Wow, so much to discuss, so little time.
first off, dave dyer and I each dragged out four losses on the week, so I still remain a gigantic longshot at 6 games back with Turkey Day fast approaching.
Congrats to Kevin Bradley at Whittier and Jim Pugh at Masconomet for locking up postseason berths. Both clubs have owned their leagues since Day 1 and absolutely deserve it.
Up in New Hampshire, the Division 1,2 and 5 playoffs are set
D1
Manchester central at South
Londonderry at Pinkerton
D2
Exeter at Timberlane
Keene at BG
D5
Kearsarge at Pelham
St. Thomas at Trinity
Some quick thoughts on the NH playoffs, with plenty more to come later:
All three No. 1 seeds are vulnerable.
Pinkerton hasn’t been Pinkerton since losing Eric Guinto. With EG, they would be odds-on to win it all.
Now, the Londonderry matchup is a tossup.
Guinto was clearly the difference in the previous matchup. Can PA break it open without the touchdown machine? We’ll see.
South had its chances to stamp itself as the team to beat but couldn’t KO the Astros, therefore I like the peaking little Green in the other.
Division 2 is as wide open as they come.
If you told me you liked fourth-seeded Keene, I’d listen to the argument.
You get the feeling BG is the hungriest of the bunch.
Timberlane will and has to play like it has something to prove.
Pelham draws its toughest foe in the regular year with Kearsarge, but the Pythons are such a king on that mountain.
When the dust, or rubberized pellets on the artificial surfaces, settled this weekend, Methuen was the only contender left standing to challenge Dracut in the MVC.
The Rangers need a stunner of all stunners as Tewksbury faces the Middies this weekend. Then all the Rangers have to do is beat Andover and then Dracut on Thanksgiving to claim a title.
Ton of talk and banter over the weekend surrounding the MVC, realignment and Thanksgiving football this weekend.
First I headed over a meticulously kept Gleason Field on the campus of Greater Lawrence Tech Saturday.
The Reggie folks had been talking like this year’s pre-Turkey Day tilt could be the last against Lawrence.
Word is, and this couldn’t be confirmed, but it will be CAC large foes Whittier and Greater Lawrence Tech tangling on Turkey Day, or possibly the night before.
Some hinted the Whittier deal was a go.
In the past, GLT AD Ernie Calverly has stated his commitment to the Lawrence-Reggies game on Thanksgiving.
Kevin Bradley couldn’t be reached at Whittier.
If this is a go, it would leave Lawrence searching for a holiday foe. Let’s say it does happen, and it sounds like it really might.
Remember now, Lawrence returns to the MVC (more on that in a second) next year.
Could the league be in for another holiday shuffle?
Tewksbury is the one MVC team that goes out of the league on Thanksgiving, facing border rival Wilmington.
Would, with 10 teams competing, the MVC want the Redmen to play another team in the league, say border rival Lowell, on thanksgiving, leaving a Lawrence-Haverhill Turkey Day clash?
That makes sense.
Lawrence coach Mike Yameen was a bit caught off guard by the news, noting he loves the current situation.
Lawrence has pretty much owned the rivalry.
He brought up the fact that if they couldn’t meet on Thanksgiving, why not play the Reggies in the season opener?
The kids definitely like to play each other.
Back to the MVC for a minute.
The Barack Obama Socialism inspired MIAA is at it again, adding more divisions and more champions, according to recent reports on realignment.
Word is the MVC will be among the leagues getting a second playoff berth as we expand to 32 playoff teams competing in 8 divisions.
There looks like a small-large thing working in the MVC, say:
Large
Central
Chelmsford
Andover
Lowell
Methuen
Small
Dracut
Lawrence
Tewksbury
Billerica
Haverhill
Those are my divisions and aren’t official by any stretch. You get the idea that some blood might be shed as the teams fight to play in the small.
On the field, congrats on another big year for Haverhill’s Brett Frongillo at the Groton School.
The junior QB Frongillo completed 20-of-26 passes for 321 yards and six touchdowns in a 46-43 win over St. Mark’s. He also had 17 carries for 116 yards.
He finished with 16 TD passes in 7 games. A junior, he’ll be a key to the Groton hoop and baseball seasons as well.
Walked away from that Reggies-Greater Lowell game very impressed with Greater Lawrence.
It reminded me of the old days, where every kid in orange and black was on the same page with the coaching staff. It’s the Sarkis system, just like it used to be the Rosmarino system.
The program is in good hands for the near future.
Giant win over the weekend for Central against Billerica. All of a sudden the Thanksgiving matchup with Andover has the makings of a good one. That’s the win the Raiders were looking for.
And now the top 10:
OK, finally, one man’s top 10, updated and early for once:
1. Pelham (9-0) … There, I did it, a vote for all the small schools, everywhere.
2. Georgetown (8-0) … Just waiting in the wings if the Pythons slip up
3. Pinkerton (7-3) … The tops seeds have their work cut out for them.
4. Timberlane (6-2) … Division 2 is there for the taking.
5. Londonderry (6-3) … Upset and revenge on their minds.
6. Amesbury (7-1) … Turkey Day showdown awaits
7. Methuen (5-4) … The only team left with a chance to challenge Dracut in the MVc
8. Whittier Tech (7-2) … Post-season bound again
9. Central (5-4) … That’s more like it Raiders
10. Pentucket (5-4) … Must run the table to stay in the top 10.
