Two playoff spots for four football teams

Regardless what happens Friday and Saturday, there are two teams from the South/East conference cluster that know they will be playing in the quarterfinals.

Exeter (7-1) knows it will be hosting one of those quarterfinal games as the champion of the East Conference, but that's all. Salem (6-2) is in the postseason, but where the Blue Devils will play still remains up in the air.

Four other teams - Pinkerton (6-2), Timberlane (6-2), Winnacunnet (5-3) and Merrimack (5-3) - all still have a shot at snatching one of those two remaining positions.

Pinkerton (6-2)

The Astros could go from the top to the bottom. A win over Exeter could give Pinkerton the No. 1 seed in the cluster, meaning it would be the South Conference winner and host the quarterfinals and semifinals, if it advances.

For that to happen, Pinkerton would need to win, and either have Salem and Timberlane both win or both lose, or have just Salem win. Pinkerton would win a four-way tiebreaker with Exeter, Salem and Timberlane, and would win a three-way tiebreaker with Exeter and Salem.

If its a three-way tie between Pinkerton, Exeter and Timberlane, it would come down to football rating. If it wins, the worst Pinkerton could be is the No. 3 seed.

But if the Astros lose, they could miss the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The most likely way for that to happen is for Pinkerton to finish in a tie for the fourth playoff spot with Winnacunnet, as the Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Timberlane (6-2)

The Owls would clinch a postseason spot with a win over Merrimack, and could end up as the South Conference champion with a loss by Salem (to Londonderry). It's unlikely that Timberlane can bet the No. 1 overall seed in the cluster.

Timberlane could still make the playoffs with a loss to Merrimack, but it would also likely need a Pinkerton loss to Exeter and a Winnacunnet win over Spaulding to get into the tournament.

Winnacunnet (5-3)

Winnacunnet not only needs to beat Spaulding to get in, it needs help from Exeter, which puts the Warriors in the unusual spot of rooting for the Blue Hawks.

Like Timberlane, the Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Pinkerton, and if the Astros lose to Exeter, and Winnacunnet wins, the Warriors will be the No. 4 seed. Winnacunnet needs Pinkerton lose to get it, because it would lose out on tiebreakers to Timberlane or Salem.

A loss to Spaulding eliminates Winnacunnet.

Merrimack (5-3)

For the Tomahawks to keep their season alive, not only do they need to beat Timberlane on Friday, but they also need Winnacunnet to lose to Spaulding. A loss to Timberlane eliminates Merrimack.