Division II

Will a D2 football champion again come from the North?

Joe Marchilena

— 3 min read
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Will a D2 football champion again come from the North?

Ask the coaches around Division II football, and many will tell you, despite the graduation of some pretty good players, the Plymouth High School football team is once again the team to beat.

Only time will tell if the two-time defending champions are back to the level that saw the Bobcats win 11 of 14 championships through the 2013 season. 

Who will have the best chance to stop Plymouth?

The top challengers in the North Conference could again be Bow, which has lost to the Bobcats in the last two D2 title games, or Hanover. While Windham is gone to Division I, St. Thomas, Milford, Hollis Brookline and maybe even Pelham could be contenders in the South.

Here’s a look at the teams that appear to have the best chance to be playing at the University of New Hampshire on Nov. 17. 

Favorites

  • Plymouth (11-0 in 2017): The Bobcats lost 17 seniors to graduation, including Garrett Macomber and Nolan Farina, but there are still plenty of players with championship experience. Owen Brickley will lead the way for Plymouth through a tough early schedule, as the Bobcats face Bow, John Stark, Kennett and St. Thomas in four of their first five games.
  • Hanover (9-1): For the second year in a row, the Marauders saw their season come to an end at the hands of Bow in the semifinals. Despite losing some talented players, Hanover saw just six players graduate and returns 16 seniors. Included in that group are Mason Winter, Kegan Silovich and Simon Roach.
  • St. Thomas (8-2): The Saints lost one of the division’s top players from last year in Tim Bouchard, but quarterback Shawn DeKorne returns  for his third year as the starter. 

Contenders

  • Pelham (5-3): The Pythons haven’t made the playoffs since they were in Division III in 2013, but they came close last season after not allowing a point in their final four games. Pelham graduated some standout players on defense, but return a pair of the top offensive players in the state in Brett Lindsay and Charlie Katin.
  • Milford (2-6): After never getting untracked last season, the Spartans regroup with junior Gavin Urda following in the footsteps of his older brothers Harrison and Max, taking over at quarterback. Joining him are Junior Ughu, Owen Zalenski and Victor Garcia.
  • Bow (8-3): The Falcons have huge holes to fill, including finding a replacement for quarterback Matt Harkins and running back/linebacker Jack Corriveau. But after two straight runs to the championship game, how could anyone count coach Paul Cohen and Bow out?
  • Hollis Brookline (6-3): Big things were expected of the Cavaliers last season and then quarterback Joey Delaney was lost for the season on the team’s seventh offensive play. That allowed Sander Wimmer to gain plenty of experience for HB, and with Brandon Iodice, Michael Gillespie and Quinten Wimmer returning, the Cavs have a solid group at the skill postions.

Dark Horses

  • Kennett (4-4): The Eagles have been on the outside of the playoff picture the last two years, but that could change with the return of a handful of all-state performers from a year ago. That group includes seniors Deven Ouellette, Cole Sweeney, Jacob Stearns and Sloan Rogers.
  • John Stark (6-3): The Generals are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in program history, but lost quarterback Parker McQuarrie to prep school. In his place will be sophomore Nate Tower, who will get plenty of help from Jacob Cole in the backfield.

North Conference

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

  1. Plymouth (11-0, won title)
  2. Hanover (9-1, lost in semifinals)
  3. Bow (8-3, lost in final)
  4. John Stark (6-3, lost in quarterfinals)
  5. Merrimack Valley (2-6)
  6. Kennett (4-4)
  7. Kingswood (1-7)
  8. Gilford-Belmont (1-7)
  9. Pembroke (0-8)

South Conference

  1. St. Thomas (8-2, lost in semifinals)
  2. Pelham (5-3)
  3. Milford (2-6)
  4. Hollis Brookline (6-3, lost in quarterfinals)
  5. Souhegan (5-4, lost in quarterfinals)
  6. Alvirne (2-7 in D1)
  7. Manchester West (1-7)
  8. Sanborn (4-4)
  9. ConVal (4-4)

Playoff Predicitions

The top two teams in each conference get the top seeds in the playoffs, based on rating. The next six best teams, based on rating, are seeded in the final six playoff spots.

Conference winners: Plymouth, St. Thomas.

Remaining six: Hanover, Pelham, Milford, Bow, Hollis Brookline, John Stark.

Championship: Plymouth over Hanover.

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