Division II playoff preview

By rbrown
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Updated: November 1, 2018

DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS
CAPSULE PREVIEWS

Hanover vs. Plymouth

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Plymouth.
Team records: Top-seeded Plymouth is 9-0. Eighth-seeded Hanover is 6-3.
Regular-season result: Plymouth won 27-6 in Hanover.
Noteworthy: Plymouth enters the postseason with the state’s longest winning streak (24 games). The Bobcats are the only unbeaten team in Division II and won each of their nine games this season by at least 11 points. … Hanover got off to a 6-0 start, but has lost its last three games. The Marauders are 0-3 against Division II playoff teams. … Touchdown runs by Owen Brickley and Patrick Malm gave Plymouth an early double-digit lead against Hanover when the teams met last weekend. It was 27-0 until Hanover’s Simon Roach scored on an 8-yard run late in the fourth quarter. … Plymouth is seeking its third straight Division II title.

John Stark vs. St. Thomas

When and where: Saturday (noon) at Exeter High School.
Team records: Seventh-seeded John Stark is 6-3. Second-seeded St. Thomas is 8-1.
Regular-season result: The teams did not meet.
Noteworthy: John Stark qualified for the playoffs by winning five of its last six games. The Generals scored at least 30 points in five of their victories, but went 1-3 against Division II playoff teams this season. … St. Thomas earned the No. 2 seed by winning Division II South. The Saints’ only loss came against top-seeded Plymouth (20-9). St. Thomas has scored at least 35 points in each of its four games since then. … John Stark will rely heavily on quarterback/running back Jacob Cole. St. Thomas has one of the top quarterback in the division in Shawn DeKorne. … These teams also met in last year’s quarterfinals. The Saints won that game 28-13. … This game will be part of a doubleheader at Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium. The Division III quarterfinal between Lebanon and Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton will follow at 4:15 p.m.

Milford vs. Alvirne

When and where: Sunday (4 p.m.) in Hudson.
Team records: Sixth-seeded Milford is 6-3. Third-seeded Alvirne is 7-2.
Regular-season result: Alvirne won 36-35 in Hudson.
Noteworthy: Alvirne, which moved from Division I to Division II after the 2017 season, earned a home playoff game for the first time in the program’s history. … Milford started the season 2-2, but won four of its last five. … The Spartans led the Broncos 28-14 at halftime and 35-20 after three quarters when the teams met last week, but Alvirne quarterback Kyle Gora scored with seven seconds to play and running back Alex Giuffrida added the two-point conversion to give the Broncos the victory. … Victor Garcia scored twice for Milford in the loss to Alvirne. His 70-yard TD run handed the Spartans a 35-14 lead in the third quarter.

Souhegan vs. Bow

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Bow.
Team records: Fifth-seeded Souhegan is 6-3. Fourth-seeded Bow is 7-2.
Regular-season result: Souhegan won 39-21 in Amherst.
Noteworthy: This is one of three quarterfinal-round games between teams that also met last week. Souhegan earned a playoff spot by ending Bow’s seven-game winning streak. … Souhegan quarterback John Lohnes passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in the regular-season victory over Bow. Running back Trey Johnson ran for a TD and caught a touchdown pass. … Bow lead 15-14 at halftime than to two rushing touchdowns from Steve Guerrette, and the Falcons took a 21-20 lead in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Sebastian Beaulieu, but it was all Sabers after that. Souhegan capped the scoring on a interception return for a TD. … Bow has reached the Division II championship game in each of the last two seasons. … Souhegan has won four games in a row and five of its last six.