Bishop Guertin's J.J. Taylor, right, has been a key on faceoffs for the Cardinals, who are preparing to play in their 16th consecutive state title game Saturday vs. Exeter at Bedford's Bulldog Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

And then there were three.

Bishop Guertin High School boys lacrosse, Milford and Campbell softball, come on down.

You’re the last three contestants in the NHIAA’s spring tournament game show, and the stakes Saturday will be the highest for a spring in two years – a championship.

All this was missing last spring, but the gauntlet that was the spring post season this year claimed plenty of victims as local teams began eliminating each other in region play, likely unique to just this year due to the pandemic.

But Wednesday in the semifinals, two prominent local teams, Souhegan baseball and Merrimack softball, took a tumble. The three programs still going, though, have been prominent programs in their sport over the last several years.

As a a result, the day begins with unbeaten Campbell meeting twic-beaten Hopkinton in a rematch of the title game two years ago won by Hopkinton, 2-0, in the Division III softball final at Concord’s Memorial Field.

Then at 4:30, Milford softball will take on Oyster River at Nashua’s Rivier University. Meanwhile, at the same time, Bishop Guertin will face Exeter in the Division I boys lacrosse final at Bedford’s Bulldog Stadium.

Here’s a look

BISHOP GUERTIN BOYS LAX

This will be Guertin’s 16th straight championship game, an incredible feat, and the first time since 2012 when the Cards beat Hanover that their finals opponent won’t be Pinkerton.

The Cardinals played Exeter twice this season and beat them back in the first week of May 21-8 at Exeter and 12-6 later that week at Stellos Stadium.

The game at Exeter didn’t start the way the Cardinals wanted, as they were down 4-2, but then dominated the second and third quarters. The Cards’ top scorer, Dawson Clark, was out with an injury.

“I loved the way we reacted to that,” Guertin coach Chris Cameron said. “That was the first adversity we faced all year. That was kind of our test to see how (they’d react).”

In the second contest in Nashua, the Blue Hawks likely learned their lesson and tried to slow the game down.

“We weren’t able to get out in transition,” Cameron said, “and everything we had to do was from a 6 on 6 standpoint. … That’s going to be the key to the game, who can control the tempo. Dawson Clark didn’t play, but he’s back now, and when he’s around, our offense just clicks a lot better.”

Guertin hasn’t had a lot of competition this year, as chief rival Pinkerton has had, for it, a down season. Exeter was clearly the only in-state competition.

The key for the BG is possession, and that’s where junior J.J. Murphy comes in. BG dominates on faceoffs.

“J.J. Murphy was certainly a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year,” Cameron said. “That’s how many possessions he’s given us. He’s like 86 percent on the year.

“If you don’t win faceoffs, you can’t go on runs.”

And Guertin is on quite a run right now.

MILFORD SOFTBALL

Because of the regional scheduling, the 11-4 Spartans did not play the14-4 Bobcats this season. And while playing for a state title is nearly old hat for the Spartans – they won it all in 2016 and 2017 and will be seeking their fifth crown – OR will be playing for a state crown for the first time.

Madi Herbert will likely be in the circle for the Spartans, and all she did was toss a two-hit shutout over John Stark in the scmis, striking out six. Catcher Steph Stillwagon has been swinging a hot bat to lead Milford’s offense, as she had three hits, two RBIs and run scored in the semis.

This is former Spartan standout player Julia Mazzeo’s maiden voyage as a head coach and she stepped into the big shoes of former coach Jim Rines, who retired over the winter. Mazzeo has incredible confidence in her team, as they had their sights set on Saturday from Day One. They used the season as a two-month preparation stint, since it was an open tournament.

“Our whole season we prepared to play in the championship, taking every game one game at a time, learning from each team we faced,” she said. “I know that the coaches, players and fans are all very excited to be in the championship.

“We’ve made it this far and are ready to take it all back home.”

The keys on Oyster River’s lineup are Maggie Sylvester and Gracie Gagne, both of whom homered in the team’s 4-2 semifinal win over Merrimack Valley. Gagne had three hits in that game. Carissa Miller, daughter of Bobcats coach Glen Miller, would be the likely starter in the circle for OR.

“I honestly believed all year we’re the best team in Division II, “Miller told seacoastonline.com after the semis win, “and hopefully we can go out on Saturday and give a good showing.”

CAMPBELL SOFTBALL

Nobody has really challenged the 13-0 Cougars all season, especially with regional play in the tournament, and even playng some Division II schools with a pandemic season schedule.

But Hawks pitcher Megan Kimball-Rhines promises to be a tough opponent for Cougar hitters, as she struck out 13 in the team’s 6-0 semifinal win over Monadnock.

The Cougars already know what Kimball-Rhines can do as she tossed a two-hitter at them, striking out eight, in the 2019 title game, a 2-0 Hopkinton win.

But this may be a better Campbell team.

“Campbell, they’re loaded,” Hopkinton coach Dan Meserve told the Concord Monitor. “They’re a solid team up and down. They have everything. We’ll need to be on top of our game.”

Campbell is indeed loaded. The Cougars are led by pitcher Maddie Davis,

plus top hitters Chloe Steiniger and Catherine Carignan, but this is their time. They have 10 seniors on the roster, and together they won four straight New England Regional Babe Ruth titles and lost just one game in four years at the middle school level, winning four straight Tri-County titles. The Cougars have eight players who have combined for 23 homers.

The Cougars will be looking for their fifth title; they won it all in 2011, then three straight from 2013-15.