Nashua North's Toby Brown, Jr. (57) chases after Pinkerton quarterback Nate Campos during Thursday night's thrilling 42-41 Titans upset win in Derry. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Did the upsets this past weekend in Division I, such as Nashua North over Pinkerton and Salem over previously unbeaten Londonderry, upset the playoff universe?

It’s possible, but not probable.

“The playoff situation is wild now,” Guertin coach John Trisciani said, his 6-2 team guaranteed the West Conference crown, at least the No. 2 seed, as it wraps up the season Saturday at Windham (noon). “It looked like we were going to play Pinkerton, everyone was sure. Now it looks like we might play Salem, no one knows.

“We have no idea what’s going on. We just have to win, stay healthy, and and whatever they tell us to go, and whomever they tell us to play, is where we’ll go.”

The point rating system could alter a few things but it still, it would take a couple of more upsets, such as Nashua North beating Londonderry this Friday. But after what we saw this past weekend, anything is possible.

“BG’s a very good football team,” Alvirne coach Tarek Rothe said. “I think they’re going to make a lot of noise in the playoffs. I think they’ll beat Pinkerton if they play in the first round of the playoffs.”

But they’ll need to be at full strength for that to happen, and the Cards were once again without top running back Charlie Bellavance on Saturday night.

“Charlie’s out, we hope to get him back next week, perhaps,” Trisciani said.

North (4-4) certainly will go into the Londonderry game with double the confidence, after beating Pinkerton and seeing that the Lancers are indeed human after falling to Salem.

“We got some points, but I think our side, with these guys (Pinkerton), with just two losses,” North coach Dante Laurendi said. “I don’t know, I think it’s a longshot. We’ll see.”

NORTH FUTURE BRIGHT

No matter what happens, the way the Titans have had close games every week except the loss at Keene, and with a young team, that can only bode well for the future. Thursday night’s 42-41 upset of Pinkerton was a classic.

Derek Finlay, Jordyn Raisanen-Andino, Jack Peters, Toby Brown,Jr., and a host of others all are eligible to return as seniors next year.

“I think it’s (the tight contests) a great thing, because it forces you to play the entire game,” Laurendi said. “Obviously puts you in a lot of pressure situations. So the more pressure situations you can be in, the more you go, the better you should be able to handle it and adjust. … The experience is good. Experience is the best teacher.”

BRONCOS KEEP BATTLING

The Alvirne football program hasn’t tasted victory in two years since their forced move to Division I. And to make matters worse, they’re stuck in the South Conference with powers Pinkerton, Londonderry and Salem. It can’t stay this way for long, can it?

“We’re young, we make a lot of mistakes, a lot of dumb mistakes sometimes,” Rothe said. “That’s to be expected with all the sophomores we’re playing.

“We’re in the middle of an 18-game losing streak. We as coaches – I hate to lose more than I like to win. This is tough, it’s tough.

“As coaches, we show up seven days a week. We meet on Sundays to game plan and everything. Again, we do it for the kids. As long as the kids have a battle in them, I’ll go to battle with them anytime.”

KEY WEEKEND GAMES ELSEWHERE

Milford (6-1) will be at Timberlane (8-0) in cross conference battle that could establish some Division II positions; it certainly would be a signature win for the Spartans if they could pull it off behind Caden Zalenski and Logan Barnhill. Of course now there’s clamoring for Timberlane, which has run roughshod over the opposition this season, to move back to Division I. It was the Owls move down that forced Alvirne up. Souhegan (4-3) is at 1-7 John Stark Saturday likely needing a win to be in position for a possible playoff spot while Manchester West is at Bow. Using the point rating system, the Blue Knights if they win apparently would have a higher rating by some two-tenths of a point and could overtake the Sabers. But nothing official, obviously.

Remember, West had to cancel games with Milford and Souhegan after having to go on a COVID pause for 10 days. The Sabers would have loved to have made up the game tonight, but the terms of any pause means no practice, etc. so West would not have been ready at all as today is the Knights first day back.

In Division III, Campbell (6-2) hosts Laconia (4-4) at 11 a.m. (as of now), but it seems a foregone conclusion the Cougars will go to Manchester for a Division III semifinal in two weeks.

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