New alignment makes for intrigue in D3 and D4 football

In perhaps the biggest structural change to New Hampshire high school football since 2013, the NHIAA split its small-school division in two for 2018, giving the state four groupings for the first time since 2003.

The new Division IV will consist of eight programs that had struggled in recent years, while Division III will be a 12-team division made up of the remaining schools from the old D3, plus four moving down from Division II.

After playing an eight-game schedule for the last five seasons, D3 will feature a regular season that’s nine games long, with the top eight teams making the playoffs. The division will have last year’s title-game participants, Campbell and Monadnock, along with Stevens, Newport, Somersworth, Epping-Newmarket, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough and Kearsarge-Mount Royal, plus Trinity, Lebanon, Laconia and Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, which move down from D2.

The playoff format for D3 will change only for seeding. With just 12 teams, the playoff participants will be seeded in order based on football rating.

The teams in D4 will be Winnisquam, Franklin, Mascoma Valley, Farmington-Nute, Bishop Brady, Fall Mountain, Raymond and Newfound. 

While Winnisquam and Bishop Brady had both been playoff teams in 2015 and 2016, those eight teams were a combined 15-49, with Brady (4-4) the only one to not have a losing record.

With only eight teams, the regular season will be just seven games, with byes in Week 1 and Week 6. The top four will make playoffs, with the championship game scheduled for Nov. 10 at Laconia High School.

Division III

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

1. Campbell (11-0)
2. Monadnock (10-1)
3. Laconia (4-4 in D2)
4. Kearsarge-Mount Royal (4-5)
5. Somersworth (7-2)
6. Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton (1-7 in D2)
7. Stevens (6-4)
8. Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (4-5)
9. Lebanon (1-7 in D2)
10. Trinity (NA)
11. Epping-Newmarket (6-3)
12. Newport (8-2)

Playoff Predictions

Playoff teams: Campbell, Monadnock, Laconia, Kearsarge-Mount Royal, Somersworth, Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton, Stevens, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough.

Championship: Campbell over Laconia.

Division IV

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

1. Franklin (2-6)
2. Winnisquam (1-7)
3. Fall Mountain (1-7)
4. Mascoma Valley (2-6)
5. Raymond (3-5)
6. Bishop Brady (4-4)
7. Newfound (2-6)
8. Farmington-Nute (0-8)

Playoff Predictions

Playoff teams: Franklin, Winnisquam, Fall Mountain, Mascoma Valley.

Championship: Franklin over Winnisquam.