Division III semifinal preview

By rbrown
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Updated: November 8, 2018

DIVISION III SEMIFINALS
H-D/H vs. Monadnock

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Swanzey Center.
Team records: Fourth-seeded Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton is 7-3. Top-seeded Monadnock is 10-0.
Regular-season result: Monadnock won 46-6 in Contoocook.
Noteworthy: Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton is in its third year as a varsity program and made the playoffs for the first time this season. The Redhawks spent their first two seasons in Division II. … Monadnock, the Division III runner-up to Campbell last year, is the only unbeaten team in Division III. … H-D/H advanced with a 21-7 victory over Lebanon in the quarterfinals. The Redhawks trailed 7-0 in the third quarter of that contest, but received two second-half touchdowns (one rushing, the other on pass reception) from junior running back Colby Quiet. H-D/H also scored on a 23-yard TD pass from quarterback Caleb Yianakopolos to tight end Jack Horne. The Redhawks took advantage of five Lebanon turnovers (four interceptions) and blocked two punts. Yianakopolos had two of the interceptions. … Monadnock breezed to a 46-0 victory over eighth-seeded Somersworth in the quarterfinals. The Huskies had three players rush for at least 100 yards in that victory: halfback Tim Hart (128 yards, TD), halfback Chandler Matson (104 yards, two TDs) and quarterback Tim Santaw (102 yards). Fullback Lincoln Blodgett also scored twice. Somersworth was held to 4 yards of offense (minus 16 rushing). … Matson is on the short list of candidates to be this year’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

Stevens vs. Campbell

When and where: Saturday (1 p.m.) in Litchfield.
Team records: Seventh-seeded Stevens is 6-4. Third-seeded Campbell is 8-2.
Regular-season result: The teams did not meet.
Noteworthy: Stevens entered the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, but upset second-seeded Trinity, 7-0, in the Division III quarterfinals at Gill Stadium. The Pioneers were held to 78 yards of offense and didn’t complete a pass. Stevens quarterback Quentin Bicknell ran for 92 yards and completed 5 of his 6 passes for 92 yards in the victory. The Cardinals drove the ball 98 yards on 15 plays for the game’s only score, a 21-yard TD run from Keaghan McAllister. Trinity beat Stevens 39-6 during the regular season. … Campbell, last year’s Division III champion, knocked off sixth-seeded Laconia 38-18 in the quarterfinals. Keegan Mills ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns in that victory. … Campbell’s losses came against Monadnock (36-14) and Lebanon (17-16). … Stevens has a 2-4 record against teams that made the playoffs this season. … Two years ago Stevens upset Campbell, Monadnock and Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough in the playoffs to win the Division III title.