Milford, Portsmouth meet again in D3 football semifinals

The Milford High School football team is back in the Division III playoffs after missing out last season, and the Spartans reward is a familiar face.

On Saturday, the No. 2 Spartans will host No. 3 Portsmouth in the semifinals, the fourth time since 2006 the teams will meet in the playoffs.

The Clippers have won the previous three meetings, and until Milford’s 24-6 win on Oct. 26 of this year, the Spartans hadn’t beaten Portsmouth since the final game of the 2007 regular season. Since the Clippers dropped down to Division III in 2006, they’ve won five of the eight meetings.

“Seems like a lot,” Milford coach Keith Jones said. “There was a time when we went Portsmouth back-to-back because we finished with them, and then played them in the playoffs. We lost in some good games, and we lost in some not so good games.”

The big difference this time around is that Milford (6-2) is at home, the Spartans’ first playoff game at home since that 2006 loss to Portsmouth.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, it’s being home,” Jones said. “Obviously, no body wants to travel to Portsmouth to play on the turf, unless it’s for recreational purposes. To be home, it doesn’t matter who it’s against, it’s the fact of being home.”

The best news for Milford, aside from hosting the game, is the Spartans’ health. Jones estimates that his team is as close to full strength as its been since the season started.

“This could be the first time all year that we won’t be missing anybody,” Jones said. “Everyone is active for this Saturday, other than a couple of JV kids. All the varsity players, everyone is active.”

That might not be the same for Portsmouth (6-2). The Clippers opened the season with depth at quarterback, but injuries have led them to use all four players this season. In last week’s 34-0 win over Alvirne, Portsmouth opened the game with running back Dillon Crosby at quarterback for two series before giving way to Connor DiCesare and Nate McFarland, while Travis MacDonald and Donovan Phanor watched from the sidelines.

When Portsmouth and Milford played two weeks ago, it was MacDonald who started before injury led way to DiCesare. Jones expects he might see all four quarterbacks on Saturday, and maybe even a little bit of Crosby taking some snaps.

“You prepare as if they have their best personnel,” Jones said. “We’ll do our best. Hopefully, for the sake of a good game, both teams are healthy and we can put on a good show.”

The Spartans have already hit the first goal they set for themselves at the beginning of the season.

“The goal originally is to play on Nov. 10 and we’ve achieved that,” Jones said. “Now, it’s to worry about Portsmouth High School. If we have to worry about anything else, it will be on Nov. 11, and we’ll go from there.”

Jones is hoping for a better showing than Milford’s previous two playoff performances. In 2009, the Spartans lost to Souhegan 37-0 in the semifinals, and the following year, lost to Portsmouth, 51-3.

This year’s group, led by a senior class that was disappointed at missing the playoffs last year, has Jones thinking a better showing will be in store.

“I’m very proud of them,” Jones said. “The culture is different, to understand that in order to win it’s a ‘we not me’ thing. We spread the ball out, or sometimes we ride the hot back. These kids don’t care. They block just as hard, no matter who carries the ball. They just play and that’s invaluable.”

Milford and Portsmouth will kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the winner moving on to face either No. 1 Souhegan or No. 4 Goffstown in the final on Nov. 17.