Football fortunes can change quickly in the high school game's heavyweight division.

Consider Concord's situation: On track a week ago to punch a Division I playoff ticket for the first time since 2004, the Crimson Tide had a stunning hiccup. Much to the delight of Manchester Central and Nashua South, the Tide lost at sub-.500 Nashua North, 22-21.

“I think we're going to need a ton of help,” Concord head coach Eric Brown said when asked about playoff permutations. “But I'm not looking that far into the future. I'm looking at Friday.”

Concord (4-3 overall, 3-3 Div. I) realistically can't afford another league loss. Tide coaches know it. The players know it.

Co-No. 1 Pinkerton Academy of Derry (6-1, 4-1 Div. I) knows it, too.

“Our players have been told that this is a playoff game for Concord. They're going to come at us with everything they have,” said Pinkerton head coach Brian O'Reilly, whose Astros face the Tide tonight (7) at Concord's Memorial Field. “If we do not respond in kind, we will be at a disadvantage.”

O'Reilly said a “playoff attitude” was required of the Astros a week ago. It served them well in a 20-14 win at powerhouse Brockton, Mass.

Pinkerton's head coach will ask his Astros to play with the win-or-go-home mentality for a second straight week.

Concord, of course, has all the motivation it needs.

“Last week was big and we came up, obviously, short,” Brown said. “This week is bigger. We know what's at stake.”

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WEEK 8 offers a bye for co-No. 4 Bedford (6-1, 5-1 Div. II). Head coach Kurt Hines isn't concerned the week off will hurt momentum for the Bulldogs, winners of five straight games.

“The week has been successful,” said Hines, noting certain players are nursing minor injuries. “The guys that need some time to rest up are getting the time.”

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SIXTH-RANKED Mancheter Central (5-2, 4-2 Div. I) visits No. 9 Souhegan of Amherst (6-1, 6-0 Div. III) tonight at 7. Little Green head coach Ryan Ray and Sabers mentor Mike Beliveau said their starters will play.

It wouldn't hurt Central to win the non-league game. Such contests count toward the fifth playoff tiebreaker — “wins against opponents on the road, regardless of division,” the NHIAA handbook states.

“It's effective this (classification) cycle. The rule passed two years ago,” NHIAA executive director Patrick Corbin said.

What's in it for Souhegan? Beliveau's roster is already thin. Middle linebacker Kenny Dobbs (mononucleosis), right tackle Luke Perkins (knee) and running back Seth Learned (ankle, out for season) are among the ailing Sabers.

“When we line up to play a Division I school, that's a privilege to us, to have a chance to represent our division,” Beliveau said.

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NO. 10 Plymouth (7-0 Div. IV) on Saturday can lock up the top playoff seed for the first time since 2009. St. Thomas Aquinas of Dover (5-2 Div. IV) makes the trip up I-93 for a possible semifinal preview.

Might the Bobcats save certain plays for the postseason? The Saints may return to town Nov. 3.

“A lot of people want to do that,” Plymouth head coach Chuck Lenahan said. “If I was certain (of the playoff pairings), maybe. But nothing's certain.”

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TWO WEEKS remain in the Division V regular season and the playoff field is set. Somersworth (6-1), Kearsarge of North Sutton (5-1), Monadnock of Swanzey (5-1) and Stevens of Claremont (5-1) are tournament-bound.

Kearsarge hosts Monadnock tonight at 7.

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THERE'S A great race in Division VI between Franklin (5-2), Mascoma of Canaan (5-2), Winnisquam of Tilton (5-2) and Bishop Brady of Concord (4-3).

Newfound of Bristol (6-1) hosts Franklin on Saturday. Campbell of Litchfield (6-1) visits Mascoma.

Winnisquam plays at Brady. The Green Giants own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Mascoma and, after playing the Bears in Week 8, face Franklin in the finale.

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Marc Thaler covers high school football for the New Hampshire Union Leader & Sunday News. He co-hosts the “N.H. High School Football Show” Saturday 7-9 a.m. on Manchester's WGIR-AM 610 and the Seacoast's WQSO-FM 96.7. Send e-mails to mthaler@unionleader.com and follow him on Twitter: @marc_thaler.