Division III-IV

A champion could rise from the North in Division III football

A pair of new high school football teams have dropped down to Division III this season and it appears to have made the North Conference the place to be.

Monadnock and Kearsarge, fresh off playoff berths in Division II, moved down a division this season due to enrollment, and both teams were plopped into the North. Franklin moves to the South, while Bow and Gilford-Belmont made the move up to D2.

Add Newport, Stevens and Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, and an already crowded conference up North seems to get even more so.

North Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year’s record)

Monadnock (5-5 in Division II)
Stevens (6-3, lost in quarterfinals)
Newport (11-0, won Division III title)
Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (9-2, lost in title game)
Kearsarge (6-3 in Division II)
Mascoma Valley (3-5)
Newfound (1-7)
Fall Mountain (0-8)

Games to watch: Kearsarge at Newport, Sept. 3; Newport at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Sept. 17; Stevens at Newport, Sept. 24; Kearsarge at Stevens, Sept. 30; Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Monadnock, Sept. 30; Stevens at Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Oct. 15; Monadnock at Newport, Oct. 22; Stevens at Monadnock, Oct. 28.

South Conference

(Predicted order of finish, last year’s record)

Bishop Brady (5-4, lost in quarterfinals)
Campbell (3-5)
Somersworth (4-4, lost in quarterfinals)
Franklin (4-4, lost in quarterfinals)
Winnisquam (9-1, lost in semifinals)
Epping-Newmarket (2-6)
Farmington-Nute (3-5)
Raymond (1-7)

Games to watch: Winnisquam at Somersworth, Sept. 2; Franklin at Winnisquam, Sept. 17; Bishop Brady at Winnisquam, Sept. 23; Campbell at Bishop Brady, Oct. 1; Somerworth at Campbell, Oct. 15; Somersworth at Bishop Brady, Oct. 29.

Crossover games to watch: Stevens at Somersworth, Sept. 9; Monadnock at Campbell, Sept. 10; Winnisquam at Newport, Sept. 10; Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough at Bishop Brady, Sept. 10.