The Fall 2017 NHIAA regular season is over for the most part, time for tournaments (and Turkey Day games in a few weeks..) Which teams from Manchester’s high schools are in the playoffs? Let’s take a look, sport by sport.
Football
There are three more games football games left involving Manchester teams before the playoffs begin. West (1-7) and Memorial’s (0-8) finish off their respective regular seasons against Division II playoff bubble team Pelham and Division I North Conference champion Goffstown, respectively.
The big game will be in Bedford. There, Central and Bedford will be playing what basically amounts to a play-in game for the final playoff berth. Both teams are 5-3, with an identical set of teams beaten (Memorial, Portsmouth, Spaulding, Concord, and Dover.)
Exeter, Goffstown and Winnacunnet (the three teams that have beaten Bedford and Central so far this year) have already clinched playoff spots in the North/East Conference cluster. In the South/West cluster, regardless of what happens this week, the four playoff spots are going to Salem, Pinkerton, Londonderry and Nashua South.
Boys’ Soccer
In Division I, Central (11-4) punched their ticket long ago. But they dropped from the hunt for the top spot and now will have to travel to Stellos Stadium on Wednesday for a first round game against Nashua South (11-4)
Memorial (6-8) begins the tournament against Exeter on Wednesday, with the winner of that contest taking on third seed Salem.
In Division II, Trinity (3-12) and West (6-9) missed the cut, but Derryfield (14-0) enters the Division III tournament as prohibitive favorites, hosting the Monadnock/Sanborn winner on Thursday.
Girls’ Soccer
On the girls’ side, the Little Green (15-1) didn’t collapse, and will host a quarterfinal matchup against either Pinkerton or Alvirne on Sunday. Memorial (4-11) finished just two points behind final seed Merrimack.
And just like on the boys’ side, West (0-15) and Trinity (3-12) missed the tournament in Division II.
Derryfield won a critical game against Laconia last week, they will begin their post-season on Wednesday against Hopkinton.
Field Hockey
Central was eliminated last week in the preliminary round of the Division I Tournament, falling 2-1 to Exeter. Memorial (1-13) did not qualify for post-season play.
In Division II, Derryfield was eliminated on Friday, falling 2-1 to Kennett in the quarterfinals.
Girls’ Volleyball
The only team close was Trinity in Division III (5-10), 2 ½ games behind Nute for the final spot in the tournament. West, Central and Memorial combined for four wins. Memorial’s only win was against Central.
