By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
If anything was learned during the high school football season's first three weeks, perhaps it was this: Division I is a league with more depth than many expected.
Most of the preseason talk focused on Pinkerton Academy and Salem, teams that have met in the last two Division I championship games. Several coaches called the Astros and Blue Devils co-favorites to win this year's Division I title.
At this point Nashua South, Londonderry and Manchester West have to be included on the list of contenders as well.
Nashua South, which had an opening-week bye, raised its record to 2-0 by beating Lowell, Mass., 35-21, Saturday, but perhaps the weekend's most surprising score was Londonderry's 31-14 triumph over Salem.
Londonderry (2-1) was coming off a 31-7 loss to Manchester West, but regrouped in time to hand Salem (2-1) its first loss. Senior Alex Theodosi, who conducts Londonderry's Single Wing offense, ran for 228 yards and four touchdowns.
"Our line fired out and stayed low," Theodosi told the Nashua Telegraph. "I had the easy job. They made the holes, all I had to do was find them."
It was a 17-14 game after three quarters, but the Lancers pulled away by scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
"It was all about attitude," Londonderry coach Tom Sawyer said. "They knew how bad we played last week and we let them know about it all week. Defensively we didn't execute the game plan (against West).
"I didn't know if we could beat them. I think they're the best team in the league."
Manchester West (2-1) may have earned some added respect even though it dropped a 16-14 decision to Pinkerton (3-0) on Saturday.
West had a 14-point lead after it scored on its first two possessions, but West's third drive ended at the 1-yard line when Pinkerton stopped the Blue Knights on four plays from inside the 5-yard line.
"They came out in the first quarter and just gashed us," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly told the Manchester Union Leader. "It's been a long time since I've been sliced up like that."
Pinkerton trailed 14-10 after Shawn Clukey kicked a 26-yard field goal, and the Astros took the lead on Eric Guinto's 42-yard touchdown run 16 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The victory stretched Pinkerton's winning streak to 17 games.
Division II: Bishop Guertin and Exeter, teams that have met in the last two Division II title games, remained on track for another championship fight this season. BG improved its record to 3-0 by beating Timberlane, 42-27, and Exeter received two touchdowns from fullback Gabe Bourgeois in a 35-0 triumph over Spaulding. The Blue Hawks are also 3-0.
Division III: Plymouth and Souhegan are both 3-0 and are the only unbeaten teams remaining in the division. Plymouth cruised to a 33-7 victory over winless Kennett on Saturday. Souhegan overcame a seven-point deficit by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter of its 28-14 victory over Con-Val.
Division IV: Fans may get a preview of this year's Division IV championship game when St. Thomas (3-0) meets Kearsarge (3-0) Friday night in North Sutton. Kearsarge has scored 101 points in its three games, and St. Thomas has scored 100. Laconia (3-0) is the only other unbeaten team in the division.
Division V: Pelham (3-0) grabbed sole possession of first place with a 48-0 victory over Franklin. Gilford (2-0) the only other unbeaten in Division V, did not play last weekend.
Basketball: BG's Fisher resigns
Bishop Guertin boys basketball coach John Fisher resigned last month, ending his three-year relationship with the school.
BG was 33-21 during the regular season in Fisher's tenure and reached the Class L semifinals two years ago, when it lost to eventual champion Manchester Central. Fisher said he stepped down so he could spend more time with his family. He has three children, 9-year-old Casey and 7-year-old twins Peyton and Kyle.
"I missed a lot of bedtimes and helping with the homework," Fisher told the Nashua Telegraph. "For me, right now, this was the best decision."
Fisher also served as the boys basketball coach at Alvirne High School for seven seasons.