It’s a shame that the high school football season came to a somewhat premature, and certainly sad end over a week ago.

Hard to imagine that all four local teams in action the weekend of Nov. 10 – Campbell (Division III title game), Souhegan (Division II semis), Nashua North and Bishop Guertin (Division I quarterfinals) were downed. An 0-for-4 at the plate.

Even more surprising was the fact that Londonderry smacked Pinkerton this past Saturday in the Division I semis, 42-7. The Lancers are good, but that good?

Here are some more high school football thoughts on this season that still has an LHS-Bedford final this Saturday left, and what’s ahead:

First, the best game of the season next year will be Nashua North vs. South. Yeah, really going out on a limb, huh? The reason we say that is both teams are loaded with young players. South started a ton of sophomores mixed in with some freshmen and a few juniors. It was a team dominated by underclassmen. And like the Panthers, North had a rash of injuries and some young players got valuable experience. Of course, a lot will depend on how the athletes develop in the offseason, hitting the weight room in between playing other sports, etc., but the feeling here is both will be playoff teams next season.

—- And what else about next season? We have a feeling that it won’t run as long as it has these last couple of years with the title game in Division I on Thanksgiving Weekend. There are whispers that perhaps, just maybe that won’t be the case, because the extra week of play in Division I most schools play out of state. Those games don’t count anyway. So what’s the purpose? Play the eight game schedule and get the playoff started a week earlier, and that may be the way the NHIAA powers that be are leaning. We’ll see.

—- In some ways, it’s too bad Trinity will likely be moving up to Division II from Division III, signalling an end to the rivalry with Campbell. They’ve split the last two championship games and there should be a rubber match.

But then again maybe not. While the players do all know each other, and there is a respect, the taunting and jawing back and forth toward the end of the game was not, shall we say, healthy. The Pioneers were certainly rubbing it in, and you wonder why with under two minutes left they chose to score a TD up 35-12 rather than simply take a knee. And it wasn’t a case of wanting a younger player to get a chance to score in a title game. The Pioneers had senior Paul Thibault score his third TD from a yard out. Really?

As for the jawing, Trinity Rob Cathcart had an answer.

“We’ve been on the other side of this,” Cathcart said. “You lose a game like this and things are gonna bother you. And that’s to be expected.”

Both coaches, to their credit, were respectful in their postgame comments. Campbell coach Glen Costello congratulated a few of the top Trinity players in the handshake line with some extra words and smiles. But it had to be tough for the Cougars. It will be interesting if Trinity does move up who the top Cougar challenger will be.

But Trinity needs to be careful. While it has some outstanding athletes, the football numbers didn’t seem completely high enough to compete with Division II’s upper echelon. We’ll see.

— Hard to believe the NHIAA, according to sources, said no to Hollis Brookline’s petition to move down to Division III for the next two years. If any officials were at an HB game – and who knows, perhaps some were – they would have seen what was described by one onlooker as “a club team playing in Division II.”

The Cavs need a reset, because the pandemic wiped out their program which now former head coach Chris Lones had built into a championship level. Yes, Lones had been telling people during the season he likely wasn’t returning and that became official, as the job has already raised some interest. But the overall numbers were not Division II level. HB needs help, and the NHIAA was in position to give it to them. Talk is it was a lengthy consideration, but that doesn’t help the Cavs now.

—- Congrats J.J. Bright (Souhegan) and Mike MacDonough (Bishop Guertin) on their senior seasons, putting up some outstanding numbers. Bright with a near record with 450-plus yard rushing game and MacDonough in his only year as a starter addng up passing yardage in impressive fashion. Two superb players and great kids who right now are adjusting to the tough fact their high school careers are done.

— This Saturday? Bedford hasn’t lost yet, and it’s seemed like the Bulldogs year from the start. Bedford in a close one.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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