NHIAA: Things we now know

By rbrown
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Updated: October 23, 2016

Five things were learned about NHIAA football this weekend:

• The seeds in Division I North/South are set:

1. Bedford
2. Merrimack
3. Goffstown
4. Salem.

Goffstown will open the playoffs at Merrimack, and Salem will start the postseason at Bedford. Ironically, those teams will also meet next weekend during the final week of the regular season.

• Justin Grassini will have at least two more games to break the state record for TD passes in a season.

Grassini entered the weekend with 30 TD passes — five short of the state record — and passed for three TDs in a 32-9 triumph over Timberlane. Grassini has next week’s game against Goffstown, and the playoff game against Goffstown to break the record. He could play in as many as four more games this year.

St. Thomas quarterback Stephen Hedberg holds the current record of 35 TD passes. He tossed TD No. 35 in the 2014 Division II championship game against Windham.

• Bishop Brady and Campbell will be the top two seeds in Divison III South.

Each team won this weekend to lock up those spots. Somersworth and Winnisquam will be the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, but we won’t know which is which until next weekend.

There’s still a lot to be determined in Division I North. Inter-Lakes has a chance to grab the No. 1 seed if Stevens upsets unbeaten Monadnock next weekend, and Kearsarge could move past Newport and qualify if it can finish the regular season with a victory over Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough./Moultonborough

• Exeter will be the No. 1 seed in Division I East/West.

The Blue Hawks clinched that spot by beating Bishop Guertin, 29-21, Saturday. Exeter’s first-round opponent has yet to be determined.

• Windham will be the No. 1 seed in Division II if it beats Con-Val next weekend.

John Stark had a chance to be No. 1 if both the Generals and Jaguars finished unbeaten, but Bow handed John Stark its first loss Saturday night, 14-6. Even if it finished undefeated, Hanover (7-0) won’t have a high enough rating to move past an unbeaten Windham team and into the top spot.