Fall Sports

Preview capsules for Week 1 of the Division I football season

Here’s a quick look at each Week 1 game in Division I football action.

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Stellos Stadium, Nashua.
Last Game: Salem lost to Bedford in the quarterfinals, 33-7; South beat Nashua North on Thanksgiving, 41-35.
Last Meeting: Salem won 35-14 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When Salem has the ball: Keep an eye on Josh Sibanda … if you can. The senior running back was the Blue Devils leading rusher a year ago and showed he hasn’t missed a beat in last Friday’s scrimmage against Goffstown in the Queen City Jamboree.
When South has the ball: Will South’s spread offense matchup well with Salem’s physical defense? The Blue Devils forced Goffstown into mistakes last week, but the Panthers, led by quarterback Sean Holland, are a more experienced unit.

[Editor’s Note: Read all about this game Saturday morning at NH-HighSchoolSports.com.]

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Exeter.
Last Game: Manchester Central beat Trinity on Thanksgiving, 48-8; Exeter lost to Bedford in the final, 7-0.
Last Meeting: Exeter won 17-0 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When Manchester Central has the ball: Will the Little Green offense be on the same page after quarterback Alex Hawkom and running back Jeremyah Rivera? Central’s line will also have its hands full with a big Exeter front.
When Exeter has the ball: Cody Morrissette takes over at quarterback, and although its the senior’s first year starting in that spot, he’s been on the varsity for two years as a receiver. He’s also got a Division I championship (baseball) under his belt, and six varsity seasons on the diamond and basketball court.

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Hampton.
Last Game: Dover lost to Nashua South, 33-32; Winnacunnet beat Keene 41-14.
Last Meeting: Dover won 30-14 on Oct. 24, 2016.
When Dover has the ball: There was already going to be a lot riding on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Webb. But with running back Caleb Bolden out, Webb will have to carry the load a little more.
When Winnacunnet has the ball: Quarterback Patrick MacDougall and running back Billy Powers are now experienced veterans. Will they be able to help lift the Warriors back into playoff contention?

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Hudson.
Last Game: Pinkerton beat Manchester Memorial, 22-15; Alvirne lost to Exeter, 41-14.
Last Meeting: Pinkerton won 63-20 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When Pinkerton has the ball: What will the Astros’ offense look like? Pinkerton began throwing more last season when injuries forced quarterback Aiden Goujon into the lineup. The junior returns with plenty of experience around him.
When Alvirne has the ball: There will be a familiar face at a new position in the backfield, as Hayden Callery – the Broncos’ only returning starter – moves from quarterback to running back.

[Editor’s Note: Read all about this game Saturday morning at NH-HighSchoolSports.com.]

When: Friday, 6:30 p.m., at Plaistow.
Last Game: North lost to Nashua South on Thanksgiving, 41-35; Timberlane beat Londonderry 14-12.
Last Meeting: Nashua North won 24-0 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When North has the ball: North is replacing a lot of starters, so look for senior running back RJ Jenkins to get the ball in big spots as the Titans try to figure things out early in the season.
When Timberlane has the ball: It’s time for quarterback Dan Hayes to step up, with senior running back Jacob Post likely out with a knee injury. Hayes played well in the Owls’ scrimmage against Central last Friday in the Queen City Jamboree.

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Bedford.
Last Game: Manchester Memorial lost to Pinkerton, 22-15; Bedford beat Exeter in the final, 7-0.
Last Meeting: Bedford won 58-0 on Oct. 14, 2016.
When Memorial has the ball: The Crusaders found some success running the ball against Nashua North in last week’s scrimmage. Chris Coburn will have to lead a mistake-free offense for Memorial to stay in it.
When Bedford has the ball: The Bulldogs looked like they were in midseason form in a 35-0 win over Londonderry in the Queen City Jamboree. Will Bedford, and quarterback Conor Robert, carry that into the regular season?

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Keene.
Last Game: Merrimack lost to Bedford in the semifinals, 27-20; Keene lost to Winnacunnet 41-14.
Last Meeting: Merrimack won 35-0 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When Merrimack has the ball: The Tomahawks don’t have much experience back on offense, so they’re likely to rely heavily on senior running back Joe Eichman early in the season.
When Keene has the ball: The Blackbirds have a new coach in Bill Hope, who was an assistant with Keene, and he takes over a team that averaged 24.6 points per game last year.

When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Portsmouth.
Last Game: Spaulding lost to Portsmouth 46-6; Portsmouth beat Spaulding, 46-6.
Last Meeting: Portsmouth won 46-6 on Oct. 28, 2016.
When Spaulding has the ball: The Red Raiders have lost 22 games in a row, dating back to 2014. Spaulding will look to running back Jon Speltz, quarterback Noah Lapointe and receiver Mitchell Stokes to end that streak.
When Portsmouth has the ball: The Clippers will likely be without starting quarterback Cody Graham, but unlike last year, with Graham out, there’s no experienced backup to take his place. Jack Russo and Jack Madden could both see time against the Raiders.

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. at Goffstown.
Last Game: Concord lost to Manchester Central, 25-16; Goffstown lost to Merrimack in the quarterfinals, 42-7.
Last Meeting: Goffstown won 54-33 on Oct. 7, 2016.
When Concord has the ball: The Crimson Tide might look to run more out of its spread offense given its depth in the backfield, with Seth Malachi, Isaac Gladey and Gavin Moody taking handoffs.
When Goffstown has the ball: The Grizzlies struggled at times against Salem in last week’s scrimmage, but that was without senior receiver Andrew Duval in the lineup. He’s healthy this year, after missing half of last season with a broken thumb.

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. at Stellos Stadium, Nashua.
Last Game: Londonderry lost to Timberlane, 14-12; Bishop Guertin lost to Nashua North in the quarterfinals, 64-41.
Last Meeting: Londonderry won 28-6 on Sept. 5, 2014.
When Londonderry has the ball: Mike McAllister will get the start at quarterback for the Lancers after sitting out last week’s scrimmage against Bedford. Londonderry has a handful of players who could step up on offense. Finding the hot hand will be the challenge.
When Bishop Guertin has the ball: The Cardinals will need to find a way to stay on the field to give its defense a rest. Bishop Guertin is capable of making big plays, but too often that leads to short drives and a tired defense.

[Editor’s Note: Read all about this game Sunday morning at NH-HighSchoolSports.com.]