seed.
- Newfound would be the No. 2 seed with a win over Fall Mountain and a Winnisquam win over Franklin.
- If Winnisquam, Franklin and Newfound all finish tied at 6-1, then Franklin gets the No. 1 seed based on a better football rating in road games against division opponents.
- Fall Mountain clinches the No. 4 seed with a win over Newfound, or a Raymond loss to Mascoma Valley (1-5). Raymond is in with a win and a Fall Mountain loss.

**Prediction:** No. 1 Winnisquam, No. 2 Newfound, No. 3 Franklin, No. 4 Fall Mountain.