Teams and Games of the Week for quarterfinal week

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 8 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: After tough losses to Rice and Hartford in its last two D1 games, St. Johnsbury received no favors from the QPR with a quarterfinal matchup against a tough Rutland team. Collin Urie and the Hilltoppers (7-2) answered the test, however, overcoming a halftime deficit and halting a late Rutland threat for a 22-14 victory. Now SJA faces a CVU team it routed in the regular season with a berth in the championship game on the line.
• Division II: Round 1 to Bellows Falls. Shane Clark led a balanced attack as the Terriers pulled away from Fair Haven for a 32-12 victory in the regular-season finale Friday night. The win gives BFU (8-1) the second seed for the semifinals, where No. 3 Fair Haven (7-2) will get an immediate chance for revenge Friday night.
• Division III: All four favorites won comfortably in the quarterfinals, but after posting a shutout I'll give Otter Valley the nod. In a matchup of the last two state champions, the reigning titlist Otters scored a 35-0 victory over BFA-Fairfax on Saturday. The task gets a lot tougher for third-seeded OVU (7-2) in the semifinals at Woodstock, but the Otters have momentum -- a five-game winning streak -- as they look to avenge a 41-14 loss to the Wasps in Week 3.

Game of the week

• Middlebury 17, Essex 14: The fifth-seeded Tigers dominated the first half and held on to knock off Essex, avenging a 17-0 loss during the regular season. Middlebury (6-3) scored all of its points in the first 24 minutes, tacking on a field goal seconds before intermission for a 17-7 edge. That was key as the Hornets scored on their first possession after the break to put the pressure on. But the MUHS defense held firm, earning a eighth consecutive trip to the semifinals and a shot at top-seeded Hartford.

Week 10 Game to Watch

• U-32 at Windsor (1 pm Saturday): Five of the six semifinals are rematches of regular-season games, and at 28-21, these teams' first meeting was by far the closest. The Wasps (9-0) won that matchup en route to the top seed, but if the No. 4 Raiders (5-3) show the balance they did in back-to-back wins over Mill River in weeks 7 and 9, they're more than capable of making this one interesting.

Updated QPR standings as regular season nears end

The last important game of the 2016-17 Vermont high school football regular season was Friday night and it went Bellows Falls' way.

The Terriers (8-1) pulled away from host Fair Haven (7-2) in the battle for the second seed in the Division II playoffs. The teams will meet again next weekend in Bellows Falls with a berth on the title game on the line.

Burlington and Milton also picked up Division II wins Friday night, leaving Saturday's matchup between Lyndon and Mt. Mansfield as the last regular-season game still to be played. D2 QPRs heading into that matchup are listed below.

Friday also saw the first four playoff games in divisions I and III and D1 fifth seed Middlebury was the only road team to win, nipping #4 Essex 17-14. Congratulations to the Tigers and to fellow first-round winners Hartford, Woodstock and U-32 for earning spots in the semis.

There are four more quarterfinals Saturday: Rutland at St. Johnsbury and Rice at CVU in Division I, and Poultney/MSJ at Windsor and BFA-Fairfax at Otter Valley in Division III.

Division II QPR standings

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (8-0 overall, 8-0 D2), 110 points, 13.75 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (8-1 overall, 7-1 D2), 89 points, 11.13 QPR
3. Fair Haven (7-2 overall, 6-2 D2), 70 points, 8.75 QPR
4. Burlington (6-3 overall, 5-3 D2), 53 points, 6.63 QPR
5. Milton (4-5 overall, 3-5 D2), 29 points, 3.63 QPR
6. Mt. Mansfield (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 24 points, 3.43 QPR
7T. Mt. Abraham (2-7 overall, 2-6 D2), 18 points, 2.25 QPR
7T. North Country (3-6 overall, 2-6 D2), 18 points, 2.25 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-8 overall, 0-7 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Week 8's Teams and Games of the Week

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 8 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: For a while Friday, it looked like CVU was heading toward the No. 1 seed. Then Middlebury stepped up and beat the Redhawks at their own game. The Tigers rode a stout defensive effort and the running of Spencer Carpenter to a 14-7 victory in a matchup of punishing ground attacks. The result moved Middebury up to No. 5 in the standings, giving them an interesting playoff trip to Essex.
• Division II: I've held off naming Burr and Burton as they've rolled through one blowout after another, but they really earned the nod with Friday's 34-14 win over fellow unbeaten Bellow Falls. Rainy weather didn't slow down Griff Stalcup and the Bulldogs' passing game against the most physical team they've faced, good news for a BBA team will be the No. 1 seed when the playoffs start in two weeks.
• Division III: There was a showdown of unbeatens here, too, and this one went to Windsor. The Wasps rode three touchdowns from Hunter Patenaude to a 27-20 victory over Connecticut Valley rival Woodstock on Friday. Both teams moved the ball well in this back-and-forth affair, so another good game figures to be in the works if these teams -- the top two seeds entering the playoffs -- meet again in the state finals.

Game of the week

• Hartford 34, Rutland 33: The reason it looked like CVU was headed for the top seed was that Rutland piled up a 27-7 halftime lead over the first-place Hurricanes. But Hartford dominated the second half, fighting back behind Tyler Hamilton and Cody Rhodes before Nick Porter ran in the deciding touchdown with 4:54 left. The comeback keeps HHS (7-1) undefeated against Vermont opponents entering the playoffs while the dangerous Raiders (4-3) slipped all the way to the seventh seed and a first-round trip to St. Johnsbury.

Week 9 Game to Watch

• Rice at CVU (1 pm Saturday): The #3 vs. #6 matchup in Division I looks to me like the most compelling of the first-round playoff games. Both teams play physical, defense-first football as illustrated by their first matchup -- a 6-0 victory for the Redhawks (6-2). That one was close enough, and it was before Rice (3-4) got hot in knocking off St. Johnsbury and Middlebury to sneak into the postseason, so this one could be another nail-biter.

QPRs through Week 8 and D3 tiebreaker explained

So this post has become largely redundant as I fell asleep waiting for final results from Saturday's Spaulding vs. Springfield game and in by the time I woke up, official Division I and III playoff pairings had been announced.

They are:

Division I

Friday, October 28
No. 8 Colchester (4-4) at No. 1 Hartford (7-1)
No. 5 Middlebury (5-3) at No. 4 Essex (6-2)

Saturday, October 29
No. 7 Rutland (4-4) at No. 2 St. Johnsbury (6-2)
No. 6 Rice (3-4) at No. 3 Champlain Valley (6-2)


Division III

Friday, October 28
No. 5 Mill River (4-4) at No. 4 U-32 (4-3)
No. 7 Oxbow (3-5) at No. 2 Woodstock (7-1)

Saturday, October 29
No. 8 Poultney/MSJ (2-6) at No. 1 Windsor (8-0)
No. 6 BFA-Fairfax (4-3) at No. 3 Otter Valley (6-2)

I emailed the VIFL's Sean Farrell and here's what he said about how the tie for eighth in Division III between Spaulding and Poultney/MSJ was broken:

It was the strength of schedule per the VPA Fall Tournament Guide.  Poultney/ MSJ played Fair Haven so they get 8

That seems like a fairly reasonable tiebreaker to me, but it's more than worth noting that the VIFL's been listing a tiebreaking procedure in its weekly releases all season and this tiebreaker is not mentioned at all. Here's the list that has been sent out to the coaches and media all season:

Tie Breaking Procedures:
Overall QPR is the first tie-breaker
If two or more team are still tied
Head to Head Results
Best Record vs. Common Opponents
Best Win/Loss %
Coin Flip

Mr. Farrell said in a subsequent email that he plans to update this list before next week's release.

Anyway, here are the QPR standings through Saturday's games. They are now final in divisions I and III, and in Division II the's one week left in the regular season.

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. Hartford (7-1* overall, 7-0 D1), 114 points, 16.29 QPR
2. St. Johnsbury (6-2 overall, 5-2 D1), 95 points, 11.88 QPR
3. CVU (6-2 overall, 6-2 D1), 94 points, 11.75 QPR
4. Essex (6-2 overall, 6-2 D1), 88 points, 11 QPR
5. Middlebury (5-3 overall, 5-3 D1), 74 points, 9.25 QPR
6. Rice (3-4 overall, 3-3 D1), 52 points, 7.43 QPR
7. Rutland (4-4* overall, 4-3 D1), 50 points, 7.14 QPR
8. Colchester (4-4 overall, 4-4 D1), 50 points, 6.25 QPR
9. Brattleboro (3-5 overall, 3-5 D1), 40 points, 5 QPR
10. BFA-St. Albans (2-6 overall, 2-5 D1), 26 points, 3.25 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-8 overall, 0-8 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-8 overall, 0-8 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (8-0 overall, 8-0 D2), 102 points, 12.75 QPR
2T. Bellows Falls (7-1 overall, 6-1 D2), 64 points, 9.14 QPR
2T. Fair Haven (7-1 overall, 6-1 D2), 64 points, 9.14 QPR
4. Burlington (5-3 overall, 4-3 D2), 38 points, 5.43 QPR
5. Mt. Mansfield (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 22 points, 3.14 QPR
6T. Mt. Abraham (2-6 overall, 2-5 D2), 18 points, 2.57 QPR
6T. Milton (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 18 points, 2.57 QPR
6T. North Country (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 18 points, 2.57 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-8 overall, 0-7 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Windsor (8-0 overall, 8-0 D3), 94 points, 11.75 QPR
2. Woodstock (7-1 overall, 7-1 D3), 79 points, 9.88 QPR
3. Otter Valley (6-2 overall, 5-2 D3), 58 points, 7.25 QPR
4. U-32 (4-3 overall, 4-3 D3), 36 points, 5.14 QPR
5. Mill River (4-4 overall, 4-4 D3), 40 points, 5 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (4-3 overall, 4-2 D3), 30 points, 4.29 QPR
7. Oxbow (3-5 overall, 3-4 D3), 23 points, 2.88 QPR
8T. Poultney/MSJ (2-6 overall, 2-5 D3), 12 points, 1.5 QPR
8T. Spaulding (2-6 overall, 2-6 D3), 12 points, 1.5 QPR
10. Springfield (1-7 overall, 1-6 D3), 5 points, 0.63 QPR
11. Missisquoi (0-7 overall, 0-7 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

D1 and D2 playoff matchups set after Friday's results

The playoff pictures in divisions I and II are pretty much set after an interesting night of football Friday. In fact, if my unofficial numbers are correct, the playoff matchups are set and it's just the seeds that still need to be determined.

There's just one game to go in the Division I ranks, St. Johnsbury's matchup with its archrival, winless Lyndon, tomorrow. That one will decide two seedings as a SJA win would be just enough to keep the Hilltoppers ahead of CVU for second, and that result would also give Rice two strength of schedule points to break its current tie with Rutland.

If Lyndon somehow pulled the upset that would give CVU second and Rutland would win the tiebreaker with Rice on win percentage, meaning the first-round playoff matchups will be the same either way:

No. 8 Colchester (4-4) at No. 1 Hartford (7-1)
No. 7/6 Rutland (4-4) at No. 2/3 St. Johnsbury (currently 5-2)
No. 7/6 Rice (3-4) at No. 2/3 CVU (6-2)
No. 5 Middlebury (5-3) at No. 4 Essex (6-2)

In Division II, Fair Haven and Bellows Falls head into their matchup in the regular-season finale tied for second. But after BF lost Burr and Burton and Fair Haven beat Burlington on Friday night, all the Week 9 showdown will decide is which of those teams will have home field in their semifinal matchup.

Despite its loss, Burlington locked up the final playoff spot when North Country lost Friday night, so the D2 semifinal matchup in two weeks will be:

No. 4 Burlington at No. 1 Burr and Burton
No. 2/3 Fair Haven vs. No. 2/3 Bellows Falls

There is still plenty to be decided in Division III, however, including which of three teams will get the last playoff spot and a trip to No. 1 seed Windsor in next week's quarterfinals. The Wasps nipped Woodstock on Friday night in a battle for the top seed. Seeds 3-8 will be set during four meaningful games tomorrow.

Anyway, here are the QPR standings after Friday's games:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. Hartford (7-1* overall, 7-0 D1), 112 points, 16 QPR
2. St. Johnsbury (5-2 overall, 5-2 D1), 88 points, 12.57 QPR
3. CVU (6-2 overall, 6-2 D1), 94 points, 11.75 QPR
4. Essex (6-2 overall, 6-2 D1), 88 points, 11 QPR
5. Middlebury (5-3 overall, 5-3 D1), 74 points, 9.25 QPR
6T. Rutland (4-4* overall, 4-3 D1), 50 points, 7.14 QPR
6T. Rice (3-4 overall, 3-3 D1), 50 points, 7.14 QPR
8. Colchester (4-4 overall, 4-4 D1), 50 points, 6.25 QPR
9. Brattleboro (3-5 overall, 3-5 D1), 40 points, 5 QPR
10. BFA-St. Albans (2-6 overall, 2-5 D1), 26 points, 3.25 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-8 overall, 0-8 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-8 overall, 0-8 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (8-0 overall, 8-0 D2), 102 points, 12.75 QPR
2T. Bellows Falls (7-1 overall, 6-1 D2), 64 points, 9.14 QPR
2T. Fair Haven (7-1 overall, 6-1 D2), 64 points, 9.14 QPR
4. Burlington (5-3 overall, 4-3 D2), 38 points, 5.43 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-5 overall, 2-4 D2), 18 points, 3 QPR
6. Milton (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 18 points, 2.57 QPR
7. North Country (3-5 overall, 2-5 D2), 16 points, 2.29 QPR
8. Mt. Mansfield (2-5 overall, 1-5 D2), 11 points, 1.83 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-7 overall, 0-7 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Windsor (8-0 overall, 8-0 D3), 90 points, 11.25 QPR
2. Woodstock (7-1 overall, 7-1 D3), 73 points, 9.13 QPR
3. Otter Valley (5-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 43 points, 6.14 QPR
4T. U-32 (4-3 overall, 4-3 D3), 36 points, 5.14 QPR
4T. Mill River (4-3 overall, 4-3 D3), 36 points, 5.14 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (3-3 overall, 3-2 D3), 19 points, 3.17 QPR
7. Oxbow (3-4 overall, 3-3 D3), 21 points, 3 QPR
8. Poultney/MSJ (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 7 points, 1 QPR
9T. Spaulding (1-6 overall, 1-6 D3), 5 points, 0.71 QPR
9T. Springfield (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 5 points, 0.71 QPR
11. Missisquoi (0-6 overall, 0-6 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Falcons still have a shot in Division II playoff scenarios

Since I did the other divisions, I've got through the Division II Vermont high school football scenarios as I see them. And first of all, I owe an apology to the North Country Falcons.

I've been saying the playoff race is essentially over for a couple of weeks now, but after NCU's thrilling win over Mt. Mansfield on Saturday, the Falcons are still very much alive. If North Country wins its last two games and Burlington loses its last two, the teams would both finish 4-4 and NCU would make the playoffs as long as Mt. Abraham doesn't win its last two to make it a three-way tie.

That said this analysis is much more unofficial than my other two as I'm just not sure in what order tiebreakers will be applied. This is the procedure as it's listed in the VIFL's weekly releases:

Tie Breaking Procedures:
Overall QPR is the first tie-breaker
If two or more teams are still tied
Head to Head Results
Best Record vs. Common Opponents
Best Win/Loss %
Coin Flip

The implication here is that Overall QPR is the tiebreaker, even ahead of head-to-head. That said, these criteria make no mention of Divisional QPR, which is the first criteria used to seed teams in Division II, so I'm more than a little dubious about this. I tried emailing the VIFL's Sean Farrell for clarification but I have yet to receive a response.

For now I've marked potential QPR ties with an asterisk. All are multi-way, circle-of-death ties, and I've tentatively used overall QPR to break them, although that is largely supposition at this point.

Anyway, here are the scenarios as I see them:

 

Burr and Burton (7-0, 7-0 D2)

Week 8: At BFU

Week 9: Bye

• Has clinched a playoff berth;
• Clinches #1 seed with win over Bellows Falls;
• Would finish in a three-way tie for first with a loss to BF, if Fair Haven wins both its remaining games. If overall QPR is the tiebreaker as listed in the VIFL wee,kly releases*, BBA would win this tiebreaker.
• Would be the #2 seed with a loss to BF otherwise.

Bellows Falls (7-0, 6-0 D2)

Week 8: vs. BBA

Week 9: at FHU

• Has clinched a playoff berth;
• Is the #1 seed with two wins;
• Would finish in a three-way tie for first with a win over BBA and a loss to FHU, assuming FHU also beats Burlington. BBA would win that tiebreaker, however*, and FHU currently has the edge for second though it could still go either way;
• Clinches at least the second seed with a win over FHU;
• Could finish in a three-way tie for second with two losses if Burlington also wins its last two games. Burlington would win the tiebreaker* and second would depend on the results of Poultney/MSJ (helps Fair Haven) and Springfield (helps BFU);
• Would be the third seed with two losses if FHU wins its last two.

Fair Haven (6-1, 5-1 D2)

Week 8: At BHS

Week 9: vs. BFU

• Has clinched a playoff berth;
• Best case is a three-way tie for first with two wins and a BFU win over BBA. FHU could be second or third in this tiebreaker*;
• Would finish as the 2^nd seed with two wins if BBA wins in Week 8;
• Clinches at worst the 3^rd seed with a win over BHS;
• Would be the 4^th seed with two losses.

Burlington (5-2, 4-2 D2)

Week 8: vs. FHU

Week 9: at NCU

• Has NOT clinched a playoff berth;
• Guarantees a playoff berth with one win;
• Only chance for home field in the semifinals is two wins and two losses for BFU. That would produce a three-way tie for second, and Burlington would presumably win this tiebreaker*;
• Would be the third seed with if FHU loses its last two.
• Would miss the playoffs with two losses and two NCU wins if Mt. Abraham loses one if its last two games;
• Would finish in a three-way tie for fourth with two losses and two wins each for North Country and Mt. Abraham. Burlington has the edge here if overall QPR is the tiebreaker*.

North Country (3-4, 2-4 D2)

Week 8: at Milton

Week 9: vs. BHS

• Has not been eliminated from playoff contention;
• Would be eliminated with one more loss;
• Would earns the fourth seed with two wins and two Burlington losses, assuming Mt. Abraham loses one of its last two games;
• Would finish in a three-way tie for fourth with two wins, two Burlington loses and two Mt. Abraham wins; Burlington presumably has the edge in this tiebreaker*.

Mt. Abraham (2-5, 2-4 D2)

Week 8: vs. MMU

Week 9: at Milton

• The only conceivable hope of making the playoffs is in a three-way tie for fourth with two wins, two NCU wins and two BHS losses. However, I don't see how MAU would advance in that tie as it lost its non-division game while BHS and NCU won theirs;
• Would tie for fourth with two wins, two BHS losses and a NCU loss to Milton. However, Burlington would presumably win that tiebreaker on overall QPR or head-to-head;
• Is definitely eliminated with a loss.

Mt. Mansfield (2-5, 1-5 D2)

Week 8: at MAU

Week 9: vs. Lyndon

• Has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Milton (2-5, 1-5 D2)

Week 8: vs. NCU

Week 9: vs. MAU

• Has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Lyndon (0-7, 0-7 D2)

Week 8: at St. Johnsbury

Week 9: at MMU

• Has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Teams and Games of the Week for Week 7

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 7 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: I'm somewhat tempted to name Rice again, but with all due respect to the Green Knights' latest upset, Hartford has to get the nod here. With first place on the line, the Hurricanes shook off an early two-touchdown deficit and pulled away for a 35-20 win over St. Johnsbury. It was the latest example of HHS' depth and balance, and it leaves the 'Canes in position to clinch the top seed with a win over Rutland on Friday.
• Division II: The Bellows Falls front line sure made a statement in its 44-8 victory over Burlington on Saturday. The Terriers (7-0) piled up more than 400 yards on the ground and shut down Kevin Garrison and the rest of a BHS team that entered with a 5-1 record. It was exactly the kind of physical performance BFU will need if it wants to knock off Burr and Burton in their Week 8 showdown. (See below)
• Division III: It's been an up and down season for U-32 but the Raiders will definitely enter the playoffs heading upward. A dominant first half turned into a 53-20 victory over Mill River on Saturday in a key matchup of teams in the middle of the playoff race. The Raiders don't have a game in Week 8, but at 4-3 they have a strong chance to earn home-field advantage in the quarterfinals.   

Game of the week

• North Country 37, Mt. Mansfield 34: In a game that went back and forth all day, Justin Wade hit a 25-yard field goal on the last play of regulation to give the Falcons a thrilling win. Quarterbacks Evan Sarault and Asa Carlson combined for seven TD passes, with the last of Sarault's four tying the game for the Falcons (3-4) with less than five minutes to play. The wildest stretch of this one came in the first half, however, as NCU scored two touchdowns and MMU had one in the two minutes before the intermission.

Week 8 Games to Watch

• Burr and Burton at Bellows Falls (7 pm Friday): This one might be the most anticipated matchup of the season in any division. The Division II powerhouses both enter the title-game rematch with 7-0 records, having pretty much steamrolled all their opponents to date. Defending champion BBA has quarterback Griffin Stalcup to lead a potent air attack so Bellows Falls will need another big game on the ground to control the clock if it is going to avenge its only two losses from 2015.
• Windsor at Woodstock (7 pm Friday): With two matchups of undefeated teams this late in the season, I had to make my Game of Watch section into a Games to Watch section this time. Again both teams are 7-0, and they've both outscored their opponents by nearly 40 points per game. The winner gets the top seed for the Division III playoffs so there should be plenty of motivation on both sides.

Unofficial Division III playoff scenarios

As promised, here are the Division III playoff scenarios as I see them entering the last week of the Vermont High School regular season for all these teams. Remember these numbers are unofficial.

You can see the Division I scenarios here.

Woodstock (7-0, vs. Windsor)

• Claims the #1 seed with a win;
• Is the 2^nd seed with a loss.

Windsor (7-0, at Woodstock)

• Earns the top seed with a win;
• Finishes as the #2 seed with a loss.

Otter Valley (5-2, vs. Mill River)

• Clinches the 3^rd spot with a win;
• Ends up fourth with a loss if two of Fairfax, Mt. Abraham and Poultney/MSJ win;
• Can be no worse than the fifth seed.

Mill River (4-3, at Otter Valley)

• Gets the #3 seed with a victory;
• Could slip to sixth with a loss if Fairfax, Missisquoi and Springfield all win;
• Ends up fifth with a loss in any other scenario.

U-32 (4-3, no game Week 8)

• Finishes fourth if Otter Valley beats Mill River;
• Also finishes fourth if Mill River beats Otter Valley and two of Oxbow, Mt. Mansfield and Missisquoi win;
• Can be no lower than the fifth seed.

BFA-Fairfax (3-3, vs. Oxbow)

• Could finish as high as fifth with a win, plus victories for Otter Valley, Missisquoi and Springfield;
• Finishes sixth with a victory otherwise;
• Gets the seventh seed with a loss.

Oxbow (3-4, at Fairfax)

• Claims the sixth seed with a win;
• Finishes seventh with a loss.

Poultney/MSJ (1-6, vs. MVU)

• Gets the 8^th seed with a win and a Springfield victory;
• Finishes tied for 8^th with Spaulding if both teams win their finales. This scenario would presumably require a coin toss as the first four tie-breaking criteria according to the VIFL's weekly releases – QPR (1.5), head-to-head results (none), records vs. common opponents (2-4) and win percentages (.25) – would all be equal.
• Is eliminated with a loss.

Spaulding (1-6, vs. Springfield)

• Claims 8^th place with a win and a Missisquoi victory.
• Finishes tied for 8^th with Poultney/MSJ if both teams win their finales. This scenario would presumably require a coin toss as the first four tie-breaking criteria according to the VIFL's weekly releases – QPR (1.5), head-to-head results (none), records vs. common opponents (2-4) and win percentages (.25) – would all be equal.
• Misses playoff with a loss.

Springfield (1-6, at Spaulding)

• Takes the 8^th spot with a win and a Missisquoi victory.
• Is eliminated with a loss or a Poultney/MSJ win.

Missisquoi (0-6, at Poultney/MSJ)

• Has been eliminated for playoff contention.

Division I playoff scenarios entering Week 8

I've gone through the playoff scenarios in Division I Vermont high school football based on my QPR Standings. Here's how things could shape up for each team after Week 8, assuming my numbers are correct. Please remember, these numbers are unofficial, though I like to think I know what I'm doing.

You can also see the Division III scenarios here.

Hartford (6-0 in Vermont, vs. Rutland)

• Earns the #1 seed with a win or a CVU loss;
• Can be no lower than #2.

CVU (6-1, at Middlebury)

• Gets the #1 seed with a win and a Hartford loss;
• Can be no lower than the #2 seed with a win;
• Would get the #2 seed with a loss if St. Johnsbury loses or if Mt. Anthony defeats Brattleboro;
• Can be no lower than #3.

St. Johnsbury (5-2, vs. Lyndon)

• Best case is #2 with a win, a CVU loss, and a Brattleboro win;
• Cannot be lower than #3 with a win;
• Would likely also finish third with a loss, although 4^th is possible.

Essex (5-2, at South Burlington)

• Best case scenario is 3^rd if: Essex wins, SJA loses, and Hartford, Midd and Mt. Anthony all win;
• Will be no worse than 4^th with a win;
• Can be no lower than the 5^th seed (can tie for 5^th with Midd but would win tiebreaker on head-to-head);
• Would get the fourth seed with a loss and a Rutland loss (again, a tie with Midd is possible but would go to Essex on head-to-head).

Rutland (4-2 in Vermont, at Hartford)

• Would finish 4th with a win and an Essex loss.
• Would finish 5th with a win if Essex also wins.
• Could finish anywhere from 5th to 7th with a loss.
• A tie with Rice is possible for 5th or 6th, and if I'm reading the tiebreakers right, that would go to Rutland on the fourth criteria, win percentage.

Middlebury (4-3, vs. CVU)

• Best case scenario is a tie with Essex for 4th if Middlebury wins, Essex and Rutland lose, and Mt. Anthony beats Brattleboro, but Essex would still take the 4th seed on head-to-head;
• Thus the Tigers finish 5th or 6th with a win, depending on whether Rutland wins or loses;
• Is locked into 7th with a loss.

Rice (3-4, no game in Week 8)

• Can finish no lower than its current 7^th place;
• Would finish no lower than 6^th if Middlebury loses;
• Could claim 5^th only if: Hartford, St. Johnsbury, CVU, Essex, Colchester and Mt. Anthony all win in Week 8;
• Could finish 6^th ahead of Rutland if Middlebury wins, Rutland loses and no more than one of South Burlington, Brattleboro, BFA-St. Albans or Lyndon wins.

Colchester (3-4, vs. BFA)

• 8th place with a win over BFA;
• Out with a loss.

BFA-St. Albans (2-5, at Colchester)

• 8^th place with a win over Colchester;
• Out with a loss.

Brattleboro (2-5, vs. Mt. Anthony), Mt. Anthony (0-7, at Brattleboro) and South Burlington (0-7, vs. Essex) have been eliminated.

• Brattleboro's best case is a win and wins for BFA and Middlebury. But that still leaves the Colonels 2 points behind BFA for the last spot.

Oxbow's in as D3 sets up exciting finish

You can add Oxbow to the list of teams that have clinched a playoff berth after the Olympians pulled away from Spaulding to improve to 3-4. That leaves just two postseason berths -- one in Division I and one in Division III -- still in play with one or two weeks to go in the regular season.

While Hartford's win over St. Johnsbury at the top of the DI standings deservedly drew most of the attention on Saturday, Oxbow and their Division III compatriots have set up the more fascinating conclusion in Week 8. Note these final-week matchups:

* Windsor (7-0) at Woodstock (7-0)
* Mill River (4-3) at Otter Valley (5-2)
* Oxbow (3-4) at BFA-Fairfax (3-3)
* Springfield (1-6) at Spaulding (1-6)
* Missisquoi (0-6) at Poultney/MSJ (1-6)

The last two matchups here might be the most intriguing as Spaulding and Poultney/MSJ wins would leave both teams with 2-6 records and identical wins. That would likely mean a coin toss would decide the final playoff spot.

I'll dig deeper into the playoff picture early next week, but for now here are the QPR standings through Saturday's games:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. Hartford (6-1* overall, 6-0 D1), 90 points, 15 QPR
2. CVU (6-1 overall, 6-1 D1), 90 points, 12.86 QPR
3. St. Johnsbury (5-2 overall, 5-2 D1), 84 points, 12 QPR
4. Essex (5-2 overall, 5-2 D1), 72 points, 10.29 QPR
5. Rutland (4-3* overall, 4-2 D1), 48 points, 8 QPR
6. Middlebury (4-3 overall, 4-3 D1), 50 points, 7.14 QPR
7. Rice (3-4 overall, 3-3 D1), 48 points, 6.86 QPR
8. Colchester (3-4 overall, 3-4 D1), 34 points, 4.86 QPR
9. Brattleboro (2-5 overall, 2-5 D1), 28 points, 4 QPR
10. BFA-St. Albans (2-5 overall, 2-4 D1), 26 points, 3.71 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-7 overall, 0-7 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-7 overall, 0-7 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (7-0 overall, 7-0 D2), 79 points, 11.29 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (7-0 overall, 6-0 D2), 62 points, 10.33 QPR
3. Fair Haven (6-1 overall, 5-1 D2), 47 points, 7.83 QPR
4. Burlington (5-2 overall, 4-2 D2), 36 points, 6 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-5 overall, 2-4 D2), 18 points, 3 QPR
6. North Country (3-4 overall, 2-4 D2), 16 points, 2.67 QPR
7. Mt. Mansfield (2-5 overall, 1-5 D2), 9 points, 1.5 QPR
8. Milton (2-5 overall, 1-5 D2), 7 points, 1.17 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-7 overall, 0-7 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (7-0 overall, 7-0 D3), 73 points, 10.43 QPR
2. Windsor (7-0 overall, 7-0 D3), 71 points, 10.14 QPR
3. Otter Valley (5-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 43 points, 6.14 QPR
4T. U-32 (4-3 overall, 4-3 D3), 36 points, 5.14 QPR
4T. Mill River (4-3 overall, 4-3 D3), 36 points, 5.14 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (3-3 overall, 3-2 D3), 19 points, 3.17 QPR
7. Oxbow (3-4 overall, 3-3 D3), 21 points, 3 QPR
8. Poultney/MSJ (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 7 points, 1 QPR
9T. Spaulding (1-6 overall, 1-6 D3), 5 points, 0.71 QPR
9T. Springfield (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 5 points, 0.71 QPR
11. Missisquoi (0-6 overall, 0-6 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Rice is safe in QPRs after Friday night's games

For the second straight week, Rice stole the show with a gutsy defensive performance. Now the Green Knights can relax in Week 8.

The Rice defense stymied Middlebury with a couple of key interceptions in the second half and the Green Knights picked up a 14-7 win to highlight Friday's schedule. That result, coupled with last week's stunner against St. Johnsbury, sends RMHS into its final-week bye at 3-4 and assured of a berth in the Division I playoffs. The Knights could even end up as high as the fifth seed depending on other results, an outcome that seemed inconceivable seven days ago.

Meanwhile Colchester and BFA-St. Albans are left to fight for the final D1 playoff spot. The Bobwhites had a chance to pull an upset of their own before dropping a 28-21 nail-biter to Rutland, meaning their trip to Colchester next Friday will be do-or-die for both teams. Thanks to Josh Kaufman for pointing out that Brattleboro, the other team that can get to three wins, can't quite catch the BFA-Colchester winner, even with a win over Mt. Anthony in Week 8.

There wasn't a lot of action in divisions II or III Friday night, but kudos go out to Otter Valley and Poultney/MSJ. The Otters (5-2) took over third place in Division III for the moment by knocking off Mt. Abraham, scoring D3's first win of the season against a Division II opponent. Poultney/MSJ, meanwhile, scored the first victory of as a combined program, shutting out Springfield to grab a hold of the last D3 playoff spot midway through the next-to-last weekend of the regular season.

Here are the QPR standings through Friday night's games:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1T. Hartford (5-1* overall, 5-0 D1), 70 points, 14 QPR
1T. St. Johnsbury (5-1 overall, 5-1 D1), 84 points, 14 QPR
3. CVU (6-1 overall, 6-1 D1), 90 points, 12.86 QPR
4. Essex (5-2 overall, 5-2 D1), 72 points, 10.29 QPR
5. Rutland (4-3* overall, 4-2 D1), 48 points, 8 QPR
6. Middlebury (4-3 overall, 4-3 D1), 50 points, 7.14 QPR
7. Rice (3-4 overall, 3-3 D1), 48 points, 6.86 QPR
8. Colchester (3-4 overall, 3-4 D1), 34 points, 4.86 QPR
9. Brattleboro (2-5 overall, 2-5 D1), 28 points, 4 QPR
10. BFA-St. Albans (2-5 overall, 2-4 D1), 26 points, 3.71 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-7 overall, 0-7 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-7 overall, 0-7 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (6-0 overall, 6-0 D2), 70 points, 11.67 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (6-0 overall, 5-0 D2), 45 points, 9 QPR
3. Fair Haven (6-1 overall, 5-1 D2), 45 points, 7.5 QPR
4. Burlington (5-1 overall, 4-1 D2), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-5 overall, 2-4 D2), 16 points, 2.67 QPR
6. Mt. Mansfield (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 9 points, 1.8 QPR
7. North Country (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
8. Milton (2-5 overall, 1-5 D2), 7 points, 1.17 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-6 overall, 0-6 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Windsor (6-0 overall, 6-0 D3), 62 points, 10.33 QPR
2. Woodstock (7-0 overall, 7-0 D3), 71 points, 10.14 QPR
3. Otter Valley (5-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 41 points, 5.86 QPR
4. Mill River (4-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 34 points, 5.67 QPR
5. U-32 (3-3 overall, 3-3 D3), 21 points, 3.5 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (3-3 overall, 3-2 D3), 19 points, 3.17 QPR
7. Oxbow (2-4 overall, 2-3 D3), 14 points, 2.33 QPR
8. Poultney/MSJ (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 7 points, 1 QPR
9. Spaulding (1-5 overall, 1-5 D3), 5 points, 0.83 QPR
10. Springfield (1-6 overall, 1-5 D3), 5 points, 0.71 QPR
11. Missisquoi (0-5 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Updated QPRs and Teams of the Week

Since I didn't have a chance to update QPRs after Saturday's games, I'm combining those with my weekly teams and games of the week. So here is where things stand after six weeks, and my thoughts on how we got there:

Teams of the week

• Division I: After an up-and-down first five weeks, Essex can claim a signature win after knocking off Middlebury 17-0 on Friday night. Jordan Hines' 85-yard interception return for a touchdown got the Hornets started, and Essex completely neutralized the Tigers' ground game in a victory that leaves both teams 4-2. EHS finishes with trips to Brattleboro and South Burlington, and if the Hornets take both, they will likely take a top-four seed into the playoffs.
• Division II: For two and a half quarters, Fair Haven's trip to Mt. Mansfield was a battle. Then the Slaters ran off 34 unanswered points to coast to a 48-12 victory that all but locked up the division's playoff teams. FHU (5-1) joins Burr and Burton, Bellows Falls and Burlington as teams at 4-1 or 5-0 in league play, and with every other D2 team having at least four league losses, it would take a big surprise down the stretch to prevent those from being the four teams playing in Week 10.
• Division III: The defending champions from Otter Valley have taken their lumps in losses to Woodstock and Windsor this fall, but they responded with a big win of their own when they topped U-32 26-15 in a rematch of last year's final. The Otters (4-2) have climbed into fourth in the standings with the win, though there are more tests -- against Mt. Abraham and Mill River -- between OVU and home-field advantage in the quarterfinals.

Game of the week

• Rice 7, St. Johnsbury 0: I'm sure there have been bigger upsets in Vermont high school football than this one, but I can't think of any from the last decade. The Green Knights (2-4) kept giving the ball to Jack Fitzgerald and the result was a ball-controlling 200-yard performance that included the game's only score. Add in a strong defensive showing that included two interceptions, and all of a sudden Rice is up to seventh in the standings. The bad news? The teams behind Rice have winless opponents left on their schedules so the Green Knights will need to pull another upset against Middlebury this week to be sure of a playoff berth.

Week 7 Game to Watch

• Hartford at St. Johnsbury (1 pm Saturday): The Hilltoppers have an immediate chance to bounce back as Hartford visits in a battle of 5-1 teams that is likely to decide the top seed in Division I. The Hurricanes have overpowered their Vermont opponents -- their only loss is to Massachusetts' Catholic Memorial -- with a relentless, multi-pronged attack. St. Johnsbury had been averaging more than 41 points per game before it ran into Rice. Collin Urie, who was 9-for-27 with two interceptions in the loss, will need to return to form for SJA to keep pace with the Hartford attack.

THE QPRS

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. Hartford (5-1* overall, 5-0 D1), 66 points, 13.2 QPR
2. St. Johnsbury (5-1 overall, 5-1 D1), 78 points, 13 QPR
3. CVU (5-1 overall, 5-1 D1), 72 points, 12 QPR
4. Essex (4-2 overall, 4-2 D1), 56 points, 9.33 QPR
5. Middlebury (4-2 overall, 4-2 D1), 48 points, 8 QPR
6. Rutland (3-3* overall, 3-2 D1), 34 points, 6.8 QPR
7. Rice (2-4 overall, 2-3 D1), 30 points, 5 QPR
8. Brattleboro (2-4 overall, 2-4 D1), 28 points, 4.67 QPR
9T. Colchester (2-4 overall, 2-4 D1), 24 points, 4 QPR
9T. BFA-St. Albans (2-4 overall, 2-3 D1), 24 points, 4 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-6 overall, 0-6 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-6 overall, 0-6 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (6-0 overall, 6-0 D2), 68 points, 11.33 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (6-0 overall, 5-0 D2), 45 points, 9 QPR
3T. Burlington (5-1 overall, 4-1 D2), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
3T. Fair Haven (5-1 overall, 4-1 D2), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-4 overall, 2-4 D2), 16 points, 2.67 QPR
6. Mt. Mansfield (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 9 points, 1.8 QPR
7T. Milton (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
7T. North Country (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-6 overall, 0-6 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Windsor (6-0 overall, 6-0 D3), 58 points, 9.67 QPR
2. Woodstock (6-0 overall, 6-0 D3), 56 points, 9.33 QPR
3. Mill River (4-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 32 points, 5.33 QPR
4. Otter Valley (4-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 28 points, 4.67 QPR
5. BFA-Fairfax (3-2 overall, 3-1 D3), 19 points, 3.8 QPR
6. U-32 (3-3 overall, 3-3 D3), 21 points, 3.5 QPR
7. Oxbow (2-4 overall, 2-3 D3), 12 points, 2 QPR
8T. Spaulding (1-5 overall, 1-5 D3), 5 points, 0.83 QPR
8T. Springfield (1-5 overall, 1-4 D3), 5 points, 0.83 QPR
10T. Missisquoi (0-5 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
10T. Poultney/MSJ (0-6 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Vermont HS football QPRs after Friday's games

Essex, Burlington and Otter Valley were the big winners on Friday night as the Vermont high school football season moved into Week 6.

In Division I, Essex's defense stymied Middlebury, giving the Hornets (4-2) the edge in the race for a top-four seed and home field in the quarterfinals. Rutland could be a factor in that race, too, after shutting out Brattleboro, but the Raiders will probably need to beat Hartford in Week 8 to get there.

The Seahorses (5-1) rolled past Milton in Division II, earning their fourth league win and joining Burr and Burton and Bellows Falls as presumptive playoff teams. That leaves Saturday's game between Mt. Mansfield and Fair Haven as what could be the final matchup in deciding the postseason picture. The Slaters all but clinch with a win while an MMU victory would open up the race for the last spot.

In D3, Otter Valley rebounded from its loss to Windsor and got past U-32. That moves the Otters to 4-2 and ahead of the Raiders (3-3) in what could be another tight race for the #4 seed. If the season ended now, these teams would meet again in the quarterfinals at OVU.

Anyway, here are the QPR rankings midway through Week 6 (Please note, I'm heading out of town tomorrow night so I likely won't be able to update these ratings again until Monday):

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. St. Johnsbury (5-0 overall, 5-0 D1), 76 points, 15.2 QPR
2. Hartford (5-1* overall, 5-0 D1), 64 points, 12.8 QPR
3. CVU (4-1 overall, 4-1 D1), 56 points, 11.2 QPR
4. Essex (4-2 overall, 4-2 D1), 56 points, 9.33 QPR
5. Middlebury (4-2 overall, 4-2 D1), 48 points, 8 QPR
6. Rutland (3-3* overall, 3-2 D1), 34 points, 6.8 QPR
7. Colchester (2-3 overall, 2-3 D1), 24 points, 4.8 QPR
8. Brattleboro (2-4 overall, 2-4 D1), 28 points, 4.67 QPR
9. BFA-St. Albans (2-4 overall, 2-3 D1), 22 points, 3.67 QPR
10. Rice (1-4 overall, 1-3 D1), 10 points, 2 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-6 overall, 0-6 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-6 overall, 0-6 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (6-0 overall, 6-0 D2), 66 points, 11 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (5-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 38 points, 9.5 QPR
3. Burlington (5-1 overall, 4-1 D2), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
4. Fair Haven (4-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 27 points, 6.75 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-4 overall, 2-4 D2), 16 points, 2.67 QPR
6. Mt. Mansfield (2-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
7T. Milton (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
7T. North Country (2-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-5 overall, 0-5 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 49 points, 9.8 QPR
2. Windsor (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 45 points, 9 QPR
3. Mill River (4-1 overall, 4-1 D3), 28 points, 5.6 QPR
4. Otter Valley (4-2 overall, 4-2 D3), 26 points, 4.33 QPR
5. U-32 (3-3 overall, 3-3 D3), 19 points, 3.17 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (2-2 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
7. Oxbow (2-4 overall, 2-3 D3), 12 points, 2 QPR
8. Springfield (1-4 overall, 1-3 D3), 5 points, 1 QPR
9T. Missisquoi (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Poultney/MSJ (0-5 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Spaulding (0-5 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Games and Teams of the Week for Week 5

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 5 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: Is there any doubt? St. Johnsbury turned Saturday's battle of unbeatens against CVU into a blowout with a big surge in the third quarter. The result was a 52-26 victory that stakes the Hilltoppers into a comfortable lead in the QPR standings. Collin Urie piled up 320 all-purpose yards and had a hand in four touchdowns, proving even the state's best defense can't slow down SJA's overwhelming attack.
• Division II: There was a second straight shutout at Buck Hard Field on Friday night, and this one went Burlington's way. The Seahorses had a couple of goal-line stands and rode the running of Kevin Garrison and Alex Cate to a 27-0 win over Mt. Mansfield, basically flip-flopping the score from last week's loss to unbeaten Burr and Burton. BHS is 4-1 and can all but lock up a playoff berth if it can beat Milton at home next weekend.
• Division III: With all due respect to Woodstock and Windsor, both of which scored another impressive win, they've both received their share of recognition here. Instead, Oxbow gets the nod after Friday's 35-16 win over Springfield. The two teams both entered at 1-3, and with three D3 teams winless, two victories might be the threshold to get in the playoffs. The Olympians are there, and they can make sure of a postseason berth with a win at North Country next week or at home vs. Spualding in Week 7.
  

Game of the week

• Colchester 25, Brattleboro 22: The Lakers had the momentum at the end, and that was the difference in this back-and-forth battle. Behind Cheick Diakite's powerful running, Brattleboro shook off an early 13-0 deficit and seemingly took control to grab a 22-13 edge going to the fourth quarter. But Jerrett Schnabel and Alex O'Connell scored late touchdowns and the Lakers defense held in the last two minutes for a thrilling victory that leaves both teams 2-3.

Week 5 Game to Watch

• Mill River at Windsor (2 pm Saturday): Mill River missed on its first opportunity to score a marquee victory in Friday's loss to Woodstock, but the Minutemen get an immediate second chance against the Wasps. Windsor (5-0) is second and Mill River (4-1) is third in the standings so this one might well decide which team gets home-field advantage in a potential playoff rematch.

Updated QPRs thorugh Saturday's games

That offense vs. defense showdown? It didn't turn out to be much of a showdown.

St. Johnsbury piled up more points in the first quarter than CVU had allowed in the first four games, and the Hilltoppers didn't slow down in rolling to a 52-26 victory. It's pretty telling that the Redhawks matched their season high in scoring and still got doubled up.

The win vaults SJA (5-0) to the top of the standings, and even though there's another top-of-the-table matchup looming with Hartford in Week 7, the Hilltoppers have all but locked up a top-two seed.

Saturday's other games didn't change the standings much, so here are the QPR rankings after Week 5:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. St. Johnsbury (5-0 overall, 5-0 D1), 72 points, 14.4 QPR
2. Hartford (4-1* overall, 4-0 D1), 52 points, 13 QPR
3. CVU (4-1 overall, 4-1 D1), 52 points, 10.4 QPR
4. Middlebury (4-1 overall, 4-1 D1), 46 points, 9.2 QPR
5. Essex (3-2 overall, 3-2 D1), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
6. Brattleboro (2-3 overall, 2-3 D1), 28 points, 5.6 QPR
7. Rutland (2-3* overall, 2-2 D1), 20 points, 5 QPR
8. Colchester (2-3 overall, 2-3 D1), 24 points, 4.8 QPR
9. BFA-St. Albans (1-4 overall, 1-3 D1), 12 points, 2.4 QPR
10. Rice (1-4 overall, 1-3 D1), 10 points, 2 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-5 overall, 0-5 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-5 overall, 0-5 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (5-0 overall, 5-0 D2), 53 points, 10.6 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (5-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 38 points, 9.5 QPR
3T. Burlington (4-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 27 points, 6.75 QPR
3T. Fair Haven (4-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 27 points, 6.75 QPR
5. Mt. Abraham (2-3 overall, 2-3 D2), 16 points, 3.2 QPR
6. Mt. Mansfield (2-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
7. Milton (2-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 7 points, 1.75 QPR
8. North Country (1-4 overall, 1-4 D2), 7 points, 1.4 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-5 overall, 0-5 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 47 points, 9.4 QPR
2. Windsor (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 43 points, 8.6 QPR
3. Mill River (4-1 overall, 4-1 D3), 28 points, 5.6 QPR
4. U-32 (3-2 overall, 3-2 D3), 19 points, 3.8 QPR
5. Otter Valley (3-2 overall, 3-2 D3), 15 points, 3 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (2-2 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
7. Oxbow (2-3 overall, 2-3 D3), 12 points, 2.4 QPR
8. Springfield (1-4 overall, 1-3 D3), 5 points, 1 QPR
9T. Missisquoi (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Poultney/MSJ (0-5 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Spaulding (0-5 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

QPR Gaps Widen in Friday Night's Games

Widening gaps was the big theme of Friday night in the Vermont high school football QPR standings. With Colchester stopping Brattleboro's surge in Division I and with key wins for Burlington, Woodstock and Windsor in divisions II and III, there's a lot more separation in the standings than there was a week ago.

That's the most pronounced in D3, where there were two top-four showdowns that saw Woodstock roll past Mill River and Windsor edge U-32. That leaves the undefeated Wasps and Yellow Jackets well ahead of the field as they seemingly roll toward their showdown in the last week of the regular season.

In Division II, Burlington blanked Mt. Mansfield to draw a stark contrast in those standings, too. With four teams at 3-1 or better and five at 1-3 or worse, someone from the bottom half of the standings is probably going to need to win out to prevent the Burr and Burton, Bellows Falls, Burlington and Fair Haven from sweeping the playoff berths.

The Division I standings were already quite stratified with three teams out in front with unbeaten records in state but Colchester's 25-22 win over Brattleboro in a back-and-forth thriller was a bit blow for a Colonels team that looked like a strong candidate for home field in the quarterfinals. The Colonels (2-3) still have a shot, but with the teams ahead of them, Essex and Middlebury, playing next week, another loss is all but certain to send BUHS on the road in Week 9.

Anyway, here are the Vermont high school football QPR rankings midway through Week 5:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. St. Johnsbury (4-0 overall, 4-0 D1), 54 points, 13.5 QPR
2. Hartford (3-1* overall, 3-0 D1), 40 points, 13.33 QPR
3. CVU (4-0 overall, 4-0 D1), 52 points, 13 QPR
4. Middlebury (4-1 overall, 4-1 D1), 46 points, 9.2 QPR
5. Essex (3-2 overall, 3-2 D1), 36 points, 7.2 QPR
6. Brattleboro (2-3 overall, 2-3 D1), 28 points, 5.6 QPR
7. Rutland (2-3* overall, 2-2 D1), 20 points, 5 QPR
8. Colchester (2-3 overall, 2-3 D1), 24 points, 4.8 QPR
9. Rice (1-3 overall, 1-2 D1), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
10. BFA-St. Albans (1-4 overall, 1-3 D1), 12 points, 2.4 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-5 overall, 0-5 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-5 overall, 0-5 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (4-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 44 points, 11 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (5-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 36 points, 9 QPR
3T. Burlington (3-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 25 points, 6.25 QPR
3T. Fair Haven (3-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 25 points, 6.25 QPR
5T. Mt. Mansfield (2-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
5T. Mt. Abraham (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
7T. Milton (2-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 7 points, 1.75 QPR
7T. North Country (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 7 points, 1.75 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-4 overall, 0-4 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 45 points, 9 QPR
2. Windsor (5-0 overall, 5-0 D3), 41 points, 8.2 QPR
3. Mill River (4-1 overall, 4-1 D3), 28 points, 5.6 QPR
4. U-32 (3-2 overall, 3-2 D3), 19 points, 3.8 QPR
5T. BFA-Fairfax (2-2 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
5T. Otter Valley (2-2 overall, 2-2 D3), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
7. Oxbow (2-3 overall, 2-3 D3), 12 points, 2.4 QPR
8. Springfield (1-4 overall, 1-3 D3), 5 points, 1 QPR
9T. Missisquoi (0-3 overall, 0-3 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Poultney/MSJ (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Spaulding (0-5 overall, 0-5 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Week 4 Games and Teams of the Week

Somewhat belatedly, here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 4 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: It's been years since Middlebury needed a bounceback win in the regular season, but they got one Friday night. The Tigers responded to their loss to Brattleboro by breaking from a halftime tie to beat Colchester 27-7. At 3-1, the Tigers remain a key factor in the Division I playoff race and expect them to be a tough out come playoff time.
• Division II: Bellows Falls put a resounding halt to Mt. Mansfield's surge, romping to a 55-8 victory that further reinforced the gap between the D2's top two and the rest of the field. The Terriers have piled up 185 points in a 4-0 start, and they look like the only team that can challenge defending champion Burr and Burton for this year's title.
• Division III: My labeling of Woodstock as the clear favorite here looks more than a little premature after Windsor romped to a 55-13 victory over defending champion Otter Valley. The Wasps have been dominant in a 4-0 start, outscoring their opponents by an average of 46 points, and they'll get plenty more chances to impress down the stretch. U-32, Mill River and Woodstock are three of Windsor's last four opponents.

Game of the week

• Mt. Abraham 28, North Country 23: This one might not have much impact on the postseason but it featured three lead changes in the second half. Coleman Russell guided the Eagles to their first win, tossing deciding touchdown pass to Dylan Bradford with less than six minutes to go. MAU forced three turnovers in the second half in rallying from a 15-8 deficit at the break, the last of which came in the final five minutes. The result leaves both teams at 1-3 but gives the Eagles the head-to-head edge in the race toward the middle tier of the standings.

Week 5 Game to Watch

• St. Johnsbury at CVU (2:30 pm Saturday): The last two undefeated teams in Division I square off in a matchup that will give the winner a solid hold on first place in the standings. Both teams can count solid wins over Essex and Rutland among their four victories, but this figures to be a different sort of challenge. The Redhawks boast a suffocating defense that's posted back-to-back shutouts but they haven't faced a passing attack like the one Collin Urie leads at SJA. This should be a great one.

Vermont Football QPRs after Week 4

I've been busy today with Scholars' Bowl coaching duties so I'm not going to analyze here except to note the impressive wins for St. Johnsbury, Bellows Falls and Windsor on Saturday's schedule. They've helped better delineate the standings as we reach the midpoint of the season.

Thus, here are the Vermont high school football QPR rankings through Week 4:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1. Hartford (3-1* overall, 3-0 D1), 38 points, 12.67 QPR
2. St. Johnsbury (4-0 overall, 4-0 D1), 50 points, 12.5 QPR
3. CVU (4-0 overall, 4-0 D1), 48 points, 12 QPR
4. Middlebury (3-1 overall, 3-1 D1), 34 points, 8.5 QPR
5. Brattleboro (2-2 overall, 2-2 D1), 26 points, 6.5 QPR
6. Essex (2-2 overall, 2-2 D1), 22 points, 5.5 QPR
7. Rutland (1-3* overall, 1-2 D1), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
8. BFA-St. Albans (1-3 overall, 1-2 D1), 12 points, 3 QPR
9T. Colchester (1-3 overall, 1-3 D1), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
9T. Rice (1-3 overall, 1-2 D1), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-4 overall, 0-4 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-4 overall, 0-4 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (4-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 42 points, 10.5 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (4-0 overall, 3-0 D2), 27 points, 9 QPR
3. Fair Haven (3-1 overall, 3-1 D2), 25 points, 6.25 QPR
4. Burlington (3-1 overall, 2-1 D2), 16 points, 5.33 QPR
5. Mt. Mansfield (2-2 overall, 1-2 D2), 9 points, 3 QPR
6. Milton (2-2 overall, 1-2 D2), 7 points, 2.33 QPR
7. Mt. Abraham (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
8. North Country (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 7 points, 1.75 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-4 overall, 0-4 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (4-0 overall, 4-0 D3), 32 points, 8 QPR
2. Windsor (4-0 overall, 4-0 D3), 28 points, 7 QPR
3. Mill River (4-0 overall, 4-0 D3), 24 points, 6 QPR
4. U-32 (3-1 overall, 3-1 D3), 17 points, 4.25 QPR
5. Otter Valley (2-2 overall, 2-2 D3), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (1-2 overall, 1-1 D3), 5 points, 1.67 QPR
7T. Oxbow (1-3 overall, 1-3 D3), 5 points, 1.25 QPR
7T. Springfield (1-3 overall, 1-2 D3), 5 points, 1.25 QPR
9T. Missisquoi (0-3 overall, 0-3 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Poultney/MSJ (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
9T. Spaulding (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

QPR standings through Friday's games

We're deep enough into the season now that I'll start posting updates after the end of play on Friday nights. That said, there really wasn't a lot of change on Friday of Week 4 as the .

The big mover of the night is CVU, which jumped into a tie for first place in Division I with a second straight shutout at Essex. The Redhawks (4-0) have allowed just 15 points in four games, and nine of those came in the closing moments of a Week 2 win over South Burlington.

Also worth noting is that Milton's win over BFA-Fairfax pushed Division II's record in non-divisional games to 4-0, including two wins over DI teams. That's ironic considering Division II teams are the only ones in the state who receive no QPR credit for inter-divisional victories.

Anyway, here are the full QPR rankings:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1T. CVU (4-0 overall, 4-0 D1), 48 points, 12 QPR
1T. St. Johnsbury (3-0 overall, 3-0 D1), 36 points, 12 QPR
1T. Hartford (3-1* overall, 3-0 D1), 36 points, 12 QPR
4. Middlebury (3-1 overall, 3-1 D1), 34 points, 8.5 QPR
5. Essex (2-2 overall, 2-2 D1), 22 points, 5.5 QPR
6. Brattleboro (1-2 overall, 1-2 D1), 16 points, 5.33 QPR
7. Rutland (1-2* overall, 1-1 D1), 10 points, 5 QPR
8. BFA-St. Albans (1-3 overall, 1-2 D1), 12 points, 3 QPR
9T. Colchester (1-3 overall, 1-3 D1), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
9T. Rice (1-3 overall, 1-2 D1), 10 points, 2.5 QPR
11T. South Burlington (0-3 overall, 0-3 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
11T. Mt. Anthony (0-4 overall, 0-4 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (4-0 overall, 4-0 D2), 40 points, 10 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (3-0 overall, 2-0 D2), 18 points, 9 QPR
3. Fair Haven (2-1 overall, 2-1 D2), 18 points, 6 QPR
4. Burlington (3-1 overall, 2-1 D2), 16 points, 5.33 QPR
5. Mt. Mansfield (2-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 9 points, 4.5 QPR
6. Milton (2-2 overall, 1-2 D2), 7 points, 2.33 QPR
7. Mt. Abraham (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 9 points, 2.25 QPR
8. North Country (1-3 overall, 1-3 D2), 7 points, 1.75 QPR
9. Lyndon (0-3 overall, 0-3 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (4-0 overall, 4-0 D3), 30 points, 7.5 QPR
2. Mill River (3-0 overall, 3-0 D3), 19 points, 6.33 QPR
3. Windsor (3-0 overall, 3-0 D3), 17 points, 5.67 QPR
4. U-32 (3-1 overall, 3-1 D3), 17 points, 4.25 QPR
5. Otter Valley (2-1 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (1-2 overall, 1-1 D3), 5 points, 1.67 QPR
7. Oxbow (1-3 overall, 1-3 D3), 5 points, 1.25 QPR
8T. Missisquoi (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Springfield (0-3 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Poultney/MSJ (0-3 overall, 0-3 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Spaulding (0-4 overall, 0-4 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Vermont HS Football Teams and Games of the Week

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 3 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: The schedule makers weren't kind to Brattleboro, giving the Colonels matchups with Hartford, St. Johnsbury and Middlebury to start the season. The results weren't great for the first five halves, but Brattleboro responded with a dominating last 24 minutes to end Middlebury's 28-game regular-season winning streak, 28-13. The Colonels (1-2) forced five turnovers and running back Cheick Diakite piled up 243 yards and three touchdowns in a win that seriously changed the landscape in Division I. 
• Division II: Mt. Mansfield proved that last week's win over Milton was no fluke, turning in an amazing offensive performance in outslugging perennial Division I defensive stalwart BFA-St. Albans, 40-28. Asa Carlson and Ryan Wilson shined as the Cougars (2-1) jumped ahead early and kept answering every Bobwhites rally. MMU looks like a serious playoff contender heading into another big test at Bellows Falls in Week 4.
• Division III: For the second time in three weeks, Woodstock has to be the choice here. The Wasps (3-0) rolled out to a 29-0 halftime lead in route to a 41-14 victory over defending champion Otter Valley on Saturday. With Bill Wood and Ezra Astbury leading a big-play attack, Woodstock has clearly established itself as the team to beat, although matchups with fellow 3-0 teams Mill River and Windsor are still to come.

Game of the week

•  Burlington 28, Lyndon 20: That this one was this close might be the most surprising result of the season to date, and I seriously considered naming Lyndon team of the week despite the loss. It took all that Kevin Garrison and the Seahorses could muster to break from a 14-14 tie and hold on to improve to 3-0 against a winless LI team that piled up 318 yards of offense. BHS will need to play a lot better, especially on defense, if it's going to pose any challenge to mighty Burr and Burton on Friday night.
  

Week 4 Game to Watch

•  CVU at Essex (7 pm Friday): This weekend's only Division I game between teams with winning records provides an interesting contrast. CVU is a defense-first squad that has yielded just 15 points but struggled offensively at times in a 3-0 start. Essex boasts an explosive backfield but gave up 22 unanswered points to St. Johnsbury in suffering its first loss last weekend. The winner of this one takes a huge step toward home field in the quarterfinals.

QPR numbers after Week 3

Week 3 of the Vermont high school football season featured far more drama than the first two, and at least in Division I that resulted in big changes to the standings.

Brattleboro produced the week's most notable result Friday night, earning its first win at the expense of previously unbeaten Middlebury. But two other 0-2 teams, Lyndon and Rice, also played 2-0 teams tough Saturday before coming up a score short of upsetting Burlington and CVU, respectively.

The Colonels climbed into the middle tier of the Division I standings with their big win. But they're hardly secure as Colchester and Rutland also scored their first wins of the season, leaving four D1 teams at 1-2.

There were also key clashes at the top of the standings that gave big boosts to St. Johnsbury and Woodstock. The Hilltoppers dominated the second half to pull away from Essex in a matchup of Division I unbeatens while the Wasps cemented their place atop Division III by rolling past defending champion Otter Valley.

Here are the full QPR rankings:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including losses for Rutland and Hartford), are ignored)

1T. St. Johnsbury (3-0 overall, 3-0 D1), 36 points, 12 QPR
1T. Hartford (2-1* overall, 2-0 D1), 24 points, 12 QPR
3. CVU (3-0 overall, 3-0 D1), 32 points, 10.67 QPR
4T. Essex (2-1 overall, 2-1 D1), 22 points, 7.33 QPR
4T. Middlebury (2-1 overall, 2-1 D1), 22 points, 7.33 QPR
6. Rutland (1-2* overall, 1-1 D1), 10 points, 5 QPR
7. Brattleboro (1-2 overall, 1-2 D1), 14 points, 4.67 QPR
8T. BFA-St. Albans (1-2 overall, 1-2 D1), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
8T. Colchester (1-2 overall, 0-2 D1), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
10T. Mt. Anthony (0-3 overall, 0-3 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
10T. Rice (0-3 overall, 0-2 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
10T. South Burlington (0-3 overall, 0-3 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (3-0 overall, 3-0 D2), 29 points, 9.67 QPR
2. Bellows Falls (3-0 overall, 2-0 D2), 16 points, 8 QPR
3. Burlington (3-0 overall, 2-0 D2), 14 points, 7 QPR
4. Fair Haven (2-1 overall, 2-1 D2), 16 points, 5.33 QPR
5. Mt. Mansfield (2-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 9 points, 4.5 QPR
6T. Milton (1-2 overall, 1-2 D2), 7 points, 2.33 QPR
6T. North Country (1-2 overall, 1-2 D2), 7 points, 2.33 QPR
8T. Mt. Abraham (0-3 overall, 0-3 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Lyndon (0-3 overall, 0-3 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (3-0 overall, 3-0 D3), 23 points, 7.67 QPR
2. Mill River (3-0 overall, 3-0 D3), 19 points, 6.33 QPR
3. Windsor (3-0 overall, 3-0 D3), 17 points, 5.67 QPR
4T. Otter Valley (2-1 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
4T. U-32 (2-1 overall, 2-1 D3), 10 points, 3.33 QPR
6. BFA-Fairfax (1-1 overall, 1-1 D3), 5 points, 2.5 QPR
7. Oxbow (1-2 overall, 1-2 D3), 5 points, 1.67 QPR
8T. Missisquoi (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Springfield (0-3 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Poultney/MSJ (0-3 overall, 0-3 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Spaulding (0-3 overall, 0-3 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Week 2 Teams and Games of the Week

Here are my thoughts on the top teams and games from Week 2 of the Vermont High School football season.

Teams of the week

• Division I: An early 7-0 deficit didn't slow down Hartford at Colchester on Friday night. The Hurricanes dominated the rest of the way, rolling to a 32-7 victory that pushed their record to 2-0. Powerful Catholic Memorial makes the trip from Massachusetts to Hartford next weekend, but regardless of that result, the 'Canes have established themselves as one of the teams to beat.
• Division II: Burlington scored its second straight win over Division I rival Rice on Friday and Kevin Garrison was the big reason behind the Seahorses' 30-20 victory. Garrison's numbers -- 324 yards and four touchdowns -- hearkened back to Nate Long's days at BHS, and the junior running back might be the state's most dynamic player this side of Griffin Stalcup.
• Division III: The average margin of victory in the five DIII games in Week 2? 44.2 points. That makes this choice a hard one, but I'll go with Windsor after it posted a shutout in a 44-0 win over Oxbow. The Yellow Jackets are just one of four teams that have started the season 2-0, but they've outscored their opponents 99-7 and it's hard to find fault in that.

Game of the week

•  Mt. Mansfield 28, Milton 22: What a turnaround from Week 1 for the Cougars. Seven days after falling behind 56-0 in the first half at Burr and Burton, MMU rode Asa Carlson's arm and a clutch defensive performance to a hard-fought win. Carlson hit Kyle Leggett for the tie-breaking touchdown with 8:45 to go, and MMU forced two late turnovers to seal a victory that puts the Cougars in the thick of the race for a playoff berth.

Week 3 Game to Watch

•  Woodstock at Otter Valley (1 pm Saturday): Are the defending champion Otters still the team to beat in Division III? This one will go a long way toward answering that question after OVU went largely untested in its first two games. Woodstock is also 2-0 and leads the QPR standings after knocking off 2015 runner-up U-32 on opening night.
  

Vermont HS football QPRs after Week 2

We're two weeks into the Vermont high school football team so I'm ready to post QPR ratings for the first time. I'm not ready to draw too much from these numbers yet, though.

With only four teams having split their first two games there hasn't been much opportunity for a pecking order to develop yet. So these rankings are essentially just standings at this point.

That said, there are several teams with plenty of reason to be happy with the way they've started. A few that jump out to me include:

* CVU -- 2-0 with a win over the defending state champions? You can't do much better than that.
* Essex -- Runaway wins over Colchester and Mt. Anthony would be a good start for any team, but especially so for a Hornets team that started 1-5 last season en route to missing the playoffs.
* Mt. Mansfield -- The Cougars might only be 1-1, but their win came against a Milton team that made the playoffs last year and they've already got their trip to Burr and Burton out of the way.
* Woodstock -- The Wasps' victory over 2015 runner-up U-32 is as good a win as anyone outside of CVU can claim so far, and it has the Wasps deservedly atop the standings in the early going.

The full QPR rankings:

Division I

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams, including Rutland's loss to Concord-Carlisle, Mass.), are ignored)

1. Middlebury (2-0 overall, 2-0 D1), 22 points, 11 QPR
2T. CVU (2-0 overall, 2-0 D1), 20 points, 10 QPR
2T. Essex (2-0 overall, 2-0 D1), 20 points, 10 QPR
2T. Hartford (2-0 overall, 2-0 D1), 20 points, 10 QPR
2T. St. Johnsbury (2-0 overall, 2-0 D1), 20 points, 10 QPR
6. BFA-St. Albans (1-1 overall, 1-1 D1), 10 points, 5 QPR
7T. Brattleboro (0-2 overall, 0-2 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Colchester (0-2 overall, 0-2 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Mt. Anthony (0-2 overall, 0-2 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Rice (0-2 overall, 0-1 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Rutland (0-2* overall, 0-1 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. South Burlington (0-2 overall, 0-2 D1), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division II

(QPR includes only Division II games. Games against teams in other Vermont divisions are only counted for tiebreaker purposes.)

1. Burr and Burton (2-0 overall, 2-0 D2), 18 points, 9 QPR
2T. Bellows Falls (2-0 overall, 1-0 D2), 7 points, 7 QPR
2T. Burlington (2-0 overall, 1-0 D2), 7 points, 7 QPR
4T. Fair Haven (1-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 9 points, 4.5 QPR
4T. Mt. Mansfield (1-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 9 points, 4.5 QPR
6T. Milton (1-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 7 points, 3.5 QPR
6T. North Country (1-1 overall, 1-1 D2), 7 points, 3.5 QPR
8T. Mt. Abraham (0-2 overall, 0-2 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR
8T. Lyndon (0-2 overall, 0-2 D2), 0 points, 0 QPR

Division III

(Includes all games vs. in-state opponents. Games vs. out-of-state teams are ignored)

1. Woodstock (2-0 overall, 2-0 D3), 12 points, 6 QPR
2T. BFA-Fairfax (1-0 overall, 1-0 D3), 5 points, 5 QPR
2T. Mill River (2-0 overall, 2-0 D3), 10 points, 5 QPR
2T. Otter Valley (2-0 overall, 2-0 D3), 10 points, 5 QPR
2T. Windsor (2-0 overall, 2-0 D3), 10 points, 5 QPR
6. U-32 (1-1 overall, 1-1 D3), 5 points, 2.5 QPR
7T. Oxbow (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Springfield (0-2 overall, 0-1 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Missisquoi (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Poultney/MSJ (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR
7T. Spaulding (0-2 overall, 0-2 D3), 0 points, 0 QPR

How do these numbers work? Teams receive 10 points for a win over a D1 opponent, 7 points for a win over a D2 opponent and 5 points for a D3 opponent. Teams also receive 2 points for every game won by the teams they have beaten. QPR is total points divided by games played.

Welcome to Season 2

The 2016-17 Vermont high school football season is underway so it's about time I resurrected my blog. That said, the QPRs after one week don't really say anything, so I'll wait until the weekend to start posting those.

Instead, here are my teams of the week from Week 1 of the new season:

• Division I: It's a new season, and CVU went out and proved that on Saturday. The Redhawks pulled away with two late touchdowns and knocked off defending champion Rutland, 22-6, avenging a pair of losses from 2015. The game was closer than the score, but it's an indication that a division that has been dominated by dynasties over the last decade could follow a different path this season.
• Division II: It was more of the same around the division as the five top teams from last year all rolled to victories. That said, Fair Haven might have had the most to prove in its first game without Ryan Alexander and Lucas Czarnecki to lead the offense. The Slaters came through behind Jordan Phillips' running and Cam Coloutti's passing to earn a 52-14 win over North Country, proving they're still among the teams chasing defending champion Burr and Burton.
• Division III: Woodstock's scoreless, nine-play first half? It can be forgotten after the Wasps stormed back for a 29-7 victory over U-32. The Raiders led at the break before Woodstock dominated the second half and gained revenge for last season's semifinal loss. It could be a key result in the playoff picture for two teams that figure to be in the running for home field in the postseason.

Game of the week

•  BFA-St. Albans 20, Rice 18: In a week largely devoid of drama, this Division I matchup provided plenty. First the Green Knights stormed back from 14-0 down to take the lead. Then BFA responded with a 90-yard game-winning drive in the final minutes, capped with Nate Parady's TD run with 2 seconds to go. It was the teams' second straight thriller -- Rice won 25-24 in last year's opener -- and it gives the Bobwhites a big boost in the race toward the playoffs after they came up just short in 2015.