Spartans, Bulldogs stage early battle for postseason spot

Things are about to get interesting in Division III football.

That’s what happens when the top five teams in the division mostly don’t play each other for the first month of the season.

Of the five teams at the top of the standings – Portsmouth (4-0 in division), Goffstown (3-0), Hollis/Brookline (3-0), Bedford (3-1), Milford (2-1) – only two games have been played. Goffstown defeated Bedford in Week 2 of the season, while Portsmouth knocked off Milford last week.

This week, Bedford and Milford will meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Bedford, with the loser likely losing control of its own playoff destiny.

Those five teams plus Souhegan – 0-3 in the league with games against Pembroke, Pelham and Con-Val remaining – should be in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season, and beat each other up in the process.

“It was the same last year,” Milford coach Keith Jones said of his team’s standings. “Nothing has changed.”

The one difference might be the team that the Spartans will face Friday night.

Bedford is almost the same course it was a year ago. The Bulldogs opened 2010 with five wins before losing their final four – starting with a game at Milford – to miss the division playoffs.

This season, Bedford, despite losing to Goffstown, is in the same position with four games to play.

“The kids know, and we’re very well aware, we ran into this part of the season last year undefeated and then lost four straight,” Bedford coach Kurt Hines said. “We’re keenly aware of that. What’s changed, we’re a better program as far as our players being more developed. The coaching staff has stepped up a notch also. You have to (learn from that).”

Hines is hoping that his experienced players will remember just how physical of a team Milford is and how the Spartans started the Bulldogs on their slide.

“By far,” Hines said when asked if Milford is the most physical team Bedford will face. “We told the guys Goffstown is quick off the ball and they like to hit. But the difference is, Milford is bigger. We need to punch them first and keep doing it.”

While the Bulldogs are coming off three straight wins in which they’ve averaged 49 points a game, Milford will be trying to forget about last week’s 35-14 loss to Portsmouth.

“We didn’t play very well,” Jones said. “We looked like a poorly coached football team and that’s my fault. I was very displeased after watching the film with some of the things we did, and that’s my fault. Some of the things that happened are directly pointed at the coach and they need to be fixed.”

Also in Division III, Souhegan takes on Pembroke and Goffstown faces off with Pelham on Friday. Hollis/Brookline and Con-Val will play under the lights Saturday night in Hollis.