Power Poll's top four to meet in Div. I semis; Divi. II finalist Trinity up to No. 9

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It’s no surprise that New Hampshire’s Division I state football semifinals will feature the top four teams in the Union Leader Power Poll.

Power Poll Nov. 18

For a fifth straight week, Bedford tops today’s poll in a unanimous vote by statewide media members. The Bulldogs, the only unbeaten club in the state’s top division, are joined at the top by, in order, Nashua South, Pinkerton Academy and Salem, which jumped from No. 9 to No. 4 after its quarterfinal upset of No. 2 Manchester Memorial last Friday night.

And now the semifinals are set for this coming Friday night, with Bedford hosting South (7 p.m.) and Salem traveling to defending state champ Pinkerton (6 p.m.). Both contests are rematches of regular-season games won by the Bulldogs (34-14 on Sept. 12) and Astros (31-19 on Sept. 19).

The Blue Devils are coming off the biggest upset the playoffs have offered. Colin Salkovitz scored two touchdowns, catching a 28-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Van Mason, and running 44 yards for a score.

“We’re undersized but we played tough, tough football and we did what we needed to do on offense,” Salem coach Steve Abraham said after the Memorial game. “That’s what we said — just make it a grind.”

The Bedford-South matchup will be intriguing for its abundance of talented playmakers, such as the Bulldogs’ Brody Helton and Bennett Matthews, and the Panthers’ Cody Jackson, Sam Levine and Colvin Levesque, to name just a few.

“They (the Panthers) definitely have the athletes to compete with Bedford and put stress on them,” said Bishop Guertin coach Anthony Nalen, whose club fell to South in a quarterfinal. “I just think the advantage goes to Bedford because their big guys — (lineman Connor) Flaherty, Matthews, Helton — have been there and know what it takes. I think it will be a really good one.”

“We have to match their physicality,” said South’s Levesque, who scored a pair of TDs against BG. “I think that’s the big thing. Every team they face, they’re just more physical. That’s why they win. We have to bring it next Friday for sure.”

Bedford was certainly the more physical team in its quarterfinal rout of Winnacunnet.

“We’re lucky with some of the athletes we have and that overshadows what our offensive line does, because I think we have the best offensive line in the state,” Bedford coach Zach Matthews said. “Certainly some of those holes and the seams we were widening started with those guys.”

Ranked teams will also battle in the Division II championship game set for Saturday (1 p.m.) at Pinkerton. Souhegan, up one spot to No. 6 after its quarterfinal victory over Pelham, will battle Trinity, which this week cracks the poll for the first time, at No. 9. The Pioneers edged Plymouth in the quarters behind the right arm and legs of quarterback Ollie Service, who passed for two TDs and ran for another.

“They (the Pioneers) are a great team, obviously,” Souhegan coach Robin Bowkett said after Saturday’s quarterfinals. “I think it starts with their quarterback, Ollie Service. He’s one of the best players in the state. They fly around on defense. They have athletes on both sides of the ball and good size up front.

“We’re gonna have our hands full. We’re gonna get on the tape and try to make this the best week of practice it can be, and then look to go 1-0 one more time at Pinkerton next week.”

Turkey Bowl on

With Memorial’s quarterfinal loss, the Queen City Turkey Bowl featuring the Crusaders (8-2 overall) against Division II West (7-3 overall), is on for Thanksgiving Day (10 a.m.) at Gill Stadium.

The Crusaders will try to put the sting of last Friday behind them.

“We just didn’t play a clean football game from beginning to end,” Memorial coach Rob Sturgis said. “I thought we had moments. The first drive, we were able to get a stop, get good field position and go down and score. … It seemed like every time we got a little momentum, we shot ourselves in the foot somehow and you can’t do that in the playoffs.”

Site change for Division III final

Saturday’s Division III state championship game between Laconia and Gilford has been moved from Laconia to Exeter High’s Bill Ball Stadium. Kickoff remains at 1 p.m.

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