Preseason Power Poll: Pinkerton begins season at No. 1
· Yahoo Sports
Last season's Division I state runner-up is the 2026 favorite in the initial (preseason) Union Leader High School Football Power Poll announced today.
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Pinkerton Academy, which fell to Bedford High in the 2025 championship game, garnered 67 points — seven more than No. 2 Bishop Guertin — in the initial voting by a group of seven New Hampshire media members who regularly cover high school football games. The Astros picked up five first-place votes while BG and Bedford collected the others. Bedford, unbeaten last season under coach Zach Matthews, begins the season at No. 7 under new coach Tom Babaian.
The poll, which began in 2008, is a weekly ranking of the top 10 teams statewide, regardless of division.
The initial top 10 is a collection of Division I clubs: After Pinkerton and BG come, in order, Winnacunnet, Manchester Memorial, Salem, Londonderry, Bedford and Windham. Concord and Exeter tied for No. 9. A total of 15 schools received at least one vote.
This weekend marks Week 1 of the regular season and it features three top-10 matchups. On Friday night, Salem visits rival Pinkerton, Memorial travels to Exeter, and Windham plays host Concord at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke.