Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The regular season has arrived. Although there are many more questions than answers at this time of year, here are two things guaranteed to happen during the 2010 season:

1)Exeter will run the ball more than it passes it.

2) The New Hampshire high school football community will realize how foolish the New Hampshire Index Plan is as it relates to football.

For those unaware, playoff teams will not be determined by a team's record within its division this season. Instead, points will be awarded for each victory. At the end of the season a team's point total will be divided by the number of games played (excluding non-league games). The four teams with the highest rating in each division will qualify for the playoffs.

That's the New Hampshire Index Plan.

Here's the problem: More points are awarded for a victory on the road (five) than for a victory at home (four). Simply put, it's more helpful to beat the worst team in your league on the road than it is to beat the best team at home.

"I don't like it," Salem coach Jack Gati said. "You kind of get penalized for winning at home. If you win a game you win a game. You could be playing a strong opponent at home, and someone else could be playing a weak opponent away and they get more points for winning."

 NHIAA DIVISION VI PREVIEW

The League: Epping-Newmarket (603), Gilford (571), Winnisquam (538), Newfound (464), Raymond (459), Farmington (443), Franklin (437), Mascoma (436), Newport (409), Inter-Lakes (388).

Defending Champion: Inter-Lakes beat Winnisquam, 6-0, in last year's Division VI championship game.

Top Story Line: Who's No. 1? This league appears to have at least six teams capable of winning the state title.

Player to Watch: Newfound defensive back Shawn Downes was a First Team All-State selection last season. Teams win with defense in this division more than any other. The losing team hasn't scored a point in either of the last two Division VI championship games.

Game to Watch: Newfound at Inter-Lakes (Oct. 23). The matchup should feature two of the top teams in the divison.

Noteworthy: One of the biggest questions in Division VI is this: Can Inter-Lakes recover from the loss of running back Kevin Brady? Brady gained 2,213 yards last season. ... Campbell and Fall Mountain each moved up to Division V in the offseason. ... Newfound may be able to take another step forward after qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in the program's history last season, but the Bears will play all but one game on the road. Franklin, Gilford, Inter-Lakes, Newport, Raymond and Winnisquam all look like possible playoff teams. ...  Winnisquam noseguard Jordan Riberdy will be among the top defensive players in the division. ... Epping-Newmarket and Farmington will each play six of their nine games at home ... Newport will play a Thanksgiving Day game at Stevens.

                                                                                                            -- Roger Brown.

Friday night's game between defending Division II champion Bishop Guertin and defending Division I champion Salem has been postponed because of Hurricane Earl.

The game will be played Saturday (2 p.m.) in Salem. 

NHIAA DIVISION V PREVIEW

The League: Sanborn (755), Windham (734), St. Thomas (676), Kearsarge (640), Stevens (635), Fall Mountain (632), Bow (613), Somersworth (588), Campbell (550), Bishop Brady (369).

Defending Champion: Trinity beat Bishop Brady, 41-7, in last year's state championship game.

Top Story Line: Intrductions please. There are four teams in Division V that weren't there a year ago.

Player to Watch: St. Thomas junior Jack MacNevin is in his third season as the team's starting quarterback. He's battled the injury bug in each of the last two seasons. When healthy, he's among the top QBs in the state.

Game to Watch: St. Thomas at Kearsarge (Oct. 29). Two of the top teams in the division will meet during the regular season's final weekend. The outcome will likely determine playoff seeding, or possibly playoff teams.  

Noteworthy: Campbell, Fall Mountain, Sanborn and Windham are the new teams in Division V. Campbell and Fall Mountain have each moved up from Division VI, Sanborn dropped from Division IV and Windham is a first-year varsity program. Bill Raycraft, who was formerly the head coach at John Stark, is the head coach and athletic director at Windham. ... Pelham, which won two of the last three Division V championships, has moved up to Division II, and Trinity, last year's Division V champion, is now in Division IV. ... St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton enters the season with a 333-77-3 career record. No New England high school football coach has won more games. Wotton will build his offense around MacNevin, a run/pass threat who completed 59 of 155 pass attempts for 831 yards and eight TDs last season. Both of those numbers were down from 2008, when MacNevin threw for 896 yards and 10 TDs. ... Dan Hodsdon is in his first season as Somersworth's head coach. Hodsdon replaced Kevin Hebert, who left to become the athletic director at Spaulding High School.

Coming Thursday: Division VI preview.

                                                                                                          -- Roger Brown

High School: Seacoast football preview >> Portsmouth Herald

High School: Cronan set for strong senior season >> Portsmouth Herald

College: CAA looks tougher than ever >> Foster's Daily Democrat

NHIAA DIVISION IV PREVIEW

The League: Merrimack Valley (910), Kingswood (872), Kennett (853)
John Stark (838), Laconia (782), Plymouth (748), Hanover (740), Lebanon (698), Monadnock (649), Trinity (409).

Defending Champion: Plymouth beat Laconia, 38-0, in last year's championship game.

Top Story Line: Can anyone derail Plymouth? The Bobcats will enter the season with a 55-game winning streak, which is the longest active winning streak in the nation.

Player to Watch: Monadnock running back Blake Bolewski may be the best player New Hampshire fans haven't heard of. Bolewski was a First-Team All-State selection last season and could help make Monadnock the surprise team in the division this year.

Game to Watch: Plymouth at Trinity (Sept. 24). This could be where the streak comes to an end.

Noteworthy: Chuck Lenahan is in his 39th season at Plymouth's head coach. He has a career record of 320-63-1 and has guided the Bobcats to 18 state championships. Plymouth has won 11 titles in the last 13 years. ... Trinity moved up to Division IV after it won the Division V championship last seeason. ... The best player in Division IV may be Hanover quarterback Sam Carney, a senior who has been a starter since his freshman season. ... Kingswood's Tate Jozokos, who was an All-State QB as a freshman last season, has transferred to Governor's Academy in Byfield, Mass. Matt Jozokos, Tate's father, is still Kingswood's head coach. ...Jim O'Rourke is in his first season as John Stark's head coach. Mike Holderman (Kennett) and Eric Anderson (Merrimack Valley) are the ther first-year coaches in the division. Anderson guided Spaulding High School in Barre, Vt. to the Division II championship in 2008. .... At least seven teams in this division appear capable of making the playoffs.

Coming Thursday: Division V and Division VI previews.

                                                                                                                 -- Roger Brown

NHIAA DIVISION III PREVIEW

The League: Goffstown (1,235 enrollment), Bedford (1,223), Portsmouth (1,048), Con-Val (1,011), Milford (959), Pembroke Academy (946), Hollis-Brookline (903), Souhegan (884), Pelham (690).

Defending Champion: Souhegan beat Portsmouth, 49-29, in the championship game.

Top Story Line: Can any team supplant Souhegan? The Sabers have been the dominant team in Division III the last two years and are seeking their third state title in as many seasons.

Player to Watch: Quarterback Jon Queen is one of 21 seniors on the Con-Val roster. A strong season from Queen means the Cougars will likely be back in the playoffs.

Game to Watch: Goffstown at Souhegan (Sept. 17). Goffstown has become the trendy pick to win the Division III titile. This game will tell us if the Grizzlies are true title contenders.

Noteworthy: Souhegan has beaten Portsmouth in each of the past two Division III championship games. Each team must replace some high-profile players, but expect both offenses to be strong again this season. ... Goffstown returned all but six starters from last season and was impressive against Salem in the Queen City Jamboree. ... Souhegan will have plenty of new faces in its offensive line, but should have one of the top quarterbacks (Mike Luks) and receiving corps in the division. The Sabers are one of the few New Hampshire teams that participate in multiple 7-on-7 camps during the offseason. ... Bedford is a program that many believe will take a huge step forward this season. The Bulldogs have young, but talented offensive backfield that includes junior running back Jordan Garron and sophomore quarterback James Caparell. ... Pembroke has 10 starters back on defense and nine returning on offense. ... Quinn McCann, who was forced into action last season, will replace Nate Jones as Portsmouth's starting QB. Portsmouth's Billy Lane will be one of the top big-play threats in the division.  ... Pelham, a Division V team last season, is the new face in Division III. The Pythons replaced John Stark, which dropped to Division IV.

Coming Thursday: Division V and Division VI previews.

                                                                                                               -- Roger Brown

College: Young anchors UNH's defensive line >> Fosters Daily Democrat

High School: NHIAA Football Preview >> New Hampshire Notebook

NHIAA DIVISION I PREVIEW

The League: Pinkerton Academy (3,325 enrollment), Nashua South (2,226), Manchester Central (2,220), Manchester Memorial (2,092), Nashua North (2,003), Concord (1,878), Salem (1,850), Londonderry (1,765), Exeter (1,701).

Defending Champion: Salem. The Blue Devils defeated Nashua North, 28-21, in last year's championship game.

Top Story Line: Can anyone catch Salem? Specifically, can anyone catch Salem running back Max Jacques? Jacques rushed for 1,848 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.

Player to Watch: Nashua South quarterback Keith Farkas, who guided South to the Division I championship as a sophomore. He's among the reasons South will have a chance to win another title this year.

Game to Watch: Nashua North at Salem (Oct. 2). The best teams in Division I last year may be the best team in Division I this season as well.

Noteworthy: Salem is the clear-cut favorite in what may be the deepest division in the state. In addition to Jacques, the Blue Devils return junior running back Jerickson Fedrick and senior quarterback Matt Cannone. Fedrick rushed for 1,186 yards and 18 TDs last fall. Cannone is in his third season as the team's starting QB. ... The addition of Exeter, which moved up from Division II, has made the division even tougher. Exeter replaced Manchester West, which dropped to Division II because of declining enrollment. ... "I think Division I was down last year," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "It happens. It'll be a strong division this year. We're better. South is better. Salem is the same. It's Division I." ... Nashua North, which is coming off the program's first playoff appearance, returned eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters. The returnees include quarterback Brandon Karkhanis and running back Andre Williams. Karkhanis split time with QB Dylan Brodeur last season. ... Exeter has two of the best offensive linemen in the state in junior center Brad Tiernan and junior tackle Adam Morin.  ...Nashua South, Salem and Pinkerton will all play non-league games against Massachusetts opponents this season. Nashua South will play Lowell, Salem will face Lawrence (Thanksgiving) and Pinkerton will play a Brockton team that was ranked No. 1 in New England by ESPN Boston. ... Central is another team to keep an eye on this season. The Little Green lost do-everything running back/defensive back Mike Cavanaugh, but have some of the best skill-position players in Division I.

Coming Wednesday: Division III and Division IV previews.

                                                                                                              -- Roger Brown