H.S. Football: Power Poll does a Div. I shuffle

By MARC THALER
New Hampshire Union Leader Sports
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There comes a time in the high school football campaign when head-to-head results can't be the lone criterion for ranking teams.

The time has arrived.

Case in point: The three teams that round out the latest Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll.

Oct. 14, 2008 power poll 80px

Londonderry (5-4 overall, 5-3 Div. I) retains the No. 8 ranking after its 31-29 win that burst the playoff bubble of unranked defending champion Nashua South.

Pinkerton (5-4, 5-2) tumbled four spots to No. 9 after its 21-10 loss at then-unranked Manchester Central.

As for Central (6-3, 5-2), it returns to the top 10 at No. 10.

Week 10 Power Poll

RankSchool (Record/first place votes)Last Wk.
1Bp. Guertin (9-0 overall, 7-0 Div. II / 6 first place)1
2Salem (9-0, 7-0 Div. I)2
3Exeter (8-0, 7-0 Div. II)3
4Nashua North (7-1, 6-1 Div. I)4
5Plymouth (9-0, 8-0 Div. IV)6
6Souhegan (8-1, 7-1 Div. III)7
7Winnacunnet (6-3, 4-3 Div. II)9
8Londonderry (5-4, 5-3 Div. I)8
9Pinkerton (5-4, 5-2 Div. I)5
10Man. Central (6-3, 5-2 Div. I)NR

Pick up a print copy of today's Union Leader for Marc Thaler's complete "First and 10" analysis.

> Click here to visit Marc Thaler's 'Moving the Chains' high school football blog

YOUR COMMENTS


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It's an absolute Joke that BG is not moving up to Division 1. Tony Johnson uses the excuse of harsh economic times... Tony must not be aware that his school nearly denies half of the student applications. It's all about him and not about the students, its shameful.

I agree with Logan from Manchester. Teams do change throughout the season. Looking and comparing pre-season exhibition games at this point in the season provides us with no conclusions about which team is better. That's just ridiculous.
- Joe, Nashua

James from Manchester. I just watched the film of the Portsmouth Trinity scrimage. Portsmouth 3 scores Trinity 1. It was Portsmouth second defense. If you would like a copy of the film let me know.
- Fred, Portsmouth

Umm, John you should get your facts straight. BG petitioned up to DII and that is where they are going. Exeter is going to D1 based on enrollment. Tony Johnson would not move up despite the overwhelming sentiment that they should. You should check the papers. It's all over the place. Good try...
- Ted, Bedford

if any of you actually played high school football, like myself, you would understand that a team changes so much during a season, so even mentioning a scrimmage is LAUGHABLE
- logan, manchester

Rick
You are wrong, yesterday BG made a formal request to the NHIAA to nove up to D1 and were refused......just follow the papers the next few days
- John D, Nashua

Listen to this one... apparently there was a meeting to discuss what if any D-2 schools are worthy to move up to D-1, everdbody at the meeting agreed that BG and Exeter were the two, Bill Ball was all for moving up, Tony Johnson who is now simply an arrogant embarrasment said that due to tough economic times.....BG will stay in D-2 , what an absolute coward, the BG parents are really upset and they should be, there kids play maybe a quarter if that. His ego is telling him to stay so he can beat Milfords record of consecutive titles. I really hope the powers to be either at BG or the NHIAA step in, you should be ashamed of yourself, the BG kids deserve a better coach who has their interests in mind. Good luck to the kids, they deserve it
- Rick, Manchester

its fedrick not fredrick
- guy, manchester

Hey Jay O - Get your facts straight man. First, by student population THS is a D6 school - so they didn't "whine" their way down to D5 - they requested an exemption to play in Division 5. Second, THS was a force for many years when they had a solid pool of male students to draw on but the student population is half the size (400 vesus 800) it was 20 years ago making it all but impossible to compete with schools with 1500+ students. Third, when THS was kickin D1 butt on a regular basis, they were doing it with 50% of the student body the next closest school in Class L had - Dover I believe. I think they need to earn a Power Poll spot by playing and beating some higher Division opponants for credibility but don't misrep what has been achieved there in the last 3 years or why they play in D5.
- Sal, Atlanta, GA

Trinity is in the wrong division. Enough said. Nobody wants to play them because it would be too demoralizing ti be defeated by a division 5 team. Ask coach Ray how those Central kids did against Trinity. They lost...
- another real football fan, manchester

Trinity DID play both Central and Portsmouth this summer and DID beat both of those teams. I was at both of those games, and they did rebuild their program. Who knows how they will be next year, as they are loosing a number of senios, but this year they are legit and would be about .500 in Division I. Don't judge them on what they did ten years ago. Go to a game and than make your conclusion. Rather than having this debate, though, let Trinity play in the Turkey Bowl against Central IF they win the D5 title.
- James, Manchester

Mike in Londonderry,

The Salem-BG Scrimmage wasn't that close. I witnessed it, and it was more like 6-2 BG. Granted, Fredrick is good, but they faced similar speed against CM, and look what happened...
- Paul, Bedford

teams do have the capability to improve.


trinity beat central 4-2 in a summer scrimmage. central's starters were in. central is ranked. what does logic imply?
- guy, manchester

17-2?
- John, Rumney

Hey Mike
In a scrimmage you don't focus on anyone....you work on your stuff. Salem was the best team that BG saw in any scrimmage(including the jamboree)...I think Pinkerton and CM was the best teams BG saw this year so far...As far as Trinity goes, let them take steps up the ladder before putting them in the top 10..... do they play Central on T-Day? Game of the year coming up BG v. Exeter...good luck to all in the play-offs
- John D, Nashua

I would like to see BG and Salem play, they had a scrimage in the summer and BG won 4-2 , but no Jerickson Fredrick who is a difference maker....with him out BG focused on jaques..........
- Mike, Londonderry

Football Fans -

Please, get a grip. Trinity moved down to D5 in order to resurrect their program from the dead. They've done a nice job and are moving in the right direction. But, they play in D5 which means they play a total of ZERO quality opponents.

They could probably beat some D1 and D2 schools, most notably Spaulding and Concord, but then again, who couldn't? I am pretty certain I could find an unlimited weight junior high team that could pull off those "upsets". In fact, my sister and her friends could give some NH teams a run for their money.

Give Trinity credit and wish them luck but don't confuse undefeated with Top 10 strength.
- Shane, Manchester

All this talk about Trinity is laughable. They were a complete joke in D1 for years with the other teams' JV / freshmen players drubbing them by 40 - 50 points each week. I always wondered why it was fair for everyone else to have to essentially put a bye-week on their schedule and humor Trinity as a 'D1 team'. Now they drop down to D5 and they want respect from the D1 / D2 crowd? Please.
- Blue Devils Rock, Salem

Guy in case you forgot Plymouth beat Milford 51-6. How did the sabers do?
- bobby, Plymouth

As I recall Trinity whined their way down to D5 because they couldn't compete against the D1 schools. I would imagine this is what we will find out again. It's the old big fish small pond syndrome. Just be glad you win games again because Trinity was terrible for years until they swam to the right pond.
- Jay O, Manchester

Football fan manchester you obviously have no clue . We are talking about football, a game played in the United States with a leather ball where we score what are called touchdowns that are worth six points, etc. You clearly have no idea about the sport. Trinity would beat half the teams in this poll at least. FACT. But why debate, lets find out.
- A real fan, manchester

Ask Trinity did against Portsmouth?
- Fred, Portsmouth

Trinity could compete with almost all of the big boys in D1. Several teams have turned them down for Thanksgiving games because "we don't want to be the guys who lose to the D5 team." This is a talented team with size, athleticism and a lot of pride, who would love to prove to any doubters how good they really are.
- Football Fan, Manchester

Trinity would beat alot of teams in the upper div. Including Central......I would like to see that game on Thanksgiving instead of rewarding Memorial for beating West,Concord and Spaulding,they should be in the top 10 and for those of you ragging on teams in the lower div,ask coach Ray how his scrimage went with Trinity this year.
- Football Coach, Manchester Nh

How about a true state playoff with all the divisions competing. Take all the state champs. Have a play in game for the lowest ranked teams and then have at it.
- Chris, Hooksett

Trinity is one division below 5th-ranked Plymouth, and winning games by an average of something like 36 points. I'm going to guess you don't know what you're talking about.
- guy, manchester

Anyone who thinks Trinity should not be in this poll has not seen them play. They led 45-0 at halftime this week against the team ranked 2nd in their division. They will play a division 1 team on Thanksgiving so let's see what happens then.
- Greg Barrett, Manchester

Well Dude...I saw Plymouth for the first time last week....and Souhegan would light them up. It wouldn't even be a game this season.
- Brian, Salem, NH

quit hatin on londonderry, they're peaking at the right time
- Rick, Londonderry

Trinity is not in the power poll because they are not playing with the big boys. They are playing what basically adds up to a Midget Pop Warner Team. If they were even in Div III they would get killed. That's the facts.
- Football Fan, Manchester

The comments on these things always amuse me. People get so riled up and most of them really don't know what they are talking about. To Kevin, who thinks its sooooo ridiculous that Pinkerton is ahead of Central, yes they have identical records, but Central hasn't played Salem and they didn't play a team like Brockton. They lost to Londonderry, a team that PA blew out, and frankly as long as Salem doesn't roll over and die next week, they aren't going to the playoffs either.

To Joe who thinks its laughable that Plymouth could beat Souhegan?...I'll just quote Chad Ochocinco and say Child, Please. That's absurd. Y'all are nuts. Keep it up Thaler & Co.
- The Dude, SoCal

How is it that undefeated Trinity is not in the Power Poll???
- Football Mom, Manchester

Even as a Lancer parent/fan, I'm astonished that the poll has Londonderry ahead of Pinkerton. Besides winning the head-to-head matchup, Pinkerton has played a much harder non-Division schedule (BG & Brockton)...
- Anthony, Londonderry

How can Pinkerton be ahead of Central? They have identical D1 records (Central better overall) and Central just beat Pinkerton head to head last week!?!?!? This poll is laughable at best.
- Kevin, Manchester

It is absolutely laughable for anybody to think that Plymouth would beat Central, Pinkerton and probably even Souhegan.
- Joe, Concord

How in the world are the Lancers ahead of the Astros..does 54-19 ring a bell to any of the voters???
- Paul, Nashua


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