This week, as we hit the mid-sseason point, Merrimack is finally smiling, Bishop Guertin is playing in space and Alvirne is on the road again. Here’s a look:

BISHOP GUERTIN
The unbeaten Cardinals are facing a Dover team on Saturday night that offensively likes to spread things out.
“The more you spread the offense, the more you get people in space,” Guertin coach Tony Johnson said. “If you want to get some space on us, we’re pretty fast. I like seeing this type of offense from a coaching standpoint. You can do a lot offensively, but you can also do a lot defensively.”
Offensively, the Cards have been run, run, run, even though they opened up the season with a Steve Cuipa-to-Mike Kelly bomb. Don’t be surprised if they go back to the airwaves on Saturday.
“Even though we’ve run the ball pretty good, our passing game isn’t even close to where I want it to be,” Johnson said. “For one, our protection could be better. Coop (Cuipa) threw only three times, but he also had to scremble two or three more (plays).”
So expect the ball to be in the air from both teams on Saturday night at Stellos.

MERRIMACK
The Tomahawks are enjoying the fruits of victory but it will be tough to get that first league win on Friday at Exeter.
“If anything, this makes us hungrier,” Merrimack coach Joe Battista said.
Right now, Battista is amazed at the play of two of his linebackers, both juniors, Cody Gladstone and Jimmy Bigwood. Battista, who used to scout the Tomahawks’ defense for Souhegan when he was an assistant there because of their Turkey Day game, says it’s the best linebacking play he’s seen in a few years at Student Memorial Field.
“I’m pretty excited about their play and I’m glad I have them for another year,” he said. “Both players have played physically but I like their mental game. They’re football smart.”
Gladstone, for one, had 10 tackles in the win over Memorial.

ALVIRNE
Broncos coach Bobby Nimblett says the travel preparation was one of the keys to the win over Keene, and the team will have to repeat that this week at Spaulding.
“The kids did a good job of preparation,” Nimblett said. “They did a good job with nutrition, proper hydrating, so when we got off the bus at Keene, we were ready to go. What worries me is now (for Friday) they have to go through a whole school day.”
The Broncos are also wondering about the status of defensive back Anthony Koumarianos and his wounded knee.
“We’ll see how it is,” Nimblett said. “We played him a little at Keene and then took him out, we may do the same thing this week.”
In his place, Nimblett says fellow senior Evan Anaya did a good job of filling the void.
– TOM KING

Yes, the Bishop Guertin High School football team has a tough road game coming up Friday — note the special 6:30 p.m. start — at Timberlane. But one other local school has a tough road TRIP.
The Alvirne Broncos are at Keene on Saturday afternoon, then have to head to the seacoast for successive games at [...]

Bishop Guertin is quickly becoming a mecca for cross country runners. Not only are the boys nationally ranked and a heavy favorite to repeat as Class L champions this fall, but the girls have moved up to the second spot in the state in rankings compiled the the New Hampshire Cross Country newsletter.
The BG girls [...]

Here’s a look at what’s going on with the area’s three Division II football teams as we approach Week Three:
ALVIRNE — The Broncos have an early game this week, hosting Exeter on Thursday at 7 rather than Friday out of respect for the Jewish holidays.
“It is a quick turnaround,” Alvirne coach Bobby Nimblett said, “but [...]

Coming off opening wins in crossover games, both the Nashua North and Nashua South football teams play opponents they are expected to beat this weekend, but don’t tell that to North coach Jason Robie, whose team travels to Manchester West on Friday night.
“Sure their numbers are down,” Robie said about West, “but I see a [...]

They lost nine starters on offense and nine of defense to graduation last spring, but that was just the start for the Campbell High School football team. Two players they expected to contribute this fall were declared academically ineligible. Another walked off the field and out of the program during a pre-season scrimmage.
Then before its [...]

 
Here’s what the area’s Division II football teams are up to this week, starting with Bishop Guertin and Merrimack, who square off on Friday:
 
BG-MERRIMACK
 
Friday’s Bishop Guertin - Merrimack encounter is always a rivalry situation, especially for the Tomahawks because there’s usually a high number of Merrimack residents on the Cardinals roster.
This year, there’s no exception. [...]

The Bishop Guertin boys cross country team enter the season as the top ranked team in the state, according to the New Hampshire Cross Country newsletter.
Rounding out the boys top 10, in order, are Pinkerton Academy, Hanover, Merrimack, Concord, Coe-Brown of Northwood, Nashua North, Londonderry, Winnacunnet and Belmont.
The nationally-ranked Cardinals have the top three returning [...]

It’s official, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association will move the pitching rubber back three feet for the 2011 softball season.
The announcement was made Thursday by NHIAA Executive Director R. Patrick Corbin. The NHIAA By-Laws mandate following all rules changes adopted by the National Federation of High Schools Sports Associations, which is making the change [...]

Want a sneak peek at a number of Southern New Hampshire football teams? You can get one at a pair of jamborees this week, schedules courtesy of New Hampshire Football Report.
Souhegan will once again host the Jungle Jamboree on Thursday night, featuring four games.
Bedford and Merrimack Valley kick off at 4:30, Hollis/Brookline takes on Monadnock Regional at [...]