Playoff teams try not to peek ahead

Reading's Ryan Pollock (3) dove over the goal line for a first-quarter TD in last week's 14-7 league-clinching triumph over Melrose. (Greg M. Cooper for The Boston Globe)

Bill Maver is in his 23d season as head coach at Acton-Boxborough. Jeff Moore is in his first at Dracut. Maver has guided A-B to 14 Dual County League titles. Moore has led the Middies to just their second Merrimack Valley Conference title since 1988.

This week, the two coaches are busily preparing for their respective Thanksgiving Day games, but also keeping an eye on their first-round matchup in the Division 1A playoffs a week from Tuesday.

Two coaches with two approaches.

"I don't know what Bill will be doing this week," said Moore. "But I know he's been doing this a long time and I'm sure he's got a schedule that works for him. You don't want to overlook your Thanksgiving game, but you also kind of have A-B on your mind. We're lucky in the fact we know A-B already clinched, too, so they're working on us, too."

This past weekend, they scouted each other's games: Dracut at Tewksbury and A-B at Newton South. Though the goal is the same, how each coach approached the bye week differed.

Moore, who has led the Middies to a 9-1 mark, gave his seniors Monday and Tuesday off. During the two-day break, he and the coaching staff worked with the candidates for next year's team, including this year's freshmen.

Yesterday, Moore's 18 seniors returned to the turf for two days. Tomorrow, the club hosts a cross-practice with North Andover, and on Saturday, Moore and some of his players will be in the stands at the 125th Harvard-Yale game at Harvard Stadium.

"I guess we've got a lot more planned than I thought," said Moore. "I think the two days off will help heal some bumps and bruises before the extended season begins. This is the first time I'm preparing for Thanksgiving knowing we've clinched a postseason spot, so it takes a different philosophy to stay focused."

Maver gave his entire team two days off, encouraging his players to take time to do non-football activities. Monday, the club met to study film before taking Tuesday and Wednesday off. The Colonials practice today through Saturday, then return to the field on Monday.

On Thanksgiving, Dracut travels to Methuen, while A-B hosts Westford.

"Things haven't changed a lot in the past 23 years," said Maver with a laugh. "You kind of find a routine that works and go with that. It's been successful with a small break from the game, you come back refreshed. Even though we know we've got Dracut coming up, you never look past Thanksgiving because the alumni come back and they'll compare us to their teams. Thanksgiving is very important in Mass., it's like the second season. It's nice going into the game already knowing we're in, but we won't really start talking about Dracut until after Thanksgiving."

The focus for Maver and his 9-1 Colonials (4-0 DCL), then, will be to finish off their perfect run in the DCL. The same for Moore and Dracut.

"Our guys want the best record possible," said Moore. "The last thing we want is to do bad on Thursday and then not bounce back against A-B. It's almost like we're playing with house money on Thanksgiving, but you don't forget about the tradition on Thanksgiving."

Reading aims to keep its focus

Reading coach John Fiore has a simple strategy this week: Let his seniors set the example for the Middlesex League champs. With two days off before returning to practice yesterday, Fiore said how his team responds to this week will depend on his veterans.

"They're certainly playing for a win on Thanksgiving" at Stoneham, said Fiore of his 10-0 Rockets, who clinched the league title with last week's 14-7 win over Melrose. "Everyone's family will be there; the community comes out regardless of your record and whether or not it's your last game of the season. We talked about things after the Melrose game, because of the implications, but the seniors won't be looking past Stoneham. Their discipline and focus have been great this season."

Reading will play Bay State Herget champ Walpole (10-0) in a Division 2 playoff game next Tuesday.

Pinkerton earns Div. 1 title berth

In the semifinals of the New Hampshire Division 1 playoffs, defending state champ Pinkerton Academy of Derry beat rival Londonderry, 19-15. The top-seeded Astros host Nashua South for the title. In Division 2, reigning champ Bishop Guertin of Nashua takes on Exeter. Guertin beat Keene, 18-8, in the semifinals.

"It was just one step closer to where we want to be," said BG head coach Tony Johnson. "Now we think about Exeter, which will have a few wrinkles for us, I'm sure. This is the time of year you can't lose focus and look too far ahead. We're trying to stick to our routine and see where that takes us on Saturday."

Souhegan of Amherst pounced on Portsmouth, 28-14, for the Division 3 title. Unbeaten Pelham hosts St. Thomas Aquinas for the Division 5 championship. The Pythons are looking for their second straight state title.

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com.