2016 New Hampshire preseason high school football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Justin Grassini junior year
See the Merrimack High quarterback in action

1. Merrimack
Head coach: Kip Jackson
2015 record: 5-4
Team preview

Coach Kip Jackson doesn't want to hear this, but there's target on his team's back, despite the fact Merrimack didn't make the playoffs last season and narrowly finished above .500. Football insiders in the Granite State like the Tomahawks at or near the top of the preseason rankings, including editor Roger Brown of the New Hampshire Football Report.

"Roger's killing me," Jackson said joking.



There's nothing to joke about with Merrimack, however. Quarterback/defensive back Justin Grassini (2,359 yards passing, 17 touchdowns last season), running back/defensive back Tyler DeNeill (1,211 all-purpose yards, 9 touchdowns, 4 interceptions), running back/defensive back Joe Eichman (1,514 all-purpose yards, 15 scores), wide receiver/defensive end Danny McKillop and lineman Jason Theriault head a group that has its sights set on the ultimate NHIAA Division 1 prize.

"We're returning several players from last year's team but we need to continue to work hard if we want to see continued improvements on and off the field," Jackson said. "Our focus will be on taking care of the details necessary to beat good teams and move to the next echelon in our division." 

See the New Hampshire computer rankings presented by the Army National Guard

2. Bedford
Head coach: Derek Stank
2015 record: 9-2 (NHIAA Division 1 Semifinals)
Team preview Bedford's high-octane offense (39.6 points per game) carried the Bulldogs to the state semifinals a year ago before it lost to the eventual champion Goffstown.

Coach Derek Stank graduated a pair of all-New Hampshire linemen in Gardner Gendron and Bobby Heald but Bedford's offense should remain strong with quarterback Connor Robert, running back Nick Leahy, wide receiver Shahrukh Hussain and tight end Kyle Jalbert back in the fold. Replacing his entire offensive line stands as the No. 1 challenge for Stank. Bedford opens against No. 1 preseason pick Merrimack in a battle of top quarterbacks and high-rated teams.

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3. Exeter
Head coach: Bill Ball
2015 record: 9-3 (NHIAA Division I Final)
Team preview

Exeter dropped just two games by a total of three points during the 2015 regular season, then rolled through the tournament quarterfinals and semis before losing in the state final to undefeated Goffstown.



Coach Bill Ball welcomes back a solid core of contributors from that team, among them quarterback Kyle Ball, running back/defensive back Cam Flanagan, linean Josh Walmsley and linebacker Pat Gillis. Kyle Ball, who has accepted a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Maine, is in his third season as Exeter's starting quarterback.

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4. Pinkerton (Derry)
Head coach: Brian O'Reilly
2015 record: 8-3 (NHIAA Division I Semifinals)
Team preview

Pinkerton loses an all-state running back in Brett Dattillo but returns an impressive group of veterans, one that includes quarterback/linebacker Ryan Albrecht, running back/defensive back Nico Buccieri, running back/defensive back Nick Coombs and tight end/defensive lineman Ryan Philibote. The Astros might have been even more successful last season had they not lost a chief offensive threat in senior T.J. Urbanik, who had to sit out all of 2015 after sustaining a knee injury and undergoing surgery.

Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly enters this season with a 288-108 coaching record. Former Plymouth coach Chuck Lenahan holds the record for wins by a New Hampshire football coach (356-70-1).

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5. Goffstown
Head coach: Justin Hufft
2015 record: 12-0 (NHIAA Division I champs)
Team preview



The defending state champions have a major challenge ahead of them. They lost a significant number of players that helped key their team's undefeated run in 2015, including quarterback Casey Gervais, running back Connor Bourque, linemen Tim Comeau and Jack Nordin, linebackers Damian Jackson and Ian Routhier, and defensive backs Zack Comeau and Justin Wanner.

But Goffstown has a preseason roster of 78 players to help rebuild. Receiver/defensive back Franklin Castillo-Diaz, linebacker Peyton Bickford, wide receiver/defensive back Tyler Small, offensive linemen Josh Tucker and Collin Wynn, linebacker Joey Poisson, wide receiver/defensive back Andrew Duval and defensive lineman Adam Moses are among those who hope to keep the winning streak (currently at 14 games) alive.

"There's a big void with the departure of 20 seniors, many of whom were three-year starters," Hufft said. "We'll need young guys to step in and develop rapidly in order to be competitive in a very tough conference."