The dean of Granite State high school football coaches did not win a single game in his first season at Plymouth Regional.

That's right. Chuck Lenahan — who is expected to set a New England record on Saturday with his 343rd career win — went 0-6-1 as a 27-year-old shot-caller in 1971.

“I spent a lot of time after that season preparing for 1972,” said Lenahan, 69, whose No. 9 Bobcats (8-0 Division IV) host one-win John Stark of Weare in a regular-season finale at 1:30. “We were ready.”

Rarely has Plymouth been unprepared in four-plus decades. Lenahan is 342-69-1, and tied with Rod Wotton atop the region's wins list. Wotton won the majority of his games in Maine before leading St. Thomas Aquinas of Dover to 111 victories in 15 seasons.

The gap between Lenahan and the coach with the second-most NHIAA wins is the equivalent of fourth down-and-forever.

“I might be No. 2, but I'm nowhere near him. That's for sure,” said Brian O'Reilly of Derry's Pinkerton Academy, which hosts Manchester Central on Saturday at 1. “Chuck is a truly outstanding football coach. I think that's pretty obvious to everybody.”

The dean's resume is remarkable. He has led 29 teams to the state final. He has won a state-best 18 championships, the first in 1972. His program owns NHIAA football's longest win streaks, 46 games (2000-04) and 57 games (2005-10). The latter streak, early in 2010, was tops in the nation.

Lenahan lauds his loyal assistants, long-timers themselves. Jon Bownes and Tom Donahue (25-plus years), John Spear (20 years), Chris Sanborn (15 years) and Todd Austin (10 years) are fixtures alongside Plymouth's legendary leader.

Volunteer Phil McCormack has coached in various capacities during every one of Lenahan's 42 seasons. There's also Dave Begalle, Tom Lamb, John Sullivan, Dan Pierce, Mark Evans and Mike Boyle, a former playmaker extraordinaire for Lenahan and UNH football coach Sean MacDonnell.

But, Exeter head coach Bill Ball said, “Make no mistake about it. Chuck's the guy, from Day 1 to this weekend. It's almost unfathomable. Such consistency for 40-plus years. And to win the big games. His playoff record is exemplary.”

Plymouth's postseason history includes many clashes with Kennett of Conway and Gary Millen, who died in 2006. Lenahan and Millen, as colleague John Habib wrote, were forever linked thanks to a state-best 39 meetings in 28 seasons. They were fierce but friendly rivals.

“I guarantee he'd be calling me. We'd be ribbing each other about (going for the record). Oh God, I miss so much coaching and playing against him,” Lenahan said. “He'd probably know how many wins came against him. He'd want credit.”

The limelight belongs to Lenahan on Saturday. Forty-eight minutes after kickoff, the record will belong to him, too.

“Coaching is coaching, and Chuck is a Hall of Fame coach,” O'Reilly said. “He's the best.”

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MOST LIKELY, Manchester's Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl for the third straight year will feature Central (5-3, 4-2 Div. I) and Trinity (7-1 Div. IV). It's based on the point system created by Memorial athletics coordinator Jack Quirk.

Quirk said each win versus a Division I team is worth 3 1/3 points. All other wins earn two points apiece. Fractions, he said, are used rather than decimal points. Rounding to the nearest whole number — which could complicate bowl qualification — is taken out of the equation.

Here's more math: Central (15 1/3 points) is in. West (8) is out. Memorial (8 2/3) is a longshot, needing wins tonight over West and next Friday against Exeter — plus a Windham win at Trinity this evening.

Under that scenario, the Crusaders and Pioneers each have 14 points. Tie goes to the public school.

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DIVISION VI has six teams in title contention entering their regular-season finales. And they all go head-to-head with another contending club.

Campbell of Litchfield (6-2) tonight hosts Newfound of Bristol (6-2). Franklin (6-2) entertains Bishop Brady of Concord (5-3) on Saturday, while Mascoma of Canaan (6-2) visits Winnisquam of Tilton (5-3).

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