New Hampshire Notebook

Lebanon Girls Press and Run, Beat Hanover

2012-01-28T21:43:00.006-05:00

Junior guard Morton had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 8 steals, as the Lebanon High girls basketball team jumped all over a young Hanover squad early on. Lebanon led 36-6 in the 2nd quarter after fellow junior guard Taylor Friedman (15 points) banked in a three-pointer.

Lebanon cruised to the win from there, although give Hanover credit because they kept fighting and hung in there in the 2nd half to make the final score respectable. In the end Lebanon won 62-45, improving to 10-0 on the season in Division II play. The Raiders were led by Morton and Friedman, plus Colleen Taylor (11 points) and Emily Kehoe (6 points while playing great defense and hustling all game).

Lebanon's full court press gave Hanover a lot of problems, as the Marauders struggled to get the ball across half court throughout the 1st half. Lebanon moved the ball well on offense and shot the ball well.

"When we pressure pressure people and rotate on defense we're tough" said Lebanon head coach Tim Kehoe. "We also moved the ball well on offense. But I was disappointed that in the 2nd half when we took the press off our kids mailed it in."

For Hanover, Asie Makarova had a team-high 16 points, while Holly Schlosser had 8 points off the bench and freshman guard JJ Daniel also played well. Senior forward Kate Gautier suffered a dislocated shoulder in the 3rd quarter.

"The same thing happened to her shoulder last year and she missed 6 days" said Hanover head coach Dan O'Rourke. "But I was proud of how well we competed. Holly Schlosser had her best game ever today for us."

No Dimitri, No Problem - Merrimack Boys Top Salem

2012-01-27T22:26:00.012-05:00

This was a highly anticipated match up, as Salem came in with a 5-2 record and on a 4 game winning streak, while Merrimack had won 5 in a row and was 6-1 on the season. They're 2 of the top teams in the state, no question about it. Then earlier in the day Merrimack found out they would have to play without their star point guard for awhile.

"I broke my wrist" said Dimitri Floras, who is widely regarded as the best player in the NHIAA. "One doctor said I'll miss 12 weeks, the other doctor said 2 weeks. I had an MRI today so we'll see what it says."

However Merrimack showed just how deep and talented they were tonight. They were playing without not only Floras but also starting forward Jared Peabody who is also injured and out for about a week. However a strong team effort led by Eric Gendron (21 points) and Tyler Gendron and Jeff Giannelli (both had 12 points) the Tomahawks led for the whole 2nd half and beat a good Salem team 63-52 on Friday night in Division I boys basketball.

"Overall I think our team played a great game tonight" said Merrimack head coach Tim Goodridge. "Every kid made made a contribution for us."

The high point of the game was in the 2nd quarter, when both teams were really playing some good basketball and there was a number of lead changes. Merrimack led 19-12 after 1, but then Ben Slepian (team-high 18 points including 4 threes) and Jack Hartman both hit three-pointers right off the bat to start the 2nd quarter and get the Blue Devils right back in it. Then Hartman made a nice drive to the basket and and-1 finish, giving Salem a 22-21 lead, completing a 10-2 Salem run.

"Jack has played well for us" said Salem head coach Rob McLaughlin, about his junior forward who came off the bench and scored 9 of his 11 points in the 2nd quarter. "We've just been looking for consistency from him, and hopefully after tonight that will happen."

Then Merrimack got a lift when senior forward Kyle Richardson entered the game. Richardson is a 3-year varsity player and he started last year as a junior, he hadn't played so far this year after suffering a knee injury in the preseason.

The Merrimack student section went nuts when he entered the game, and then the Tomahawks scored back-to-back baskets by Tyler Gendron. The second one was a three-point shot from about 5 feet behind the line, and put Merrimack up 26-22.

Salem answered right back though. Danny Salvo hit a three that cut the Tomahawks lead to 1, and then on the next time down the floor Hartman grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in, as the Blue Devils re-took the lead 27-26 with under 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.

Once again Merrimack answered right back, and once again it was Tyler Gendron stepping outside and hitting a three. He caught a pass in the corner, shot it with a hand in his face but still made the shot, nothing but net to put the Tomahawks back up 29-27. After he hit that three the Merrimack student section started singing 'Happy Birthday' as the older Gendron brother turned 18 on Friday.

The last few minutes of the 2nd quarter was back-and-fort action with lots of lead changes, hut in the 2nd half Merrimack was clearly the better team. Between the end of the 2nd quarter and the beginning part of the 3rd, Merrimack went on a 19-6 run, and that was the difference in the game.

One player who really stepped up for Merrimack in the 2nd half was Giannelli, who had 9 rebounds in addition to his 12 points on the game. He was a force inside, grabbing rebounds and going up strong with shots and often times getting to the free throw line, which got Salem in foul trouble. At 6'6" and easily over 250 lbs. he was a tough match up for the Blue Devils.

"My tallest starter is 6 feet" said Coach McLaughlin. "With their size and length they're a good defensive team."

Senior guard Jackson King then banked in a three-pointer, giving the Tomahawks their largest lead of the game at 45-33. At that time it looked like Merrimack was in complete control and would cruise to victory.

But give Salem credit because they just kept on fighting and got right back in the game. Hartman scored inside once again, followed by another three by Slepian. Then Joe Dube converted a put-back inside and just like that the Merrimack lead was down to 5, 45-40 with 1:00 left in the 3rd quarter. It was a ballgame again.

However from that point Merrimack tightened up their defense and Salem went cold shooting the basketball. It didn't help their cause that one of their best shooters, junior wing Andrew Ruffen hasn't played so far this season.

"He injured his knee in the preseason" said McLaughlin. "We thought at first he'd miss the whole season, but he might be able to come back towards the end of the year."

Merrimack answered Salem's run with an 11-5 run of their own, pushing their lead to 56-45. The Tomahawks run started when King made a steal around half court and converted the layup on the other end. At first they awarded Merrimack 2 points on the scoreboard for the baskets, but then about 20 seconds later the scoreboard operator took 2 of those points away from the Tomahawks. They never fixed the scoreboard, so much for a home court advantage! So even though the NHIAA website says the final score was 62-52 Merrimack, it was actually 63-52.

Down the stretch Merrimack made their free throws, Eric Gendron continued to play well and Giannelli continued to dominate the paint. Tyler Gendron was definitely more quiet in the 2nd half, while Dube (9 points and 7 rebounds) battled inside and made a couple more baskets to try and keep Salem in it. Jonny Klecan also went to the basket strong and played great defensive as usual for the Blue Devils. In my opinion he's the NHIAA's best defender.

"We knew with Ruffen's injury other guys would have to step up" said McLaughlin. "We rely on Jonny a ton, and he's had a phenomenal season so far."

Merrimack held on from there for the 63-52 win. Slepian had 13 points in the 1st half but only 5 in the 2nd for Salem.

"Tyler Gendron did a nice job defensively on Slepian in the 2nd half" said Coach Goodridge. "Our defense stepped up tonight."

With this win, Merrimack showed that even if Floras does miss the rest of the season they are still a team capable of winning a state title. Especially once Peabody returns next week and Richardson gets healthier, they will be even tougher. Dimitri is a great player, and the Gendron brothers are very talented. But on Friday night these guys showed they are more than just the 'Big 3", as guys like King, Giannelli, Dylan O'Brien, Connor Whelan and Bryan Courtemanche all stepped up big.

As for Salem, we learned in this game that they are a very tough, hard nosed, blue collar team. Slepian is a great spot up shooter, Klecan is the ultimate competitor, Hartman is a dangerous weapon and Dube is a hard working power forward. These guys will win their fair share of games and could really give some teams trouble come tournament time, especially if Ruffen is able to return. However we also learned that they may struggled at times against teams with a lot of size, and that they rely a lot on the outside shooting of Slepian and also Hartman and Salvo. When those shots stopped falling they fell behind. It was also a quiet game for sophomore guard Michael Felix, who has had some big games so far this season. They will need more consistent play from him and Hartman to beat the upper-echelon teams in the league, like Merrimack.

The other issue Salem had in this game was free throw shooting. They only went 6/18 (33%) from the charity stripe. Not only were they missing their foul shots, but they put Merrimack on the line a whopping 35 times. The Tomahawks did miss 11 free throws, but that's really not that bad when you take 35 of them (it's 68%). Anytime you can MAKE more free throws than your opponent TAKES, chances are you're going to win the game.

Lombard Posts Big Senior Season on Gridiron for Proctor

2012-01-26T22:45:00.003-05:00

Mike Lombard is one of New Hampshire's top 2-sport athletes, as a dominating player in both football and basketball. Lombard is currently a senior at Proctor Academy in Andover, NH. He transferred there following his junior year at Pelham High, at which time he reclassified to the Class of 2012.

On the football field, Lombard is one of the area's most feared linebackers. He finished his high school football career a couple months ago after 2 big years playing for a Proctor team that is a perennial power. He is being recruited for both football and basketball. Here's his senior season football recruiting video.

Overtime Thriller in Lakes Region

2012-01-25T21:46:00.009-05:00

The Pittsfield High boys basketball team came back from a 21 point 4th quarter deficit to force overtime. Then they took a a 3 point lead in OT, 72-69. However Moultonborough responded by going on an 8-0 run to end the game. They avoid a monumental collapse and keep their undefeated season alive with a 77-72 win at home on Wednesday night in an OT thriller over their rivals Pittsfield.

"We need to get better at finishing games and become mentally tougher" said Moultonborough Academy head coach Matt Swedberg, who has 3 sons on the team (Marcus, Drew and Riley Swedberg). "You can't lose a 20 point lead like that. The Lisbon game was similar - we pulled a win out after losing a big lead in that one too. The offensive rebounding on the 1st half was huge for us tonight though."

The main guy who was getting those offensive boards was 6'4" forward Nick Sindorf, who finished with 20 points and 19 rebounds (both are career-highs). 6'7" senior Marcus Swedberg also had a big game, with 27 points and 10 rebounds in the win in Division IV.

"Offensive rebounds killed us in the 1st half" lamented Pittsfield head coach Jason Darrah. "We were doubling Marcus, and when he would miss shots Sindorf was following everything up."

Pittfield was right in the game early on, and only trailed 25-21 with 5:00 left in the 1st half, as senior guard Ryan Perras was keeping them in the game. Perras already had 12 points on 4 three-pointers. He would end up with a game-high 28 points when it was all said and done.

But that's when Moultonborough made a run to extend their lead. They went on a 13-2 run. Perras started to go cold from the outside, Marcus Swedberg hit a nice fade away jumper on the baseline, Sindorf converted put-backs on back-to-back possessions, Tristan Price drilled a three from the corner. And then Marcus Swedberg capped the run by making a steal in the back court, taking one dribble and then slamming down a 2-handed dunk, which not only gave the Panthers their largest lead but it got the crowd into it as well. After another put-back by Sindorf it was Moultonborough on top 40-25 at halftime. It seemed like they were in complete control of the game, as Sindorf, Swedberg and Michael Donahue were all dominating the boards.

"Overall we average 50 rebounds per game" said Marcus Swedberg, who is a player of the year candidate in D-IV. "So if we're around that number we're doing ok."

To start the 3rd quarter Swedberg hit a shot from the right elbow off the catch and in rhythm. Then Pittsfield forward Donoven Emerson (a 2-time all-state player in D-IV) got called for a technical foul and did not return until halfway through the 4th quarter. Once again it looked like Moultonborough was in complete control.

But Pittsfield battled back. Perras started to gt it going again, hitting a three and then slashing to the basket and finishing in the lane for 2. Then Elias Doucette got a basket inside for Pittsfield which cut the Moultonborough lead down to 8, 44-36. Even with Emerson on the bench Pittsfield was getting some momentum going.

But then Moultonborough came storming right back, as Will Burke hit a baseline jumper, followed by back-to-back layups in transition by Drew Swedberg (the first one was an acrobatic and-1 finish). The Panthers were up 15 at halftime and they were up 15 heading to the 4th quarter, as they now led 53-38.

About a minute into the 4th quarter Marcus Swedberg hit a pair of free throws and Moultonborough took a 61-40 lead (their largest lead of the game). It looked like the game was over. Some folks even started heading for the exits at that point. And why not? When a team is down by 21 points in the 4th quarter that's it, the game's over. Right? Wrong.

That's when Pittsfield made a comeback which was nothing short of remarkable. They slowly chipped away at the Moultonborough lead, one basket at a time on offense and one stop at a time on defense.

"Our goal was to put pressure on them defensively and force turnovers" said Coach Darrah. "It just took 28 minutes for it to start working."

And force turnovers is exactly what Pittsfield did, as they brought a couple guys pressuring in the back court and then trapped around the half court line. Moultonborough was struggling to the get the ball across half court all of a sudden.

"We stopped going to the ball" said Coach Swedberg, who coached the program to a state title in 2009. "We were settling for bad shots and we weren't being strong with the ball."

Pittsfield was taking those turnovers and turning them into baskets on the other end by executing well on offense. Doucette, Perras, Emerson and Dominic Brooks all had big baskets down the stretch, as Pittsfield ended the 4th quarter on a 26-5 run.

Also helping the Pittsfield comeback was a technical foul, which was called on Donahue for Moultonborough. Pittsfield missed both FT's though (the 2 teams were a combined 0/4 on technical free throws), but they got the ball back, scored and had the momentum on their side.

Perras hit a three (his 6th of the game) which capped a 16-0 run by Pittsfield, cutting the Moultonborough lead to 61-56. Marcus Swedberg then answered right back, with a strong move to the basket along the baseline, and getting an and-1 finish. But Pittsfield just kept on coming, as Emerson scored inside to cut the Moultonborough lead to 63-60.

Marcus Swedberg then missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and Doucette (who scored a career-high 18 points including 14 in the 2nd half) and Bobby Lebel both scored inside. It was now Moultonborough 65 Pittsfield 64 with 30 seconds left in regulation.

"Elias works really hard in practice" said Coach Darrah. "He came up big for us. On offense we tried to get them up in the air because we know they try to block a lot of shots."

Pittsfield then had the ball and were down 66-64 with 25 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Brooks drove to the basket and found Tyler Booth open inside for a layup. Booth scored with just 1 second left on the clock. Moultonborough didn't even try to inbound the ball. We were headed to overtime tied up 66-66. Pittsfield had come back from a 21 point 4th quarter deficit to force OT!

"We didn't handle their pressure well" said Marcus Swedberg. "We only had 4 turnovers in the 1st half but we had 13 in the 2nd half. We need to jut settle down."

As amazing a comeback as Pittsfield had just made, this game wasn't over yet, they still had to finish the comeback. And it looked like they were going to do it, as they took a 72-69 lead as Doucette scored on back-to-back possessions followed by a basket by Brooks. Drew Swedberg then missed 2 free throws and it was really starting to look like Pittsfield was going to complete the comeback victory of the century.

However that's when Moultonborough would score the game's final 8 points and pull out the win. Sindorf once again made his presence felt on the offensive glass, converting yet another put-back inside. The Panthers then got a steal and Marcus Swedberg made an and-1 finish to put Moultonborough up 74-72 with 30 seconds left in OT.

Pittsfield had turnovers on back-to-back possessions late in the game, and they also had Perras take an ill-advised three-point attempt with about a minute left in OT and Pittsfield up 72-69. It was one of those shots that would have been a dagger if he made it but he missed it and it really ended up hurting them.

"Those are mistakes we can't afford to make come tournament time" said Darrah.

Drew Swedberg (who had 9 points, all coming in the 2nd half) then hit 2 free throws and after another Pittsfield turnover he made 1 of 2 at the line for the 77-72 final score.

"We stuck to our game plan and our guys played hard" said Darrah. "But they're a good team, there's a reason why they're 12-0."

It was a wild game, no question about it. Marcus Swedberg, Sindorf, Perras and Doucette all had outstanding individual performances. This game had a comeback for the ages, it had chippy play, it had 2 technical fouls, it had slam dunks. Oh yeah, and it had 3 brothers all on the court at the same time, and their father coaching them!

It was a great game, between 2 rival schools and 2 of the top teams in boys Division IV basketball.

BG Girls Grind Out Comeback Win Over Memorial in Battle of Unbeatens

2012-01-24T21:34:00.009-05:00

It was 2 weeks ago tonight when the Bishop Guertin girls basketball team made a statement by beating Winnacunnet to end the Warrior's 84 game winning streak. After that game it looked like a 2 team race in girls Division I (BG and Winnacunnet). Well, tonight it was Manchester Memorial who made the statement.

They may have lost to BG but they showed they are just as good as them and if a shot or a loose ball here or there went their way we would all be calling the Crusaders the best girls team in the state right now.

"We had a bunch of shots just go in and out down the stretch" said Manchester Memorial head coach Jack Quirk. "Amra (Elezovic) went to the basket a couple times and could have had and-1's, but instead she goes to the line and makes 1 out of 2. If those are and-1's they're fouling us at the end instead of the other way around. We just didn't get the bounces at the end there."

You have to give the BG girls a lot of credit, though. They trailed by 10 points in the 2nd half and were down by 7 heading to the 4th quarter. But Megahn Green and Jamie Sherburne combined for 24 2nd half points, Nikki Hayner hit 2 HUGE outside shots late, Megan Kerutis is only a freshman but is already one of the best defenders in the state. And Bishop Guertin improved to 10-0 with a 47-44 win at Memorial, while the Crusaders are now 8-1.

The first half was all Memorial - they were able to slow it down, make it a half court game and force BG to play at their pace. BG wants to run and press, but Memorial didn't let them. They also held Green to just 2 points in the entire 1st half.

"They're a really good team" said Bishop Guertin head coach Scott Hazelton. "They stuck to their game plan. They spread us out on defense with their 5 guards and on the other end they crowded Meghan and made it tough for her to get shots."

Elezovic got the Crusaders off to a quick start, scoring 8 of her 15 points in the 1st quarter as Memorial took a 16-10 lead and after 1 they led 16-12. Not many girls who are 5'11" can handle the basketball and shoot it like her. Sher was taking it strong to the basket and making some tough shots. Elezovic finished with 13 rebounds in addition to her 15 points on the game.

"I know she's going to Umass Lowell (a Division II program) but Amra's a Division I player" said Coach Hazelton. "She's the single most valuable player to her team in the entire state. She does it all for them and I have a lot of respect for her."

Still, no basket for Elezovic came easy. It Kerutis, a 5'5" freshman guard who was given the task of defending Elezovic who is a 5'11" senior and possibly the state's best player. Yet Kerutis did not back down one bit, she is tough, fearless, a hustler and a scrapper. Kerutis was physical on defense, dove on the floor for loose balls, came up with some BIG offensive rebounds and made Elezovic work for everything she got.

"It was a tough challenge for Megan to go up against Amra" explained Hazelton. "I wanted to see if she would answer the call and she did. She just kept going out and kept battling out there."

On the other side Memorial has a star freshman as well. 5'6" guard Peace Kabari is possibly the most athletically gifted player in NH. Not only that but she plays very hard, crashes the boards and can also shoot it. She had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in tonight's game. Kabari and Kerutis are likely the 2 best freshmen players in the state.

"Peace is going to be a very special player" said Coach Quirk. "She's still so young and still learning the game. But by the end of the year she'll be getting 16 points a game for us."

Junior point guard Allie Hartford (15 points and 5 assists on the game) kept the momentum going for Memorial in the 2nd quarter, hitting a couple of nice pull-up jumpers in the mid-range area, followed by a three-pointer in the corner off a nice drive and kick out by Elezovic. That shot put the Crusaders up 26-16 - their largest lead of the game and they went into halftime up 26-18.

A put-back by Kabari early in the 3rd quarter once again made it a 10 point lead for Memorial at 30-20. And with the way Memorial was dictating the pace of the game, and making it more a half court affair a 10 point lead actually seemed more like 20.

However that's when BG was able to start playing their game - running and pressing. They went on an 8-0 run, including a great move by Sherburne as she drove to the basket from the corner, was met by 2 defenders but still went up with the short and finished a nifty reverse layup in traffic. Sherburne (pictured above) and Hartford battled each other all game at the point guard position - 2 very good players who both gave it everything they had out there.

"Sherburne's out to prove something" said Hazelton. "She always plays hard. Her, Kerutis and Piercy all make things happen and bring lots of energy."

Memorial was able to withstand the Guertin run, answering right back with a couple BIG baskets of their own. Right after a baseline jumper by Green cut the Memorial lead to 30-28, Crusaders senior guard Ari Dimou hit a big three-pointer. On the next trip down the floor her teammate Danielle Fletcher grabbed a tough offensive rebound and made an and-1 finish to push the Memorial lead back up to 35-28.

"Our kids played tough" said Coach Quirk. "Everybody's saying BG is the #1 team. Well if they're #1 then we have to be #1A after tonight."

Then came a play which would have ended up being a HUGE difference maker had Memorial been able to hold on for the win. Hartford attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the 3rd quarter, missed the shot but Sherburne was called for a foul. She made 2 of the 3 shots and Memorial went to the 4th quarter up 37-30. BG ended up pulling out the win in the end but if they had lost that foul would have proved to be a costly one.

The Cardinals didn't let that foul faze them though, as they came out firing to start the 4th. They went on a 6-0 run, capped by a 15 foot jumper by Green off an inbounds pass where she showed a very soft shooting touch. That made it a 1 point game with still a LONG way to go.

BG then took the lead 40-39 on an and-1 finish inside by Green off a nice entry pass to the post by Hayner. BG's defense continued to tighten up, as they forced both Elezovic and Hartford to take tough shots inside, get fouled and have to earn their points at the line. Instead of possibly getting and-1 finishes for a possible 3 points, they both made 1 out of 2 at the line, making it a 41-40 lead for Memorial.

That's when Hayner really stepped up big for Guertin. The junior wing player hit back-to-back outside shots, one was a three and was a long 2 where she had a foot on the line. And just in the matter of seconds it went from Memorial being up 1 to BG being up by 4 - that's a HUGE turnaround, especially when there's only 1:30 left in the game.

"Nikki's a great shooter, very reliable" said Green, who ended up with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Hayner had 10 points. "The shots just weren't falling in the 1st half, but we just kept on going. We passed the ball around better in the 2nd half and got more open shots."

After 2 free throws by Hartford, Memorial was now down 45-43. Then they forced a turnover and got the ball back with just over 1 minute left. Then came another one of those drives to the basket by Memorial where they got fouled and missed the shot, so instead of an and-1 they had to try and make 2 FT's. Elezovic had a chance to tie the game up at 45-45 if she made both FT's, but she only made 1 of 2.

So Memorial was down 45-44 with about 25 seconds left. They had to foul, but they only had 4 team fouls so they still had to foul BG 3 times before they would go to the line. They should have known this and fouled BG right away, but instead too much time went off the clock. By the time Memorial was able to foul enough times to send BG to the line there was only 4.8 seconds remaining.

Sherburne (12 points on the game) went to the line and made both of her free throws - clutch. So the Crusaders had one last chance to try and tie the game, but they would have to go the length of the floor, only had 4.8 seconds and had to try and hit a three to force overtime. Elezovic got the ball and drove up the floor looking for a shot. The Cardinals played good defense though, forcing her to take a shot that was not only difficult but it was inside the arc so even if she made her buzzer-beating attempt it would have only been worth 2 points so BG would have won either way. The shot was no good, and Guertin wins it 47-44 in a thrilling comeback victory.

BG remains perfect on the season in Hazelton's first year at the helm. They have now played all 3 of the other teams expected to be title contenders in D-I. They crushed Londonderry and they beat both Winnacunnet and Memorial in tough, hard fought games. They still have to go to Hampton and play Winnacunnet later in the year, but you would have to consider BG the favorites to win the title right now. That being said, Memorial and Winnacunnet are not far behind at all. It should be a fun race. And who knows, if Londonderry can figure some things out they could have a shot to make it a 4 team race instead of 3. The Lancers get a shot to prove themselves on Friday night when they play Winnacunnet. BG meanwhile has a chance to win back-to-back titles starting this year. Right now they're playing better than anybody in D-I, and next season they return their top 6 players plus they get Paige Parkinson joining the fold after having to sit this season out.

NH Players in Action at Central Catholic Doubleheader

2012-01-22T22:53:00.005-05:00

On Sunday afternoon there was a boys/girls doubleheader at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA. It was the Coaches vs. Cancer event, with the girls team playing against Masconomet followed by the boys team taking on St. John's Prep.

The boys game was played at a fast pace and an extremely high level - it was a very fun game to watch. Watching this game only reaffirmed the belief in my mind that NH desperately needs a shot clock. If either Central Catholic or St. John's Prep was in the NHIAA they would be easily the best team in the state. Central won it 80-56, as junior forward Doug Gemmell (from Windham, NH) had a great game, finishing with 7 points and 7 rebounds. He had a couple of big rebounds and and-1 finishes late that iced the game and the win for Central. 6'3" freshman wing player Ben Judson (from Plaistow, NH) was also in action for St. John's Prep.

Three of the starters for the Central girls team are granite staters - sophomore guards Courtney Walsh (8 points on the game) and Alex Nagri (6 points) and senior guard Alex Borrelli (7 points), while 6'1" freshman forward Erica Hadad had 2 points off the bench. However, Central was playing without two of their better players and came up short, losing to Masco 59-38. Check out the video below to see some of the top plays made by the NH girls playing for Central.

Tarczewski and O'Connor Square off One Last Time

2012-01-21T19:34:00.011-05:00

They grew up playing basketball together as teammates in middle school and high school. Then when they went their separate ways and transferred to different prep schools they began playing against each other as opponents. Well, it all came to an end on Saturday afternoon at the St. Mark's School when Kaleb Tarczewski and Kevin O'Connor played an organized basketball game on the same court for the last time.

Tarczewski (who stands 7 feet tall) and O'Connor (6-foot-6) played at Claremont Middle School together, and then at Stevens High School. Before their junior year Tarczewski transferred to St. Mark's, a prep school in Massachusetts. The following year O'Connor also went prep, choosing instead to attend the St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. So over the years these guys have played in many games as teammates and opponents - but this afternoon was the last one.

"They might still let us play at the Stevens alumni games" joked Tarczewski, after he helped his St. Mark's team to a 64-44 win over O'Connor and St. Paul's. "We started playing together in 6th grade after I moved to Claremont from Charlestown, NH."

Since leaving Stevens High he has developed into one of the top players in the country, and he recently committed to play his college ball at the University of Arizona.

"Arizona has the #1 ranked recruiting class in the country for 2012" said Tarczewski. "They have the #3, #6, #9 and #33 recruits in the country all going there."

Tarczewski is #6 on the list. He had a dominating performance in Saturday's win, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots before checking out of the game with 5:41 left in the 2nd half and his team up 61-38. O'Connor meanwhile had 9 points and 4 rebounds for St. Paul's.

St. Paul's actually led this game 16-11 with 8:50 left in the 1st half. Then St. Mark's went on a 17-3 run, taking control of the game and never looking back. St. Paul's is a good team (they would likely beat anyone from the NHIAA) but they just went up against a loaded St. Mark's team that's one of the best in New England.

One of the highlight reel plays that Tarczewski made included one where he came running down the floor as the trailer on the break, caught a pass around the free throw line and before the defender could get there he slammed down a 2 handed dunk. He also had a couple of reverse layups along the baseline, powering his way to the basket and finishing inside either with dunks or layups. Tarczewski showed tremendous skill and agility for a kid that's 7 feet tall.

"I actually didn't even make varsity my freshman year at Stevens" said Tarczewski. "And people always said I had potential. But over the last few years it's been a lot of really hard work and I've also had some great coaches. TJ Gassnola from the NE Playaz taught me a lot, Jay Murphy helped me out too. Coach Lubick (St. Mark's head coach) helped me a lot, and playing with Nate Lubick helped me to get better. Coach Carroll with the NE Playaz is a former coach with the Celtics and he's a good guy who really knows the game.'

Another play Tarczewski made that got the crowd going was when he caught the ball on the left elbow, faced up to the basket, made an up-fake, one dribble and then exploded to the rim before drawing a foul. He also made a double pump 2 handed dunk after catching a pass inside off the dribble penetration of a teammate.

St. Paul's actually led this game 16-11 with 8:40 left in the 1st half, but then St. Mark's took over, going on a 17-3 run and never looking back. Still, St. Paul's is a good team that would likely beat anybody in the NHIAA. But they just went up against a St. Mark's team which is one of the best in New England.

O'Connor meanwhile had a solid game. He could have had more like 15 or 18 points but his outside shot was off, as he misfired on a number of shots he normally makes. But overall he played well. O'Connor runs the floor well, can hit shots inside, outside or in the mid-range area and has a high basketball I.Q. He is still weighing options and hasn't decided yet where he'll play his college ball.

Tarczewski on the other hand does know, and on Saturday he gave the folks in attendance a preview of what Arizona opponents can expect over the next few years - a true center who is a dominant inside force scoring, rebounding and blocking shots.

"I'm hoping to get playing time at Arizona right away" said Tarczewski, who plans on studying business at Arizona. "That's one of the reasons I picked them. I have come a long way, but I know I still have things to work on in order to get where I want to go."

Of course the place Tarczewski would like to end up going to is the NBA. That would be a great accomplishment, considering there has only been one player from New Hampshire to ever make it there (Matt Bonner). Then again, no other NH player since Bonner has been ranked as high nationally as Tarczewski either. He's got a shot, no question about it.

"Yeah, the NBA is where any kid who plays basketball wants to get to" said Tarczewski with a smile. "But I try to stay humble and not think too much about the future."

Good luck to both Tarczewski and O'Connor in the future, both on and off the basketball court.

Breakout Year for Sophomores

2012-01-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

There has been a few different articles now where I have mentioned how deep and talented the girls basketball Class of 2014 is in NH. Well so far this season this sophomore class definitely been as good as advertised. And so far at least there have been a number of players who have really stepped up, shown drastic improvement and have been big contributors to their team's success.

If you ask me, Haley Driscoll (Bedford), Melissa MacLeod (Winnacunnet) and Heather King (Lebanon) are the 3 most improved players in the state. All 3 of them are forwards, and for guards the most improved players in this class are Kayla Stacy (Pinkerton), Gigi Piercy (Bishop Guertin) and Veronica Moceri (Alvirne).

It is clear that all of these girls have worked extremely hard to get better, and this hard work deserves to be recognized. Here's a closer look at each of them.

Haley Driscoll, 5'10" forward, Bedford HS
Driscoll got good minutes last year as a freshman for Bedford, but this year she has taken her game to another level. Driscoll is now one of the top defenders and rebounders in the state, regardless of class. She has also really improved her offensive game, as she is now hitting mid-range jumpers and take her man to the basket off the dribble. Driscoll stopped playing soccer this year to focus on basketball and her hard work has paid off.

"Since last year's tryouts when she displayed quite a bit of athletic ability but very raw basketball skills, Haley has worked hard to become a key player on our team" said Bedford head coach Sue Thomas. "She is extremely motivated, works very hard and has a great attitude. It is a pleasure to coach her and watch her develop every day."

Melissa MacLeod, 5'11" forward, Winnacunnet HS
'Mimi' is another post player who has improved tremendously. She made the varsity team as a freshman for a Winnacunnet team went undefeated en route to their 5th straight D-I title. Still, McLeod's minutes last year were very limited. But then over the off-season she worked hard on her game, training with the New England Warriors and Coach Joe Tardif. Now McLeod (pictured above) is in the starting lineup and playing a vital role for one of the state's top teams. She's attacking the rim, rebounding and had 32 points vs. Timberlane.

"Mimi has continued to progress as a young post player" said Winnacunnet head coach Ed Beattie. "She runs the floor well and will become a major force down the stretch for us. I would guess she has a strong future in Division I and beyond."

Heather King, 5'11" forward, Lebanon HS
Again, another player who saw very limited playing time as a freshman but is now starting and playing a major role for one of the state's best teams as a sophomore. King has a rapidly developing face-up game and can also battle inside. When Lebanon lost all-state player Trina Scheie for the season with a torn ACL they needed King to step in her place and perform in order to win games and she has done just that.

"She has gotten stronger and has improved a great deal" said Lebanon head coach Tim Kehoe. Her and Moriah Morton didn't play soccer this year and instead they MADE 300 shots a day."

Kayla Stacy, 5'5" Guard, Pinkerton Academy
Stacy is the leading scorer on one of the top 5 teams in D-I. She is good at handling the basketball against defensive pressure and uses screens well to get by her man off the dribble. She can finish inside or hit shots from the outside. Stacy didn't get much playing time last year as a freshman at Manchester Memorial, but transferred to Pinkerton over the summer and is now making a big impact for the Astros as their starting point guard.

"Kayla came into a good situation, where she had the opportunity to become the starting point guard" said Pinkerton head coach John Barry. "She doesn’t turn the ball over very often, and makes good decisions. I believe that confidence has a lot to do with her success. She is also very level headed and takes failure and success in stride. I also credit her teammates in their willingness to accept her and the role she fills. I did not see her play last year, so I can’t make any sort of judgment on her change of skills from then till now."

Gigi Piercy, 5'6" Guard, Bishop Guertin HS
Piercy is the only player on this list who played JV last year as a freshman, as the rest played varsity. She went from the JV team last year to starting and playing a key role for a BG girls team that is currently playing better than anybody in the state. Piercy is a gym rat who plays the game hard, hustles and is a tough defender. She thrives in an up-tempo game, and that's the way new BG coach Scott Hazelton plays.

"Gigi is the ultimate utility player" said Coach Hazelton. "She simply does it all for us. Whether it be on offense or defense she's always contributing to help our team. She's one of our most improved players."

Veronica Moceri, 5'7" Guard, Alvirne HS
Moceri is a sharpshooting wing player. She didn't get much playing time last year with players like DJ Purcell and Katie Donovan in front of her. But they both graduated and now the pressure is on Moceri to step in and score on a young Alvirne team. She dropped 25 points on Merrimack and 17 on Nashua North in an overtime win.

Pinkerton Sqeaks Past Shorthanded South

2012-01-20T21:57:00.013-05:00

The talented senior trio of Chris Light (game-high 21 points), Alex Patrikis (18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Kevin Colbert (12 points with 10 coming in the 2nd half) was just too much for Nashua South to handle, especially since South was playing without its best player Anthony Muccioli (out sick). The result was a win for Pinkerton in Division I boys basketball.

The Astros led 58-49 with only 1 minute left, but South ended the game on a 7-0 run. It was too little too late though, as Pinkerton held on for the 58-56 win to improve to 5-1 on the season.

"Having everybody healthy now is big" said Light, referring to Patrikis who has been bothered by a foot injury and Colbert has missed time with an ankle injury. "If they pressure me I can dump it in to Alex, and if he kicks it back out me and Kevin can attack from the wings."

South led 29-28 at halftime, but Pinkerton made a run towards the end of the 3rd quarter, taking a 48-38 lead into the 4th quarter. After a three-pointer by South forward David Dunham cut the Pinkerton lead to 41-38, the Astros then went on a 7-0 run to end the 3rd quarter. Senior guard Sean Smith answered Dunham's three-pointer with one of his own just a few seconds later. Then Light and Patrikis scored a couple quick baskets, giving Pinkerton a lot of momentum going into the game's final frame.

"That run turned out to be the difference, it turned out to be insurmountable" said Naashua South head coach Nate Mazzerole. "The fundamentals were lost on us during that 2 minute stretch. Those mistakes can't happen."

One thing that stopped working in the 3rd quarter for South that was working in th 1st half was sophomore guard Tim Preston creating offense and making plays off the dribble for himself and his teammates. Preston was especially impressive in the 2nd quarter. Pinkerton extended their defense out to half court and threw 2 defenders at him, but he was able to handle the pressure, get to the basket and make a couple of nice floaters in the lane. Then he got into the paint and when the defense collapsed he dished it off to the older brother Jack Preston for a layup.

It was at this time that the game was really being played at a high level, because not only were the Preston brothers (who each had 11 points on the night) making big plays for South, but Light and Patrikis were matching them shot for shot on the other end for Pinkerton. The game had a really nice flow to it for the last few minutes of the 2nd quarter and as the teams traded big shots they also traded the lead - there was 6 lead changes in the 2nd quarter alone.

Kevin Morrissey hit back-to-back jumpers to start the 2nd frame to tie it up at 14-14. Patrikis then made a nice move along the baseline to get to the rim and finish a reverse layup. After a nice pass by Jared Maloney in the high post to Jack Preston inside for 2 the Astros lead was cut to 23-22 with 2:05 left in the 1st half. Then after a floater by Tim Preston South went up 24-23. Light answered right back with a strong drive to the rim and reverse layup to put Pinkerton back on top 25-24. Then Tim Preston came back down and made another floater to put South back on top 26-25. Answering right back for Pinkerton was Smith, hitting a a long two-pointer (apparently he had a foot on the line) which put Pinkerton back up 28-27. That's when Tim Preston drove to the basket, dished it to his brother Jack for a layup with 1 second left in the half, and South went into the locker room up 29-28. What a great 3 minutes of basketball it was to end the half!

Even when Muccioli has been in the lineup this season, South has had problems scoring at times. And he gets them 16-18 points a game, so for the Purple Panthers to score 29 points in a half and 56 points for the game without their star senior definitely bodes well for them.

But again, the 3rd quarter was the difference, as Pinkerton outscored South 20-9 in the 3rd period. Light, Patrikis and Smith all had big shots on offense, and they were able to slow down the Preston brothers on defense.

"We made some adjustments" said Pinkerton head coach Pete Rosinski. "We played tough defense and we executed well on offense."

One key defensive play in the 3rd quarter came when Smith was providing some great pressure on Tim Preston in the back court, causing a 10 second violation. Then South had a couple more turnovers late in the quarter which led to 2 quick baskets by the Astros.

"They srtarted pressing and doubling him back there" said Coach Mazzerole, talking about his sophomore guard Preston, who along with fellow sophomore guard Yordy Tavarez had to shoulder the ball handling duties with Muccioli out. "And against that defense we started over-dribbling and neglecting to send someone to the foul line."

In the 4th quarter South was doing everything they could to try and get back in the game, as the Dunham brothers Michael and David played well on both ends of the floor. Then after a miss on a three-pointer by Tavarez, Tim Preston got the team energized when he came out of nowhere to jump up and in mid-air tip the ball back into the basket - while drawing a foul at the same time! That cut the Pinkerton lead to 52-45 with 3:00 left in the game.

Light responded by getting the ball on the block, turning from about 15 feet away and knocking down a big turnaround jumper over Armond McRae defending while also drawing a foul.

"When I have a smaller player on me I just turn and shoot it over the top of them" said Light, who scored 21 points but didn't force a shot all night.

That's when Colbert really came alive, delivering 2 BIG baskets late to put the game out of reach. First him and Patrikis had a nicely executed give-and-go, ending with Colbert catching the return pass in the lane and then making an athletic finish inside, converting a tough scoop shot over the outstretched hands of a defender. Then on the next time down the floor he went right at a bigger defender for South, took the ball to the rim and made a great and-1 finish at the rim by making a double-pump layup through the contact. That made it 58-49 Pinkerton with 1 minute left in the 4th quarter.

"I brought Colbert in at the end of our last game vs. Londonderry and he hit 2 big shots then" Coach Rosinski said before tonight's game vs. South.

Well, he came up big in the clutch again this evening. But just when it seemed like the game was over after Pinkerton took a 9 point lead with a minute left South made a furious run late in the game to try and make a comeback. Morrissey (10 points on the game) made a shot inside, then South got a steal. Tavarez (9 points) pulled-up at the top of the key and drained a three. Then Michael Dunham picked up a loose ball and laid it in, cutting the Astros lead to 58-56 with just 3 seconds left.

South would then need a steal or a quick foul so they could try and get the ball back. But instead Colbert caught the inbounds pass and by the time a South defender could get to him it was too late. The buzzer sounded and Pinkerton was able to hold on for the 58-56 win.

"We have the potential to be a contender" said Coach Rosinski. "But we need to focus better, take care of the basketball and have mental toughness. Our 2010 state championship team had it, I'm hoping to get this team to that point too."

Hollis Improves to 8-0, Beats Defending Champs Souhegan

2012-01-18T22:38:00.010-05:00

On Tuesday night at Souhegan High School the Hollis-Brookline girls basketball team continued an undefeated season with a 59-46 win. They got the win over a Souhegan team which went undefeated en route to the Division II championship last season.

Hollis got tremendous play from their 'Big Four' of Katie Stopera, Olivia Gillis, Kelsey Berry and Jillian Gillis. All four of them are seniors, they all have great chemistry together and they can all shoot, defend and handle the basketball.

"They've been playing together since 4th or 5th grade" said Hollis-Brookline head coach Bob Murphy. "They're a great group of kids to coach."

Below is the video highlights and post-game interview. Keep reading for the rest of the game write-up.

Stopera shot the ball well from all over the floor and used a quick release en route to a game-high 23 points. Olivia Gillis and Berry both scored 15 points, while Jillian Gillis played tough defense and made some great passes in her first game back after missing a couple weeks with an injury.

"Rachel King also gave us a lot of good minutes" said Coach Murphy. "She did a nice job on defense and rebounding."

Hollis jumped out to a 17-9 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. Souhegan (led by Jane White with 18 points and Ceara McNamara with 14) were able to cut the lead to 4 in the 2nd half, but that's as close as they were able to get. Hollis was just too tough though - they forced a lot of turnovers on defense, moved the ballw ell on offense and hit their free throws down the stretch.

Hollis and Lebanon are the only 2 remaining undefeated teams left in Division II. They don't play each other in the regular season, but they did play in a tournament over the holidays, with Lebanon winning 49-40 (Jillian Gillis did not play in that game for Hollis).

As for Souhegan they need to try and right the ship. They were the preseason favorites to repeat as champions and for good reason - they are essentially returning 5 starters from an undefeated state champion team including the best player in the state (Jane White) and 4 of their 5 starters are seniors. So who wouldn't pick them to win it? However they have now lost 3 games already (4 if you count their loss to BG over the holidays) and they haven't even played Lebanon yet.

Welch Lights It Up, PA Has Big 2nd Half in Win Over Coe Brown

2012-01-17T21:13:00.011-05:00

Patrick Welch showed once again why he's the best shooter in the NHIAA on Tuesday night, as the sophomore guard drained 8 three-pointers en route to a game-high 31 points in an 80-59 win for Pembroke over Coe Brown.

"I just get as many shots up as I can and do light dribbling every day" said Welch when describing his workout routine. "In the 2nd half we got looks against their zone when Rene drove we just had to step in and shoot it."

It was an impressive win for Pembroke, who improves to 6-1 on the season (9-1 including the holiday tournament). Point guard Rene Maher had 15 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, while Matt Persons had 14 points for the Spartans. Pembroke actually trailed in this game 32-30 at halftime, but they put up 50 points in the 2nd half.

Welch also dropped 31 on Concord over the holidays, and his career-high is 34 (last year vs. Pelham). Pembroke head coach Matt Alosa is one of the best players to ever come out of NH, but Welch actually scored 5 more points in his freshman season last year than Alosa did in his.

"We tried to play zone and just extend our defense on Welch" said Coe Brown coach Dave Smith. "But you can't focus too much on him because the other guys will hurt you. I thought Persons hit a couple big shots at critical times."

Smith's team battled hard all game. In the 1st half it was anyone's game, as Darren Doyon, Tom Darling and Josh Jackman were all playing well for the Bears. They were doing a nice job of breaking the Pembroke press, and even got baskets off of it at times.

Late in the 2nd quarter Darling and Jackman connected on back-to-back threes to put Coe Brown up 32-28 - the home crowd at Coe Brown was really rocking at that point. Maher then made a great effort inside, battling for a rebound and getting a tough 2 points as Pembroke went into the locker room down 32-30.

"In the 1st half we got them to play our tempo" said Coach Smith. "We can't run with them, match them shot-for-shot, so we had to slow it down a little bit."

Then as soon as the 2nd half started the Spartans went on a run, took control of the game and never looked back. Maher hit a three just seconds into the 3rd quarter. Then the next time down the floor Persons connected from beyond the arc. Then Welch got fouled while shooting a three and hit all 3 free throws. Just like that Pembroke scored 9 points in under a minute, and went from being down 4 to being up by 7, 39-32.

"We jumped on them to start the 2nd half" said Pembroke coach Matt Alosa. "On defense we made them rush things and then we changed up our zone offense and had better shot selection in the 2nd half."

The offensive barrage just kept on rolling. After another three by Persons Pembroke went up 46-36, as they scored 18 points in 4 minutes! Then Maher made a nice drive and dish to senior forward Tyler Morrison for 2 points, followed by a three by Welch. On the next time down the floor Welch made a nice drive and finish in transition, twisting his body in mid-air at the rim to avoid the defender while still making the shot. That put PA up 53-41.

Pembroke just kept increasing their lead, but Coe brown refused to give up. They just kept on playing hard, especially Doyon who had a tremendous performance in the loss for the Bears. Doyon ended up with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals. He played a great all around game, on both ends of the floor. He took it hard to the rim, was tough inside and jumped in the passing lanes on defense. Doyon reminds me a lot of Curtis Arsenault from Berlin, which is high praise considering Arsenault is one of the top players in the state.

"He's been a steady player for us" said Coach Smith. "He gives us strength inside."

It should also be noted that Coe Brown was playing without 2 starters in this game. Forwards Skyler Mitchell and Chris Laurion are both out with ankle injuries. According to Coach Smith Mitchell could miss up to 2 more weeks, while laurion could miss the rest of the season. Tonight was also the first game back in the lineup for junior guard Damon Doyle, who had missed a couple weeks with an ankle injury of his own. He too had been starting before going down. Considering all of those injuries it is very impressive the way Coe Brown played tonight against a very good Pembroke team.

"They're going to be dangerous come playoff time" said Coach Alosa.

Meanwhile it looks like Portsmouth and Pembroke continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in Division II. They were the 2 favorites coming into the season, Portsmouth is unbeaten while Pembroke's only loss came on opening night to Portsmouth in a 57-56 thriller.

"I hope we see them again" said Alosa. "We're a different team now."

Girls Basketball on Tap for Sunday Afternoon

2012-01-17T12:46:00.002-05:00

Folks, just a quick heads up here. The girls basketball game between Trinity and Manchester Memorial which was scheduled to be played tonight has been moved to this Sunday afternoon.

"We're going to play on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (JV/Varsity)" said Trinity head coach Pat Smith. "It's because both schools are in midterm exams."

So hoops fans in the area looking to check out a game this Sunday, look no further than Memorial High.

Zurmuhlen Stars on Stanford NCAA Championship Team

2012-01-16T21:00:00.003-05:00

It is not everyday that a kid from New Hampshire starts for a team that wins a Division I National Championship in college. Well on December 4, 2011 that's exactly what happened.

On that day Kristy Zurmuhlen (Walpole, NH) helped the Stanford Cardinal win its first ever NCAA title in women's soccer, as they defeated Duke University 1-0. Zurmuhlen was a starting midfielder and one of the 4 seniors on the team. Those 4 seniors had a combined record of 95-4-4 over their 4 years at Stanford.

This is an amazing accomplishment for Zurmuhlen, who was a standout player at Fall Mountain Regional High before heading to Stanford. She should be looked at as a role model for all youth athletes coming up in NH that anything is possible with hard work.

Zurmuhlen has been busy attending classes at Stanford and celebrating the championship, but she was kind enough to take time out to do an exclusive interview with the New Hampshire Notebook. Here's what the granite stater and national champion had to say.

Jeremy Leveille: What was it like to help Stanford win the national title?
Kristy Zurmuhlen: It was an amazing feeling, I think all of us were just overwhelmed and a little unsure if it was real. We had worked so hard to get to that game, and to finally accomplish our goal was incredible!

JL: Talk about your senior class at Stanford, and how you guys were
Able to achieve such tremendous success on the field.
KZ: Lindsay Taylor, Teresa Noyola, and Cami Levin are just amazing people. They are all like sisters to me and we would to anything for each other, and anything to help each other succeed. All three of those are some of the most amazing soccer players I now and I am honored that I had four years to play with them. I have learned so much from them and I couldn’t imagine having a college experience with out those girls. I think we were able to achieve so much success on the field because we care about each other so much off the field. I think the whole mindset of the team this year was to work hard for each other! And don’t let each other down out there. The friendships we’ve created on this team will last a lifetime.

JL: Talk about your experience at Stanford, not only athletically, but academically and as well.
KZ: My experience was a little different the other 3 seniors. I didn’t earn a starting spot until my senior year and it was a really hard thing to do on a team with so much talent. I’ve had to work harder than I’ve ever had to work in my life at this school and I am so much better for it. I wouldn’t’ have it any other way. Academically, I am a human biology major and after I’m done playing soccer I’m looking to go to PA (physician assistant) school.

JL: Talk about your experience at Fall Mountain High, and how playing there prepared you for your career at Stanford.
KZ: Fall Mountain was a great experience. It was a great team and I had a good coach (Justin Parrot) who was very passionate about the game. However, I think most of my preparation came from ODP team, clubs teams, regional teams, and then national team experience.

JL: Who were the some of the coaches and what were some of the teams you played on growing up that helped your development as a player?
KZ: I have to say two of the most important people were Matt Sprague and Neil Stafford who were my coaches at Seacoast United in NH. They are great people, they believed in me and taught me so much.

JL: Talk about being a role model for younger female soccer players in NH.
KZ: It’s a great feeling. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to look at kids and tell them that if they work hard, they can accomplish whatever they want to, and have the personal experiences to back that statement up.

JL: What would you like to accomplish after graduating from Stanford this spring?
KZ: Well, I’m really excited for the spring. The 2012 draft just took place, they drafted 23 very talented payers - I was not one of them. So my plan is to try out for some teams. I got invited by one of the head coaches to attend their preseason in March so I will most likely being doing that and trying to get on the roster! So in terms of school, if I make a WPS roster I will not graduate in the spring, but will come back in the fall. After I’m done with soccer, my plan is to attend PA school and become a physician assistant! But we’ll see where life takes me!

Fogarty Commits to Marist

2012-01-15T22:23:00.002-05:00

Katharine Fogarty is the #1 ranked girls player from NH from the Class of 2013. She's 6'2", she can hit threes, put the ball on the floor and drive to the rim and block shots. She makes plays inside and outside and is a very smart player as well. And even though she is only a junior, Fogarty has already made her college decision.

The Peterborough, NH native has committed to attend school and play basketball at Marist College, a Division I school in New York that competes in the highly competitive MAAC conference.

The NH Notebook was on hand Saturday when Fogarty and her Governor's Academy teammates took on Tilton. After the game we spoke with her about her decision to commit to Marist.

Tilton Defense Shuts Down Governors

2012-01-15T15:47:00.003-05:00

The Tilton School girls basketball team went on the road on Saturday afternoon to take on Governor's Academy and its twin towers 6'2" Katharine Fogarty and 6'2" Katie O'Book. Tilton played suffocating defense and moved the ball well on offense, and came away with a 45-29 win.

Tilton was led by its trio of NH players - seniors Savanna Butterfield and Kaley Marston and junior Alex Cohen. All 3 of them played very well in the win.

We also must note that Marston did not officially commit to Brandeis University. Sorry for the confusion, but stay tuned and when she does officially commit somewhere we'll let you know.

Conant Boys Roll Past Campbell on the Road

2012-01-13T21:22:00.008-05:00

The Conant High boys basketball team forced over 20 turnovers on defense and on offense they had 6 different kids hit three-pointers. When you do that you have a pretty good chance to win the game.

"Our defense stepped up" said Conant junior guard Devin Springfield. "Our trap was working, we tipped some passes, forced turnovers and then we just all got going as a team."

Springfield led a balanced scoring attack for the Orioles with a game-high 16 points. He was one of the 6 Conant players who hit a three, along with Jake Carlson (12 points), Steven Hodgson (10 points), Robert O'Brien (9 points), Eli Hodgson (4 points) and Dan Sirois (3 points). It's not everyday that a team has 6 kids who all hit a three in the same game. Conant might lack size / a low post presence, but they are very deep, they're all fast and they can all shoot it. And oh yeah, they all pressure the heck out of you on defense.

"The key for us was defense and rebounding" said Conant head coach Eric Saucier. "And we do this drill in practice called 60 shots which allows all the kids to get up a lot of shots everyday."

Campbell actually started off this game pretty good, and it wasn't until the 2nd quarter when Conant really started hitting on all cylinders. Conant hit lots of threes in this game, well Campbell was too early on. Junior guard Max Gouveia drilled a pull-up three to put Campbell up 10-5 with 2 minutes left in the 1st quarter. Springfield answered right back by pulling up from 18 feet and knocking down a shot of his own. Then Campbell got some instant offense, as Jackson Musco came off the bench and immediately hit a three from the corner to put the Cougars up 15-7. That was Campbell's largest lead of the game.

However that is when the momentum swung over the Conant. Just mere seconds after the three by Musco, Carlson answered right back for the Orioles with a trey of his own. Conant then got into their full court press, got a turnover and then Carlson got a layup. That was the beginning of a 9-0 Conant run, as they took their first lead of the game 16-15 early in the 2nd quarter.

Then right after that the momentum continued to swing into Conant's favor, as Gouveia picked up a technical foul. Springfield made both of the technical free throws, Conant got the ball back, and Gouveia was forced sit for the rest of the game. Not only is Gouveia one of Campbell's best players, but when you're going up against a team like Conant that presses all game and really pressures opposing guards defensively out on the perimeter you need your best ball handlers out there as much as possible. And Campbell's best ball handlers are Gouveia and sophomore Jesiah Wade. That's when Campbell really started to turn the ball over a lot and had trouble getting into their offense. Conant was able to turn those turnovers into layups and three-pointers on the other end.

"The technical was huge" said Campbell head coach Pat Roye. "But I thought Carlson was the key for them. Not only did he hit shots, but he got them into their offense and made some plays on defense too. Hodgson was also tough, hitting those 2 threes late. Our team went over and saw Conant play Mascenic earlier in the season and Conant hit 15 threes that game too. They're deep, they get after it and they make the extra pass."

The 2nd half is when Conant really opened things up and the game got away from Campbell. Carslon and O'Brien hit threes late in the 3rd quarter to push the Conant lead to 40-25 heading to the 4th. Campbell 6'7" junior center Caleb McKearin (7 points and 7 rebounds) was a big factor early in the game when the Cougars were leading as he was a force inside scoring and rebounding. But as the game went on he became less of a factor. Then in the beginning of the 4th quarter Steven Hodgson hit back-to-back three-pointers followed by a trey by his little brother Eli Hodgson. From there the Orioles cruised to the 58-35 win.

"Our guys know the game is a marathon" said Coach Saucier. "We don't want to come out and use all of our energy in the 1st quarter. It's a long game, and we're usually able to wear teams down with our press and our depth."

Steven and Eli are younger brothers of Ezra Hodgson, who was one of the best players in the state last season and is now playing college ball at Plattsburgh State. Springfield is trying to become the 4th member of his family to score 1,000 points in a Conant uniform. The last one was his older sister Brooke who now starts at SNHU. Additionally, one of Campbell's top players is junior wing Jacob Morgan, whose older brother Josh was a 1,000 point scorer at Campbell and is now playing at NHTI.

With the win, Conant makes a statement to the rest of Division III that they are for real. Right now it looks like Conant and Berlin are a notch above the rest in D-III. They don't play each other during the regular season, so there is a chance that they will play each other in the championship game come March and both going into that game with perfect 21-0 records. What a story that would be!

Trinity Defeats Alvirne 50-40

2012-01-13T21:21:00.000-05:00

By: Tuesday and Friday
Carmen Giampetruzzi hit a 3 pointer with 2:30 left in the game to give the Pioneers a 42 - 40 lead and start an 11 - 0 game ending run for the Pioneers as they defeated Alvirne 50 - 40.

The first half was played as if two farm tractors were crashing into each other in a cornfield in New Hampshire. With so much missed shots, good defense, turnovers, and sloppy basketball that made one word come to mind - UGLY. It was 11 - 7 in favor of Alvirne after the first period. The big 3 of Beaulieu, Dunn and Livingston combined for the Bronco first period points. Mabor Gabriel got into foul trouble and had to sit for the majority of the 1st half and went scoreless.

The second period was more of the same for both teams with defense and ugly basketball becoming the norm. Trinity received balance scoring in the 2nd period if you can call 4 players combining for 11 points balanced scoring. The two front lines held each other to a draw as each front line scored a combined 2 points. There was no shortage of ferocity on rebounds and blocked shots from either teams front lines, but there was a shortage of points.

The matchup I looked forward to seeing in this game was senior Sean Dunn against freshman Ian Sistare. Dunn has had a hot start to the season and is one of the leading scorers in Division 1. This matchup was a tale of two cities in the 3rd period. In the first half of the period Sistare got the best of Dunn by hitting a 3 and then making the defensive play of the game. Alvirne had a 2 on 1 break with Beaulieu and Dunn. Beaulieu got the defender to commit and then made a perfect pass to Dunn who had a wide open layup....Until Sistare came out of no where to make a tremendous block. The Trinity student body reminded the Broncos what grade Sistare is in with a chant of, "He's a freshman!!!" Dunn regrouped and answered nicely in the 2nd half of the 3rd period with a bucket and a 3 pointer. This seemed to be what the Broncos needed until Pat Keefe a/ka NYC taxi driver weaved his lithe body through some Bronco muscle for a couple of slash drives which re-energized the Pioneers and their faithful. Trinity had a 33 - 30 lead at the end of the 3rd.

When I see Pat Keefe start to make his drives against pressure and numbers even I look at the situation and say, "How's he going to get this taxi cab through that snarling traffic?" He gets by his defender and then plots a strategy around some paint defenders and then uses his athletic hops to finish beautifully off the glass. Keefe is a perfect slash scoring compliment to the Pioneer trees and the sharp shooters. Keefe along with Giampetruzzi were the only 2 Pioneers who scored in all 4 quarters of tonight's game. With points being at a minimum this was key. Tony Beaulieu was the only Bronco to score in every quarter tonight.

Tony Beaulieu paced the Broncos with 16 points. If you don't know about this Bronco senior then you should. He plays the game hard and clean. He is one of the best finishers in D1 basketball when he drives to the hoop. His motor is always running and I would venture to say he is the leader of the Broncos. He is solid on defense. He is solid in passing. He is solid with his sportsmanship. Tony Beaulieu is well on his way to making my all state teams.

The teams traded baskets in the 4th period. There was finally some flow to the game. The first half of the 4th quarter had a "UNH playoff game" feel to it. Tyler Livingston hit a basket to tie the game at 37. Gabriel finished down low to give the Pioneers a 39 - 37 lead. A Britton Doyle FT cut the Pioneer lead to 39 - 38. Tony Beaulieu hit a bucket to give Alvirne their last lead at 40 - 39 with just under 3 minutes left in the game. From this point on the Pioneers closed out the game with an 11 - 0 run. Giampetruzzi hit a huge 3 to give the Pioneers a 42 - 40 lead.

Ian Sistare stepped to the line for a huge 1 and 1 with 1:15 left in the game. The Bronco student section chanted, "Freshman!! Freshman!!", to try and take the Pioneer point guard off his rhythm. He calmly sank the first freebie to which the Pioneer student section chanted back, "Freshman!! Freshman!!." If somebody in the gym didn't know Sistare was a freshman before tonight, they do now. Trinity canned some more FTs in the last minute to give themselves a cushion and Alvirne shot blanks at their offensive end.

With the season now one third completed Trinity is 5 - 1 while Alvirne is 4 - 2. Even though it was an ugly game tonight I saw something in both teams that does make me think they will be in the final Four at UNH in March. Sistare held his own against Sean Dunn by scoring 8 and holding Dunn to 7. Giampetruzzi was solid from start to finish with 14 points. Beaulieu had a very impressive game and finished with 16 points. Trinity will play West in their next game on Jan. 20th. Alvirne after playing mostly the iron of D1 in their first 6 games will play Timberlane and Keene in their next 2 contests.

Collins Drops 30, Bedford Girls Beat Windham

2012-01-11T21:09:00.005-05:00

The Windham girls basketball team trailed by 10 in the 2nd half and by as many as 13. But they came storming back, and led by Clairee Putnam, Bernadette Connors, Kelsey Schiebel and Kerry White they took a 54-52 lead late in the game.

Just seconds after Putnam made a great drive and and-1 finish, Bedford's Haley Driscoll answered right back with an and-1 of her own to put Bedford back on top. Rachel Collins was 6/6 on free throws in the 4th quarter. She hit some clutch FT's late to ice the game, and finished with a career-high 30 points. Driscoll had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 4 steals, and Bedford won 62-59 In Division II on Wednesday night in Bedford. Putnam, Collins and Driscoll are all only sophomores.

It was a great game between 2 good, evenly matched teams. Windham just beat Bedford a couple weeks ago in the Nashua North Holiday Tournament championship game, but Bedford got revenge tonight. The Bulldogs got the win even though they were playing without 6'1" sophomore forward McKenzie Brown, who is out for a couple more weeks with an ankle injury.

McCarthy Commits to SNHU for Baseball

2012-01-11T12:29:00.005-05:00

Bishop Guertin senior Joe McCarthy is one of the state's best 2-sport athletes, as a standout in both baseball and basketball at BG. He recently committed to play baseball at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, a Division II school that competes in the highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.

At halftime of last night's BG vs. Winnacunnet girls basketball game Joe was kind enough to talk with us about the decision and his future playing baseball at SNHU.

BG Girls Hoops Makes History, Ends Winnacunnet's 84 Game Win Streak

2012-01-10T21:01:00.007-05:00

"There's a lot of weight on our shoulders" said Winnacunnet girls basketball coach Ed Beattie. "People don't know what's like to play in this league with all that pressure and win that many games in a row."

Well that weight has now been lifted. Winnacunnet had won 84 consecutive games (winning 5 straight D-I titles in that span) but on Tuesday night at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua it came to an end, as the young but talented BG girls won it 74-66 in an up-tempo game that was fun to watch.

Cardinals junior forward Meghan Green had an absolute monster game, finishing with a career-high 37 points and 22 rebounds. BG's young back court of Jamie Sherburne (sophomore), Megan Kerutis (freshman) and Gigi Piercy (sophomore) did a great job against a tough Winnacunnet press. Warriors senior guard Kirsten O'Neil had 25 points in the loss.

West Gets Back on Winning Track, Gives Shorthanded BG Its Third Straight Loss

2012-01-09T21:24:00.005-05:00

Something had to give here, as both Bishop Guertin and Manchester West came into this game on 2 game losing streaks. After the holiday break both of these teams looked like legit contenders to make it to Durham in March, but BG lost to Nashua South and Alvirne last week, while West lost to Alvirne and Manchester Central. So they were both looking to get back on the winning track, but only one of them could come out of the West High Gym with a win - something had to give.

West was able to build a double digit lead a few times in this game, leading by as many as 13 points. But BG kept coming back, trailing by only 2 in the 3rd at 35-33, and they were also able to cut the Blue Knights lead to 4 in the 4th quarter. BG got strong play off the bench from CJ Boykin, Steve Toscano, Jordan Corbin and Jeff Lunn (15 points and 9 rebounds) played well as a starter in place of Joe McCarthy (didn't play, coach's decision).

But West was able to hold on for the win, as they played good team basketball, fought hard for every rebound and loose ball and battled until the end. Junior breakout player Joc'arl Bureau had a tough game in this one, but his teammates picked him up. Aaron Martin (22 points), Carl Jacques (13 points), Travis Descoteaux ((12 points) and Nolan Flynn (10 points) all scored in double figures, while Caleb Dolman (11 rebounds) and Ivan Ilic (10 rebounds) did a nice job on the boards.

Marston and McNamara Commit to Brandeis

2012-01-08T12:00:00.007-05:00

Brandeis University is a great academic school. Their women's basketball program has a .727 winning percentage over the last 7 years, their head coach Carol Simon is in her 25th season at the helm. And recently 2 granite state products have committed to play at Brandeis for Coach Simon to help keep that winning tradition going.

Kaley Marston from the Tilton School and Souhegan High's Ceara McNamara are 2 of the state's top prospects for the Class of 2012. Both players are seniors and have recently committed to Brandeis. Whle they are both very different players, they are both winners. Last March Marston helped lead Tilton to the NEPSAC Class C title, while McNamara has won a high school state championship as well as an AAU national title.

"Kaley has been a coach's dream to have on my team the last two years" said Tilton head coach Tara Brisson. "Not only is she the hardest working player at every practice, she is also the hardest worker in the classroom and in the locker room. She challenges each of her teammates to do better day in and day out and as a coach it is nice to be reassured that it is not always my voice the players are hearing, but their captain's as well."

Marston is a 5'7" point guard who plays unselfishly, always looking to set her teammates up for shots. She leads the break well, pushing the ball quickly up the floor and keeping her head up at all times to see open teammates. Marston also has the ability to score, either by taking the ball to the rim or hitting the mid-range pull-up. She also has an improving outside shot and is a great defender.

"She is very athletic and thrives in the open court" added Scott Hazelton, who was Marston's AAU coach for the last 2 years with the NH Rivals. "She's always willing to work hard and is a very coachable kid."

Between playing with Tilton and the Rivals for the last couple years, Marston has played in a ton of high level games. She's with and against many scholarship players and gives Brandeis a point guard for the future.

"I believe she will be a huge contributor at Brandeis, not only because of her basketball ability but because of her winning mentality and competitive nature" said Coach Brisson. "She simply refuses to lose and will do everything possible to get her team on board with this! Kaley is an amazing teammate and someone I would always want on my side. She will give you every ounce of passion and energy she has and devote herself to not only getting better as a basketball player but as a student and person as well."

While Marston gives Brandeis a point guard for the future, Ceara McNamara gives the program a versatile forward.

"Brandeis is a great school" said McNamara. "The academics are at a very high level and will provide me with an excellent education. Going into the search process, I really focused on the fact that I'm going to college primarily to learn, and that playing basketball is just a plus. While I needed to find a team and coaching staff I could be cohesive with, the academics needed to be my first priority. Having said this, I think that Brandeis is the perfect combination of high-quality academics and a great basketball program. Since they first contacted me, I've really liked Coach Simon and Coach Foulis. I love how they are both so approachable, personable and funny off the court, but when its time to play, they get down to business. Coach Simon is highly respected and after getting to know her coaching style, I can see why. Her style of coaching is what I've experienced over the last few years with AAU and school basketball and I think the transition from my current coaches to new ones will be smooth."

McNamara is a six-footer who can step outside and hit shots, which brings the opponent's bigs away from the basket where they can't get rebounds and also opens up driving lanes for her teammates. McNamara is a prototypical face-up forward, as she can also put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.

"Ceara will be an inside and outside threat for Carol Simon at Brandeis" said Dennis Reed, who coached McNamara for the past 2 years on the NE Shooting Stars AAU team. "She has significantly improved her 15'-18' jumper and is consistently increasing her range out to the 3 point arc. She's solid at the ft line and effectively draws contact when she posts up. Ceara has very effective moves both with her back to the basket and facing up. She is a very bright player and usually knows everyone's assignment which helps her teammates. She has shown significant improvement in strength and stamina and has excellent upside potential."

While playing for Coach Reed on the Shooting Stars, McNamara helped the team win the Division II National Championship in 2010, and in 2011 she helped Souhegan High win the Division II state championship.

They were both amazing experiences that not many people get to have" said McNamara. "Winning last year's state championship was one of the best feelings, however in a way it was also bittersweet. I broke my nose in the first three minutes of the game and the trainer at SNHU wouldn't let me play for the rest of the game. Part of me felt like I didn't play a big role in winning, but after talking to my teammates, coaches and friends, I realized that while the championship game itself was a very big deal, the rest of the season mattered just as much, if not more, especially after going undefeated. The national title is also something I'll never forget. That New England Shooting Stars team was a great group of girls. Our chemistry on and off the court is very hard to come by and I think it was because of this that we were able to accomplish such big things. No one expected us to win the national title, but we did."

It makes a lot of sense that those experiences will enable McNamara to be an impact player right away at Brandeis.

"Both experiences will definitely help me at the college level, but in different ways" McNamara continued. "I think the high school championship really put pressure on in terms of atmosphere and the importance of that game. The gym was completely filled at SNHU that day and the pressure of having all eyes on my teammates and I was something I had to put in the back of my mind and not focus on. This will help me in the mental aspect of the game - focusing on the task at hand and ignoring fans. On the other hand, my physical part of the game has improved so much because of AAU. In the national level tournaments we played, I would be up against girls much bigger than I was and because of this, I developed more versatile skills. When a girl was bigger and slower than me, I learned to bring her outside and play a face-up game, when a girl was stronger, taller, and could easily alter my shot, I learned to become a better passer to create opportunities for my teammates. Playing against these different types of players also improved my defense tremendously. The game is so fast-paced in AAU that its completely different than high school. I think that playing for this high-level team will help me transition to the pace and rigor of college basketball. I'm very excited to make this transition and play for such a great team at the collegiate level, and also to play for Coach Simon and Coach Foulis."

Congratulations to both Kaley and Ceara, and best of luck to them at Brandeis!

New Hampton Girls Over Tabor in a Thriller

2012-01-08T08:14:00.003-05:00

In the girls basketball game of the year, New Hampton defeated Tabor on Saturday 71-69, as Madeline Blais hit a shot inside with about 5 seconds left for the game-winner. These are possibly the 2 best girls prep school basketball teams in New England, and they put on a great show for the packed gym at the New Hampton School.

The game had a great pace to it (thank you shot clock), and both teams played great pressure defense, moved the ball well and hit shots on offense and really got after it all game, diving on the floor for loose balls and battling hard for rebounds.

New Hampton was led by NH products Blais (committed to Marist) with 24 points, Melissa Frase (committed to UMass Lowell) with 15 points and Samantha Brenner (committed to Vermont) with 11.

Alvirne Boys Score 32 Points in 4th Quarter in Comeback Win Over BG

2012-01-06T23:30:00.004-05:00

Alvirne vs. Bishop Guertin was the game of the night in NH high school basketball on Friday night - and it lived up to the hype. It was sloppy at times, but overall it was played at a very high level, with many lead changes, a playoff atmosphere and both teams really going at each other hard for 32 minutes.

Alvirne trailed by 9 with 1:45 left in the 3rd quarter as BG led 51-42. But that's when the comeback began for the Broncos. Led by Tyler Livingston (20 points and 8 rebounds), Sean Dunn (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists) and Tony Beaulieu (13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals) Alvirne was able to come from behind, score 32 points in the 4th quarter and win it 79-71. Dunn was able to hit 4 straight free throws in the 4th quarter after a double-technical was called on Guertin.

Alec Yoksh, Kevin Pierre and Dan Kingsley all came off the bench to make big plays in the 2nd half for Alvirne, who is now one of the hottest teams in the state as they also beat Manchester West on Tuesday night. Logan Kesty had 21 points, Joe McCarthy had 16 and Jeff Lunn had 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss for BG, who dropped their second straight game.

Newmarket Boys Comeback to Beat Rival Epping

2012-01-05T21:45:00.007-05:00

They trailed by as many as 16 points, and they were down by 13 at halftime. But the Newmarket High boys basketball team was able to turn it around, pulling out a great comeback win over Epping 56-51 in a packed gym on Thursday night in Newmarket.

Epping played some great basketball in the 2nd quarter, going on a 28-6 run behind the strong play of the Stanley brothers (Jimmy and Frank) and point guard Brandon Carleton. But Newmarket then made a run of their own, closing to within 4 points at 40-36 heading into the 4th quarter. The teams traded leads a few times in the 4th, but Newmarket made more plays down the stretch to come away with the win. The Mules were led by Christian Filion (17 points), Josh Eisfeller (15 points) and Christian Hawkins (12 points) and also got strong play from Peter Carlson, Sean Fleming and Robert McGloughlin.

These 2 schools combine with each other as one team during football season, but when it's basketball season it's a BIG rivalry. Both teams are contenders in Division IV, but Newmarket has more experience playing in big games and that was definitely a factor in this game.

Despite Injuries, Lebanon Hoops Teams Off to Strong Start

2012-01-04T22:14:00.005-05:00

Yes it's true that the athletic programs in the southern part of NH get more hype and attention, but there's one school up north in particular that you have to be impressed with right now. The Lebanon High boys and girls basketball teams are at or near the top of the Division II standings. Both teams have played very tough early season schedules and both teams have been playing without key, making their play so far even more deserving of recognition.

I got a chance to see both teams play recently on film. I saw the Lebanon boys home game vs. Pembroke and the girls game at home vs. Windham. Here's what I thought about both games and how both teams look at this point in the season.

Lebanon Boys Basketball
Pembroke beat Lebanon in this game, but they had to come from behind to do it. With Pembroke everyone talks about Patrick Welch, Rene Maher and Matt Persons but in this game it was 6'5" senior forward Tyler Morrison who came up BIG, especially down the stretch. Morrison stepped outside and knocked down a number of three-pointers. Him and Welch both hit big shots late in the game, as the Spartans pulled out the come from behind victory 56-50.

Still, Lebanon played a great game. You have to keep in mind that they have been playing without senior big man Alexander Morrill (also a football star) who has been out all season thus far with an injury. Last season when these 2 teams played, Lebanon was able to go on the road and defeat Pembroke, in large part because Morrill had a huge game with about 15 points and 20 rebounds. You can bet the Spartans were glad he wasn't suited up this time!

"I broke my foot" said Morrill. "I broke my fifth metatarsal, it's called a Jones break. I want to come back, but the hospital is making me wait."

Even without Morrill in there Lebanon played well and came very close to winning against a Pembroke team that is a title contender in D-II. In this game 5'10" junior guard David Hampton, 6'2" senior forward Mark Davidson, 6'3" junior forward Matt Cowles, 5'11" senior guard Tyler Silver and 5'10" sophomore guard Nick Shepherd all played well for the Raiders.

Hampton plays AAU ball on the GS Raiders with many of the Pembroke players, he he also lit them up last year in the Lebanon win, so you know that Coach Alosa was going to be keying on him in this game. Pembroke played him tight and made it tough for him to get many good looks. He was still able to break free and hit some shots, but he didn't have a huge game scoring-wise. Instead he distributed the ball well, didn't force anything and got the team into their offense effectively against the intense pressure defense that Pembroke brought.

With PA gearing their defense towards slowing down Hampton, that opened up some room inside for the duo of Davidson and Cowles to operate. Both players did a great job of rebounding the basketball and converting shots inside off put-backs and post-ups.

Silver and Shepherd did a nice job as role players in the back court. They were both strong with the basketball, hit shots and competed hard on both ends of the floor.

After this game Lebanon went to Keene for their holiday tournament. They won that tourney, and beat a very good Conant team in the final.

Lebanon is a very good team, and once they get Morrill back in the lineup they'll be even better. Some people are calling it a 2 team race in D-II with those 2 teams being Portsmouth and Pembroke. Well I beg to differ. Anyone who says that clearly didn't see the Lebanon vs. Pembroke game! Lebanon led this game for nearly the entire way before Morrison and Welch caught fire from the outside late. Morrill dominated PA last year, and if he was playing in this game the Raiders would have likely beaten Pembroke. I would argue it's a 4 team race in D-II, with not only Portsmouth and Pembroke, but also Lebanon and Pelham as teams who are all legit title contenders.

Lebanon Girls Basketball
They graduated 3 starters and their best returning player (5'10" junior forward Trina Scheie) is out for the year with a torn ACL. Yet somehow the Lebanon girls are playing better basketball than anybody else in Division II so far this season.

Souhegan is the defending undefeated champs, but they lost their second game of the season to a young but talented Bedford team. Then Souhegan lost their star point guard Jane White to an ankle injury over the holiday break (it's uncertain right now when she'll return). Bedford then lost to Oyster River, who is only 2-2 so far. Bedford then also had their best player (6'1" forward McKenzie Brown) suffer an ankle injury and it's unknown when she'll be back.

The other 2 teams expected to be contenders in D-II this winter are Hollis-Brookline and Windham. Well guess what folks? Lebanon is not only undefeated so far in regular season play at 5-0, but they have already beaten both Windham AND Hollis. They beat Windham back on December 16 by a final score of 66-50 (that's the game I saw on film and will be analyzing in this article) and then they beat Hollis 49-40 in the Manchester Central Girls Holiday Tournament.

The only team that Lebanon has lost to so far is Manchester Memorial, but c'mon now there's no shame in that loss - Lebanon had to travel an hour and a half to play a Memorial team that was not only playing in their own back yard but they are a top 3 team in Division I - and Lebanon still only lost by 3, 49-46.

So how about that Windham game? Well, Windham is a very good basketball team, and they got off to a nice start by going up 8-4 early. The Jaguars were playing tough defense and moving the ball well on offense to work for good shots. But then Lebanon took control of the game, went up by about 10 points after 1 quarter of play and from that point on they were in control of the game and rolled to the 66-50 win.

5'9" senior guard/forward Colleen Taylor had an MVP type game in this one to lead the way for Lebanon. She was on fire shooting it from the outside, connecting on a number of three-pointers en route to scoring a game-high 23 points (18 in the 1st half. After she had hit a bunch of outside shots Windham had to extend their defense on her, and when that happened she drove right by them to the basket for 2. Taylor also made a very nice defensive play in the 2nd half, coming over on help defense and blocking a shot.

As good as Taylor was in this game, she got a lot of help from her teammates. Lebanon's trio of junior guards Emily Kehoe (18 points), Moriah Morton (16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists) and Taylor Friedman all played well and they all hit shots from beyond the arc.

"When we shoot the ball well we are tough to beat" said Lebanon head coach Tim Kehoe. "Windham is a good defensive team so it showed promise for us. Without a true back to the basket threat we have to press hard and shoot well."

Morton played great defense on Windham's best player Kerry White. White is very skilled and had a decided size advantage, but Morton is tough, scrappy and one of the state's best defenders and limited the offense White was able to create. Kehoe is one of those players who plays the game with reckless abandon, constantly diving on the floor for loose balls and drawing charges. Like in other Lebanon games I've seen in the past, Kehoe slammed to the floor a number of times in this game but every time she just keeps getting back up and playing hard. Friedman handled the basketball and shot it well - all 3 guards can play the point, they're interchangeable between the 1, 2 and 3 positions which makes them tough to defend.

5'11" forward Heather King is one of the most improved players in the Class of 2014. She did a nice job in the Windham game of facing up from 15 feet and either hitting the shot or taking it to the rim and finishing inside. She fits in nicely with this team, and the injury to Scheie is allowing her to gain more minutes which is greatly helping her development as a player.

Sophomore guard Samantha MacDonald is the team's 6th man and while she defers to the 5 starters to do most of the scoring she's a tough player and it's clear that she would start for just about any other D-II team.

Windham really didn't play terrible in this game, it's just that Lebanon was REALLY good, hitting on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. They played suffocating defense, shutting down not only White inside, but also shutting down Windham's talented back court of Kelsey Schiebel and Clairee Putnam who were both very quiet offensively as well. Putnam picked up 2 fouls in the 1st half (the 2nd foul appeared to be a very questionable call where she drove to the rim, put up a shot it it looked like SHE was fouled, not the other way around). She had to sit for the rest of the half and never got into a groove after that. Bernadette Connors, Ashley Adamson, Madalina Jeans and Brianna Angelini all played well in supporting roles for Windham, but Lebanon was just too fast, too aggressive and too good!

So yes, right now Lebanon is playing better than anyone else in the division - even without Scheie. It's impressive stuff and you have to give Coach Kehoe and his team a lot of credit for that. The season is long from being over, but the Raiders look very tough.

And next year I would be VERY surprised if Lebanon lost a game. They'll have Scheie coming back healthy. Scheie, Morton, Kehoe and Friedman will all be seniors, while King and MacDonald will be juniors. Souhegan graduates White, Windham also graduates White, Hollis graduates their 4 best players and Bedford moves up to D-I. Yeah, I'll be shocked if Lebanon loses a game next year.

Ok, now back to this season!

South Wins Another Gate City Showdown

2012-01-04T01:32:00.004-05:00

Nashua South showed why they're one of the state's top teams with an impressive 49-46 victory on the road against a very good Bishop Guertin team on Tuesday night. Yordy Tavarez scored 13 points and Anthony Muccioli had 10 to lead a balanced Purple Panther attack in a game that was a defensive battle.

South just beat Nashua North the other night in the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament title game and now they beat the Gate City's other team BG. The Purple Panthers are now 3-0 on the season (6-0 including the holiday tourney). They are a team to be reckoned with, no question about it.

Trinity Over Merrimack in Possible Title Game Preview

2012-01-04T00:50:00.002-05:00

It was a BIG night for high school basketball across the state of New Hampshire, but the Trinity vs. Merrimack boys game was the biggest. It was a match up of the 2 best teams in the state, and it lived up to the hype.

There was plenty of star players on both sides who came up big, but it was also nice to see role players who often get overlooked get their chance to shine. Trinity's Pat Keefe (10 points off the bench) and Jared Peabody (15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals) both played great for their respective teams.

"It was a great game, with huge intensity and a playoff atmosphere" said Merrimack head coach Tim Goodridge.

In the end though it was Trinity who made more plays down the stretch. They got the stops when they needed to, they had too much size and too many different weapons on offense, and they improve to 3-0 on the season with a 64-60 win over Merrimack in Division I play at the McHugh Gymnasium in Manchester.

Fun Basketball to Watch
It was like watching 2 heavy-weights go at it for 12 rounds - it was a good, hard fought basketball game. The high point of the game came around the middle of the 2nd quarter. For about 2 straight minutes there it was some great basketball to watch. Both teams were pushing the tempo, moving the basketball well, hitting big shot after big shot and just flat out competing. During this offensive flurry, Hunter Viscarello drilled a quick three off the catch, then Dimitri Floras answered right back with a three-pointer of his own just a few seconds later. Then Mabor Gabriel scored inside for Trinity, followed quickly by a basket in the paint by Merrimack forward Connor Whelan before Pioneers freshman sensation Ian Sistare (team-high 14 points) slashed to the rim for 2. Those 5 baskets came in the span of about 45 seconds, and during that time the game had a very nice flow to it and was being played at a high level.

"When we run the break we're actually better" said Sistare, a 6'1" freshman from Dublin, NH. "Because then I can get the ball to our wings and our bigs can run and crash the boards."

Then things really got intense, as Tomahawks sophomore Eric Gendron was guarding Sistare and as soon as Sistare brought the ball across half court Gendron got right up in his face defensively, pressuring the basketball. Sistare picked up his dribble, Gendron then got even closer to try and force the turnover - Sistare had nowhere to go with the basketball. He turned to pivot, and when he did so his elbow slammed into Gendron's jaw, sending him to the floor. Gendron was then called for a foul, sending the Merrimack players, coaches and fans into a frenzy. Both coaches were out onto the floor, the refs were getting yelled at from both sides and Sistare and Gendron starred each other down while the crowd started to really get into the game.

The 1st half then ended, with Trinity on top 31-29. The Pioneers were down 15-9 after the 1st quarter, but they went on a 7-0 run to begin the 2nd stanza.

Keefe and Peabody = Not Your Average Role Players
Keefe was the player who hit the three-pointer which capped the 7-0 run Trinity made to begin the 2nd quarter. Keefe then hit another big three with 2:01 left in the 3rd quarter, which pushed the Trinity lead to 42-35 after a nice extra pass by Jake Hamel set him up for the shot. Keefe also scored on a couple of nice drives to the basket, showing the ability to create his own offense by getting by his man off the dribble and finishing in traffic. He had a very nice game and gave the team goon energy off the bench.

Peabody was also very good for Merrimack. Everybody always talks about their "Big 3" of Floras and the Gendron brothers, but there's no question that Peabody is the team's unsung hero.

"Jared Peabody does it all for us" said Coach Goodridge. "He guards the wings, he guards the bigs, he's putting back shots after rebounds. He's just a blue collar player, a good kid and the kind of player I want on my team."

Late Comeback Bid By Merrimack Falls Short
Trinity led by 9 in the 4th quarter at 49-40 and in the end that was too big of a deficit for the talented Tomahawks to overcome. Merrimack made a valiant effort though, as Eric Gendron (11 points) drained a three-pointer and got fouled at the same time in one of the game's most exciting plays. He made the free throw for a 4-point play.

Soon after that Sistare hit a three for Trinity and they went up 54-46 with only 4:00 left to play. Merrimack had their backs against the wall. If they were going to go on a run and make a comeback they would have to do it now.

Just mere seconds after Sistare hit his three, Floras (game-high 21 points) answered right back for the Tomahawks with a three of his own from the top of the key. Then Merrimack was able to close within 54-51 with about 2 minutes left.

That was as close as Merrimack would get however. After that Floras really started forcing shots, Trinity dominated the boards (with the big men Gabriel, Silvere Aluko and Andrew Lauderdale) and the Pioneers were able to hold on.

Floras did make one last 3 which cut the Trinity lead to 63-60 with 6.5 seconds remaining, which gave Merrimack fans a glimmer of hope. They would need to get a quick steal if not foul right away and hope Trinity missed both foul shots. They didn't get the steal, they fouled Gabriel (9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks), who missed his first free throw but made the second. That made it 64-60 Pioneers with just 3.5 seconds left. Normally you would say it's a 2 possession game so it's over. But after Gendron converted that 4-point play just a few minutes earlier you knew anything was possible. Floras attempted a three, and tried to lean in to the defender to try and draw a foul in case the shot went in. But the shot missed, there was no foul and the buzzer sounded. Game over, Trinity wins 64-60 in a great game.

"I'm very pleased with my team that we were able to pull that one out" said Trinity head coach Dave Keefe, father of Pat Keefe. "We had too many turnovers, but our bigs played well and that's a very good team we just beat."

It was an entertaining basketball game, and was well worth the price of admission for all who attended. I know the season is still young, but I don't think any of those people would be surprised if we saw this same match up in the championship game come March.

North Won't Sign Affidavit, Parkinson to Sit Out the Season

2012-01-03T12:57:00.018-05:00

This article has been updated as of 1/4/11 at 1:30 pm
Paige Parkinson started last year as a freshman for the Nashua North girls basketball team. She's a 5'11" forward who can drive to the basket, run the floor on the break, rebounds on both ends and can finish inside in traffic. Over the summer she transferred from North to Bishop Guertin. Parkinson is not being allowed to play this season for BG. She will sit out this season and will be eligible to play next year as a junior.

"Paige has remained positive through out the whole process" said Bishop Guertin head coach Scott Hazelton, who also coaches the NH Rivals, which is not affiliated with the NE Shooting Stars - the AAU team that Parkinson has played for last couple of years. "Of course she's disappointed that she cannot play but she fully respects the rules and decision passed down by the review committee. She is a tough minded kid so I'm certain she will move on from this and turn it into a positive."

The NHIAA handbook states that any player transferring from one school to another has to sit out for 365 days before playing. The exception is if both of the school's principals sign an affidavit verifying that the transfer was not for athletic reasons. If they both sign off on it then they're eligible and can play right away without waiting a year. However in this case, Nashua North did not sign off on it, so Parkinson is ineligible for one year. She will be able to play next season for BG, as her 365 days will be up at that point.

I asked Nashua North principal David Ryan why he refused to sign off on the affidavit but he refused to comment.

Anybody Notice the Blockbuster Slate of Games on Tuesday Night?

2012-01-01T21:00:00.018-05:00

Tomorrow night might be the biggest night of the Division I boys basketball season. Yes it's still early in the season, but the games count just as much in the standings now as they will on March 2. And there is no other night during the regular season with as many big time match ups as there is tomorrow night.

You have a potential final four preview, with Trinity playing at Merrimack and Nashua South traveling down the street to Bishop Guertin. As if that wasn't enough, 2 other teams who are definite contenders to make it to UNH meet up in the Queen City, where Manchester West plays host to Alvirne.

My head is spinning trying to figure out which one of these showdowns to attend. You also have 2 other games going on Tuesday night that are potential final four previews, with Berlin playing at Campbell in D-III boys and in D-II girls it's Bedford vs. Hollis-Brookline. Here's a closer look at these games and others.

Boys Basketball

Merrimack @ Trinity
Many people around the state would call this match up not only a final four preview but a championship game preview. I wouldn't disagree with those people entirely, but I think BG is right there in that same mix.

You can bet the place is going to be rocking for this tilt. Merrimack is playing on the road but they're riding high right now, coming off their first QCIBT championship since the Corey Hassan days. The 'Big 3' of Dimitri Floras and the Gendron brothers Tyler and Eric have emerged as the state's best trio - each has the ability to take a game over at any time.

Trinity has the 'Tri-Towers' of 6'10" Silvere Aluko, 6'7" Mabor Gabriel and 6'7" Andrew Lauderdale. Head coach Dave Keefe usually has 2 of these 3 bigs in at all times. They're a force inside scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Merrimack might not have anyone 6'7" but they still have some good size. With Floras at 6'1" and Eric Gendron at 6'2" the Tomahawks have possibly the biggest back court in the state, and up front they have a number of guys who are between 6'3" - 6'5", including Tyler Gendron, Jared Peabody, Brad Jarry, Connor Whelan and Jeff Giannelli. These guys can all run the floor, crash the boards and won't be afraid to mix it up inside with Trinity's bigs.

As is the case with pretty much every Trinity game, pace is a big factor. The Pioneers are a half court team and that's no secret. They work the ball around the perimeter, then get it inside, kick it back out, etc. and patiently work for a good shot and play tough defense in the half court. They know they can't run with teams like Merrimack and BG, so pace is a big factor here. Merrimack is a team that if you don't take care of the basketball on offense and get back on defense they can go on a 16-2 run in a hurry and run you right out of the gym.

Look for Merrimack to force an up tempo game by pressing full court after made baskets. Trinity has a bunch of good guards but no true point guard. Their starting point guard Ian Sistare is very talented but he's only a freshman and is more suited for the wing. However it's tough to play an up-tempo game in in that tiny gym they have at Trinity.

Nashua South @ Bishop Guertin
Both teams had impressive showings over the holiday break, with South winning the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament by beating Nashua North in the final, and BG went to Chelsea, MA where they more than held their own against some of the Bay State's top competition. The winner of this game gets the title of best team in the Gate City (for now).

BG will be playing shorthanded, as sophomore super-sub CJ Boykin is out 4 weeks with a thumb injury. Boykin is a lightning quick guard who can defend and give the team some scoring punch off the bench. Guertin will miss him in the lineup over these next few weeks, but they still have plenty of talent.

Logan Kesty scored 25 points over break in a win over Cambridge Rindge & Latin, while Joe McCarthy dropped 33 points on Saint John's Prep (possibly the best team in the MIAA). Brad Holler continues to show a smooth stroke and excellent range from the outside - he hit one three in the game vs. Cambridge Rindge & Latin from about 7 feet behind the line. Cooper Paul is a tough player who does a little bit of everything and Jeff Lunn has been giving these guys a nice inside presence off the bench as well.

South meanwhile has everybody healthy, and they are coming into this game fresh off their holiday tournament championship. Anthony Muccioli is playing at a VERY high level right now as he scored 21 points in the title game win over North on a variety of jumpers and drives to the rim.

I like watching South play because you can tell that these guys genuinely like playing together and have great team chemistry. Is part of that because they have 2 different sets of brothers on the team?(the Preston brothers Jack and Tim, and the Dunham brothers Mike and David) Possibly. It might also be because other than backup guard Armond McRae none of South's key players play football and Muccioli is the only one who played for an 'elite' level AAU team. So not only do these guys have virtually everyone back from last year's team but they also played together all throughout the summer in the Hoops for Hope League but they had everyone playing together in the Rivier Fall League as well.

Both BG and South have good guard play and like to get out and run. Look for this to be an up-tempo game We all know that BG loves to press, but with guards Muccioli, Tim Preston and Yordy Tavarez South showed in the title game on Thursday night vs. North that they are pretty good at handling that kind of defensive pressure. This should be a fun one for sure.

Alvirne @ Manchester West
This is an interesting match up, because you have a red-hot West team going up against an Alvirne team that typically plays their best basketball at the end of the season rather than the beginning. West beat Trinity and Manchester Central before falling to Merrimack in one of the best QCIBT title games in recent memory. Alvirne meanwhile lost 62-54 to Nashua North in the semi-finals of the Chick-fil-A tourney.

The other factor here that favors West is home court. They're a team that especially over the last couple years is known for being a much better team when playing at home.

This game should have some interesting individual match ups, as both teams have a talented 'Big 4.' Alvirne has Tony Beaulieu, Sean Dunn, Jim Tomaswick and Tyler Livingston, while West counters with Aaron Martin, Jocarl Bureau, Travis Descoteaux and Carl Jacques. West has strong players like Caleb Dolman and Nolan Flynn, while Alvirne also has very good role players in Britton Doyle and Alec Yoksh. Both teams can really defend in the half court and have plenty of kids who can score the basketball.

This is another game where pace will be key. Alvirne's best chance for a win is to slow the game down and make it a half court game. The reason why West beat Trinity last week is because West would get steals or defensive rebounds and immediately look to run. Bureau and company got a number of easy baskets in transition. Alvirne's task will be to limit those fast break opportunities by taking care of the basketball, rebounding and taking good shots.

Berlin @ Campbell
As big as those 3 games in D-I are, you have got to talk about this big time match up in D-III. It's an early season battle of un-beatens, with 5-0 Berlin making the long bus ride south to take on 4-0 Campbell. Berlin is the hands down favorite to win the title, but Campbell is a team that is deep, talented and has something that Berlin doesn't - size.

The bottom line is that one of Campbell's best players is 6'7" junior center Caleb McKearin, and Berlin doesn't have anyone over 6'1". Is that going to decide this game? Absolutely not. Will it be a factor? Absolutely.

McKearin (transfer from Mt. Zion Christian Academy) is still a work in progress with some raw skills, but he is a talented player who has is a a threat to record a double-double every time out. While Berlin doesn't have anyone close to his size they have a number of tough, physical players who will try to throw him off his game. Look for Berlin to deny McKearin the basketball and to double-team him in the post. You can also expect them to try and push the pace and make it an up-tempo game so that McKearin is less of a factor.

Campbell might have the size advantage and the home court advantage, but Berlin has the best player in the division in 6'1" senior guard/forward Curtis Arsenault. Arsenault is a strong, powerful player who can score inside or out and is capable of posting 20+ points and 10+ rebounds on any given night. Berlin has much more experience than Campbell in playing in big games, as they went to the semi-finals last year and the title game the year before that and they have a lot of guys still there from those teams.

Girls Basketball

Bedford @ Hollis-Brookline
The game of the night on the girls side is a potential final four match up in D-II between Bedford and Hollis. Let's call this match up 'The Seniors vs. the Sophomores'. Bedford is led by their outstanding sophomore class including McKenzie Brown (currently out with an ankle injury), Haley Driscoll, Rachel Collins, Ali Glennon, Bailey Marshall and Caroline Conrad. Together they form the most talented sophomore class in the state. They are talented and have a very bright future playing together, and while Hollis is led by their seniors many of the Bedford girls play year round and on national level AAU teams so it's tough to say that Hollis has the more experienced team.

Hollis-Brookline counters with star senior players Katie Stopera, Kelsey Berry and the Gillis twins Olivia and Jillian. These 4 have been playing together for a long time and have terrific chemistry on the court. They can all shoot, handle the basketball against pressure, defend and play the game at a fast pace. They love to get out and run the break and when they do so they are excellent at sharing the basketball and making the extra pass to get the best shot possible. They don't care who scores, as long as the team scores.

The advantage Bedford has on them is inside - Hollis would have a very tough time matching up with the Bulldogs in the paint if both Brown and Driscoll were in the lineup. So with Brown being out with the injury that definitely helps the Cavalier's chances. But it still could go either way and should be a great game.

Also, don't forget about these rivalry games also taking place Tuesday night!
Some of the state's biggest local rivalries will be taking place. You have Coe-Brown vs. Portsmouth, Dover vs. St. Thomas, Con-Val vs. Keene and Moultonborough vs. Pittsfield in both boys and girls basketball.

The Coe-Brown vs. Portsmouth girls game will be particularly interesting to watch, as both teams are legit contenders to get home playoff games and appear to be very evenly matched. Watch out for sharpshooters Meredith Grady for Coe-Brown and Markey Flewelling for Portsmouth. Both teams also have first-year head coaches, with David Hartnett for Coe-Brown and Dan Parr for Portsmouth.

BG Boys Fall in Title Game of BABC Holiday Tourney

2011-12-31T15:21:00.002-05:00

Over the holiday break the defending Division I champion Bishop Guertin boys basketball team left NH to go and play some of the top high school teams in Massachusetts. They participated in the BABC Holiday Tournament, which took place in Chelsea, MA.

BG played against 2 very good teams in this tournament - Cambridge Rindge & Latin and St. John's Prep. These games were played at a high level and a fast pace. The Cardinals played 2 teams that are as good if not better than anybody they will play this season in the NHIAA. They defeated Cambridge Rindge & Latin in a great game on Tuesday before falling to St. John's Prep in the final on Thursday night.

Senior guard Logan Kesty dropped 25 points in the first game, while Joe McCarthy had 30 points in the second game. Sophomore guard CJ Boykin fractured his thumb in the first game and is out for 4 weeks. Check out the highlights for both games in the below video.

Windham Girls Beat Bedford for Holiday Tourney Title

2011-12-30T21:03:00.005-05:00

It was the 5th holiday basketball tournament for me in the last 5 days - what a week! The Nashua North Holiday Basketball tournament features a bunch of Division I teams, but it was a pair of young D-II squads who met in the final. Bedford and Windham are 2 of the newest schools in the state but they both have very good girls basketball programs and both are expected to compete for a state title this season.

In a game that was very low scoring due to some terrific defense on both sides, Windham won the game and the tournament title by defeating Bedford 37-33. Sophomore guard Clairee Putnam (11 points) drilled a clutch three-pointer late in the game that put the Jaguars up. Kerry White posted 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Kelsey Schiebel and Bernadette Connors also played well for Windham.

Both teams really pressured the basketball well - nobody was getting any easy looks at the basket. Bedford was playing without one of their best players in 6'1" sophomore McKenzie Brown, and Ali Glennon sat for much of the game with foul trouble. Haley Driscoll (10 points and 11 rebounds) really stepped up for the Bulldogs, while Bailey Marshall, Caroline Conrad, Maggie McGown, Rachel Allen and Rachel Collins all played well for a deep Bedford team in the loss.

Kearsarge Girls are King of the Hill in Concord

2011-12-30T10:58:00.003-05:00

By: DC
Thursday night's Championship game for the 40th annual Capital City holiday tournament featured 2 local teams that are undefeated in early season division play. The Bow Falcons are 6-0 in division 3 and have won every game by double digits. Kearsarge Cougars are 5-0 in division 2 and is tied for 1st place.

This girls tournament featured 8 teams all from the Concord area playing for bragging rights of who is king of the hill in girls basketball in the Capital City.

Both teams won 2 games to team reach the finals. Bow beat a very tough Merrimack Valley team in the first round 38-25. In the second round they ran into a Bishop Brady team that came close to pulling off a huge upset coming up just short losing to Bow 29-27. Kearsarge fell behind John Stark 17-11 after one quarter and then shook off the Christmas dinner and went on a 37-6 run over the next two quarters to pull off a 57-29 first round victory. Kearsarge played a much improved Pembroke team who beat Concord in the first round. Kearsarge jumped on the Pembroke girls early but the pesky Spartans hung around to the end with Kearsarge prevailing 46-33

This set up a championship game with both teams trying to keep their perfect records in tact going into the new year. This was a classic match up of size versus speed. Bow features all state point guard Lindsey Nerbonne and four other starters between 5'10" to 6'0". Kearsarge tallest starter is 5' 8" it wasn't hard to figure out what Bow's game plan would be. Right from the opening tap Bow took advantage of their size and pounded the ball inside with good success. They jumped out to an early lead and along with a very tight officials whistle it looked like Bow was just to big and would dominate the smaller Kearsarge squad.

Just in the nick of time Brittney Page the all state Cougar guard/forward hit 3 huge shots from long distance scoring 9 of her team high 14 points keeping Kearsarge in the game. With one point separating the 2 teams after one quarter the game settled down with both teams punching and counter punching, neither team could take control of the game.

Kearsarge up 32-28 earlier in the fourth quarter Bow lead by Nerbonne and her team high 14 points went on a 8-0 run going up 36-32 and taking control of the game with 4 minutes to play. The Cougars were staggered but still standing. Bow with the ball and chance to go up by 6 when Kearsarge guard Morgan Church came up with a big steal and found tournament MVP Katie Levesque under the basket. Levesque was fouled and went to the line for 2 shots. Making the first Kearsarge down by 3. The second shot hits the front of the rim and Levesque tips the rebound to a teammate. A quick ball rotation gets the ball back to Katie and hits a layup.

Kearsarge down by one makes a big defensive stop and Church after struggling with her shot all game hits a big left handed runner putting Kearsarge up by one. The momentum shifts back to Kearsarge when Levesque puts the nail in the coffin when she gets a nifty bounce pass through traffic from Church to hit a lay up and one foul shot. Molly Giles hits another nice jumper in the lane to put the game out of reach and give the Lady Cougars from Kearsarge their first Capital City Holiday Tournament Championship.

Jill Chergey, Ashlie Tucker, and Lindsey Nerbonne represented Bow , while Morgan Church, Brittney Page, and Katie Levesque from Kearsarge made the all tournament team. Katie Levesque at 5'5" was the tournament MVP. She scored 18 points her first round game and constantly out rebounded girls 5 and 6 inches taller than her the whole tournament. Don't be fooled by the size of the dog it's the bite that gets you!

Both Bow and Kearsarge have a lot to look forward to in their league play. Neither team is on the short list of potential state champions but they are both teams that are capable of doing a lot of damage come tournament time.

South Wins Gate City Bragging Rights

2011-12-29T22:51:00.007-05:00

2011 Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament Title Game: Nashua South 46 Nashua North 40

Ever since Nashua split into 2 different high schools the North vs. South rivalry has been one of the biggest rivalries in NH high school sports. This season the boys basketball teams for the 2 schools just happen to both be very good and they're both evenly matched as well, which only adds fuel to the fire. In our preseason rankings we had North ranked #5 and South at #6 in Division I.

On Thursday night at Nashua South the 2 squads met in the championship game of the Nashua-area holiday basketball tournament, which is sponsored by Chick-fil-A. South got off to a slow start, scoring just 2 points in the game's first 6 minutes. But then Anthony Muccioli (game-high 21 points) and the rest of his teammates heated up and they won it 46-40 in front of a packed gymnasium.

Muccioli caught fire late in the 1st quarter, score 10 of his 21 points in the game's opening stanza. He was hitting threes, mid-range jumpers and also scoring on drives to the rim.

"They were going in for me and then the team started to play better together and they started making shots" said Muccioli, who also had 5 rebounds and 3 steals in addition to his 21 points.

As good as Muccioli is, South is a very deep team that is much more than a one man show. In the 2nd quarter after Muccioli got hot shooting the ball junior forward Jack Preston (10 points) caught a pass in transition and slammed down a dunk which sent the crowd into a frenzy. The Purple Panthers also got strong play inside from senior forward Kevin Morrissey who was blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, finishing inside and making hustle plays. As a team South was out-hustling and out-working the Titans, as they were getting all of the loose balls and winning the rebounding battle as well. South went up 16-9 and then went into halftime up 26-14, despite the fact that they went down 8-2 early in the 1st quarter. The Dunham brothers, Michael and David were 2 players in particular who were also out-hustling everybody out there. They're both smart, fundamentally sound players who work hard on both ends of the floor.

Muccioli and Tim Preston both picked up 2 fouls in the 1st half, but stepping up in the back court was Cody Wyatt, Armond McRae and Yordy Tavarez.

Late in the 2nd quarter North point guard Ryan Gauthier picked up a technical foul and was forced to sit out for the entire 2nd half. They definitely missed his play making ability out there on the court, but head coach Steve Lane made a good move to try and teach his players some discipline, especially in a game that doesn't count in the standings.

After North senior wing player Anthony Farmer made a great block (his second of the game) on defense and than converted a layup on the other end, Muccioli again caught fire from the outside. South went into the 4th quarter with a comfortable 37-24 lead.

The 4th quarter got very intense and exciting though, as North made a comeback with their best player on the bench. They were down by 13 to start the 4th quarter, but with 1:54 left to play the Titans were able to cut the South lead to 41-38. They made their comeback by picking up the defensive intensity (Farmer, Jake Mellin and Javon Williams in particular played great defense down the stretch) and also with the scoring punch that Williams and Mike O'Connor were able to bring. Dezron Wilson also played well for the Titans, hustling for loose balls and handling the ball well vs. pressure.

"We took too many jump shots with the big lead" said Nashua South coach Nate Mazzerole. "It wasn't the prettiest game, but it was a great atmosphere and playing in games like this will help us in the future."

Mellin had a big blocked shot on a Muccioli layup attempt halfway through the game's final quarter. Muccioli was down on the floor in pain following the play, and it was definitely a scary moment for South fans. Muccioli is hands down one of the NHIAA's top players this season, and with him in the lineup South is a team that is a legit contender to make it to UNH come March so an injury to him would have been devastating. But fortunately he was able to return to the game just a couple minutes later.

"It was just a cramp in my calf" said Muccioli, a 5'10" senior point guard. "I was dehydrated so it just cramped up on me, I'm fine."

North continued to bring the pressure on defense as they're comeback bid continued in the game's last 2 minutes. But with Muccioli back in the game, along with his back court mates Tim Preston and Tavarez who are all very good ball handlers and moved the basketball well around the perimeter. Plus you had the smart, fundamentally sound Dunham brothers who also played tough defense and rebounded well and the Purple Panthers were able to hold on for the win.

Muccioli made a big drive and finish late to push the lead back up, splitting 2 defenders to get to the rim where he made an athletic finish. That big play followed by some free throws, and South won it 46-40.

Would the game have gone differently if Gauthier never picked up the technical? Probably. But on the other side of the coin it also probably would have been different if Tim Preston wasn't in foul trouble for much of the game, or if Muccioli didn't leave for a few minutes in the 4th quarter (which is when North made their run).

The bottom line is these are 2 good teams who should both get home playoff games and possibly make it to UNH for the Final Four. But South is more consistent, more disciplined and they play better team basketball. It's still early in the season, but they are the team that has a better shot at going to Durham.

Still, if forced right now to pick the 4 D-I teams that will make it their I would say: Merrimack, Trinity, Bishop Guertin and Manchester West.

Merrimack Wins 4th QCIBT Title, Beats West in Thriller

2011-12-29T08:35:00.005-05:00

Merrimack 57 Manchester West 54

By Tuesday and Friday
Dimitri Floras hit a game winning 3 with 7.1 seconds left in the game in one of the best championship games in the 49 year history of the QCIBT. Merrimack had an inbound play set up initially, but with the 5 second count nearly at hand inbounder Tyler Gendron called a time out. Tim Goodridge quickly got out the clipboard and then diagrammed a championship out of bounds play.

"We changed the inbounds play during the time out", Goodridge said. "We knew with West being under the limit for fouls they would foul us when we got the ball and then it would condense our time to make a play on the next inbound play. By freeing up Dimitri for a 3 it would give him space to get off a shot and not get fouled before the shot. It worked."

Dimitri Floras came off the picks in the paint from far baseline, received a perfect pass in front of the Merrimack bench and turned and drained the winning 3 pointer that every kid dreams about in their driveway. West had one last chance as Jocarl Bureau (Much more on this 6'3 junior later) drove to the hoop for a winning drive, but was called for a charge knocking over the Merrimack Mack truck known as Jeff Giannelli. Tyler Gendron was fouled and calmly sank 2 free throws with .7 seconds left to give Merrimack the final 3 point margin. Jocarl Bureau (I promise more on him later) actually gave a fine effort on a 70 foot last gasp heave tying heave at the rim that was right on line. After Merrimack went nearly 32 minutes sweating this championship game out you didn't think they could relax for .7 seconds, did you?

This game was a classic up and down game played at a brisk pace. Any time either team had numbers they would take advantage of it. Both teams have bigs who can dribble and participate in fast breaks. Tyler Gendron and Aaron Martin are 2 of the best bigs in the state for leading a break and it's one of the things that will make both of these teams tough to beat this season. Tyler Gendron came up big in the 2nd half with 10 points. He's one of the most complete players in Division 1. He makes angular finishes to the rack, can step out and hit an outside shot when needed and rebounds and plays excellent defense. Sounds complete to me.

With 4 minutes left in the game Carl Jacques hit a 3 to give West a 49 - 46 lead. Jocarl Bureau cans 2 free throws to give West some breathing room at 51 - 46. Merrimack stayed mentally tough and didn't fold. Baskets by Floras and Giannelli cut the West lead to 1 and set the table for the thrilling finish. With 1:20 left Giannelli muscled his way to a banker to give Merrimack a 52 - 51 lead. Jocarl Bureau (It's coming fans) hit a jumper with 1 minute left to give West a 53 - 52 lead. Floras missed a 3 point attempt with 35 seconds to go and a supreme battle ensued for possession. Jump ball and arrow points to Blue Knight Blue. Sophomore Nolan Flynn is fouled by Merrimack. Flynn makes the first, but misses the second to make it 54 - 52. The next few seconds comes down to a re-diagramed play on the clipboard and a "Driveway Dream 3 pointer" by POY candidate Dimitri Floras.

West certainly came out of nowhere with their very strong showing in the QCIBT by beating pre season favorites Trinity and Central. Aaron Martin was a known player going into the season, but Jocarl Bureau? The 6'3 junior didn't even have a number in the QCIBT program. During the West victory over Trinity the most often asked question was, "Who is number 5 for West?" Jocarl Bureau is a multi talented 6'3 slasher who can score on the run or can step out and hit a 3. He has a knee breaking crossover, can change on a dime or go behind his back when faced with a defensive stance. He has great court vision and is willing to set up team mates if they are ready for his no look passes. He gives West and added element of athleticism they already had with Martin, Jacques and Pena. Now you know who Jocarl Bureau is.

Merrimack had lost 5 of the last 8 QCIBT championship games. It took a last second shot by Dimitri Floras, but the Tomahawks finally captured the crown after last garnering it in 2002. Merrimack has played well in the QCIBT the last few years, but it hasn't always translated to an end of the season positive conclusion. Will this year be different? Perhaps. They have 2 legit consistent scorers in Floras and Tyler Gendron. Sophomore Eric Gendron will get better as the season goes along and he is very good right now. 6'3 senior Jared Peabody gives Merrimack some scoring depth. 6'7 Jeff Giannelli who puts the MACK in Merrimack could be another key for their title hopes. If he can give them a performance on a nightly basis like he gave them in the championship game, then Merrimack will be very dangerous.

What lies ahead for West? They are another team that has had disappointing endings the last few years. If they can keep this athletic group together January to March they will be a Division 1 headache for opposing teams. You can't take a break against West. They are one of the quickest teams right now in D1. They made a statement the last 3 days in the Memorial gym. They are good. They are hungry. They are well coached.

As Tim Goodridge was leaving the Memorial court he exchanged coaching pleasantries for a battle well done with Coach Danny Bryson of West. Tim said, "Heh Danny, let's meet in the state title game at UNH." Bryson laughed and shook his head in respectful acknowledgement. Job well done by both teams and both coaches.

Capital Area Holiday Tournament - Boys Semi-Final Recaps

2011-12-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

Our 'Holiday Tourney Tour 2011' continued on Wednesday night at the Capital Area Holiday Tournament. It takes place at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, and features the boys and girls teams from 8 different Concord-area schools.

On Wednesday night it was the semi-finals on the boys side, with four Division II schools in action. In the first semi-final is was Bishop Brady who was able to defeat Merrimack Valley for the second time in the last week, winning it 46-43. The second game was also fun to watch but much more lopsided, as Pembroke topped John Stark 69-44.

Keep reading for recaps of both games.

Game 1: Bishop Brady 46 Merrimack Valley 43
This was a close, exciting game between Concord-area rivals. After the top 4 or 5 teams Division II is pretty wide open, so these teams both have a shot at possibly getting a home playoff game. They just played each other last Thursday night, with Bishop Brady winning by 15. This time it was closer, primarily due to 1st half foul trouble for Bishop Brady.

"Jourdain Bell and Dylan Thomas both had 2 fouls in the 1st half" said Bishop Brady head coach Mark Yeaton. "Their guards are fast, scrappy and are good at forcing turnovers. So without Jourdain and Dylan in there so much I was actually happy to only be down by 2 at halftime."

Merrimack Valley led 22-20 at the half, but it was that duo of Bell and Thomas which took over in the 2nd half. Bell showed why he is possibly the best freshman in NH, as he not only has freakish athleticism but he has a motor that never stops running and is a very unselfish player as well. In addition to his 12 points, Bell also had 8 assists, as he made a number of great dishes in the open court, including a few no-look passes that got the crowd into it. Bell also had 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

Thomas was also a big factor in the 2nd half for the Giants. The 6'5" senior showed the ability to play inside or out, attacking the rim off the dribble and battling inside for boards. He had a team-high 16 points, including 10 in the 3rd quarter alone.

Merrimack Valley was led by a group of small but fast and tough guards, led by senior Justin Abbott. Not only did Abbott have a game-high 17 points but there is no question that he is one of the top 5 defenders in the entire state as well. He constantly pressures the basketball, he has quick hands and is able to force his opponent to take tough shots and also get a number of steals and deflections.

In the 2nd quarter particularly Bishop Brady was struggling to get the ball across half court let alone get into their offense, and that was due to the defensive pressure of Abbott, along with his back court mates Ryan Otis, Eric Mirante, Dylan Baer and Ryan Head. Otis is only a sophomore and has could be one of the division's top point guards over the next couple years, while Mirante can really shoot the basketball.

MV was able to take not 1 but 2 three-point attempts in the game's last 10 seconds to try and force overtime but they both misfired and Brady was able to hold on for the win. Also playing well in the win for the Giants was junior forward Steven Desmarais, who had 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Pembroke 69 John Stark 44
No surprise here as the heavily favored Spartans win it going away, with their typical fast-breaking, up-tempo style of play which forced lots of turnovers on defense and turned them into layups and three-point attempts on offense.

Sophomore sharpshooter Patrick Welch had a slow start shooting-wise in the 1st quarter, but he got better as the game went on. Welch scored a game-high 21 points, but it really was a team-effort for Pembroke as Rene Maher, Jordan Williams, Matt Persons, Kent Noyes, Tyler Morrison, Brad Rhoades and freshman Andrew House all played well.

Pembroke went up 30-9 at halftime, as they did a nice job cleaning up the rebounds and forcing turnovers on defense. John Stark really struggled offensively in the 1st half, but ended up scoring 35 points in the 2nd half so it was a totally different story for the Generals in the 2nd half compared to the 1st. Part of it was the Stark trio of Nicolas Lloyd (team-high 10 points), Joe Nelson (9 points on 3 threes) and Ben Knapton (9 points) started to shoot the ball better. Part of it also was that Pembroke stopped pressing when they got up by a lot of points.

John Stark 6'8" big man Zach Grattan had a tough game, as he was being played very physical inside by both Morrison and Williams. Maher suffered an injury late in the game and had to leave, but he really did a nice job running the point up until then. He controlled the tempo and knew just when to dish the ball and when to take it himself. Houde is a freshman with a high upside. He doesn't get many shot opportunities when he's out there with the starters, but fans got a glimpse of the 6'3" wing player's potential after the starters were taken out late in the game. Houde made a pair of very athletic slashes to the rim, finishing in traffic.

Stark might have been out-matched talent-wise, but you have to give them credit because they never gave up and just kept playing hard out there. Lloyd is only about 5'8" but he's quick, can handle the ball, shoot it off the dribble and plays with heart. Despite being down 30-9 at halftime the Generals won the 3rd quarter 23-16.

Memorial Girls Advance to Central Holiday Tournament Final

2011-12-29T07:33:00.004-05:00

Memorial Tops Central in Semi-Finals 41-38

By Tuesday and Friday
I head down to watch the Memorial vs Central semifinal of the Central Holiday Tournament and the following sign greets meet at the entrance of the Simon Gym:

NO FIRE COME ON IN

This is when I knew the evening was going to be special. You have to love going to a game at Central when they notify you there's no fire and feel free to come on in to watch some semifinal holiday tournament basketball.

I was fully expecting another close down to the wire Central/Memorial game and that's exactly what transpired. Central started in a zone and dared Memorial to shoot from the outside in the first half. Allie Hartford said thank you very much Central and canned three 3 pointers in the first half. Amra Elezovic hit two 3's in the first half also. Ahh yes Amra Elezovic. When a team plays a zone defense against her the Bantering Bosnian can be at her best. The court becomes her canvas and the basketball is her paint brush to make colorful pictures with.... Like the colorful pass she made to Peace Kabari for a beautiful slash finish to the hoop. Elezovic's court vision is second to none in D1 girls and when she stands with the ball looking to make a play the anticipation is high for Crusaderville, but one of agony for an opponent. Hartford had 9 in the first half with Elezovic's 8 points to give Memorial a 24 - 19 lead at halftime. Central kept it close with the balanced scoring of Chantel Robinson, Zoe Stamoulis and Katherine Johnson.

Central came out in man to man defense to start the 2nd half. This was a good move by Coach Wenners. It slowed the game to a crawl and forced Memorial to really work on offense. Elezovic was negated by some nice defense by Ashley Giampetruzzi. Central outscored Memorial 6 to 4 in the 3rd and they were back in the hunt to go to the championship game. The teams traded baskets in the first 4 minutes of the 3rd period. Peace Kabari fouled out of a game for the 2nd night in a row. Giampetruzzi got hot and hit a couple of hoops to draw Central to within 1 at 33 to 32 with 4 minutes left in the game. Elezovic hit 2 free throws to make it 35 - 32 Memorial with 3:50 left. A Johnson basket made it 35 to 34 with 3:35 to go. Elezovic drew a shooting foul and hit both freebies to put Memorial back up by 3 at 37 to 34.

At this point Central had a few opportunities to score with VERY GOOD looks, but couldn't convert. Super sub Amela Imamovic hit a big bucket just inside the 3 point line to give the Crusaders some breathing room at 39 - 34. Chantel Robinson hit a huge outside shot to cut the Crusader lead to 39 - 36. Memorial did nothing for the next minute and Central missed a couple of more good looks. Johnson was fouled while shooting with 29 seconds left and hit both free throws to make it 39 - 38. Elezovic missed the front end of a one and one with 26 seconds left. Central rimmed out another couple of shots and fouled Elezovic with 5 seconds left. Elezovic drained both free throws. Central had a last gasp that was nullified by a turnover near midcourt.

Neither coach was pleased after the game. Coach Jack Quirk didn't like his team's performance at all. "We weren't clicking out there tonight. We'll have to have a better performance if we want to win the title tomorrow." Coach Wenners impressed upon his team losing tight to Memorial is no consolation. "We have to learn the process of winning basketball games. We will get there and tonight was another step in this process." Wenners lamented about all the missed shots Central had in the 4th period. "We had our chances to score a lot of points in the 4th period. It's a shame we didn't take advantage of our good looks at the basket."

As I left the gym effervescent Amra Elezovic was holding court as usual with a group of friends. When I asked the Bouncy Bosnian what she thought of tonight's effort she said, "I would rather win ugly than lose ugly. I guarantee our team will play better tomorrow." When I said the BayView Academy team looked like a tough competitive bunch of players, Elezovic said, "We'll be ready for them." The POY candidate gave me that confident smile that only she can give.

Memorial will play BayView Academy for the championship at 7:00 pm on Thursday night at Central.

West Upsets Central in QCIBT Semis 66-59

2011-12-28T00:46:00.008-05:00

By: Tuesday and Friday
Going into this West vs. Central game a lot of words came to mind: athleticism, speed, quickness, energy and tenacity. All of these words were on glorious display in the 1st period as Central took a 20-18 lead.

The pace to this game was at a high level. Both teams threw the kitchen sink at each other. All 5 starters scored for Central as their balanced scoring attack was again on display. Newly anointed Blue Knight hero, 6'3" junior Jocarl Bureau, hit a couple of 3's in the 1st period, while Aaron Martin had 7 points to lead the way for West.

Both teams continued the torrid physical pace in the 2nd period with West outscoring Central 17-15 to tie the game at 35-35 at halftime. Junior Travis Descoteaux came up big for the Blue Knights scoring 9 points in the quarter on a combination of slashing drives and also hitting a three.
Both teams played at a high level for the 1st half. Both teams negated each other with their speed and quickness. The bursts of energy for one team that lead to hoops seemed to drain each team on the defensive end when it was time for a stop.

Martin had a great 3rd period with 8 points. The highlight of this period was when there was 6 minutes left and Martin had an athletic finish at the offensive end and then 10 seconds later blocked Central's Christian Ortega on a lay up attempt to prevent Central from scoring. It almost seemed at this point the West athleticism and team speed took over. West is a very entertaining basketball team to watch. Martin, Bureau, Carl Jacques, Breno Pena and Descoteaux form a very athletic and fast unit when they get it going. Watching this team in the QCIBT makes you wonder how they beat Winnacunnet by only 5 and how they lost to Merrimack by so much in the regular season. Ortega kept Central close in the 3rd with 6 points as West took a 50-45 lead into the 4th period.

At this point I would like to give an editorial comment. There seems to be a lost art of going for a last second shot in high school basketball in NH. Ensuring you take the last shot at the end of a period or half guarantees 2 things: YOU GET TO ATTEMPT TO SCORE LAST AND YOUR OPPONENT DOESN'T. West had a 50-43 lead with about 20 seconds left in the 3rd period. West's Pena attempted a 3 pointer with 7 seconds left. That's just too much time to take an end of the period shot. Central is too fast. Pena missed and Central quickly came down and Ortega put in a 3 foot buzzer beater to make it 50-45 Central going into the 4th period. West worked hard to secure a 7 point lead on Central with 20 seconds to go in the 3rd period. They should have had a 7 point lead lead going into the 4th. I have seen other teams and players put up 'ill advised' shot attempts with 15, 10 or just a little less seconds to go and leave the opponent with a chance to score a momentum building basket with 1 to 3 seconds to go in a period. Where has the art of the last second shot gone? Editorial rant is now over.

The teams traded baskets to start the 4th period. Pena then hit a three with 5:45 left to give West its biggest lead of the game to that point at 55-47. The teams traded baskets over the next 3 minutes. Jacques scored on a put back with 2:04 left to give West it's biggest lead of the game 61-52.

After this it was a matter of West hitting free throws and securing the ball against the Central pressure. Speaking of foul shots it has been a Blue Knight bugaboo in the QCIBT. West could've put Central away earlier in the game if they had hit some free throws. West was 10/19 from the charity stripe in this game.

Martin had 26 points to lead all scorers. He scores on slashes to the rack, medium range jumpers and long range shots. He had his full offensive arsenal going for him tonight. Jacques and Bureau each had 11 to help the West attack. Ortega had a solid game in defeat with 17 points. Gabe LaCount had 14 and Troy Pelletier had 11 to help the Little Green cause.

Merrimack last won a QCIBT Championship in 2002 when Corey Hassan helped lead them to the title. The last time West won a QCIBT Championship was 1993. Merrimack and West will meet for the 2011 QCIBT Championship at 7:30 pm on Wednesday night.

Memorial Girls Over Lebanon in Holiday Tourney Thriller 49-46

2011-12-28T00:32:00.006-05:00

By: Tuesday and Friday
Andy Williams says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." It sure was for me today as I watched 2 very entertaining holiday tournament basketball games at Central and Memorial. I started off the holiday basketball fest by attending the Memorial - Lebanon game at the Central girls holiday tournament.

I had heard they had scrimmaged each other a few weeks ago and it wasn't a scrimmage for a meek basketball person. Now, I know what people meant. Both teams are high energy, get in your face defensively and go at you offensively basketball teams. There wasn't much separating these 2 teams for 32 minutes. Neither team got a wide margin on each other for the whole game.

Lebanon is a team that doesn't wow you with their size, but they get after you very physically on the defensive end. They play close to your offensive shirt and try to force turnovers. With their smaller team size it's imperative for Lebanon to force turnovers and garner transition hoops.

After going at each other tooth and nail for the first 3 periods the score was tied 40-40 going in to the 4th period. An Allie Hartford runner made it 42 - 40 with 6:45 left in the game. Peace Kabari fouled out with 6:20 left. Bad news you would think for the Lady Crusaders. Enter junior Amela Imamovic. She laid a basket in at 5:45 to give Memorial a 44-40 lead. Imamovic then hit a 5 footer at 4:55 to stretch the Crusader lead to 46-40.

With 4 minutes left Coach Quirk decided to go with a stall offense. This turned out to be a questionable strategic move for Memorial. It played to Lebanon's over play defense. Memorial turned the ball over and with 2:38 to go a Lebanon lay up made it 46-42. A Lebanon steal then lead to a Morton 15 footer to make it 46-44 with 2:30 left. A 6 point Memorial lead was gone in the blink of an eye due to the stall offense which cooled the Memorial momentum.

2 Elezovic FTs made it 48-44 with 2:17 to go. A Lebanon layup with 1:20 left cut the Crusader lead to 48-46. Morton missed a 10 footer with 35 seconds left. Morton fouled out with 16 seconds left in the game by fouling Imamovic. It was double bonus. Imamovic missed the first freebie, but connected on the second one to give Memorial the 49-46 lead. Lebanon called time out with 7 seconds left, but never got off a shot coming back from the time out.

This game lived up to the pre-game hype with both teams giving a good showing. Junior Moriah Morton was outstanding in defeat. She was the high scorer of the game with 23 points. Morton is a high energy player who gets after it on the defensive end and squares up real nice when she knocks down 3s. Colleen Taylor had a nice game for Lebanon with 13 points.

Amra Elezovic scored 19 to lead Memorial. She helped Allie Hartford by bringing the ball up against the constant full court pressure of Lebanon. Hartford had a big game for Memorial handling the Lebanon defensive pressure and scoring key hoops in the 2nd half. Ari Dimou was strong with possession and hit a key 3 near the end of the 3rd period. Amela Imamovic scored 5 of Memorial's last 7 points in the last 6 minutes of the game. This contribution by Imamovic was huge for Memorial.

Lebanon impressed me with their tenacity and aggressiveness. They would do well playing in Division 1. Moriah Morton and Colleen Taylor would start for a lot of D-1 basketball teams. One has to wonder how good this team would be if they had the injured 5'10 Trina Scheie in the lineup.

Memorial moves on to the semifinals Wednesday night to play old intra-city friend Central at 5:30 pm. The last time these 2 teams met it was a thrilling prelim playoff win for Memorial last season. Something tells me the semi-final between these 2 Queen City foes will be close, intense and exciting.

Spaulding and Winnacunnet Boys Advance in Bobcat Holiday Invitational

2011-12-27T22:52:00.002-05:00

The first annual Bobcat Holiday Invitational is going on this week at Oyster River High School, with 8 boys and 8 girls teams competing for the title. the NH Notebook was in the house on Tuesday night for first round action on the boys side.

In both of the boys games played tonight it was Division I vs. Division II, with the D-I schools winning both contests. Spaulding used a VERY deep rotation to wear down St. Thomas, winning it 60-44. And in a game played between 2 teams missing injured starters Winnacunnet held on for a 56-52 win over Oyster River.

Keep reading for recaps of both games.

Game 1: Spaulding 60 St. Thomas 44
Spaulding was the deeper basketball team, and that was the difference in their win over St. Thomas. They went with an 11 player rotation while STA went with their starting 5 for the vast majority of the game. Because of their depth, the Red raiders were able to wear down the Saints with their full court press and make it difficult for STA to come back from a 36-23 halftime deficit.

During their 2nd quarter run the Spaulding guards (particularly Luke Roberts, PJ Juneau, Connor Noe and Michael Bellio) really did a nice job of pressuring the basketball, making it difficult for STA to cross half court, let alone get into their half court offense.

In the 1st quarter junior guard Seth Fogg came off the bench and had 10 points and 1 steal in the span of just 1 minutes which gave Spaulding some momentum. Still, they only led 17-16 after 1 stanza as the sharp shooting duo of Andrew Kahr (22 points) and Jon Nartiff (9 points) kept the Saints in the game.

Roberts really played well in the 3rd quarter for Coach Cronin's team. St. Thomas was playing hard, and was trying their best to make a comeback, but Roberts and his Red Raider teammates wouldn't let it happen. Roberts finished with a team-high 12 points, including 8 points coming in the last 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Spaulding guard Alex Gray then made a great play, hustling back on defense to block a layup attempt by Kahr in transition with 2 seconds left in the quarter.

Juneau and Dominic Paradis both chipped in with 9 points, as Spaulding advanced to the tournament's semi-final round.

Game 2: Winnacunnet 56 Oyster River 52
These are 2 young teams, but they both played very hard and competed for all 32 minutes of this one. Winnacunnet just has more talent and they played some tough defense all game long, resulting in the 56-52 win.

Winnacunnet went on a run late in the 3rd and early in the 4th quarter to push their lead to 51-36. They did it with a lineup of Rich Ruffin, Sam Knollmeyer, Ben Gareau, Quinn Parker and Matt Guerin (Parker is the only senior in that group). The Warriors were getting steals on defense and moving the ball well on offense to create good shot opportunities.

You have to give Oyster River credit though for the valiant effort they made down the stretch to come back in this game. They were down 51-36 in the 4th quarter. But from there the Bobcats went on a 16-4 run, cutting the Winnacunnet lead to 55-52 with 15 seconds left to play.

Leading the charge for the injured and inexperienced Bobcats was senior guard Nick DiVeglia. He is a kid who plays with a lot of heart, and really made some big plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch. DiVeglia finished with a team-high 12 points, and also had 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

One player who plays with a lot of heart for the Warriors is 5'7" junior guard Ryan Gigliotti. Gigliotti is a very quick player who always gives 100%, speeding around the court like a pin ball machine. He plays with reckless abandon, is a tough defender and unfortunately he injured his nose pretty good late in the 3rd quarter. Play was stopped for a few minutes while he was attended to and the floor was cleaned up.

Gigliotti did not return to action. This is a Winnacunnet team that is already playing without possibly their best player for the entire season. Sophomore guard Chris Doyle tore his ACL in October and is out for the year. Doyle is a hard worker and has a lot of potential as a player so you hate to see that. Then right before the season started Coach McKenna lost another player who he had penciled in as a key contributor, as junior wing player Malcolm Woodliff-Bulloch moved to Massachusetts right before the start of the season. Plus they only have 2 seniors on the roster. Yet even with all of that this is a solid Winnacunnet team and they are just a few points away from being 2-0 right now.

In addition to DiVeglia, also playing well in the loss for Oyster River were 6'4" senior forward Liam Grennier and 5'8" junior guard Zach Jones. Jones hit 3 three-pointers in the 2nd quarter. The Bobcats were playing without junior guard Anthony Shea, who has an injured thumb.

Knollmeyer had a game-high 17 points for Winnacunnet. Watch out for this team over the next couple years, especially in 2013-2014 when Doyle, Knollmeyer and Ruffin are all seniors.

QCIBT - Opening Night Recap

2011-12-26T22:57:00.013-05:00

Every year the Queen City Invitational Basketball Tournament (QCIBT) is the most competitive boys basketball holiday tournament in the state. On Monday night the tourney tipped off at Memorial High in Manchester, with Merrimack, Manchester West and Manchester Central all picking up wins to advance to the semi-finals on Wednesday night.

In the game of the night West pulled an upset by defeating Trinity 66-59. The Blue Knights were led by 6'4" senior Aaron Martin (23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) and 6'3" junior Jocarl Bureau (20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals). Many people are picking Trinity to win the Division I title this year, so this was a statement victory for a West team that is MUCH better than people thought. Travis Descoteaux (who transferred from Trinity to West over the summer), Caleb Dolman, Carl Jacques and Nolan Flynn also played well for Coach Brysons team. For Trinity, 6'7" junior Mabor Gabriel led the way with 17 points and 9 rebounds. This might have been a holiday tourney game that doesn't count in the standings, but it definitely had the intensity and level of play of a mid-season battle.

In the other 2 match ups, Merrimack (led by their big 3 of Dimitri Floras, Tyler Gendron and Eric Gendron) topped Dover 59-51 and Central overcame a very slow start to beat Memorial 52-41. Exeter got a first round bye, they'll play Merrimack in one semi-final while West and Central will square off in the other.

Andrews Nominated for US Female Athlete of the Year

2011-12-26T12:24:00.008-05:00

Voting is underway for the 2011 Best of U.S. Soccer and Athlete of the Year Awards. One of the awards is the 'U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year' award. Only 5 athletes in the entire country were nominated for this prestigious honor. 1 of those 5 is New Hampshire's own Morgan Andrews.

Andrews is a junior at Milford High, and is currently ranked as the #1 girls soccer player in the country for the Class of 2013 by topdrawersoccer.com. She is training to eventually play on Team USA in both the Olympics and the World Cup.

The 10th annual Best of U.S. Soccer series gives fans the opportunity to vote once a day from now until Friday, Jan. 13. For certain categories, voters will be able to refresh their memories with videos and photos as they relive some of the best moments of 2011.

Fore more more information on the awards click here. To vote for Morgan, click here.

Morgan Andrews Bio
2011 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year. A two-time NSCAA Youth All-America selection, Andrews was also named to the NSCAA High School All-America team and is the NSCAA High School State Player of the Year. A junior at Milford High School and three time All-State First Team selection, captain's her high school squad and has scored 83 goals and added 35 assists thus far in her prep career.

Morgan was recently named the Manchester Union Leader State Player of the Year. Andrews has been a member of the US Youth National Teams since she was 12 years old, playing two years at the U14 level, she is the current captain of the U17 USWNT and is preparing for the 2012 U17 World Cup in Azerbaijan. Morgan was the youngest player called into a recent U23 USWNT training camp in 2011 playing with and against the nations top college and professional players trying for a position on our future US Women's National team.

Andrews is the reigning Gatorade State Player of the Year, she is ranked #1 nationally for 2013 by Topdrawersoccer's Top 100 and is also the #1 recruit nationally on the ESPNHS Top 150 ranking. She has played club soccer for the past 7 years with the FC Stars of Massachusetts having reached both the USYS National Championship Series and the ECNL National Championship final four rounds twice each during that time. For her play during the 2011 USYS National Championship Series Andrews was awarded the "Best 11" Player honor at the U18 age group. She was selected to play with the ECNL International Tour Team to England in 2011, a team comprised of the top 17 players in the Elite Club National League.

Andrews is an honor roll student in the classroom, was recently nominated to the National Technical Education Honor society. She is a three sport athlete in high school, adding indoor/outdoor track and Boys Football where she was selected All State First Team, Offensive Player, Kicker in 2011. Andrews is also member of the competitive US Constitution and History Team, "We the People" and a member of the MHS Theatre Program. Morgan is the founder and runs her own Charity, "Kicks for Cans" where she provides free soccer training to area youth in exchange for a donation of a non-perishable food product for the community food bank.

She is verbally committed to Boston College.

Fedrick Had Monster Senior Season

2011-12-24T18:29:00.003-05:00

Salem High's Jerickson Fedrick completed a tremendous high school football career this fall, and was the best player in the NHIAA this season. He has yet to commit to a college but has been getting some serious interest from a wide variety of schools, including Division I and II programs.

Fedrick plays RB on offense, LB on defense and also returns kicks and punts on special teams. He has a great combination of size, strength and speed which makes him an intriguing prospect at the next level.

Speed Beats Size in Pelham's Blowout Win Over Bedford

2011-12-22T22:02:00.003-05:00

The Bedford High boys basketball team has a 6'9" sophomore, a 6'8" senior, a 6'8" junior, a 6'7" sophomore and a 6'4" freshman. Pelham meanwhile doesn't have anyone taller than 6'1". However Pelham showed that size does not matter, and that speed, skill and aggressiveness will beat size. They not only beat Bedford, but they completely dominated them, winning 64-25 on Thursday night in front of a packed crowd at the Snake Pit in Pelham.

Pelham led 18-2 at the end of the 1st quarter. They forced 32 Bedford turnovers, while only turning it over 5 times themselves. And despite giving up about a foot of height at every position the Pythons still managed to out-rebound the Bulldogs. They were quicker to the loose balls and to the rebounds. They were able to speed up the pace of the game, and Bedford just couldn't keep up with Pelham in an up-tempo game. They also did a great job of denying the post and making it difficult for Bedford's big guys Trevor Fahmy, Collin MacManus and Roger Larrivee to get good looks inside.

Led by their all-state back court of Derek Defranzo (8 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds and 5 assists) and Brett Bailey (a game-high 18 points), Pelham made a statement that they're a team to be reckoned with in Division II. The other 3 starters - Anthony Spirou, Erik Nystrom and Jake Vaiknoras were also very good as well as Brian Finney and Kevin Cheam coming off the bench.

Stanley Brothers Lead Epping Past Sunapee

2011-12-22T06:13:00.005-05:00

It has to be a thrill anytime 2 kids who are brothers get to play on the same high school basketball team. It must be even better when those 2 brothers both start, they combine for 46 points in the same game and they lead their team to a blowout victory over a a squad that some were thinking would be a top 5 team in the division.

That's exactly what happened on Wednesday evening at Epping High School. Junior Frank Stanley had 25 points and his younger brother Jimmy Stanley dropped 19. Epping only led 26-25 at halftime, but they went on a 12-0 run in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Sunapee 27-10 in the 3rd stanza. The Blue Devils built up a 63-38 4th quarter lead, and they notched an impressive 63-41 win in Division IV boys basketball action.

"I'm not sure if they could play any better than that" said Sunapee head coach Ed Tenney. "I've been doing this for 21 years and I've never seen a team play better than that, on both offense and defense."

Epping was able to really get out on the break and run in the 3rd quarter. They are a team that is very quick, very athletic and they make the extra pass to set each other up for easy baskets. The Stanley brothers and Jacob West give the Blue Devils 3 of the more athletic players in D-IV. The scary thing is Jimmy Stanley and West are only sophomores while Frank Stanley is only a junior. The other 2 starters for Epping were also solid contributors in junior Brandon Carleton and senior Paul Holmes.

"Everyone moved well without the ball" said Frank Stanley. "It was a good team effort."

In that 3rd quarter Epping was able to do a better job of slowing down Sunapee's 2 big scoring threats, senior guards Brian Brewster and Troy Fowler. Brewster and Fowler are a very tough duo to contain. They can both hit threes like they're layups and they can also take it the rim and rebound inside. Brewster ended up with 13 points and Fowler had 11, but I'm guessing this duo will put up some much bigger numbers on other opponents as the season goes on.

"Our team is all about defense" said Jimmy Stanley. "When we play good defense our offense just flows from there."

Holmes hit a three-pointer at the buzzer from 6 feet behind the three-point line, which sent the crowd into a frenzy with Epping taking a 53-35 lead. Then to start the 4th quarter the Stanley brothers got going once again, combining for 6 quick points to push the lead to 59-35 with 5 minutes left in the game - the route was on.

Sunapee is a team loaded with seniors. Brewster and Lawson are both seniors, their other main scorer TJ Walcholz is also a senior, as well as other key players Cameron Manson, Kieren O'Brien and Brett Simpson who are all seniors as well. Many expect them to be a top 5 or 6 team in D-IV this season, so the fact that such a young Epping team beat them by so much makes it a statement win for the Blue Devils. The rest of D-IV will now have to really watch out for this fast-brekaing, high-flying Epping team.

"This was a huge step forward for our guys" said Epping head coach Tim Sullivan. "We've been talking all year about playing a full 32 minutes of basketball, and tonight we did it."

The Stanley briothers have good size and athleticism. They can run, they crash the boards and they can finish well inside, even through contact. This Epping team isn't terribly big, but the Stanleys and West can all really jump which allows them to grab boards over taller players.

"This was definitely a statement win" said Jimmy Stanley. "We've been playing together with this group since elementary school."

Trinity Boys Dominate North

2011-12-20T23:42:00.009-05:00

By: Tuesday and Friday
Trinity used a balanced scoring attack placing 5 players in double figures in a dominating 81-48 victory over Nashua North. Mabor Gabriel and Andrew Lauderdale combined for 33 points to pace the Pioneers.

The Trinity student body was rocking and ready for the season's home opener against North. It didn't take long to figure out it would be the inside strength of the Pioneers versus the back court shooting and scoring of North.

Ryan Gauthier looked like he was a player on a mission or at least a player gunning for 1st or 2nd team all state by hitting 4 three pointers in the 1st quarter. All 4 of his three's were nothing but net and good on the release. Trinity kept pace with Gauthier's torrid 1st period shooting by dumping the ball down low to Gabriel and Lauderdale. North's Mike O'Connor and Jake Mellin would have their hands full with Trinity's front line all night.

At the end of the 1st period it was Trinity 20 North 15. North played about as well as they could in the opening stanza and still found themselves down by 5. Gabriel scored 8 points for Trinity, but he missed a few opportunities to finish down low. A Titans fan could only worry at this point that a Pioneer wave was coming shortly. To Gauthier's credit he just missed on 2 other three attempts. With a little luck he could've had 18 in the 1st period.

At the 6:25 mark of the 2nd period a resounding dunk by Gabriel on the break gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game so far at 25-17 and brought the Holy Rock n Rollers from the Pioneer student body to their feet. Enter Patrick Keefe. The Pioneer super sub was coming off a 19 point performance from the bench last Friday in Dover. The high energy sophomore provided instant offense with 6 quick points including, 2 slash drives through traffic to help stretch the Pioneer lead into double figures.

During this sequence Javon Williams had a couple of ill advised (one of my least favorite terms) shots. There is no question Patrick Keefe could be a great taxi driver in New York City because he has an uncanny knack of driving through traffic and finding a nice kiss off glass to finish. Senior Anthony Farmer came up big for North by scoring 8 points in the 2nd period to help keep North close at halftime 38-26.

Trinity's size and depth took it's toll on North in the 3rd period as Trinity outscored North 21-7. North's front line could not match the size of Trinity's front line or their skill as Trinity's front line combined for 14 points. Keefe scored 5 more points off the bench in this period.

Trinity limited North to one and done on North's offensive glass while Trinity had 2 to 4 chances on their offensive boards before finishing. North was a tired bunch by the end of the 3rd looking at a 59-33 deficit. Gauthier had fully cooled off and there was no other scoring to speak of for North in the 3rd. The 4th period became a time for mixing and matching lineups as Trinity pulled away with the very convincing win over the Titans.

So, you ask how the point position was for Trinity tonight? Just fine thank you. Freshman point guard Ian Sistare only scored 3 points, but it was what he DIDN'T DO which was impressive. He didn't turn the ball over. He didn't make bad decisions. He brought the ball up against Ryan Gauthier all night. Gauthier is one of the better defenders in the state and Sistare performed very admirably against him. Sometimes, you couldn't slide a clipboard between their 2 bodies when Gauthier was playing defense against Sistare. Sistare passed his first big test at point guard. He is strong and has good vision. I'm sure Coach Keefe would gladly take what Sistare did tonight in just about any game the Pioneers will play this season.

Gabriel lead Trinity with 17 points. Lauderdale was a beast around the rim all evening and finished with 16. Carmen Giampetruzzi had a solid game with 11 points. Nothing better than a lefty on a basketball court with a sweet stroke and Giampetruzzi certainly has one. Jake Hamel came off the bench to hit 4 three's and also had a bounty of rebounds for a not-so-big-guy (5'9 some say).

Gauthier lead North with 17 points and he is well on his way to the town known as All Statesville.

The scary thing about this Trinity team's 33 point victory tonight is that Gabriel is certainly capable of playing better. He was rough around the rim on some attempted finishes throughout the game. He had the same type of game at Dover last Friday. Sistare will grow into the point guard position. Giampetruzzi will just be more solid as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable with his new starting position. This Trinity team opened the season by beating Dover and North by a combined 59 points and they are capable of playing much better basketball. As my daughter used to say when she was younger, "Ooooooooo Scary!!!"

BG Girls Run Londonderry Out of Their Own Gym

2011-12-20T22:13:00.006-05:00

In the preseason Power Rankings for Division I girls basketball, Bishop Guertin was ranked #2 and Londonderry was #3. So when the 2 teams met on Tuesday evening in an early season showdown I was not expecting the final score to be 59-36. However that's exactly what happened.

"I thought we'd have a good chance to win" said Bishop Guertin junior forward Meghan Green. "But the fact that we crushed them was a big statement."

That statement is that the Bishop Guertin girls basketball team is one to be reckoned with. First year head coach Scott Hazelton has these girls playing VERY hard, they're fast as heck, they move the ball well and can hit shots on offense and really brought the pressure on defense which forced Londonderry into turnovers and tough shots.

Green, who recently picked up a Division I scholarship offer from the University of Hartford, had a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Cardinals led 25-7 at halftime and 44-20 after 3 quarters. They played up-tempo, fast break basketball and ran the Lancers out of their own gym and won it 59-36.

These are clearly 2 of the top teams in D-I, however when the game tipped off there was only 1 senior on the floor - Londonderry guard Lindsey Bolduc, who will be playing softball in college at nearby Southern New Hampshire University. Bishop Guertin started 2 juniors, 2 sophomores and 1 freshman while Londonderry started just 1 senior to go with 3 sophomores and 1 freshman.

"It's good for NH basketball" said Hazelton, a former McDonald's All-American and player for UConn and URI. "There was a lot of people here tonight, some college coaches, it was a great atmosphere. Londonderry has some good young players, they're going to get better as the season goes."

BG has a very young back court in particular, with sophomores Jamie Sherburne and Gigi Piercy and freshman Megan Kerutis. These girls might be young but they can play with anybody, no question about it.

"They're young but very talented" said Hazelton. "I stay on them pretty good in practice, but when they're that young you can't be too tough or they won't have the confidence to go out there and play, so it's just finding that balance."

Kerutis might be the best freshman in the state. She had some strong drives to the rim and finishes in traffic and also hit the outside shot. Sherburne ran the point very effectively by getting the ball up the floor in a hurry and finding the open man and also taking it to the rim strong when that was there. Piercy was all over the place, playing hard on both ends of the floor. She got in the passing lanes, crashed the boards and ran the floor on the break, setting herself up for open jumpers.

The real key to BG's success in this game though was defense. Londonderry scored 75 points in their last game and they were averaging 59 points a game coming into this one. Yet the Cardinals were able to hold them to just 7 points in the entire 1st half and 20 points through 3 quarters. The Lancers went scoreless for the first 6 minutes of both the 1st and 2nd quarters - that's 12 minutes of scoreless basketball in 1 half!

BG did it with a tenacious full court press led by Kerutis, Shuerburne and Piercy. They were also very aggressive on defense in the half court. Green was tough on the boards and junior guard/forward Nikki Hayner (10 points) also played well on both ends of the floor.

"The officials let them get away with a lot of hand-checking" said Londonderry head coach John Fagula. "The game might have turned out differently with a different officiating crew."

Sophomore point guard Aliza Simpson played well in the loss for Londonderry. She did well handling the ball against BG's intense pressure defense and also scored a team-high 13 points.

"They really keyed on Aliza and threw double teams at her to get her to pass the ball up" said Coach Fagula. "When that happens we need to make better passes and better adjustments."

Freshman Casey Evans-Driscoll also played well for Londonderry. The 5'10" forward followed up a 17 point 14 rebound game vs. Salem up with 7 another strong game tonight. She had 7 points and 8 rebounds, which is not bad at all for a freshman going up against a player like Green inside, especially since Evans-Driscoll had a few good looks inside that just rimmed out on her so she could have had more like 13 points.

Still, this game was dominated by BG from start to finish. And with their youth they will be a scary team not just this year but over the next few years as well. The question is do they have what it takes to beat the 5-time defending champs Winnacunnet? On January 10 we'll find out.

Campbell Boys Beat the Champs in OT

2011-12-19T21:55:00.008-05:00

"Winning ugly sure beats losing pretty" said Campbell head coach Pat Roye.

That pretty much sums up his team's 56-50 win in overtime on the road against the defending Division III champion Somersworth Hilltoppers. It wasn't the prettiest game you'll see, as there was some sloppy play, missed shots inside and turnovers. But it was entertaining, no question about it.

You had a last second three-pointer to force overtime (by Somersworth guard Ryan Seavy), you had a slam dunk in transition (by Campbell forward Calen McKearin). Both teams went 11 players deep, and all 22 of those players gave it everything they had. Campbell is a hot team right now in D-III, as they are now 3-0, including 2 wins on the road vs. other teams expected to compete for a home playoff game (Somersworth and Raymond).

It was a back and forth game, with Campbell leading 16-8 after 1 quarter. Somersworth came back and outplayed the Cougars in the 2nd frame, led by a strong game off the bench by junior John Crenshaw (9 points off the bench, 7 of them in the 2nd quarter). Somersworth continued to play well in the 3rd quarter, starting out on a 6-0 run with baskets by Tyler Kretschmar, Josh Jacques and Matt Robbins. The Hilltoppers really started to frustrate Campbell defesnively, and took their largest lead of the game when they went up 31-25.

"I was happy with the way we played" said Somersworth head coach Lorne Lucas. "Especially for such an inexperienced group we have. If we playued like that last Friday night vs. Hopkinton we would have won by 20. Campbell is a very good team.:

Morgan, McKearin and Max Gouveia led the Campbell comeback, as they went from being down by 6 to being up by 5, 42-37. Morgan had a game-high 17 points, McKearin had 6 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, Gouveia had 13 points. John Houston was tough on the boards for Campbell, Mike Vigeant gave them some good hustle and Jesiah Wade played with a lot of energy and made plays when they needed them.

Morgan drew a big charge late in the game, but then Seavy hit a three to tie it up at 45-45 after a lane violation on Campbell only gave organ 1 free throw chance instead of 2. In overtime Mckearin was too much for Somersworth to handle on both ends of the floor, and the Cougars won it 56-50.

Transfer guard Jeremy Dognies also played well for Somersworth with a team-high 13 points, while another transfer guard Terrance Herbert (from Portsmouth) sat out his second straight game.

Lafond Runs Past the Competition

2011-12-18T19:53:00.006-05:00

Dylan Lafond, a senior at Manchester Central High, won the final state meet to become the 2011 NHIAA Runner of the Year. Lafond was kind enough to stop by J.W. Hills in Manchester for an interview last week when we recorded our boys basketball preview shows. Here's what he had to say.

Portsmouth Boys Earn Impressive Road Win Over Pembroke

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

You couldn't ask for a much better game on opening night. Portsmouth and Pembroke are the 2 favorites in Division II boys basketball this season, and on Friday night in Pembroke they showed why. It was only the first game of the season, but both of these teams are in mid-season form, and they really put on a show out there.

It was a thriller that went down to the wire, with Portsmouth (fresh off a D-III title in football) winning it 57-56. They were playing on the road and without one of their better players in senior wing Kyle DiCesare (high ankle sprain), yet they still got the job done. Senior guard Kamahl Walker had a team-high 18 points for Portsmouth. He had a very good game, but it was definitely a team effort for the Clippers as other guys had to step up with Walker in foul trouble.

"It was a good win" said Portsmouth head coach Jim Mulvey. "Our bigs kids - Alex, Gregg and Charlie did really well, the did a good job on the boards. And Ben Landry and Jack Mackey came off the bench and gave us good minutes when Kamahl was in foul trouble."

Pembroke had a couple chances late in the game to tie or take the lead. Junior point guard Rene Maher made a great move to get to the rim and made an and-1 finish, which cut the Portsmouth lead to 56-54 with 35 seconds left. Then Clippers senior guard Billy Lane missed the front end of a 1 and 1, and PA got the ball back.

There was plenty of time left, and Pembroke could tie it up with a 2 or take the lead with a 3. And they couldn't ask for a better look at the basket, and sophomore sensation ran off a pick and was able to get open at the top of the key. Welch had been on fire shooting the basketball in this game, scoring 25 points and hitting 7 three-pointers. But he front-rimmed the shot, and Portsmouth got the rebound.

Clippers senior forward Charlie Duprey made 1 out of 2 at the foul line, making it 57-56 Portsmouth with just 4.3 seconds left. PA had one last chance, and with shooters like Welch, Maher (18 points) and Matt Persons the game was far from over. But then Maher caught the inbounds pass underneath the basket and laid it in for 2 instead of going for a 3. Time expired, and Portsmouth won it 57-56.

Portsmouth played a great game and they deserved the win. They are a very good defensive team that is well-coached and they play smart, fundamentally sound, TEAM basketball.

Pembroke was up 26-25 at halftime, but Portsmouth went on a 19-7 run in the 3rd quarter, taking a 44-33 lead late in the quarter (their largest lead of the game). Walker sliced through the defense and made a nice finish inside. Tsougranis did a nice job of crashing the boards and working hard. Then Walker and Lane both made some explosive drives to the basket and tough finishes inside. The duo of Walker and Lane makes for a VERY quick back court - these guys are able to kick it into an extra gear and just play the game at a faster pace than most. Then Portmsouth has nice balance with the steady play of Tsougranis, Alx Rigazio and Duprey, who were active on the boards, getting second chance points on offense and limiting PA to 1 shot on defense.

Portsmouth maintained a lead of around 8 or 109 points for the rest of the 3rd quarter and the first few minutes of the 4th. Rigazio came up with a couple big buckets inside in the 4th quarter and Walker made another nice drive and finish for 2.

Welch kept shooting the lights out though, keeping the Spartans in the game. You simply cannot leave him open or he will make you pay. If he has the slightest amount of space to see the rim and get the shot off he'll make it. He's very quick and like Maher he also has a very nice crossover dribble which allows both players to get by their man off the dribble. Welch drilled a couple more threes in the 4th quarter, and 6'5" senior forward Tyler Morrison converted inside, followed by a clutch basket in the paint by Duprey for Portsmouth. It was certainly an exciting finish to the game, with both squads laying it all out on the line.

Pembroke made a nice run to come back in the game, as they trailed 44-33 late in the 3rd and they were down 50-40 with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter. But they came back and had a couple chances to tie or win the game late. It was a great game, but the 19-7 run by Portsmouth in the 3rd quarter was the difference.

I would be VERY surprised if these same 2 teams don't end up meeting each other in the D-II title game come March.

McCarthy Pours in 31, BG Boys Top Central

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

It was a barn burner at Central High in Manchester on Friday night - opening night of the 2011-2012 Division I boys basketball season. In a rematch of last year's D-I semi-final match up, the BG Cardinals (the defending champs) went on the road and beat a short-handed Central Little Green team, 79-69 in front of a packed gym.

Bishop Guertin senior forward Joe McCarthy (who's just as good if not better at baseball) had a HUGE game, with 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for Guertin. Logan Kesty had 17 points and Cooper Paul chipped in with 11.

"Joe's a good ball player" said Bishop Guertin head coach Jim Migneault. "He's starting to mature now. We've got a lot of kids who can score the basketball - I expect to put 70 points up every night."

The game was close throughout, but both teams made their runs. Central had a 10 point lead in the 1st half, but BG battled to get back in it. Then the Cardinals took a 10 point lead in the 2nd half, and it was Central who battled back to get within 2. But at the end BG had more depth so they were able to make more plays down the stretch.

"We had some defensive breakdowns" said Manchester Central head coach Doc Wheeler. "There was a lack of consistency on defense. We weren't getting back and we weren't blocking out. They showed us some weaknesses we need to fix."

Central was playing without 3 players who could potentially be vital cogs on their team this season, as junior guard Stephen Gomez, junior forward Isaiah Joseph and sophomore forward Adrien Stillwell were all out for this game.

"They violated team rules" said Coach Wheeler. "They might be back next week though."

Leading the way offensively for Central was junior forward Christian Ortega, who was a force inside. Gabe LaCount and Troy Pelletier also stood out for the Little Green.

"Ortega played pretty well offensively in the post" said Wheeler. "But then unfortunately we went away from what was working and started to over-dribble, which got us in trouble."

For BG, in addition to McCarthy, Kesty and Paul, the also got strong play from Brad Holler and Nate Chartrand, and off the bench from forward Jeff Lunn, CJ Boykin and Steve Toscano.

"I thought our kids played well" said Coach Migneault. "They made their run when we stopped passing. They played really well though."

Memorial Girls Crush Keene

2011-12-15T23:00:00.006-05:00

The Manchester Memorial girls basketball team showed why they're one of the top 4 teams in Division I with a convincing 52-23 win over Keene on Thursday night at Memorial High.

Keene actually led this game 11-9 after the 1st quarter, with 5'10" senior Ashley Clough scoring 8 of those 11 points. But from the 2nd quarter on it was all Crusaders, who outscored the Blackbirds 16-0 in the 3rd quarter.

"It took us a little while to get going" said Memorial head coach Jack Quirk. "We have 3 freshmen who get playing time, but then we started to make adjustments and forced some turnovers and got easy baskets off them."

Memorial has a starting 5 that can play with anyone, and when all 5 of them are clicking they are a scary team. From the 2nd quarter on they weren't just clicking, they were dominating.

5'11" senior Amra Elezovic (committed to UMass Lowell) scored a game high 14 points. She's a very tough match up since she can get to the rim off the dribble or hit the outside shot. On this night her outside shot wasn't falling, but she was able to slash to the basket and finish through contact at will. When she got into the paint Elezovic often drew double teams and was able to make some nice passes to the open teammate.

Speaking of nice passes, nobody made more of them in this game than Crusaders junior point guard Allie Hartford. Hartford had 6 assists, to go with 4 rebounds, 3 points and 3 steals. She knows how to set up teammates for open shots and made a number of terrific dishes in this game.

"Allie had a great game" said Coach Quirk. "She knows when to drive and when to pass and it's like having another coach out there."

Freshman sensation Peace Kabari displayed some unreal athleticism, making some shifty moves to the rim and showing leaping ability that made you do a double take. The 5'6" Kabari had 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals in just her third varsity game. 5'8" junior forward Danielle Fletcher was tough on the boards and also made some nice baskets inside, while senior wing player Ari Dimou also played well.

Keene simply couldn't match the speed, aggressiveness and play making ability of Memorial. The Blackbirds scored just 4 points in the 2nd quarter and 0 points in the 3rd. Clough was held in check after the 1st quarter, and one of their other leading scorers sophomore forward Allison Yeaw was in foul trouble for much of the game and never got it going. Late in the 2nd quarter and into the 3rd their main problem was turnovers. They didn't have an answer for Memorial's pressure defense.

"Turnovers were a big problem for us" said Keene head coach Eric Matte. "I'm sure everyone we play is going to be pressing us now. But this wasn't our best game, I expect this group to get a lot better as the season goes on."

Memorial might not be the deepest team, but they all 5 of their starters are very quick and all 5 are capable of scoring in double figures on any given night. The Crusaders are now 3-0 on the season.

Boys Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview Show- Division I

2011-12-14T13:25:00.023-05:00

Like we did for our D-II Boys Basketball Preview Show, we also went on-location to J.W. Hills in Manchester to preview the 2011-2012 season for Division I. Once again, Pete Tarrier was my co-host for the show, and our guests included Trinity head coach Dave Keefe and his senior guard Jake Hamel, Manchester Memorial asst. coach Sudi Lett and Bishop Guertin senior guard Logan Kesty.

Take a look at all 4 videos, and see our preseason Power Rankings, all-state/Player of the Year picks and championship game predictions below.

NH Notebook D-I Power Rankings
1) Merrimack
2) Trinity
3) Bishop Guertin
4) Manchester Central
5) Nashua North
6) Nashua South
7) Alvirne
8) Spaulding
9) Salem
10) Pinkerton
11) Dover
12) Manchester Memorial
13) Exeter
14) Manchester West
15) Winnacunnet
16) Londonderry

NH Notebook All-State Team
First-team: Dimitri Floras (Merrimack), Mabor Gabriel (Trinity) Ryan Gauthier (Nashua North), Anthony Muccioli (Nashua South), Gabe LaCount (Manchester Central),

Second-team: Logan Kesty (Bishop Guertin), Brad Holler (Bishop Guertin), Matt Barr (Exeter), Dominic Paradis (Spaulding), Tyler Gendron (Merrimack)

Honorable mention: Jim Tomaswick (Alvirne), Javon Williams (Nashua North), Anthony Farmer (Nashua North), Joe McCarthy (Bishop Guertin), Tony Beaulieu (Alvirne), Eric Gendron (Merrimack), Kaleb Marquis (Concord), Jack Preston (Nashua South), Tim Preston (Nashua South), Aaron Martin (Manchester West), Silvere Aluko (Trinity), Chris Light (Pinkerton), Mike LeBlanc (Dover)

Preseason Player of the Year: Dimitri Floras (Merrimack)

Championship Game Prediction: Merrimack over Trinity

Pete Tarrier is a co-host of the ‘New Hampshire High School Sports Show’, which airs Saturday mornings from 7-9 am on WGIR 610 AM, on the seacoast on 96.7 The The Wave and online at: http://www.wgiram.com/pages/nhhssports.html

Bedford Girls Upset Souhegan

2011-12-13T21:50:00.007-05:00

In our Division II girls basketball preview article last week I wrote how Souhegan was the clear cut favorite to repeat as champs this season. And why not? They return the state's best player in Bentley recruit Jane White and 4 other girls who all got BIG minutes for a team that went undefeated. However it was the young, up and coming Bedford girls who came away with an impressive win to end the Saber's 22 game winning streak. The Bulldogs came away with a win over Souhegan on Tuesday night in Bedford.

"They played with a lot of heart" said Sue Thomas, who was coaching her first ever game as Bedford's head coach after taking over for Scott Sarsfields. "We had 4 sophomores and a junior in there at the end of the game but they did a great job of playing with poise and playing together."

It was truly a team effort for the Bulldogs, who played tough, unselfish basketball. They started 4 sophomores and 2 other sophomores came off the bench. 6'1" forward McKenzie Brown had 11 points and 10 rebounds, 5'10" forward Haley Driscoll had 8 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way, while junior guards Maggie McGown and Ashley Abad hit some clutch shots down the stretch.

Although White did score a game-high 14 points, she really had to work for everything she got and she ended up fouling out with 55.6 seconds left and her team trailing by 6 points. Bedford did a nice job defensively and also rebounding the basketball to hold the Sabers to 1 shot most of the time.

"They just wanted it more" said Souhegan head coach Jeremy Faulkner. "They capitalized on our mistakes but we didn't capitalize on theirs. We did not give them our best game, but Bedford deserved the win."

Not only did Brown and Driscoll do a lot of damage in the paint, but they are sophomores who went up against a pair of 6'0" seniors for Souhegan in Ceara McNamara and Tori Forrest. In addition to Driscoll and Brown, the rest of the talented sophomore class for Bedford includes Ali Glennon and Rachel Collins (both starters) plus guards Bailey Marshall and Caroline Conrad coming off the bench.

"They don't play like sophomores because a lot of those girls play national AAU ball" said Coach Faulkner. "They play all year round."

Bedford led this game for nearly the entire way. White (who also had 5 steals, 4 rebounds and 3 assists) hit a big three-pointer to cut the Bulldogs lead to 35-30 with 4:23 left to play, but that's close as they would get. Bedford was able to get the necessary stops and made enough free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win. With under a minute left and Souhegan pressing on defense they were able to break the press and Brown converted an and-1 basket which sealed the win.

It's going to be a VERY fun year in girls D-II, with Bedford, Souhegan, Lebanon, Hollis-Brookline and Windham all having a shot at the title. Any game involving those teams will be a battle, just like tonight's game was.

Boys Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview Show- Division II

2011-12-13T07:11:00.017-05:00

The NH Notebook hit the road for our boys basketball Division II preview show for the 2011-2012 season. We went to J.W. Hills in Manchester. Pete Tarrier was my co-host, and we were joined by Pembroke Academy head coach Matt Alosa and his junior point guard Rene Maher. Then our next guests on the show were Pelham head coach Matt Regan and his senior back court of Derek Defranzo and Brett Bailey. Take a look at all 3 videos, and see our all-state, Player of the Year picks and championship game predictions below.

NH Notebook D-II Power Rankings
1) Pembroke
2) Portsmouth
3) Pelham
4) Bedford
5) Lebanon
6) Merrimack Valley
7) Coe-Brown
8) Souhegan
9) Hanover
10) Milford
11) Oyster River
12) John Stark
13) Goffstown
14) St. Thomas
15) Bishop Brady
16) Windham
17) Kingswood

NH Notebook All-State Team
First-team: Kamahl Walker (Portsmouth), Rene Maher (Pembroke) Trevor Fahmy (Bedford), Derek Defranzo (Pelham), Patrick Welch (Pembroke), David Hampton (Lebanon)

Second-team: Brandon Len (Souhegan), Andrew Kahr (St. Thomas), Justin Abbott (Merrimack Valley), Skyler Mitchell (Coe-Brown), Trevor Glassman (Bedford), Brett Bailey (Pelham)

Honorable mention: Zach Grattan (John Stark), Jourdain Bell (Bishop Brady), Kyle DiCesare (Portsmouth), Matt Persons (Pembroke), Kohl Meyers (Kingswood), Jacob Mount (Goffstown), Roger Larrivee (Bedford), Daniel Gorman (Hanover), Babakar Kamara (Laconia), Nick DiVeglia (Oyster River)

Preseason Player of the Year: Kamahl Walker (Portsmouth)

Championship Game Prediction: Pembroke over Portsmouth

Pete Tarrier is a co-host of the ‘New Hampshire High School Sports Show’, which airs Saturday mornings from 7-9 am on WGIR 610 AM, on the seacoast on 96.7 The The Wave and online at: http://www.wgiram.com/pages/nhhssports.html

Monette Was on the Money in 2011

2011-12-12T23:37:00.005-05:00

Ryan Monette had a BIG junior season for St. Thomas Aquinas High School, leading the Saints to an undefeated season and Division V championship. Monette is a junior and plays running back on offense, defensive back on defense and also returns kicks and punts on special teams. He is one of the top football prospects in NH for the Class of 2013. Here are some highlights from his junior season.

If you are a high school football or basketball player and would like us to make a highlight video for you as well, simply email nhnotebook@yahoo.com.

Gardiner Moving to Texas

2011-12-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

There's been quite a few articles now where I've mentioned the ultra-talented junior class that the Bedford High football team has and how good they will be next year with all those kids coming back. Well unfortunately, one of those star juniors is leaving.

Mike Gardiner is one of those star junior players for the Bulldogs, and he was a BIG reason they were able to advance to the D-III title game this season. Gardiner, who played running back, wide receiver, corner back and also returned kicks and punts for the Bulldogs, is moving out of Bedford with his family over the holiday break.

"Michael Gardiner is moving to Texas due to his father being relocated with his work" said Bedford head football coach Kurt Hines. "Michael is an amazing athlete, and an even better young man. He has pushed himself both on and off the field (in the weight room, and at camps), and is with out a doubt, one of the better athletes I've coach in 12+ years of coaching high school football."

According to his father Jim, Gardiner will be attending Southlake Carroll High School - a public school located in Southlake, Texas. He will play for the South Lake Carroll Dragons, who are a football powerhouse in a state where high school football is a HUGE deal. In the last 20 years, under head coach Bob Ledbetter, the Dragons have a combined record of 244-39-1, they have won 7 state titles in the last 8 years and they were named national champions in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

"I feel Michael will do very well in Texas, as long as he plays the type of football he knows how to play" said Coach Hines, who is a former assistant coach at Souhegan under Mike Beliveau. "My hope is that he will show what he can do during their spring ball, and make a name for himself there, just as he has here in NH."

Bedford football will definitely miss the speed and play making ability of Gardiner, but they should still be a good team next year. They still have a very talented 2013 class, including players like QB James Caparell, RB/WR/DB/KR Dylan York, DE Joe Thibeault, WR/LB Brian Collins, FB/LB David Cannone, OL/DL Will Mcinerny and LB Jack Terzian. The Bulldogs have been competing in Division III, but rumor has it they will be moving up to D-II starting in 2012.

"Michael will be greatly missed" Hines concluded. "But BHS football will go on, and we will continue to be a force!"

BG vs. Pembroke Scrimmage Recap

2011-12-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

During the preseason teams all across the state scrimmage each other in preparation for the season. You'd be hard pressed to find a scrimmage that was played at a higher level than Friday night's tilt between defending Division I champs Bishop Guertin and perennial Division II contender Pembroke.

While both teams went a little deeper and played their benches slightly more than they normally would, they played their starters a lot, ran their sets, played to win and for the most part treated it like it was a state tournament game. There was a good crowd on hand, you could feel the intensity in the gym and the game was played at a very high level. In the end, Guertin came away with a 65-63 win.

BG was playing without 2 of their starters - seniors Joe McCarthy and Nate Chartrand. 2 players who really played well for the Cardinals in this game were 6'4" junior forward Jeff Lunn and senior wing Cooper Paul. Paul played tough defense and hit some key three-pointers, while Lunn was a force inside rebounding the basketball and going up strong with shots inside.

Junior point guard Rene Maher led the way for the Spartans, effectively running the offense and making some strong drives to the rim. 6'3" sophomore forward Jordan Williams has excellent quickness and athleticism for an inside player and like Lunn for BG, Williams was also very active on the boards and went up strong with shots in the paint.

This Friday night is opening night of the regular season for boys D-I and D-II. Bishop Guertin plays at Manchester Central, while Pembroke plays host to Portsmouth. Both of them are possible championship game previews, and both will be covered by the NH Notebook.

Springfield, Wagner Matched Up in College

2011-12-11T10:18:00.004-05:00

Conant's Brooke Springfield and Allie Wagner from Kennett. They were NH high school basketball's 2 best guards for the Class of 2011. And on Saturday afternoon at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester they were matched up at the college level, with Springfield leading her SNHU Penmen to a 74-63 win over Wagner's Merrimack College Warriors.

Both Springfield and Wagner are starting as freshmen for their respective schools, which is nice to see for NH basketball. Springfield had a team-high 12 points on the game, including 10 in the 1st half. Wagner had 6 points on a pair of three-pointers. Both players won state championships in high school and they both also played AAU for the NE Crusaders.

It was a men's and women's basketball double-header, and in the men's game SNHU made it a sweep over Merrimack with a 70-63 win. Former Spaulding High standout Lucas Croteau (a senior) dropped 12 points off the bench for SNHU in the win, and in the women's game freshman forward Angie Michalski (Inter-Lakes HS) chipped in with 2 points and 2 rebounds in 11 minutes of action for Merrimack.

Campbell Tops Raymond on the Road in Opener

2011-12-09T21:59:00.006-05:00

The Division III boys basketball Final Four takes place at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester - the road to SNHU began on Friday night, as D-III teams across the state tipped off the 2011-2012 season.

2 teams who have a shot at making it there squared off tonight, with Campbell going on the road to take on Raymond. Going into this game it was anyone's guess who the favorite was, as these seemed to be 2 very evenly matched teams. And that's the way the contest started out - both teams showed opening night jitters, and at the end if the 1st quarter it was tied 6-6.

Then the nerves started to go away and the offense began to pick up, especially for Campbell's bench. Sophomore guard Jesiah Wade (15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals) and junior center Caleb McKearin (11 points and 13 rebounds) both had big games off the bench for the Cougars. They led the way for Campbell, who came away with a 53-42 win on the road.

Wade and McKearin really came on strong in the 2nd half. Wade hit a three-pointer to put the Cougars up 31-21 with 3 minutes left in the 2nd half, McKearin dominated the boards and both players converted crucial and-1 finishes inside to help Campbell hold off a 4th quarter run by Raymond.

"I just worked hard and tried to help the team win" said Wade, who is also a standout on the football field for Campbell. "And then the rest of the team fed off my energy when I made the and-1."

And that's exactly what happened. McKearin fed off Wade's energy and then once he got going the rest of the team picked up their play as well. Senior forward John Houston made a big blocked shot to save a basket in the 3rd quarter. And junior wing Jacob Morgan (14 points) made some clutch free throws down the stretch and played tough defense on Raymond's top scorer Joe Morin.

Campbell went down 6-0 early on, but they built up a 22-14 lead at halftime. That's right, Raymond only scored 14 points in the entire 1st half.

"That's not going to cut it" said Raymond head coach Rich Winget. "Our execution on offense was a problem."

Campbell did a nice job of pressuring the basketball on defense and rotating over from the help side. They didn't let Raymond get anything easy, especially the Rams 2 best scorers, Morin and Jordon Richard.

"Jacob Morgan did a nice job defensively on Morin" said Campbell head coach Pat Roye. "Morin got 16 points but he really had to work for all of them. And I was impressed with Richard, he went to the rim hard all game."

Raymond make a comeback at the end but Campbell was able to hold on for the win. The Rams trailed 40-29 with 7:00 left in the 4th quarter - it looked like the Cougars had it wrapped up. But Richard then came alive, scoring back-to-back buckets inside, with the second one being an and-1.

The action really started to pick up on the court and you could feel the intensity in the gym, as Raymond fed off of Richard's play and the crowd's energy, and they picked up their intensity on defense. Senior guard/forward Ben Sytulek hit a big three-pointer late, while Tyler Peer and Eric Desilets played tough defense.

But McKearin was just too much for Raymond to handle inside down the stretch. The 6'7" transfer from Mt. Zion Christian Academy dominated the boards, making it tough for the rams to come back.

"Our biggest kid is 6'1" said Coach Winget. "That makes it tough defending a kid that size."

Raymond center Tom Daigle was in foul trouble for much of the game as well, which hurt their ability to rebound the basketball. Then right when Raymond was getting some good pressure on the ball McKearin rolled to the basket, caught a pass in stride, laid it in plus the foul. That made it a 44-35 lead for Campbell with 4:00 left to play.

Still, Raymond refused to give up. They forced a turnover, and then after another layup by Richard the Campbell lead was down to 47-42 with 1:43 left in regulation.

But from there Raymond's shots stopped falling and Campbell made their free throws late. The Cougars win it 53-42 in front of a good crowd.

Morin and Richard were tough, but Raymond will need more production from their other players in order to win more games this season. The Rams' chances also took a hit when they were called for a technical foul at the beginning of the 4th quarter. There were times when Raymond seemed to lose their heads a little bit, they started to worry about the officials too much, pointing fingers at each other and hanging their heads on the bench. Still, this is just the first game if the season. There's a long way to go, and Raymond has a lot of talent.

Campbell meanwhile was a deeper team, they played better team basketball and they were more poised down the stretch. While Raymond was a 2 man show, Campbell was much more balnced, with McKearin, Wade, Morgan, Houston, Max Gouveia, Kyle Mun and Chuck Neild all stepping up and making plays.

It was 20 minutes after the final buzzer sounded. The fans were filing out of the gym, Campbell was getting ready to get on the bus and most of the Raymond players had either left or were still in the gym socializing with friends or family. On the other side of the court though was Morin, putting up shots. A month from now these same 2 teams meet again, this time in Litchfield. Morin is determined to have that game result differently than this one.

"That's why he's such a dangerous player" said Coach Roye. "Just played 30 minutes out here and he's still out here shooting."

The 2011-2012 season is just getting started. But it's safe to say that both Campbell and Raymond will be in the hunt come March. Buckle up, D-III fans. It's going to be another fun season.

Girls Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview - Division I

2011-12-08T21:33:00.021-05:00

Winnacunnet girls basketball has been the NHIAA's most dominating athletic program over the last 5 years. During that time the 'Beattie Bunch' has won 5 straight Division I (Class L) titles and they have won 77 consecutive games. They're the first team in the division to win 5 straight titles since Nashua High (1985-1989).

Of those 5 championships, last year's was the most impressive. They graduated 4 starters and 8 total seniors, including Tiffany Ruffin (now playing at Boston College), plus other star players like Emily Siegart and Lyndsey Mahoney. Yet the Warriors were STILL able to not only win the D-I title but they went undefeated. You have to give head coach Ed Beattie, his staff and the players on last year's team A LOT of credit for that - Londonderry gave them a battle in the regular season and in the final, but Winnacunnet still came out on top.

As we look ahead and preview the 2011-2012 girls basketball season in Division I the question you have to ask is - can anyone beat the 'Beattie Bunch'? Well, probably not. But there's 3 other teams who are all VERY good and could potentially give them a run for their money.

1) Winnacunnet - No surprise here, Winnacunnet is the hands down favorite to win their 6th title in a row. Even though they graduated the 2010-2011 NH Notebook D-I Player of the Year Samantha Corcoran they still have 3 returning starters (basically 4 returning starters since 6th man Aviana Morrison got the playing time of a starter) and 8 returning players off last year's squad.

One of those returning starters is our preseason Player of the Year in D-I for this season, senior point guard Kirsten O'Neil. At certain times last year O'Neil was actually the team's best player, even with Corcoran there. One of those times was the regular season game vs. Londonderry when she dropped 28 points in the win. O'Neil (who will be playing soccer in college at Division I San Diego State) is a lightning quick guard who can handle the basketball well, shoot it from the outside and also create offense via dribble penetration.

The Warriors will likely have 4 all-state players this season. I'm guessing O'Neil makes first team, Anna Sullivan makes second team and Carly Gould and Morrison both make honorable mention. They are the Warriors' 'Big 4'. Sullivan is also an excellent defender - you're not going to find a better defensive back court in NH than O'Neil and Sullivan. Sullivan is also one of the state's most unselfish players - she usually only shoots the ball if she is WIDE open, often electing to pass up a GOOD shot and instead pass the ball to a teammate who has a BETTER shot. Since Corcoran was such a big part of the offense last year and now she's gone you could possibly see Sullivan look for her shot more this year. One player who is definitely not shy about shooting the basketball is Morrison, a 5'6" guard who is one of the state's best spot-up shooters. Winnacunnet has great ball movement on offense - they move the ball around the perimeter, work it inside and back outside at a furious pace until someone gets an open look. Morrison knows how to move without the ball and find the 'soft spots' in a defense so she can get her shot off.

5'11" junior forward Gould formed a dominating 1-2 punch inside last year with Corcoran - both players notched double-doubles in the title game. With Corcoran gone that opens the door for Gould to really show what she can do. For a girl her size Gould is an excellent athlete who can run and jump like a guard and is very active on the boards.

The other 4 returning varsity players are seniors Jacqui Lewis, Michaela Withee and Alexa Mutch and sophomore Melissa MacLeod. Lewis, Withee and MacLeod will battle for minutes in the post, while Mutch will provide depth in the back court. One player who transferred out of the program was guard Megan Hartnett, who would have been a senior this season for the Warriors but instead transferred to Tabor Academy.

The staple of the Winnacunnet girls has been intense pressure defense. They mix up their defense, too. Sometimes a full court press, sometimes 3/4 court press, they'll throw in a half court trap, etc. The one constant is that all 5 players are going to pressure the heck out of teams and force them to turn the ball over. And like I already mentioned, on offense they move the ball so well, it moves seamlessly from player to player and so quickly it's like a hot potato. They have shooters and they have inside scoring. On offense and on defense they are constantly RUNNING, as they play an up-tempo, pressing on defense, fast-breaking on offense style of basketball. They did this last year even with just a 6 player rotation. What does that tell you? That Beattie has his players in EXCELLENT shape. The 4th quarter is when the Warriors really take games over because that's when they are still going strong while their opponents are getting tired from all the running.

2) Bishop Guertin - BG returns a very strong nucleus of players, with 3 returning starters and 7 returning varsity players. Included in that mix is preseason first team all-state player Meghan Green. Green, a 6'1" junior forward, is a dominating inside player who can score in the paint and rebound at will, and over the summer she also improved her outside jumper. When she's on her game Green is capable of scoring 20+ points and grabbing 15+ rebounds on any given night.

The other returning varsity players are 5'5" sophomore guard Jamie Sherburne, 5'10" junior wing Madison Gibbs, 5'9" junior wing Nikki Hayner, 5'10" senior forward Cassie Dauer, and junior guards Jillian Barbaro and Lindsay Shepard. Green, Gibbs, Hayner and Dauer are all third year varsity players, so this team definitely has plenty of experience. Gibbs is an underrated passer and defender, and like Green she also improved her outside shot over the summer. Sherburne is an exciting young player. She thrives in an up-tempo game as she loves to push the ball on the break and use her quickness and skill to make plays.

Coming up from JV is sophomore guard Gigi Piercy, who is a gym rat with lots of potential. And BG also has arguably the state's best freshman in 5'5" guard Megan Kerutis. Kerutis is a quick guard who can handle the ball and shoot it. Kerutis and Sherburne is going to be a VERY fun back court combination to watch develop over the next 3 years.

Both of those guards like to run, and so does their new head coach. Former McDonald's All-American and current NH Rivals director Scott Hazelton takes over as coach, replacing Kevin Gibbs (who is now the head coach at NHTI). Hazelton's Rivals AAU teams are known for being up-tempo, pressing type teams.

3) Londonderry - It's not often that a team can graduate their entire starting lineup (including the Player of the Year) and also graduate 2 key players off the bench and still be a top 3 team in the preseason. But that's exactly the case with this year's Londonderry team. Why? Because Londonderry has 2 returning players who came off the bench last year who both would have started for pretty much any other team in the state, they had the best JV team in the state and many of those girls are now varsity players, they also have some very talented incoming freshmen and a legendary head coach.

Savanna Butterfield (currently doing a post-grad year at the Tilton School) and the rest of the starters are gone from last years D-I runners-up squad. The 2 players who came off the bench last year but would have started just about anywhere else are sophomore point guard Aliza Simpson and senior 2-guard Lindsey Bolduc. Simpson might only be a sophomore but with all of the high level games all around the country she's played in she plays more like a senior. She's a very good passer and defender and also has a nice mid-range jumper. Bolduc (who will be playing softball in college at SNHU) is an aggressive slasher who can also hit the outside shot.

Legendary head coach John Fagula (who was at the helm for Nashua High's girls hoops dynasty in the 90's) has plenty more talent on this year's team, although they are very young that's for sure. He will lean heavily on a sophomore class that is VERY good, but only Simpson has any major varsity experience. The other sophomores to watch out for this year are guards Jamie King and Devon Hickey, wing player Jordan Marett and forward Elisabeth Caron. Another sophomore who also played varsity last year for the Lancers was 5'10" forward Maeve Holland, but she transferred to Central Catholic in Mass over the summer.

5'9" junior forward Kirsten Enwright and 5'10" freshman forward Casey Evans-Driscoll give Londonderry a pair of tough, physical inside players. Evans-Driscoll (one of the state's top freshmen) also has an improving offensive skill set. Another member of last year's championship winning JV team expected to compete for minutes is junior wing player Katherine Dzenis.

So yeah, they're young. But they're also deep, they're fast, they're skilled and they play as a team. And with a coach like Fagula it's a safe bet they'll win a lot of games this year.

4) Manchester Memorial - The other team in this year's D-I 'Big 4' is Memorial, a program hoping to reach the Final Four for the second year in a row. Head coach Jack Quirk returns 3 starters and 4 of his top 7 players from that team, plus he has a star freshman coming in as well.

Leading the way will be D-I Player of the Year candidate Amra Elezovic, who has committed to play her college basketball at Division II UMass Lowell. The 5'11" guard/forward is a match up nightmare, with her size and ability to both shoot the basketball from long range and also go by her defender off the dribble. She's also a tough defender and a good passer, and when this team is at their best is when all 5 players are moving the ball around, keeping pressure on the defense rather than everyone standing around watching Amra try to score.

5'3" Allie Hartford has been the starting point guard at Memorial since the start of her freshman year, and now she's a junior and just keeps working hard and getting better. She can shoot it from the outside and also break her man down off the dribble and is also a very good passer. She's a smart player who plays unselfish but also looks for her shot at the same time.

5'6" senior wing Ari Dimou and 5'9" junior forward Danielle Fletcher are both very good players who might be star players if they played on other teams. Both players missed time last year due to injury, but if they can both stay healthy this year the Crusaders could make a serious run come March. And Memorial needs to stay healthy since they're not as deep as the other teams in D-I's 'Big 4'. Dimou and Fletcher can both finish well inside and rebound.

Freshman guard Peace Kabari started out the summer playing with Manchester Central, so you can bet Coach Quirk is glad to have her on his squad instead. The 5'6" Kabari is an electric athlete who is extremely fast, anticipates well on defense and as a result she always gets lots of steals on defense and Kabari also makes some shifty moves to slice through defenders when driving to the basket.

Though they might not be as deep as some of the other top teams, with Elezovic, Hartford, Dimou, Fletcher and Kabari, Memorial has a starting 5 that can match up with just about anyone in the state. They would have been deeper, but sophomore guard Kayla Stacy (played varsity last year as a freshman at Memorial) transferred to Pinkerton. But according to Coach Quirk he does see promise in players like Michaela Demers, Jenieda Rosello and Amela Imamovic (all returning varsity players) coming off the bench.

5) Pinkerton - Pinkerton has a good program, a good coach and year in and year out they're a top 5 team in D-I. They will miss point guard Katherine Harris (now playing at Division I Bucknell) and guards Danielle Kimball and Michelle Reid who also graduated. However they return a handful of girls from last year's team, they have one player returning who missed all of last year due to injury, they have a transfer coming in from Memorial and they have one of the state's best freshman as well.

Pinkerton's 2 returning starters are 6'0" senior forwards Sarah Goodwin and Mariah Bonneau. Goodwin is a force inside rebounding and scoring the basketball while Bonneau is best when running the floor on the break and in the half court when facing up from 15 feet and making plays. They give the Astros good size inside, and off the bench you have 5'10" freshman forward Val Martin who is ready to step in and make an immediate impact.

In the back court you have junior wing player Sam Breslin, who was a key player off the bench last year. 5'4" sophomore point guard Kayla Stacy transfers in from Memorial - she's played well in the preseason, especially considering she's had to learn a whole new offense (Pinkerton's offensive sets are not the easiest to learn and to run). The player returning from injury is 5'7" junior guard Liz Laing, who is coming back from a torn ACL. Sophomore guard Brandi Bonneau (Mariah's little sister) is expected to provide depth in the back court as a tough defender and a good shooter.

6) Keene - Keene is a team everyone seems to be talking about in the preseason as one to watch out for. They only went 4-14 last year but that was a team with VERY little varsity experience. However this season is a different story. The Blackbirds return their 3 best players (I'm pretty sure they're the only D-I team that can say that), and they have a total of 10 returning varsity players.

Leading the way is 5'10" senior guard/forward Ashley Clough, a third year starter and one of the top 5 players in D-I. Clough is a versatile player with a good all-around game. She can do a little bit of everything, including running the point, going inside and grabbing boards, hitting threes and slashing to the rim off the dribble.

Look for 5'10" senior forward Cailey White and 5'10" sophomore forward Allison Yeaw to step up once again this year to take some of the pressure off of Clough so she doesn't have to see so many double teams. White is a force on the boards while Yeaw is also a good rebounder who can step out and hit shots from 15-18 feet.

Keene has 7 other returning varsity players, including 5'7" junior guard Ali Wilson who also got lots of minutes last year.

7) Dover - Dover will once again be a tough, hard nosed, defensive minded team that will play smart and work for good shots on offense. They will miss the inside presence of Jamie Boyatsis (now playing at Keene St.) but they have a good amount of returning talent from a team that went 14-5 before falling to Memorial in the quarterfinals.

Leading the team this year on offense and on defense is potential first team all-stater senior Allie Mahan. Mahan is arguably the best defender in the state this year, and has improved offensively as well. With Boyatsis gone, Mahan knows she's the team's best scoring option. She looks for her outside shot and driving lanes to the basket, but always keeps her head up while dribbling to spot open teammates.

Along with Mahan, fellow seniors Julia Wise and Chritine Zubkus give the Green Wave 3 guards who are all tough-as-nails, who will all pressure the heck out of you on defense and can also score the basketball inside or out on offense.

Other players to watch out for on a deep, scrappy Dover team are sophomore forward Molly Wotton, Shannon Goff, Madison Wheaton, freshman guard Abby Tilton and Katie Boyatsis.

8) Alvirne - Alvirne is a VERY young team, and they won't be as good last year but they will still be a very good team. The Broncos went 19-6 last year, advancing to the Final Four for the first time in 8 years where they came THIS close to knocking off Londonderry. Alvirne looks to replace star players DJ Purcell (now starting at Rivier alongside older sister Amandra) and Katie Donovan (now starting at Rhode Island College). Plus Taylor Carbone, who would have been a third-year starter this season as a senior decided not to play this year to focus on softball (she has a scholarship to play softball starting next year at UMass Amherst).

"We are so young, especially now with Taylor gone, it isn't even funny!" said Alvirne head coach Steve Tracy, who enters his second year at the helm. "We only have two seniors and they play the same position for the most part. Most nights we'll be starting four sophomores. Also, two freshmen will see a lot of time based on our scrimmage assessments."

Still, this will be a tough team that will still have a very good shot at getting a home playoff game. Their 'Big 3' is the sophomore back court of Sandi Purcell (DJ and Amandra's little sister) and Veronica Moceri plus senior forward Maya Desfosses. Sandi Purcell is a 5'3" point guard who is extremely fast and uses that speed to push the ball on the break and blow by her defender off the dribble. She's also a good shooter and is not afraid to drive it inside and finish against bigger players. Growing up playing against her 2 older sisters has made her a very tough, smart player no question about it.

Moceri is a 5'7" 2-guard, and when she's on from the outside she's as good a shooter as you'll see in this division. Her and Sandi play on the same AAU team with the NE Shooting Stars and have very good chemistry together on the court. Desfosses is a strong inside player who can score and rebound and also has a rapidly developing perimeter game which makes her even more difficult to guard.

The other 2 expected starters are sophomore guards Brittney Lambert and Tori LaRoche. Lambert is a 5'8", athletic and can hit shots while LaRoche is a smaller player but is a very good defender and is unselfish on offense. The other senior is 5'11" forward Jessica Underwood, who got minutes coming off the bench last year.

9) Trinity - Trinity will be a middle of the pack team that will give many teams trouble this year with their speed. They don't have much size but they'll be tough to match up with because they will spread you out with all of these small, quick guards who can handle the basketball and shoot it, drawing the big forwards for opposing teams away from the basket and creating driving lanes.

Trinity graduates 3 starters, including all-state point guard Emily Marro. But they return a pair of senior guards who both started last year in 5'8" Lia Nawn and 5'5" Hannah Willard. Nawn can light it up from the outside with a smooth release and is also a good passer, while Willard is a tough, scrappy 2-guard who is one of the top defenders in the state.

"They were only about 10 points total away from a 13-14 win season last year and they have added a transfer" said one D-I coach.

The transfer is 5'6" junior guard Kayla Denison, who comes to Trinity from Proctor Academy. Denison is a guard who can handle the basketball and finish inside. The team's other returning varsity players (all got good minutes off the bench last year) include Lauren Seitz (5'7" senior forward), Haley Cirka (5'5" senior guard), Lizzie Meehan (5'7" sophomore guard) and Meredith Farrell (5'6" junior guard).

10) Manchester Central - I wouldn't be surprised if they finished higher than this, but a lot of the teams in the middle of the D-I pack are all very close talent-wise. There should be some very interesting games when teams like Trinity, Timberlane, Central and Alvirne square off. These teams all want that home playoff game but they can't all get it.

Central loses their best player from last year in Olivia Lacroix (now playing at Simmons College), but fortunately they do return just about everyone else. Last year they were a very young team with lots of girls getting their first varsity experience. Now those players have that experience and will be better because of it. The Little Green only won 5 games last year but just like Keene you can expect them to climb back up the standings this season.

Leading the way is 5'8" junior forward Katherine Johnson (rebounding machine), senior guards Ashley Giampetruzzi and Shannon O'Neil (athletic guards who can shoot the ball) and tough senior forward Zoe Stamoulis. Also adding depth inside is junior forward Megan Cleary and adding depth to the back court is 5'7" sophomore guard Sam Gauthier.

Central has some girls who can really shoot the ball well, and a couple good inside players. They could definitely surprise some people this year.

11) Timberlane - A similar program to Dover, because both of them are well-coached teams who play half court offense and tough, physical defense. Timberlane wasn't a deep team last year and they won't be this year either. But they have an all-state player in 5'10" senior Emily Rose and senior wing player Rebecca MacDougal, who is a VERY good defender.

12) Nashua North - The loss of transfer Paige Parkinson definitely hurts the Titans. Parkinson is a player with a lot of upside and if she came back they would have 3 returning starters 2 other key players returning off the bench and one of the state's top incoming freshman, which would have possibly been a recipe for a top 8 seed.

They will still be a solid team, though. The returning starters are seniors Emily Boots and Katelyn Roeser, while Summer Choate (missed most of last year with an injury) and Genevieve Gosselin will are also impact players who are back. The incoming freshman is 5'7" guard Taylor Choate (Summer's little sister, although Taylor is actually taller!).

NH Notebook All-State Team
First-team: Kirsten O'Neil (Winnacunnet), Amra Elezovic (Manchester Memorial) Meghan Green (Bishop Guertin), Ashley Clough (Keene), Aliza Simpson (Londonderry), Allie Mahan (Dover)

Second-team: Anna Sullivan (Winnacunnet), Emily Rose (Timberlane), Lia Nawn (Trinity), Allie Hartford (Manchester Memorial), Sandi Purcell (Alvirne), Sarah Goodwin (Pinkerton)

Preseason Player of the Year: Kirsten O'Neil (Winnacunnet)

Championship Game Prediction: Winnacunnet over Bishop Guertin

Girls Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview - Division II

2011-12-08T02:04:00.005-05:00

Last year was an excellent year in Division II girls basketball. It was a very deep league, with 12 teams who were all VERY good. It is not often that you can go 11-7 in the regular season and only be the #12 seed in the tournament. That was the case for John Stark, who were led by Katie Cullerot (now playing at Assumption) and advanced to the Final Four with wins over Hollis-Brookline and Merrimack Valley.

You had 3 dominant teams in Souhegan, Lebanon and Kennett. Each of those teams was good enough to win a title if it was any other season. But only one of them could win it, and that was Souhegan who went undefeated thanks to the title game heroics of Jane White.

It was also the senior season for one of the NHIAA's best players in recent memory - Danielle Walczak from Oyster River. The 6'1" forward won 2 Player of the Year Awards and is now playing at the University of Maine.

I wasn't lying when I said last season was a good one in D-II. Look at this list of talented seniors who all graduated, just from this division: Cullerot, Walczak, Allie Wagner (Kennett), Melissa Frase (Kennett), Megan Hardiman (Merrimack Valley), Susie French (Portsmouth), Sara Romano (Lebanon), Christan Wojtas (Souhegan) and Emma Rosen (Hanover).

Still, even with that being said there is still plenty of talent this year in D-II, especially on the top 5 teams who are as good as any team in D-I outside of Winnacunnet. All 5 of the top teams have a legit shot at winning the title come March. Here's a look at those 5 teams, plus the other teams we expect to finish in the division's top 15.

1) Souhegan - They're the favorite to repeat as champions. Souhegan went undefeated en route to the title last year, their starters this year all got MAJOR minutes on last year's championship team and they return the best player in the division (and possibly in the entire state) in senior point guard Jane White.

Souhegan winning the title last year was a great story. They were expected to be a contender in the preseason, but I'm not sure anyone expected them to go undefeated. At one of the team's first practices senior guard Taylor Cordts suffered a torn ACL and missed the entire season. Post players Ceara McNamara, Tori Forrest and Lauren Cordts all missed games during the season due to injury. The team had a first year head coach in Jeremy Faulkner. And in the title game they had to come back from an 18-4 1st half deficit. They came THIS close to getting knocked off in the quarterfinals by Windham, in semis by John Stark and in the final by Lebanon. But they ended up winning all of those games. Coach Faulkner did a great job of getting the girls to play hard and as a team even with all the injuries.

White carried Souhegan to the title, leading the comeback in the title game and eventually hitting the game-winning three-pointer with under a minute left. The 5'5" guard will be playing her college ball at Division II Bentley University, alongside former Manchester Central standout Christiana Bakolas. White knows how to use screens to get a step on her defender to go to the basket or to create space for her outside shot. She's fast, she's a tough defender, she's a smart player and she's a winner.

Due to all of the injuries they suffered last year Souhegan actually had 7 girls who started multiple games and got LOTS of playing time. Only 2 of those 7 graduated (Wojtas and Lauren Cordts), so essentially the Sabers return 5 starters from a team that went undefeated (including the division's best player in White). The other 4 are 6'0" senior forwards McNamara and Forrest and wing players Ashley Tighe and Mickenzie Larivee. That gives Souhegan 4 seniors in the starting lineup, and while Larivee is only a sophomore she plays with the poise of a senior.

McNamara and Forrest really compliment each others games nicely. McNamara is a finesse player. She's a face-up forward who can can step outside and hit shots from 18-20 feet away. That leaves room in the paint for Forrest to operate. Forrest is a power player, who uses her size and strength to bully opponents on the block, she's a VERY good rebounder and has solid post up moves inside. Both players missed quite a few games last year due to injury, so the key for them is just staying healthy. If they do then the Sabers might just go undefeated again this year.

Tighe is a the prototypical role player. She gets in perfectly with this team, she goes to the rim hard off the dribble and can hit the mid-range shot, is a very good defender. Larivee is a natural athlete and for a sophomore she is very strong physically. She has a good all-around game, but really excels when running the floor in transition and hitting mid-range jumpers off the catch. Both Tighe (softball) and Larivee (lacrosse) are star players in other sports, but on the basketball court they are very capable role players for this team. Look for junior guard Bailey Gendron to possibly be the team's 6th man. She gained valuable experience last year when filling in for injured players and hit some big shots in the regular season game vs. Lebanon.

2) Windham - The Jaguars have literally EVERYONE back from a team that 12-7 last year before BARELY losing to Souhegan in the quarterfinals. They have a preseason all-state first-teamer in Kerry White, and 3 other very dangerous players in sophomore point guard Clairee Putnam, junior guard Kelsey Schiebel and junior wing player Bernadette Connors.

Considering last year was only Windham's first year as a varsity program the success they had was also a great story. Head coach Joe Mason did a great job with the team. He had a very young team and one that was not very deep, but he turned them into a winner.

The Jaguars used a 7 player rotation last season, with the other 3 key players being senior forward Ashley Adamson, sophomore forward Brianna Angelini and junior guard Amanda Schiebel (Kelsey's twin sister). Not only are all 7 of them back this season, but they also welcome in a very talented freshman in 5'7" 2-guard Madalina Jeans.

White is a 5'11" senior forward who is a dominating inside presence. She can score inside and rebound at will, and she can also step outside and handle the basketball or shoot it from 18 feet away. She's as good as any player in D-II besides Jane White (no they're not related!).

With Putnam and Kelsey Schiebel, Windham has a par of guards who are both capable of playing the point, they're both VERY fast, they can both shoot the basketball and can handle it as well. However, Putnam did recently suffer an injured hamstring. Coach Mason wouldn't comment on the sverity of the injury. But while hamstring injuries do tend to linger on the recovery time is typically just a couple of weeks so Putnam isn't likely to miss many games, if any. Connors is a versatile 5'9" wing player who can score inside or out and really came on strong towards the end of the season last year.

I like the balance that Windham has, between the inside and outside, with the stars and the role players. They are still fairly young, but they gained valuable experience last year by beating Portsmouth on the road in the playoffs and then taking Souhegan to the wire.

3) Hollis-Brookline - This is another team that returns A LOT of talent from a team that won A LOT of games last year. They went 15-3 last year and they would have been even better but starter Jillian Gillis missed much of the season with a high ankle sprain. She's healthy now though, as is the rest of the team. The Cavaliers return 4 starters and 8 varsity players. This year they have 6 seniors and 5 juniors on the roster.

Hollis is led by their "Big 4" which is their all-senior back court of Katie Stopera, Kelsey Berry, Olivia Gillis and twin sister Jillian Gillis. They're all fast, they can all handle the ball, they can all shoot it well and they all get after it on defense. They've also been playing together as a group for a LONG time, and they are very unselfish, looking for each other on the court and setting each other up for good looks.

This team is at its best in a fast paced, transition game. hey like to pressure the basketball defensively, force turnovers and get out and run. Berry is the point guard and does a nice job of setting her teammates up but and knowing when to pass and when to look for her shot - she does a nice job of taking what the defense gives her. Stopera is a 2-guard who can slash to the basket, hit shots and really excels in an up-tempo game. She's also a cross-country star, and you can tell because on the basetball court she just runs and runs and runs and never seems to get tired. The Gillis twins (good luck telling them apart!) are tough, hard nosed wing players who rebound, shoot and defend very well.

Other returning varsity players for Hollis are seniors Sam Zorn and 6'2" forward Rachel King and juniors Ellie Flaum and Kellie Messer. King gives the team size and an inside presence, whole Flaum is a quick guard who can shoot the basketball and has really improved a lot. She had one game over the summer when she had about 18 points.

4) Bedford - The Bulldogs are yet another team that has A LOT of talent returning this season from a team that won A LOT of games last year. They went 11-7 in the regular season before falling to Walczak and Oyster River in the playoffs in a nail-biter. Bedford returns 9 players off that team, including the most talented sophomore class in the state, regardless of division.

"Bedford will move up to Division 1 after this season, but they have a chance to grab a title before they go" said one D-II rival coach.

Leading the way is that aforementioned sophomore class, aka the "Fab 5." There's 6'1" forward Mckenzie Brown, 5'8" guard Rachel Collins, 5'11" guard/forward Ali Glennon, 5'8" guard Bailey Marshall and 5'10" forward Haley Driscoll. Bedford is moving up to Division I next year, and in 2 years when these 5 girls are all seniors they might still go undefeated even in D-I, they have that kind of potential.

Brown has good low post moves but is at her best when facing up to the basket from about 15 feet away and either hitting the mod-range jumper (with her patented set-shot) or putting the ball on the floor and going hard to the rim. She's also a very good rebounder and for a big she's also a good passer. Collins is a prototypical 2 guard - she can shoot it, moves well without the basketball, is quick, defends, passes well and finishes in transition. Glennon has a ton of upside due to her size at 5'11" and being able to play inside or out. Brown, Collins and Glennon all play on the same NE Crusaders AAU team, so they basically play together on the same team year round. Marshall is an athletic guard with a good handle and pull-up jumper, while Driscoll is a very strong player physically and is one of the division's best rebounders and defenders.

Another player who is very good is junior gurd Maggie McGown. She's a slasher who uses her strenght and nifty hesitation dribble moves to get to the rim and either make the shot inside or draw a foul. She's also a good rebounder for a guard. With the 5 sohomores and McGown Bedofrd has 6 girls who would start for pretty much any team in the state - the scary part is none of those 6 girls are seniors which means this team will be VERY good next year.

This team does have 3 seniors though, as Nicole Marinelli, Hayley Barnard and Lyndsie Barnett will provide depth for a team capable of going 9 players deep.

This is a deep, talented team. The 2 weaknesses are that they are a young team since they rely so heavily on sophomores, and that they don't technically have a point guard. It will probably be either Collins or Marshall, but both of them are better suited for the 2. Bedford also has a new head coach in Sue Thomas, who was the assistant coach under previous head coach Scott Sarsfield.

5) Lebanon - Ok, so Lebanon would obviously be higher in these rankings if Trina Scheie was healthy (they were #2 when I updated the rankings over the summer). But as most folks know by now, Scheie suffered a torn ACL playing soccer and will miss her entire junior season. She did have a breakout year last season though as a sophomore, when she recorded 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in both the semi-final and the championship game.

"Our kids are motivated" said Lebanon head coach Tim Kehoe. "I think they think everyone has counted us out because of the injury to Scheie. We will see."

To be fair, I really wouldn't be surprised if Lebanon ended up as the #2 team in th division. The top 5 teams are all VERY close talent-wise, and Lebanon typically doesn'tplay as many tough games as the southern teams. Lebanon will still be a VERY good team this year even without Sheie. I saw them play at the Oyster River Jamboree and they blew out Pinkerton, which is a potential top 5 team in Division I. Still, they only have 1 returning starter and they have jsut 2 seniors on the roster.

Colleen Taylor, Moriah Morton, Emily Kehoe (Coach Kehoe's daughter) and Taylor Friedman all gained valuable experience last season as either starters or key reserves. All 4 of them will be looked upon to score more points in Scheie's absence. Taylor is a 5'9" senior who has a good inside-outside game, Morton gave up soccer to focus striclty on basketball - she's a lightning quick wing player who defends well, slahses to the rim and is a great team player. Friedman and Kehoe are both scrappy guards who can shoot the ball well and really get after it on defense as well.

One of the divison's most improved players is 5'11" sophomore forward Heather King, who takes over in the post with Scheie out of the lineup. King is much stonger physically and more skilled tha she was as a freshman, when she saw very limited playing time. The 6th man this year for Lebanon is sophomore guard Sam MacDonald who Coach Kehie says would start for 99% of the teams in D-II.The other returing varsity players are Hannah Gariepy, Megan Hess and Leanna Travis, while Chelsea Dow and Vanessa Fleury give the Raiders a pair of promising freshmen.

It will be a blash this winter watching those top 5 teams battle it out for D-II supremacy!

6) Coe-Brown - Outside of the top 5 teams, Coe-Brown is definitely the team that has the most people around the division talking.

"Look for Coe-Brown to be the sleeper" said one D-II coach. "They were good last year and have everyone back, a transfer, and from what I understand a motivated new coach."

Coe-Brown returns 11 of their 12 varsity players from last season, they have a transfer in Yvonne Dean-Bailey who comes over from Portsmouth Christian Academy and a new head coach in David Hartnett. Hartnett is best known for coaching the Exeter Hawks AAU team to a top 15 placing in the AAU National Championships for 3 straight years (2007, 2008, 2009).

I got a chance to see Coe-Brown play in person during fall league action. They're a tema that plays an up-tempo style, they look to run on offense and pressure teams on defense. Coach Hartnett preaches fundamentals and team play to his girls.

"Our top scorers should be seniors Meredith Grady and Allura LeBlanc" said Coach Hartnett, whose daughter Megan Hartnett transferred from Winnacunnet to Tabor Academy over the summer. "Meredith is capable of from scoring anywhere on the floor, while Allura may be one of the best post players in the state."

Senior guard Olivia Daigle is the team's point guard and also anchors the defense. Senior forward Meghan Ahern will tea up with LeBlanc to provide a nice 1-2 punch inside for the Bears. Dean-Bailey, Kelly Turner, Liz Peabody and Brier Brooks are also key players who return and will add depth to a team that has been working very hard so far in practices and scrimmages.

7) Portsmouth - I got a chance to see Portsmouth and their new head coach Dan Parr when they scrimmaged Dover the other night. They will definitely be a team in the kix fr a home playoff game, no question about it. Senior guard Markey Flewelling is ready for a big year as both a scorer and distributor of the basketball, Faith Jenkins was the team's 6th man last year but has gotten better and will now take on a biggr role on the team as she is more than capable of scoring 10-15 points on a given night. Returning starter Christina Jones is an atheltic wing player who hustles all over the court and completing the starting 5 is atheltic forward Devon Parker and physical post player Madeleine Nossiff, who is one iof the division's best shot blockers. Adding depth off the bench are sophomore guard Phoebe Collins and 6'2" junior center Alicia Brown.

8) Kearsarge - Kearsarge scrimmaged Oyster River the other night, and it was a pretty even contest with Kearsagr coming out on top. The Cougars went 13-5 last year when they relied heavily on the play of guards Brittney Page and Morgan Church. Well, both of those players are back, and with Page being a senior and Church a sophomore and with 9 other returnign varsity players it's clear that if there's a year for Kearsarge to make a run this is it.

9) Oyster River - The Bobcats will try and replace the best player in the state regardless of division in Danielle Walczak. They're hoping sophomore forwards Claire McCarthy (6'3") and Claire Salmon will be able to fill the void inside, but they have big shoes to fill (literally!).

The strength of the team is the play of guards Kelsey Brown, Riley Maynard, Izzy Gorham and Eliza MacDonald. Maynard is a tough point guard, Gorham is one of the state's best defeners and Brown is a tough match up with her size (5'11") and ability to hit shots and drive to the basket. All 4 of these girls are returning starters for head coach Dave Nichols, who led Oyster River to state titles in 2003, 2006 and 2009.

10) Merrimack Valley - A light schedule made their record look better than it was last year (same is true for Kearsarge), and the same will likely happen this year as well. Still, this is a solid team with key returning players in Mary Mullen, Molly Mullen, Jordan Filion and Bekka Donovan.

11) Kennett - They will sorely miss having Allie Wagner, Melissa Frase and Sam Meader in the lineup. That was the trio that led the team to the D-II championship in 20101 and a semi-final appearance in 2011. Now it's rebuilding time for first-year head coach Larry Meader, who will look inside for production from players like Lauren White, Lauren Kidder, Kaitlin Taylor and Casey Blakely.

12) Hanover - Senior forward Kate Gautier is a very good player, and fellow senior Asie Makarova is another returning starter. Hanover also has one if the state's best freshmen in 5'9" wing player Julia Daniell. Some nice pieces, but this is a very young team and head coach Dan O'Rourke's squad is in a rebuilding year.

13) Milford - The Spartans were a very young team last year (3 freshmen and 3 sophomores, 2 juniors and 3 seniors on the roster) and a first year head coach in Steve Signor. Wtih a year under their belts this is a team ready to surprise a lot of people, led by junior standout Dina Pitsas.

14) John Stark - They had a great run in the tournament last year, making it to the semis where they almost beat Souhegan. Cullerot carried that team though and she graduated. Fellow starters Allison Harris and Erica Vaillancourt also graduated and long time head coach Wayne Thomson retired. The 2 starters who are back though are juniors Rebecca Titcomb and 6'1" Jillian Gilman who are good enough to keep this team competitive,

15) St. Thomas - Another rebuilding year for St. Thomas. It was less than 2 years ago when STA took an unbeaten Lebanon team to 4 overtimes in the state semi-finals. But then they graduated a lot of good seniors, like EC Chojnicky, Caleigh MacDonald and Melissa Carpel. Now they graudated their all-state player from last year in Lyndssy Davis, so it is another rebuilding year for head coach Sabrina Payeur. 2 players to watch out for though are senior guard Gretchen Anderson and junior forward Meaghan Flynn.

NH Notebook All-State Team
First-team: Jane White (Windham), Kerry White (Windham) Katie Stopera (Hollis-Brookline), McKenzie Brown (Bedford), Colleen Taylor (Lebanon)

Second-team: Moriah Morton (Lebanon), Ceara McNamara (Souhegan), Kelsey Berry (Hollis-Brookline), Meredith Grady (Coe-Brown) Markey Flewelling (Portsmouth)

Preseason Player of the Year: Jane White (Souhegan)

Championship Game Prediction: Souhegan over Windham

Boys Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview - Division III

2011-12-06T22:14:00.021-05:00

Our divisional season previews for basketball continue, and today we look at boys Division III. What a story Somersworth was last year. All year long all the talk was about Berlin, Mascoma, Bow and Conant - those were the 4 teams to beat, those would be the 4 teams to make it to SNHU for the Final Four.

It's a good thing they don't play the games on paper, because while those teams all had more individual talent than the Hilltoppers, nobody played like a TEAM better than Somersworth. They played hard, they played smart and, they were fast and they had a senior class which had been playing together for a LONG time. As a result head coach Lorne Lucas' team beat Conant in the quarterfinals, they beat Berlin in the semis on a miraculous buzzer-beating three pointer by Dillon Lanctot) and they beat Bow in the title game.

This year though it's a different story. Somersworth will still be a good team, they will still be a top 8 seed. But they graduated all 5 starters and 8 of their top 9 players. The door is open for a new team to take the trophy. And there's a pretty good chance that team will be the Berlin Mountaineers.

"9 of the 23 schools in our division have coaches with 2 or less years of coaching experience at their school" said one D-III coach. "How long will it take for these coaches and their teams to click?"

1) Berlin
2 years ago I went on record saying that Berlin would be the team to beat in D-III in 2011. Well, it looks like I might have just been a year off as these guys are definitely the team to beat in 2012.

"I don't think it's a secret, in listening to some coaches, that we have a target on our back to begin the season" said Berlin head coach Don Picard, who enters his 15th season at the helm. "Our starting 5 is solid and has a lot of post-season experience (finals in 2010 and semi-finals in 2011)."

It almost did happen for them last year, too. But in the semi-final loss their best player Curtis Arsenault fouled out with about 5 minutes left in the game. Then Lanctot (who rarely shoots the ball from beyond the arc) hit the buzzer-beating three to win the game. Don't get me wrong, Somersworth deserved the title. But if Arsenault doesn't foul out or if Lanctot doesn't hit that shot there's a VERY good chance that Berlin would be getting ready to defend their title right now.

So why are the Mounties so heavily favored to win it this time around? Well not only do they have the post-season experience from making it to the championship game and semis over the last 2 years, but they also have more returning talent than anyone else in the division.

6'1" senior guard/forward Curtis Arsenault is the best player in the division, no question about it. Last season he was the NH Notebook Player of the Year in D-III, and he's our preseason pick to win it again. He is a physical, relentless player who bullies his way to the basket and uses his strength to finish through contact inside. He's an excellent rebounder and defender, and over the last year he has also really improved his outside shooting and ball handling. Nobody plays the game harder and with more passion than Arsenault, he's a fun player to watch. He doesn't show boat, he doesn't try to do fancy moves or jack up ill-advised threes. He just plays good, tough, hard nosed, smart basketball - and he's a winner.

As good as Arsenault is, Berlin is much more than a one man team. The other 2 members of the "Berlin Big 3" are senior guards Sam Aldrich and Jake Drouin - the starting back court for last year's team. Not only did both of them start last season but they were both also key contributors to the 2010 team that made it to the title game. Aldrich is the team's point guard and creates match up problems because at 6'1" he has the ability to see up over the top of the defense to really see the whole floor to make good decisions with the basketball, especially vs. a press. He's a steady point guard who has a smooth pull-up jumper. Drouin meanwhile is one kid who you simply cannot leave open. He's the team's best long range shooter and can make shots off the catch or the dribble. Drouin is not afraid to take the big shot.

Completing the Berlin starting 5 is senior guard/forward Zach Bacon and junior guard Dimitri Giannos. Both of them were key players off the bench last season and look to take on a bigger role this year.

2) Conant
Conant gets the nod over Prospect Mountain (just barely) due to having more playoff experience and depth in the back court. Conant will not be a very big team, but they have A LOT of guards who are fast and skilled. The back court is led by 3 very good players with juniors Devin Springfield and Jake Carlson and senior Dan Sirois. Springfield and Sirois were both starters last year and Carlson got big minutes off the bench. Springfield is a preseason first team all-state pick. He's a natural scorer who can shoot the ball from the outside and can also slash to the rim. He's now an inch taller than last season at 6'2" and has also gotten physically stronger. Last year was a breakout season for Springfield, and this winter the guy on this team who is going to have a breakout year is Carlson - he was already a very good defender but has worked hard over the summer to improve his offensive skills to take his game to the next level. Teams won't be able to double team Springfield because if they do Carlson is going to have a field day. And if they focus too much on stopping those 2 guys than Sirois has the speed to be able to blow by his defender and make them pay as well.

Steven Hodgson (Ezra's little brother) was one of the division's top JV players last year. He would have gotten significant varsity minutes for pretty much any other team. Now this year look for the 6'1" forward to make things happen inside, with the ability to beat the opposing team's big man down the floor en route to easy baskets in transition. As good a defender as Carlson is, the Oriole's best defender might actually be senior wing player Keegan O'Hern. O'Hern is a relentless defender and plays with a lot of energy. Another strong defender is junior guard/forward Justin Howe, and adding yet even more depth to the back court are sophomore guards Kyle Carland and Robert O'Brien who will both pressure the basketball defensively and look to run and make plays on offense.

This is definitely not the biggest team in the division, but there's a pretty good chance that they're the fastest. Rebounding will be key for them with their lack of size. If they can hold their own on the boards they will win a lot of games. They have lots of speed, and lots of kids who can get up and down the floor in a hurry and can score the basketball. And they have a coach in Eric Saucier who VERY rarely loses basketball games.

3) Hopkinton
Over the summer Hopkinton had their best player (6'6" forward Mike Auger) transfer to the New Hampton prep school. They also had 6'5" sophomore forward Andrew Thomson transfer to the St. Paul's prep school. Meanwhile Prospect Mountain had a big summer, making headlines by winning games over Division I schools. However last week when the 2 schools met in a scrimmage it was actually Hopkinton who came out on top.

"We had a good run at Prospect Mountain last Thursday night, beating them 75-53" said Hopkinton head coach Dave Chase. "We may have surprised them a little with our guard play."

I know that you typically can't put too much stock in preseason scrimmages, but when a team scores 75 points on a team that had previously been looked at as a top 3 or 4 team in the division you can't help but take notice.

"Dave Chase has these guys in mid-season form" said Prospect Mountain head coach Tom Bourdeau. "They're a very good team."

Hopkinton has one of the division's best players in 5'10" senior point guard Frankie Beane. The return 3 starters and 5 key players from a squad that went 10-8 last year in the regular season. Plus they also have an incoming transfer to add to the mix, in 6'3" junior center Harry Legier who comes over from Hillsboro-Deering.

Beane is fast, has a high basketball I.Q., knows how to run an offense and is very good at scoring as well as creating offense for his teammates. The other 2 returning starters are 6'1" senior forward Jay White and 6'0" junior guard Steven Auger (Mike's twin brother). 2 other kids who both got major minutes last year off the bench who are also back for the Hawks are sophomore guards Liam McNicholas and Colin Paraskeva.

Look for this team to get out and run and pressure the basketball defensively. They definitely snuck up on Prospect Mt. in that scrimmage, but now the word is out. Watch out for Hopkinton this season, they're playing some good basketball. Scary to think how good they'd be if Mike Auger (a Division I college basketball prospect) was still there!

4) Prospect Mountain
No team in Division III had a better summer than Prospect Mountain. The Timberwolves went 8-9 last season but they have 7 of their top 9 players coming back this season and these guys look like one of the most improved teams in NH.

Prospect Mt. not only competed but they won A LOT of games in the BST Summer League. They won games against Division I teams like Trinity and Manchester Memorial, before falling to defending defending D-I champion Bishop Guertin in the league's 'Tournament of Champions.' The experience these guys gained over the summer gives them a HUGE advantage as they prepare for their season in D-III.

The Timberwolves were carried by 4 players in particular over the summer - senior guards Zack Drouin (a preseason first team all-state player) and Pat Cassidy and junior forwards Jay Mousseau and Austin Perrin. All 4 of these guys are very good, but Drouin is the star. He's a fun player to watch - not afraid to take the big shot, and he can beat you off the dribble or from the outside. He makes some athletic moves going to the rim and can finish inside against bigger players as well. Cassidy is a tough kid who always gives 100%. He's also a good shooter and is quick off the dribble. The Timberwolves have a nice balance between their outside play with Drouin and Cassidy and their inside play with Mousseau and Perrin. Mousseau is 6'4" and Perrin is 6'3", and together they form the division's best 1-2 punch inside. Together these guys dominate the boards and are effective inside scorers.

Providing even more size inside for the Timberwolves is 6'6" junior forward Logan Roberts, and adding depth to the back court will be junior guard Ethan Henderson and sophomore guard Logan LaRoche. All 3 of these guys got varsity minutes last season.

"I've got enough height to be able to get the ball inside, and when teams try to stop us inside I have 3 very good players that can drain the 3 pointer" said head coach Tom Bourdeau, who is in his first year as coach after coming over from Farmington.

5) Mascoma
Mascoma is a perennial contender in D-III, and with one of the division's top returning players you can expect that to once again be the case. The Royals have made the semis each of the past 2 years. They have a winning culture of basketball at the school, similar to what you see at Conant (basketball is a BIG deal at both schools). Good luck finding a parking spot or a place to sit for a game at either school!

Mascoma graduated the division's Player of the Year from last season (according to the NHBCO) in Conner Torrey. But at times their best player was actually junior wing player John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is one of the most athletic, high-flying players in the division. He's a slasher who can get to the rim at will and finish in traffic. Fitzgerald has the ability to play inside as well as outside and he has a motor that's always running.

Other players coming back for Mascoma who played key roles on last year's team are senior guards Ethan Dickinson and Riley Green and senior forward Kevin Kosiorek. Dickinson and Green can both defend and shoot the ball well, and Kosiorek is a physical inside player who brings rebounding and interior defense. The Royals also had a very good JV team last year, so look for more quality players to emerge as the season goes on.

6) Raymond
Raymond was one of the state's most improved teams last season, going from a team that missed the tournament entirely in 2010 to one that finished above .500 and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2011. And considering they return 2 of their top 3 players, 5 kids who played major minutes last year and 8 total varsity players off last year's squad it is a safe bet that they will be at least a top 8 seed, if not higher.

Raymond will be a team similar to Conant this season - not much size, but a bunch of small guards who are fast and can handle the basketball and shoot it. The major difference between the 2 teams is that Conant is MUCH better defensively. Last year Raymond struggled with getting stops defensively at times. And while they had a lot of offensive firepower, they were a jump shooting team so when the shots weren't falling the points were hard to come by. These are surely things head coach Rich Winget will look to improve on this season.

One thing you can't deny is that the Rams have one f the division's top back courts, which is led by the dynamic duo of 5'10" senior guard Joe Morin and 5'11" junior guard Jordon Richard. Morin is a very good shooter, but was a streaky shooter last year. Look for him to be more consistent this season. Richard was the team's most consistent player last winter - he's a tough-as-nails point guard who makes good decisions with the basketball, gets his teammates involved but can also score himself. Richard is also a tough defender.

2 other speedy guards who take on bigger roles on the team this season are 5'7" senior Eric Desilets and 6'0" senior Mark Wysocki. Desilets is a fast as any player in Division III, an absolute blur in transition. The key for him is being able to play at that feverish pace while not losing control and turning it over. When he has that balance he's a very effective player. Wysocki is a slasher who takes it hard to the rim and likes to get out on the break and run. Ben Sytulek, Tom Daigle and Tyler Peer are also returning varsity players. Sytulek has a good mid-range jump shot and is a nice role player who fits in well with the rest of the team, Peer is a quick guard who adds depth and plays great defense and Daigle is the team's only player you could really classify as a forward and at 6'2" he's the tallest player on the team as well. He's a physical inside player who rebounds and defends well.

7) Campbell
Well, the Josh Morgan era is over at Campbell High, so now what? Morgan was a 4 year varsity player, he was the Cougar's leading scorer for each of the last 3 years and he was only a junior when he scored his 1,000th point. Morgan is now playing ball at NHTI. Campbell also graduated starters Andy Lepine and Tyler Syphers and defensive stopper Jason Paquin. So how good will this team actually be now?

The answer - they'll still be pretty good. Why's that? Well, because they have a nice young nucleus of returning players which includes junior guards Max Gouveia and Jacob Morgan (Josh's younger brother) and sophomore guard Jesiah Wade. These 3 players were all getting their first ever varsity playing time last year so there were some ups and downs but they got better as the season went on. A couple of seniors who return are guard Kyle Mun and forward Chuck Neild, which gives Campbell 5 returning players who all played BIG roles on a winning team last year.

Then you also have 1 player returning from injury and 2 incoming transfers which help things out as well. Physical forward John Houston missed his entire junior season last year with an injury suffered while playing football. This year though he made it through football season healthy so he's back in the lineup to provide toughness and rebounding. The 2 transfers are 6'7" junior forward Caleb McKearin (transfers from Mt. Zion Christian Academy a school which no longer has a basketball program) and 6'0" senior Mike Vigeant (who transfers from Nashua Christian).

In a division where VERY few teams have any key players over 6'2" the transfer of McKearin could be one that really shifts the balance of power in D-III. He is still a work in progress but for a kid who's 6'7" he's very athletic and runs the floor well. Campbell will be good this year, but next year is the year to really watch out for them with that young nucleus of McKearin, Gouveia, Morgan and Wade all coming back.

"You can argue that we certainly have one of the toughest schedules (relative to division) around" said Campbell head coach Pat Roye, who enters his 7th season at the school. "We have a stretch after Christmas where Berlin and Conant come to us and we visit Hopkinton and Prospect, sandwiched around a trip to Pelham. That being said I really look forward to this type of schedule and I hope it will have us tournament ready in March."

8) Somersworth
Somersworth and Bow met in the title game last March, with the Hilltoppers coming out on top. All 10 starters in that game were seniors. Bow's 6th man was also a senior, and 3 of Somersworth's top 4 reserves were also seniors. In other words, of the 15 key players in last year's D-III title game, only 1 of those 15 players is still playing in the NHIAA (Somersworth's Drew Francoeur). Bow is likely to fade back into the pack this season, because not only did they graduate their top 6 players but their JV team wasn't one of the division's strongest either.

As for Somersworth they got hit hard by graduation losses. To put the Hilltoppers athletic Class of 2011 in perspective, as seniors these guys advanced to the Division V semi-finals in football, they also made it to the D-III semi-finals in boys soccer, they won the D-III championship in boys basketball AND boys hockey (that's right, 2 championships in the same season!) and their baseball team advanced to the D-III title game. That's quite the class!

So who's left? Well, Francoeur figures to take on a much bigger role on this year's team. He'll be looked upon to do a lot of the ball handling and scoring after last year when he was simply an 'energy guy' off the bench as a sophomore.

The big story with this team however is the transfer of Terrance Herbert. Herbert comes to Somersworth from Portsmouth High. He was the Clipper's starting 2 guard last year and was one of the team's top scorers before being dismissed from the team late in the season. Herbert instantly becomes the Hilltopper's best player, and he will team up with Francoeur to form an exciting back court duo. Both players are only juniors so watch out for Somersworth next year when they're seniors!

Other returning varsity players for Coach Lucas' squad include 6'4" senior forward Matt Robbins as well as Josh Jacques, Josh Ream, Zach Hill and Tyler Kretschmar. Robbins is a kid with good size and he did get some pretty good minutes off the bench for last year's championship team. He's gotten better over the summer and Somersworth is hoping that him and Kretschmar can provide an inside presence to balance things out with Herbert and Francoeur on the outside.

This team won't be explosive or as deep as last year. They will also be young and inexperienced. But you know that they're going to run, and they're going to pressure you on defense and show you different defensive looks to keep you off balance - that's their style.

NH Notebook All-State Team
First-team: Curtis Arsenault (Berlin), Devin Springfield (Conant) Frankie Beane (Hopkinton), Zack Drouin (Prospect Mountain), John Fitzgerald (Mascoma)

Second-team: Joe Morin (Raymond), Jordon Richard (Raymond), Terrance Herbert (Somersworth), Sam Aldrich (Berlin) Caleb McKearin (Campbell)

Preseason Player of the Year: Curtis Arsenault (Berlin)

Championship Game Prediction: Berlin over Conant

Boys Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview - Division IV

2011-12-05T21:00:00.002-05:00

Lisbon has been a powerhouse in Division IV boys basketball in recent years. Last season the Panthers won their 4th state title in the last 7 years. They did it in dramatic fashion too. They had to play a 19-1 Newmarket team in the semi-finals and and a 20-1 Derryfield team in the championship game. Lisbon was the underdog in both games. Not only did they win both games to capture the title, but they did it in head coach Les Poore's final season

Last year's Lisbon champion team was not very deep, but their 5 starters had excellent chemistry together. They played good, smart, TEAM basketball. They got hot at the right time of year, with senior guard Jake Clement leading the way.

But now Poore has retired from coaching, Clement graduated and so did fellow starters Dylan Chase and Jamsie Myers. The Panthers will still be a good team this season, with returning starters Chad Knighton (sophomore point guard) and Mike Heath (junior forward). But they definitely have their work cut out for them if they hope to repeat as champs.

Moultonborough and Newmarket Are the Favorites
The 2 preseason favorites in Division IV also just happen to be the 2 teams who met in the title game back in 2009 (Moultonborough won). Both teams made it to the semi-finals last season as well. Both teams also graduated a star player, with Moultonborough losing 6'5" forward Patrick Cotter and Newmarket graduating Player of the Year Adrian Edgerly. Still, even with those guys graduating both of these teams have plenty of talent coming back.

They're the favorites to win the title, but even if they don't you can bet that this season will be a memorable one for the Swedberg family. Matt Swedberg is the head coach, his son is 6'7" senior forward Marcus Swedberg - the team's best player and more tan likely the best player in the division as well. Matt's other son is the team's second best player - 5'11" junior point guard Drew Swedberg.

Marcus Swedberg would be a match up nightmare if he was playing in Division I, let alone D-IV. For a kid who's 6'7" he can face up from 18 feet away and hit shots from the outside and also put the ball on the floor and take the ball to the hole. He worked hard in the off-season, especially during workouts and showcases with BST Basketball. He has improved his inside game, decision making and raised the overall intensity that he plays the game with. His little brother Drew is a tough-as-nails, scrappy point guard who controls the tempo, plays tough defense and can hit the outside shot with regularity.

The Swedberg brothers are quite the dynamic duo, but the Panthers also have more talent. 6'4" senior forward Nick Sindorf gives the team 3 returning starters. He's a good rebounder and inside scorer. And last year's 6th man Travis Keich-Baier was a valuable piece of the Panther puzzle last season but figures to play an even bigger role this season. He's a tough defender, can play inside or outside and he gives the team 4 players who are more than capable of scoring in double figures on any given night.

Ok, so Moultonborough is going to be very good. How about Newmarket? These guys relied on the play making of Edgerly so much last year, how could they possibly be the #2 team without him back? Well folks, it's all about guard play in high school basketball. And believe it or not, but even without Edgerly the Mules still have the best back court tandem in D-IV. They also have a couple of big guys who can rebound and score, and 3 solid role players who play tough defense and can score if you worry too much about the other guys. Newmarket played a 10 man rotation last year, and only 3 of those 10 guys graduated. That means they have 7 kids coming back who all got LOTS of playing time for a team that went 19-2.

Moultonborough has the Swedberg brothers, well Newmarket has the 2 Christians. 5'11" junior Christian Hawkins and 5'11" senior Christian Filion form a talented back court. Both of them are capable of dropping between 15-20 points on any given night. Last season opposing teams geared the whole defense towards stopping Edgerly. Now what are defenses supposed to do when game planning for these guys? If you focus too much on Hawkins then Filion will light you up. If you throw double teams at Filion then Hawkins will go off. Hawkins is one of the top defenders in the division, him and Gus Davis are the 2 most athletic players in the division and Hawkins also has an improved outside shot to go with his ability to take it to the rim. Filion is more of a spot-up shooter, if he gets hot from the outside watch out. He's more of a calm, laid back player who lets the game come to him whereas Hawkins looks to initiate the offense and make things happen. Filion is also deceptively quick off the dribble.

If you focus too much on stopping the 2 Christians then you're going to get killed inside by Newmarket's 2 big guys, Josh Eisfeller and Peter Carlson who are both 6'4" junior forwards. Eisfeller is more of of a power inside player while Carlson is very thin but runs the floor very well for a kid his size. Both players ar every capable rebounders and inside scorers.

The other 3 returning players who also played key roles on the team last year for the Mules are senior forward Robert McGloughlin and junior guards Kevin Clougherty and Zach Jarosz. McGloughlin and Clougherty bring toughness, defense and rebounding while Jarosz is a quick player who can shoot and brings depth in the back court.

Littleton, Profile, Sunapee & Groveton All Have Plenty of Talent Coming Back Too
Moultonbrough is the favorite, and Newmarket looks like the second best team. But this next group of teams is not far behind. Here's a little break down for you.

Littleton: Returns 13 players from last year, including D-IV Player of the Year candidate Sam Brammer (a 6'0" senior guard/forward). Went 9-9 last year.
Profile: Returns 3 starters, 9 of their 12 varsity players, including all-state player Allen Komisarek (a 6'2" senior forward). Went 10-8 last year.
Sunapee: Returns 10m of their 12 varsity players, including all-state player Brian Brewster (a 6'1" senior guard). Went 10-8 last year.
Groveton: Returns 9 of their 12 varsity players from last year, including all-state player Nathan Smith (a 6'1" senior forward). Went 8-10 last year.

All of these teams were around .500 last year and if they got a couple breaks to go their way they could have made it to Plymouth State for the Final Four. Now all 4 teams return not only their best player but the vast majority of their varsity roster. As good as Moultonbrough and Newmarket are, look for these next 4 teams to give them a run for their money.

"Most of this group has been together since 2nd grade" said Profile head coach Paul Greenlaw about his team. "We should be top 8 and if things go well top 4 or 5. Moultonboro is the favorite with Marcus and overall size, but I see D-IV as very competitive again this year with 7 or 8 teams that could make a run at the end of the season."

3 Other Teams To Watch Out for: Pittsfield, Derryfield & Colebrook
Pittsfield went 11-7 last year and they graduate 2 of their top 3 players. 6'9" center Ben Hill and point guard Kevin Chagnon are both gone, those are 2 BIG losses for a team that was not very deep last season. This will still be a winning team though, because even with those losses they still have one of the division's top 5 players in 6'3" senior forward Donoven Emerson. Emerson is a talented inside player who is very active on the boards and has good low post moves and finishing ability inside. 2 other returning starters are senior sharpshooter Perras and senior guard/forward Dominic Brooks. Also look for junior guard junior guard Elias Doucette to take on a bigger role on the team this year, giving the Panthers a nice nucleus.

Derryfield and Colebrook were both very good last year. Derryfield went 20-2, losing in the title game to Lisbon while Colebrook went 16-4, losing in the quarterfinals 58-57 to eventual champion Lisbon. However they both will likely be in more of a rebuilding mode this year.

Derryfield graduated 7 of their top 8 players, including all 5 starters so a return to the title game does seem unlikely. They do return 2 pretty good players though with guards Gus Davis and Tyler Zorn. Davis is a fun player to watch because he plays the game with reckless abandon and just goes full throttle every minute he's out there. He's very quick and explosive off the dribble and makes some real shifty, athletic moves in the lane. Zorn meanwhile is only a sophomore but he's one of the division's best pure shooters.

Colebrook meanwhile will look to rebuild after the graduation of their star player Tyler Griffin who was a huge reason for them winning 16 games last year. Senior guard Bryan Griffin and junior forward Dylan each are the team's returning 2 starters, with Jordan Bedard and Jordan Siewierski being key returning players who will also have to take on a bigger role this winter.

"We're very young and inexperienced" said Colebrook head coach Buddy Trask, who enters his 32nd season at the helm. We have just 1 senior and 6 freshmen, we have a long ways to go."

Dark horse teams are Epping, Portsmouth Christian Academy and Concord Christian Academy. Epping graduated their best player in sharpshooter Dan Shennett and forward Brendan O'Day. But they return the rest of the roster from a team that won 8 games, including Frank Stanley, Jimmy Stanley, Paul Holmes, Jacob West and Brandon Carleton who were all solid players last season. PCA and Concord Christian both won 7 games last year and have 8 returning varsity players.

NH Notebook Preseason All-State Team
First team: , Sam Brammer (Littleton), Sam Komisarek (Profile), Donoven Emerson (Pittsfield), Christian Hawkins (Newmarket)

Second team: Brian Brewster (Sunapee), Nathan Smith (Groveton), Christian Filion (Newmarket), Gus Davis (Derryfield), Drew Swedberg (Moultonbrough)

Preseason Player of the Year: Marcus Swedberg (Moultonborough)

Championship Game Prediction: Moultonborough over Newmarket

Girls Basketball 2011-2012 Season Preview - Divisions III & IV

2011-12-03T11:58:00.025-05:00

The start of the 2011-2012 high school basketball season is officially here. Divisions III and IV on the girls side have already gotten their seasons. So before those divisions get too deep into their season here is an in depth look at what to expect this season.

Campbell and Groveton are the reigning champs in D-III and D-IV, respectively. Both teams are once again expected to be near the top of the standings and possibly repeat as champs. But both teams will also face some tough competition in order to make that happen.

Division III
Campbell is the defending champs in this division. Last year they had as good a team as you're going to see at the D-III level. If they were in D-I or D-II they would have still won a lot of games, they were that good. The Cougars were led by their 'Big 3' of Kristin Hrubowchak, Becca Arnone and Liz Pettis. Conant won the title in 2010, but Campbell was able to beat them 3 times last winter, including a win in the title game to avenge their loss to the Orioles the year before.

Conant had a 'Big 3' of their own, with Brooke Springfield, Kim Daniels and Holly Hodgman. Looking at this season though, Campbell has 2 of their 3 stars returning as seniors this season (Arnone and Pettis), whereas Conant's 3 stars have all graduated. Conant also graduated key players in Emily Coll and Staci Keenan. They are likely in for a building year this season. Springield's younger sister Madison is also a star in the making, but she's only in 8th grade so she's a year away from being able to play for Conant.

With Springfield (now playing at Southern NH University), Hrubowchak (now playing at Plymouth St.) were 2 of the top players to play in this division in recent memory. Inter-Lakes also loses its star player in Angie Michalski (now playing at Merrimack College). The Lakers also lost their point guard, as junior Marissa Merrill transferred to the Holderness School.

With Arnone and Pettis, Campbell has the best dynamic duo in the division. They would both start for any team in the state, regardless of division. Both of them can play inside or out, they're both very skilled and physically strong as well. They are arguably the 2 best players in the division and they're hungry for another title. Campbell also has a very good coach in Shawn Flynn and a standout freshman guard in Hannah Neild.

When you consider all of that the Cougars must be the hands down favorites to repeat as champs, right? Wrong. Watch out for Bow, because they might just be the team who wins it all come March. Campbell might have the division's best duo, but Bow is a deeper team. The Falcons return a lot of talent from a team that made it to the quarterfinals last season and they have a Player of the Year candidate in Lyndsey Nerbonne. They also had a key player who missed nearly all of last season due to injury in 5'11 forward Sunday Swett, who is now healthy and back in the lineup. Nerbonne is an explosive point guard who can score at will and is also a very good defender. Other returning starters for Bow are junior forward Dina Tischofer, senior forward Jill Chergey and senior 2-guard Savanna Stanley. So you have 4 starters back plus Swett returns from the injury, so it's basically like Bow returns 5 starters, and then you also have junior G/F Suzanne Barry coming back who was a key player off the bench last season.

While it looks like a 2 team race in this division, you have to also mention Fall Mountain, White Mountains and Newfound. All 3 of those teams will be very strong and will contend for the other 2 spots at SNHU come March. Jordan Phinney is an athletic guard who can really shoot it - she gives Newfound one of the top 5 players in the division. White Mountains also has one of the division's top 5 players in 5'10" forward Bryanna Bennett. Bennett averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds per game last season as a junior. They also return key players in Chelsea Payer, Brennah Couture and Payton Curtis. As for Fall Mountain, they came THIS close to beating Conant in the semis last year and they return a pair of standout guards in Jess Zabielski and Jenn Allen. Both of them are seniors and have gained some valuable experience over the last couple years in big game situations. They give the Wildcats one of the top back courts in D-III, although they will miss the inside player of Erin Maclean and Monica Torney who both graduated.

A couple of sleeper teams in this division are Somersworth and Farmington. Somersworth has a consistently strong program, they were the only team to beat Campbell last season they return a number of quality players from last year including junior guard Rachel Hill. Farmington meanwhile only won 3 games last season but they are a sleeper team because they return nearly everybody from last year's team and their JV team went 17-1 last year.

Preseason all-state picks: Becca Arnone (Campbell) Lyndsey Nerbonne (Bow), Liz Pettis (Campbell), Jordan Phinney (Newfound), Bryanna Bennett (White Mountains), Jess Zabielski (Fall Mountain)

Championship Game Prediction: Bow over Campbell

Division IV
Groveton girls basketball is the most underrated athletic program in the NHIAA. Since 1988 they have won 15 state titles. That's right, 15 titles! They were runners-up in 3 other years, too. This is simply a program that wins games and wins titles, year after year. They have currently won 4 consecutive Division IV (Class S) championships. Tim Haskins has been the coach of all 4 of those teams and he enters his 6th year at the helm. Before that it was Gary Jenness (now in his 6th year at White Mountains) who built the program up and won 11 titles in 28 years at Groveton.

It really is a shame that a program could have that much success over such a long period of time yet they don't seem to get a whole lot of recognition, especially in the southern part of the state. Well it's about time they get their due.

So the here's the question you have to ask when looking at the 2011-2012 season in D-IV - do the Eagles have what it takes to win their 5th straight title and 16 title in the last 25 years? Or is it someone else turn?

Well, maybe. It's hard to bet against Groveton, but if there's a year they don't win the title this might be it. They will still be a top 3 team, but they have a young team this year. Plus Littleton and Derryfield were both also very good last year and they return more of their top players than Groveton does.

Groveton graduates their best player in Kelley Collins (now playing at NHTI). Collins was a 1,000 point scorer and one of the top players in the division for the last couple years. They also graduated a tough inside player in Jessica McKenzie. They're also a young team, with 2 seniors, 1 junior, 7 sophomores and 4 freshmen on the roster.

Littleton might be the favorite to win it. They gave Groveton a very tough game in last year's semi-finals before falling 37-30. They return all 5 starters from that team, including senior point guard Julia Winn who might be the best player in the division. She's lightning quick and can drive into the lane off the dribble and make plays. Also watch out for Alyssa Keefe and Taylor Glidden, who are both very good players who return for the Crusaders.

It looks like it's a 3 team race in D-IV, with Groveton, Littleton and Derryfield. Derryfield went 18-0 in the regular season last year before falling to Moultonborough in the semis. The Cougars return plenty of talent from that team, including the reigning Player of the Year in D-IV Bethany Kalliel. Kalliel can score the basketball in a variety of ways and is very versatile. Look for sophomore point guard Hannah Comeau to also have a big year for Derryfield.

Moultonborough could also be a tough team, but they suffered a big loss when Morgan Fuller transferred to Brewster Academy. Fuller was the best freshman player in the division last year, and she will be missed on the Panthers for sure. Still, with Megan Uehlein, Kaitlin Slippy and Brittney Hale all coming back this is still a team capable of getting a top 8 seed.

Preseason all-state picks: Bethany Kalliel (Derryfield), Julia Winn (Littleton), MaKenna Burke (Groveton), Colleen Corliss (Pittsfield), Liza Bourdon (Sunapee), Alyssa Keefe (Littleton)

Championship Game Prediction: Littleton over Groveton

Realignment Ramblings and POY Picks

2011-12-02T20:00:00.006-05:00

We continue to our look back on the 2011 football season here on the NH Notebook. Before hoops season kicks into high gear we still have this article and one more football piece where I will break down the candidates for the 2011 Mr. Football Award.

Today we have lots of realignment talk for you, I give my Player of the Year picks for each of the 6 divisions and take a look at next year's favorites.

Realignment Ramblings
Ok, let's get right to it. Who's moving up, who's moving down, consolidate the 6 divisions we have now into 3, have 1 state champion instead of 6. These are all hot button issues right now. Here's my take.

Yes I would like to see 3 divisions instead of 6. Of course it is silly to have 6 state champions in a state this small, I've been saying that for years. Like others have proposed, you split those divisions into 2 conferences - either north/south or east/west. That way you play more games vs. teams close to you geographically and have 3 less state champions.

But the question is, how do you have 1 state champion if you have 3 divisions? See if there were 4 divisions you have 4 division champs, then have D-I vs. D-IV, D-II vs. D-III and then have the 2 winners play each other with the winner being named the 1 true state champion. But how do you do that with 3 divisions?

As for which teams should be in what divisions. BG and Exeter should both be in Division I. Year after year Exeter is one of he top 5 or 6 teams in the entire state, and this year they won the D-I title. D-I is where they belong. BG meanwhile needs to move up to D-I, it's about time they do! They've won 4 titles in a row in D-II, and 7 of the last 8. 2 years ago they graduated 34 seniors, had the best player in the state Mike Kelly go down with a season-ending foot injury and they STILL won the title. Then this year they have a new coach, they had Andrew Crane and Andrew Carper both transfer to prep schools, Kyle Karaska didn't come out for the team, Brody Smith suffered a season ending injury. Yet they SILL won the title! So even when everything goes wrong, and even when it's supposedly a down year for BG they still win the D-II title and finish as the #3 ranked team in the state. That proves the point that they belong in Division I. Guertin is a football factory, so even when they lose guys they still have plenty of talent to step right in there.

Other realignment notes...if BG moves up to D-I, which D-I team moves down to D-II? Well they could just make it 10 teams in D-I. Or if someone MUST move down, why not Salem? Yes, they did make the playoffs for the third straight year, but a lot of the talent Salem had in 2009 and 2010 were Windham kids, and they now have their own high school. The loss of the Windham kids will really start to hurt Salem starting next season, and their enrollment will likely put them in D-II. Plus the Blue Devils top players this year were seniors - Jerickson Fedrick, Abner Rodriguez, Mike Downing and Kevin Dembkoski, they were all seniors. So starting next season Salem will likely start to fall back to the pack a little, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them move down to D-II.

A lot of rumors about Alvirne and West moving down from D-II to D-III. West I don't have an issue with, because ever since they started losing all of those athletes from Bedford the Blue Knights have really started to struggle. West can now barely get enough kids to practice with, so I'm ok with them moving down. As for Alvirne, they should stay in D-II. West has an excuse for losing games, Alvirne doesn't have one. Plus it was just 2 years ago when the Broncos were a playoff team. Hang in there, Alvirne. Keep working, you have enough kids at your school, you'll be able to turn it around.

Pelham should have never moved up to D-III 2 years ago. They have really struggled since the move. Yes they were a very good team when they were in D-V, but they lost a lot of really good players in the couple years before moving up (Bruce Veira, Joe DeAngelo, Sean Sweeney, etc.) and then right when they moved up to D-III their best returning player (Mike Lombard) transferred to Proctor Academy. The Pythons should move down to at least D-IV, if not back down to D-V.

It seems inevitable Bedford is moving up to D-II. The Bulldogs have had a few years now to build their sports programs up since the new high school was opened, and now their teams are movin' on up like the Jeffersons (an old TV show reference for you youngsters). Word on the street is their boys and girls basketball teams will both be moving up to Division I and the football team is destined for D-II. And I don't have a problem with any of these moves. Bedford has a big school, they have nice, new facilities. And they have top notch feeder programs in both football and basketball (their boys hockey team was also very good last year).

Then you have St. Thomas and Trinity. Both of them are private schools who have a HUGE pool of kids to draw from. Trinity has kids from Manchester, Hooksett, Bedford, Merrimack, etc. going there. St. Thomas meanwhile not only brings in kids from all over the seacoast but they have kids from 3 different states going there - MA, NH and ME. As a result both programs have been very successful last few years. Trinity went undefeated in winning D-V 2 years ago, last year they were the D-IV runners-up and this year they were the undefeated champs in D-IV. STA was the D-V runners-up last year and this year they were the undefeated champs in D-V. Both teams finished in the top 12 teams in the NH Notebook statewide rankings. Bottom line is that both of them should move up 1 division. Trinity should be in D-III and STA belongs in D-IV. I also said how Manchester West should move down to D-III, which would create an annual game between Manchester schools Trinity and West which would be a lot of fun. STA would lose their divisional rivalry with Somersworth, but that's ok - maybe they could play each other on Thanksgiving instead.

I'm also hearing Laconia is moving down to Division V. I hear it's because their enrollment puts them there. But c'mon now! I don't care what their enrollment is, every year Laconia is one of the top 2 or 3 teams in Division IV, that's where they belong. Lastly, I'm also hearing Interlakes-Moultonborough is moving up to D-V from D-VI. I have no problem with this. ILM has won 2 of the last 3 titles in D-VI, including an undefeated season this year. Plus this was the first year that they included Moultonborough students on their team. With these teams that combine schools to make teams you must remember to add the enrollment of both of the schools in order to place them in a division, another reason why ILM likely belongs in D-V.

Ok, that's enough realignment rambling for me! Now we look at each of the 6 divisions and had out our Player of the Year awards and early favorites for next year...

Division I

Player of the Year: Tyler Grant, Exeter
This is by far the toughest division to pick a POY in. Grant is the pick, but Pinkerton teammates Emmitt Smith and Kevin Davies, Jerickson Fedrick (Salem), Armond McRae (Nashua South) and Riley Cote (Manchester Central) are all very good candidates as well.

But the bottom line is only 1 of those players won a championship. Not only that but, but Grant was a standout for Exeter on both offense and defense. Plus he ran for 100+ yards in both the semi-finals and the championship game. In the end my top candidates were Smith, Davies, Fedrick and Grant. Smith was a threat to run for 6 every time he touched the football, and he also played 2 ways (offense and special teams where he was arguably the most dangerous return man in the state). Davies was also a 2 way player (RB and LB), and in my opinion was the best 2 way offense/defense player in the state. I gave Smith the nod though because of performance in the championship game when Smith ran for 189 yards and Davies ran for 34. Fedrick was is a absolute beast of a player, and he is one guy who actually plays 3 ways for Salem (RB on offense, LB on defense and kick returner on special teams) and he had some monster games this season. Grant gets the nod though because not only did he take his team further but he performed better against the state's top teams.

Next Year's Favorite: Too Early to Say Just One Team
The 3 teams to watch out for are Pinkerton, Exeter and Manchester Central (in no particular order). These 3 teams ended the season as my top 3 teams in D-I, and all 3 return a good amount of talent. Pinkerton does lose a lot of good senior players (Smith, Davies, Trottier, Coombs, Curran, etc.) however they also have a strong nucleus of returning players including the St. Onge twins (QB Chris and LB Matt) along with Manny Latimore and Matt Madden, who were arguably the 2 best sophomore players in the NHIAA this season. Exeter also loses a number of quality seniors, especially Tim Stackhouse, Brad Tiernan, Adam Morin, Conor Carrier, Jamie Tymann, Joe Moser, Connor Byron and Jake Pleadwell. These guys will be hard to replace and were all BIG contributors to the Blue Hawks title run. Still, they return the reigning D-I Player of the Year in Tyler Grant, and speedy RB and return man Colby Swane is also back, play makers Ethan Joyce and James Vogt also return, as does Logan Laurent (the best kicker/punter in the state). As for Central, they also have one of the state's top returning players in QB Riley Cote. Also back are RB's David Weekly and Hector Velez, plus WR/DB Troy Pelletier. Andrew Slingsby is another strong player who will be a senior next season.

But wait! What if BG moves up to D-I? Well then instead a 3 team race for the title you can make it a 4 team race! That's right, BG loses a bunch of senior starters but they too will return plenty of talent to once again be one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the entire state.

Division II

Player of the Year: Jimmy Carver, Bishop Guertin
That's right the POY in D-II is a defensive player! Then again this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, because last season you could make the argument that the 2 best players in D-II were linemen (Dover's Kyle Wilson and Keene's Taylor Russell). No, the POY does NOT have to be a QB or RB!

The bottom line is BG won yet another title this year in D-II and Carver (pictured above) was their best player. The play of the Cardinals defense was the reason why they won the title over a very good Dover team, and Carver is their best defender. Guertin had some guys who had 1 or 2 big games, they had some guys who were injured at different points in the season. Carver was the constant though. He was their most consistent player, week in and week out he flew around the field on defense and made bone-jarring hits.

Lucas Luopa (Keene) and Jackson King (Merrimack) also had big years, but sorry you have to make the playoffs to be POY. That leaves Josh David (Timberlane) and Tyler Zabkar (Dover), who both had very good years. But Carver was the most consistent player and he is also the only one who won a title.

Next Year's Favorite: Bishop Guertin (if they're in D-II)
If they move up to D-I it's wide open. Keene brings back Luopa and Parenteau, Winnacunnet returns nearly all of their starters, Dover brings back plenty of talent including Eric Wilson, Matt Dow, Kyle Seawards and Eric Waddington. Spaulding returns plenty of talent including Tanner Daniels, QB Sam Oullette, Trevon Scott, Kyle Hall, Kevin Medara and Josh Tapley. Even though they return Josh David they graduate most of their other top players, so Timberlane might be on the outside looking in come playoff time next year. They graduate Evan David (no relation to Josh), QB Evan Bidgood, Anthony Gillis, Mike Lynch and Connor Sproul who were all key players this year.

Word on the street is Bedford could be moving up to D-II next year and with all the guys they have coming back they would also definitely be in the mix as well.

Division III

Player of the Year: Billy Lane, Portsmouth
Lane was the best player for a Portsmouth team that not only won the D-III title but both of their wins in the playoffs were lopsided games and both on the road as well. Lane had a number of big games on the season, but came up especially big in the playoffs. He was a standout for the Clippers running the ball, catching it out of the back field, on defense as a DB and also returning kicks.

Next Year's Favorite: Bedford (if they stay in D-III)
The Bulldogs have a ton of returning talent, including guys like James Caparell, Brian Collins, Dylan York, David Cannone, Joe Thibeault and Will McInerny. But they may be moving up to D-II, which would open the door for some other teams to have a shot.

If it's not Bedford, my money is on Portsmouth or Goffstown taking it. Portsmouth returns Ricky Holt (he'll be the best lineman in the state next year), Kurtis Leonard (he'll be one of the best lineman in the state next year), plus WR/DB/PR Jack Mackey and Colin MacDonald who is a good receiver and also one of the top punters in the state. If Bedford stays in D-III you could see a rematch of this year's title game with Bedofrd and Portsmouth once again going at it. Also watch out for Goffstown, with star QB Connor Benjamin returning, plus WR/Db Chris Garrison and a number of other sophomores and juniors who return.

The other variable is this - what if Trinity moves up to D-III? They went undefeated this year in D-IV and have some strong returning players, so don't be surprised if they make the playoffs next year in D-III.

Division IV

Player of the Year: Josh Hughes, Trinity
He ran the ball on offense (over 100 yards in the title game), also blocked on offense, played on special teams and was a hard hitting linebacker on defense for the undefeated champs in D-IV. Hughes was the heart and soul of a Trinity team that was simply dominating.

Our correspondent DC has another view though, "The popular pick is Hughes. I like Taylor Newberry (Plymouth) for this reason - Hughes had a lot more talent around him then Newberry. Carrier and Hughes were clones of each other. I think Trinity could have won without Hughes. Without Newberry though Plymouth doesn't beat Laconia and never makes the finals. Hughes is the better player but I think Newberry had a bigger impact on his team's success."

Next Year's Favorite: Trinity (if they stay in D-IV)
They were the undefeated champs this year, and with guys like Ryan Carrier, Carmen Giampetruzzi, Zach Poole, Romeo Masuku, Tristan Theroux and Austin Chambers they have more talent coming back next year than anyone else in the division. But what if they move up to D-III?

That opens the door for Plymouth, Laconia and Kennett. While these teams might not be as deep as Trinity, with guys like Brandon Goodale and John Thomas (Plymouth), David Mahoney (Laconia) and Nick Massa (Kennett), these 3 teams are still returning some of the better returning players in the state.

However the rumor is Laconia is moving down to D-V and St. Thomas is moving up to D-IV. So what does that mean for the balance of power in these divisions? Well it means instead of Laconia being a title contender in D-IV next year St. Thomas will be. And instead of St. Thomas being the favorites to repeat as D-V champs Laconia will instead be one of the favorites in D-V. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Windham move up to D-IV, because even though they're still a new varsity program they made it to the title game this year in D-V, I believe their enrollment puts them in D-IV and they also have some very strong youth programs (as does Bedford).

Division V

Player of the Year: Ryan Monette, St. Thomas
Monette makes it 2 juniors to be named a POY for their division (Tyler Grant being the other). This was a pretty easy pick, as Monette had monster games in both playoff wins as well as huge games vs. Campbell and Sanborn. Monette was a play making DB on defense. He was a speedy, tough runner on offense who also caught passes in addition to running the ball. He also returned kicks and punts, often times for big gains. Most importantly he led the Saints to an undefeated season and a D-V title.

However, once again our correspondent has a different view, "I know the popular pick is Monette and he is definitely the best athlete in D-V, but I think the MVP was Scott Munroe. His play at QB took STA to another level, they ran the spread as good as anybody in the state. Last year St. Thomas had the same quality personnel but the difference this year was their offense and Munroe was the main reason."

Next Year's Favorite: St. Thomas (if they stay in D-V)
Nobody could touch these guys this year in D-V, and they have the division's best player coming back. That makes them the favorite to repeat, although watch out because Windham, Kearsarge and Somersworth all return lots of talent too.

Windham has a very strong junior class which will be seniors next year, including QB Joe Lorenz, TE/DE Danny Cannone, DL Artem Aristov and FB/LB Kevin Cooney. Kearsarge might be the best team in D-V next year even if St. Thomas sticks around, as they have Eric Hauck, Jacob Jones Jordan Barthol, Oliver Gallo and Peter Allen all coming back (they'll all be seniors too). St. Thomas will be tough though - in addition to Monette they also return FB/LB Peter Yarosewick, OL/DL John Cifrino, play maker Jesse Ware, RB/DB Jake Geppert and Hayden Middleton (best kicker/punter in the state not named Logan Laurent). Then you also have Somersworth who will have one of the best dynamic duos in D-V football next year with QB/DB Drew Francoeur and RB/LB Josh Ream, plus OL/DL Tyler Kretschmar (son of Greg Kretschmar from Greg and the Morning Buzz will be arguably the division's best lineman) plus play maker Nick Honaker.

Stevens High will also be an interesting team next year in D-V. You have QB ogan Batchelder coming back from the leg injury that cost him his entire junior season, plus the speedy Billy Brooks and tough lineman CJ Gosselin. Those guys will all be seniors for a Cardinals team that looks to return to the playoffs.

Man, when you think about it the majority of the talent in D-V is coming back next year. If STA stays and Laconia also joins D-V this will be a VERY competitive division, as STA, Laconia, Windham, Kearsarge, Somersworth and Stevens will all be VERY good next year. Not only that, but there is also a chance that Interlakes-Moultonborough will be moving up to D-V from Division VI. The Lakers went undefeated in winning their 2nd D-VI title in the last 3 years.

Division VI

Player of the Year: Conor Donovan, Interlakes-Moultonborough
Here's one pick that DC and I are in agreement on. Donovan did it all for his team, leading them to the undefeated season and the title.

Here's what DC had to say about Donovan, "Conor Donovan was hands down the most complete player in the division playing for the best team."

Next Year's Favorite: Epping-Newmarket
This division is always so tough to predict. ILM loses Donovan and a number of other quality senior players including Tanner Quinney. Newfound graduates RB Shannon Tucker, Franklin graduates star QB Connor Smith, Newport graduates Devin Burnham and Logan Merritt, Gilford graduates Brendon Murphy, Epping-Newmarket loses Daniel Espo and Robert McGloughlin.

So unlike in D-V where most of the top players are coming back that isn't the case in D-VI where many of the stars are graduating. However Epping-Newmarket has the most talent coming back, with Brandon Carleton, Tyler Young and Kevin Clougherty leading the way. Look for ILM to once again be a playoff team (if they stay in D-VI), with QB Mitchell Jurius and play maker Willie True being key players who return. Newport is just a very good program, Coach Carle has been winning games over there for a LONG time, I wouldn't bet against the Tigers returning to the playoffs once again.

Dover and Portsmouth Girls Hoops Battle it Out in Preseason

2011-12-01T22:12:00.010-05:00

It might have been just a preseason scrimmage that doesn't count in the standings. But judging by the number of people in the stands, the intensity on the court and the level of play of the game you would have sworn it was a regular season contest.

The girls basketball season tips off next Friday night for both teams, and on Thursday night Dover (Division I) and Portsmouth (Division II) battled it out for 4 quarters at Portsmouth High in preparation of the season. Both schools earned home playoff games last season in their respective divisions, and if tonight was any indication they both have a pretty good shot to be just as good this winter as well.

All 4 quarters were very close, with Dover winning 2 of them and Portsmouth winning the other 2. The combined score for all 4 quarters was Dover 52 Portsmouth 47. Here's a breakdown of both teams.

D-II is Just as Good As D-I This Year
This season I expect Dover to finish somewhere in the 6 - 8 range in D-I, and I expect Portsmouth to end up in that same exact range in D-II. Not only did Portsmouth win 2 of the 4 quarters vs. Dover tonight, but the biggest lead either team had at any one time was just 4 points - that shows that these are 2 pretty evenly matched teams. All of this only reaffirms that this season D-II is just as good as D-I. True, it's a good bet that once again nobody in any division will be able to beat Winnacunnet (the Beattie Bunch enters the season with a 77 game win streak), but after that if you were to rank the next 10 best girls teams in the NHIAA 5 of them would probably be from D-II. Ok, now back to the Dover vs. Portsmouth game!

Mahan Primed for All-State Season
I'm not sure how Dover point guard Allie Mahan didn't make the all-state team last year, but she's got a shot to be a first team selection this season. Mahan (pictured above) was clearly the best player in the gym on this night, playing a solid all-around game to lead the Green Wave. Mahan is arguably the best defender in the state, and in this game she made life difficult for Portsmouth's best offensive player Markey Flewelling. Mahan was also very effective offensively in this game as she hit threes, pushed the ball quickly up the floor before making some nice dishes on the break and also made some strong drives to the rim.

Two other girls who really played well in this game for Dover were senior guards Julia Wise and Christine Zubkus. Both players hit outside shots and also battled inside for points and rebounds. With Mahan, Wise and Zubkus, Dover has 3 of the top perimeter defenders in D-I.

The Green Wave got strong inside play from sophomore forward Molly Wotton, who was active on the boards and hustled after loose balls all game. Other contributors for Dover were Shannon Goff, Madison Wheaton, Abby Tilton and Katie Boyatsis. Tilton (only a freshman) is a 5'4" guard who is quick, hit the outside shot and also hit a nice teardrop in the lane.

As usual, Dover is a tough, scrappy, hard nosed team. They play a half court game, patiently moving the ball and working for shots on offense and really getting after it on defense pressuring the basketball. They have good shot selection and they don't turn it over much. Their MO is their defense and physical play. They will certainly contend for a top 8 seed once again in D-I, as head coach Dan Casey looks to take his girls to the quarterfinals for the third straight year.

Flewelling, Clippers Were Up to the Challenge
So I said all those nice things about Dover, but Portsouth actually won 2 of the 4 quarters. That means the Clippers are also a strong team, and one that D-II teams will have to worry about this winter. Portsmouth is also more of a half court team, but they definitely did look to run more than Dover did tonight. They have a star senior guard of their own, Markey Flewelling who ran the point and made some nice passes in transition. Faith Jenkins, Christina Jones and Phoebe Collins all got out on the break and finished nicely in transition before Dover was ale to get back on defense. Jenkins was one of the top 6th men in the state last season, and this year looks to take on an even bigger role as one of the main scoring options along with Flewelling. Jones, a returning starter, is an athletic wing player who does a little bit of everything.

Collins and 6'2" junior center Alicia Brown gave the Clippers solid play off the bench. Collins is a steady point guard, and having her in the lineup allows Flewelling to move over the the 2 guard position. While Flewelling has the court vision to play the 1, Portsmouth really needs her to be more of a scorer and she can get better looks when playing the 2. Brown is still developing her game, but she's definitely gotten better since last season. She's more coordinated now and has better moves inside. Collins and Brown would start for a lot of teams in D-II, so the fact that they come off the bench for the Clippers means they're in pretty good shape.

The other 2 starters for Portsmouth were forwards Madeleine Nossiff and Devon Parker. Look for them to be 2 of the division's biggest surprise players this winter. Parker was a varsity player last season but saw very limited playing time, and Nossiff wasn't even on the varsity roster last year. But make no mistake, they are both good players and will play key roles for the Clippers this year. Parker is a 5'9" junior who is athletically gifted and can play either the 3 or the 4. In other words she has the versatility to play inside or out on the wing. Parker hit the 18 footer, put the ball on the floor and went to the rim with some strong takes and also battled inside for rebounds. Speaking of rebounds, Nossiff was the best rebounder in the gym on this particular night. She was also the best shot blocker and the most physical inside player. Nossiff is 5'11" and gives the Clippers a strong inside presence.

Portsmouth has a new head coach in Dan Parr, who was previously the coach for the St. Thomas boys team for the past several years. He was going to retire, but instead was convinced to take the Portsmouth girls job by the school's AD Russ Wilson. Parr replaces former head coach Eric Chasse.

Look for Both of These Teams to Have Winning Records in 2011-2012
For a preseason scrimmage both teams had to be pleased with the way they played this evening. The star guards for both teams (Mahan for Dover and Flewelling for Portsmouth) certainly stood out. The returning key players also played well (Wise for Dover and Jenkins for Portsmouth). What I will remember most from this scrimmage though (besides the fact that it was a packed gym with good intensity to the game) were 3 players who made BIG impacts on this game even though I had never heard of them before. You had Zubkus for Dover, and for Portsmouth you had Parker and Nossiff. All 3 of them were very pleasant surprises. They might not have been impact players last year, but they will be this season, no question about it.

In D-I girls it's Winnacunnet, Bishop Guertin, Londonderry and Manchester Memorial who are a notch above the rest. In D-II it's Souhegan, Bedford, Windham, Lebanon and Hollis-Brookline who are the favorites. However after those top teams Dover (in D-I) and Portsmouth (in D-II) are as good as anybody else and will certainly be battling for a top 8 seed this winter.

Are you ready for some basketball?!

2011 Football Season Highlight Film

2011-11-29T21:57:00.002-05:00

We covered a lot of games this season on the NH Notebook. Here's a look at some of the best plays and best moments from those games. Enjoy.

Our football coverage isn't done yet. Later in the week I'll go through each of the 6 divisions and give some final thoughts on the division, name my Player of the Year for that division and also take a look ahead who the top teams will be next year. Then in a separate article I will also break down the top candidates for this year's NH Mr. Football Award. So stay tuned!

NHIAA's Best - 2014

2011-11-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Plenty of players falling under the radar in NHIAA's sophomore class.

We continue to break down the NHIAA’s top boys basketball prospects. Next up is the Class of 2014:

Patrick Welch, Pembroke Academy – It’s hard to ignore the fact that Welch averaged 20 points a game last year as a freshman, and he did it for a team then went 18-3. Welch is a lightning quick 6’0” two-guard who can flat out shoot the lights out, and is just as good at hitting shots off the dribble as he is off the catch.

To read this story in its entirety, click here

Football Prospect Rankings Released - Class of 2014

2011-11-28T22:00:00.009-05:00

Ok, here it is. All season long people have been leaving comments and sending me emails asking when I would release football prospect rankings for the Class of 2014. I wanted to wait until the season was completely over before finalizing them, so I had a chance to see more players. Or as the kids would say I wanted to make sure they were on point before posting them.

Once again, the rankings are based on how the players project at the college level. NHIAA and prep school players are eligible for the list, as long as they're a NH resident. The rankings are here for the kids to get exposure with college coaches and also for them to see how they stack up against the other top players in their class.

I've gotta say, putting these rankings together was NOT easy. There's a LOT of talent in this class, hard to believe they're only sophomores. It will be fun to watch these kids develop over the next couple years.

1) Andrew Crane, OL/DL, Lawrence Academy - Crane is a beast of a lineman, with a very good combination of size, strength and agility. He started for Bishop Guertin on both sides of the football and was one of the NHIAA's top young lineman last year as a sophomore, emerging as the #1 ranked player in the Class of 2013. Then over the summer the Amherst, NH resident transferred from BG to Lawrence Academy, a prep school in Mass. Crane (pictured above) is a kid with a ton of potential at the next level if he keeps working hard.

2) Manny Latimore, RB, Pinkerton Academy - Latimore is an electric runner with explosive speed, athleticism and cut-back ability. Physically he is far ahead of most kids his age, with frame that will only get stronger as he starts lifting more over the next couple years. Latimore is a threat to go for 6 anytime he touches the football, whether he's taking a pitch bouncing it to the outside, running a counter, catching a screen pass, or returning kickoffs.

3) Matt Dean, RB/LB, New Hampton School - Dean followed his older brother Eric's footsteps, transferring from Gilford High to the New Hampton prep school. With the transfer, Matt reclassified to the Class of 2014 and made an immediate impact on the gridiron for the Huskies. Dean started at both running back and linebacker for one of the area's top prep school teams. He's a tough runner on offense, a hard hitter on defense and at New Hampton this year he played alongside Penn State commit Jake Kiley.

4) Shawn Cavalarro, QB/DB, Hanover HS - Cavalarro has flown under the radar playing at Hanover, but put this kid on Pinkerton or BG and EVERYONE in the state would know who he is. Cavalarro is a dual threat from the QB position, with the ability to make plays throwing the football or running it. He has good good size for the QB position, excellent speed and an above average throwing arm. He's a very good QB, but Hanover also used him this year at DB, returning kicks, as a half back and also as a slot receiver. That versatility will serve him well as his recruitment picks up.

5) Tanner Daniels, RB/OL/DL, Spaulding HS - I really like the way this kid plays, he's a beast. They actually do have him run the ball sometimes at Spaulding, but he'll be a lineman at the next level. Daniels is big, strong, he plays hard, he plays with heart and he loves to hit people. He has good speed and agility for a kid his size, and best of all he's a play maker.

6) Matt Madden, TE/LB, Pinkerton Academy - Madden is a fierce, hard hitting linebacker. He got some good playing time last year as a freshman and started all year this season. To do that for a team as good as Pinkerton is impressive stuff. Madden has the size, strength, speed and ability to plug gaps and hit people to be one of the top linebackers in the state over the next couple years.

7) David Weekly, RB/DB, Manchester Central HS - Weekly is no question one of the state's top running backs, regardless of division. He had big games against some of the top defenses in the state too, with 169 yards vs. Portsmouth and 103 yards vs. Trinity. At about 6'0" Weekly has good size, and he also has good toughness and shifty moves in the open field.

8) Alex Parenteau, FB/LB, Keene HS - Parenteau was injured early on in the season, but finished strong to make the Division II all-state team. He's a two way standout - on offense he's a tough runner with good size which makes him tough to bring down, and on defense he's a hard hitting linebacker.

9) Jesiah Wade, WR/DB, Campbell HS - Another one of those kids similar to Latimore and Boykin - you can teach the x's and o's of the game but you can't teach athleticism. Wade is a freak athlete with explosiveness and plenty of 'wiggle'. He plays running back, receiver, returns kicks and is also a hard hitting DB. Wade is a play maker who can go for 6 anytime he touches the football and is a very underrated defensive player as well.

10) CJ Boykin, RB/DB, Bishop Guertin HS - Boykin is an explosive athlete. Yes, he is very small at only 5'4". But you can't tackle what you can't catch and he is very fast and elusive. Boykin caught passes out of the backfield, ran the ball for some big gains and ran back multiple kicks for touchdowns. He has good toughness, quickness and some very shifty moves which make him very difficult to bring down in the open field. He;s also a standout in basketball and baseball, so it will be interesting to see which sport he focuses more on in the next couple years.

11) Trevor Knight, QB, Nashua High South - Knight was the starting QB on the #5 ranked team in the state as a sophomore. The 5'10" signal caller has a good arm and also does a nice job of reading defenses and knowing when to throw it and when to run with it.

12) Eric Waddington, RB/LB, Dover HS - Physically this kid is already built like an 18 year old, and he hits like one too. Look for Waddington to be one of the state's top defenders over the next couple years. He's also a versatile player, with the size and strength to play linebacker but also the speed to play safety. He flies around the field, flocking to the football and making bone-jarring hits.

13) Hayden Middleton, K/P, St. Thomas Aquinas HS - A kicker in the top 13? That's right. St. Thomas went undefeated winning the Division V title and their head coach Eric Cumba said that Middleton was the team's MVP. 35 yard field goals are usually a stretch at the high school level, not only can Middleton make FG's from 35-40 yards but he can make them from 50 yards as well. He is also arguably the best punter in the state.

14) John Thomas, LB, Plymouth HS - Another kid who is a force on the defensive side of the ball, Thomas has good speed and is a fierce tackler. He too flies under the radar because he plays for a team up north but if you put him on Central or Salem and he'd be a force in D-I where everyone would know his name.

15) Carmen Giampetruzzi, QB/DB/P, Trinity HS - Giampetruzzi does a little bit of everything for Trinity - playing QB, QB and also doing the punting. He's 6'2" which helps at QB as he's able to see over the lineman to his receivers down field. He has a good arm and also makes plays on defense. Like Boykin, Giampetruzzi is another 3-sport star who also plays basketball and baseball and it remains to be seen which sport he will look to focus on and play in college.

16) John Miller, RB/LB, Bishop Guertin HS - Once again BG had one of the top defenses in the state, and Miller was a BIG part of it. He's a hard nosed linebacker who always seems to be around the football. Look for him to continue to emerge as a dominant defender, and with Nolan Cornell and Zach Mailloux both graduating he could also get some of the goal line and short yardage carries on offense over the next couple years.

17) Chris Garrison, TE/DB, Goffstown HS - Garrison was a 2 way standout for a very good Goffstown team. He has the size of a TE but the speed of a WR which makes him a tough match up on offense, especially with his good hands. Garrison is also a very good play maker on defense from the DB position.

19) Trevon Scott, RB/DB, Spaulding HS - Scott is a very good athlete and makes plays on both sides of the ball. He's a speedy RB on offense and a tough DB on defense.

20) Nick Vailas, DB, Bedford HS - Vailas is a DB who is as good as any cover corner in this class. He makes it tough for WR's to get open and if his man does get thrown to there's a good chance Vailas will pick it off.

20) IngHao Vaesna, QB, Winnacunnet HS - Vaesna started for the Warriors this year at QB. He's a play maker with a good arm, pocket presence and can run the ball as well.

21) Jake Geppert, RB/DB, St. Thomas Aquinas HS - Geppart is a speedy change of pace back who had some big runs during the season for the D-V champs. He scored a number of touchdowns and went over 100 yards in ther playoffs vs. Somersworth. Geppert is also a strong player on defense as well, where he makes plays in coverage as a DB.

Final End of Season Football Power Rankings

2011-11-27T20:34:00.006-05:00

No changes this week, so the rankings we posted last week are the way they remain. The Thanksgiving games don't count in the standings, but I was still leaving the door open to possibly switching around some of the teams in the rankings this week if the results of any of the turkey day games called for it. However the rankings held true in those games, including Manchester Central holding on to their #4 ranking with a 37-26 win over #9 Trinity in the Turkey Bowl. So here are the NH Notebook's final end of season football Power Rankings for the 2011 season.

1) Exeter
2) Pinkerton
3) Bishop Guertin
4) Manchester Central
5) Nashua South
6) Dover
7) Salem
8) Portsmouth
9) Trinity
10) Spaulding
11) Souhegan
12) St. Thomas

Looking Back on the 2011 Football Season

2011-11-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

At halftime during Thursday's Turkey Bowl Pete Tarrier and myself took a few minutes to reflect on the 2011 NH high school football season. We discuss Divisions I-IV, Mr. Football candidates, our games of the year and realignment.

Central Tops Trinity in Turkey Bowl 2011

2011-11-24T14:13:00.003-05:00

Not all of the high school football games played on Thanksgiving have a lot of meaning, and none of them count in the standings. But one game that is played on this day every year that has a lot of meaning to the football teams in the city of Manchester is the Turkey Bowl. For the past 2 years it's been Trinity and Manchester Central squaring off. Last year Central won 7-6 over Trinity, and this year they won 37-26.

Junior QB Riley Cote threw for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior WR/DB Junior Brown caught one of those TD's and he also had a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown and an interception on defense late which sealed the win for the Little Green.

Both teams had their starters in the whole game, they were making adjustments during the game and substituting players in and out and calling timeouts late in the game. Simply put, they treated it like a championship. Trinity went undefeated this year and won the Division IV state championship, but Central showed that even though they missed the playoffs in Division I that they are indeed the city's best football team in 2011.

Floras Transfers Back to Merrimack

2011-11-22T22:05:00.006-05:00

Dimitri Floras was a first team all-state player last year as a sophomore at Merrimack High. He was going to have a shot at being a back-to-back Division I player of the Year in the NHIAA as a junior and a senior, but in June he officially transferred from Merrimack to Kimball Union Academy, a prep school located in Plainfield, NH. Well after spending the first few months of the 2011-2012 school year there, Floras has left KUA and transferred back to Merrimack.

When he transferred to Kimball Union, Floras reclassified to the Class of 2014, so by returning to the high school ranks he also returns to the Class of 2013. According to a source close to Floras, he made the decision to return to Merrimack because he just didn't feel comfortable or happy at KUA, and felt too secluded there.

Prep school is a great thing for a lot of kids, for both athletic and academic reasons, but it's not for everyone. Floras is now at the place where he's most happy, and there's nothing wrong with that. Not only that, but Floras already holds a scholarship offer from the University of New Hampshire. So he has shown that if you have the talent to play D-I ball in college you can, regardless of whether you go to high school or prep school.

Floras is a 6'1" point guard who can flat out score the basketball. He has a tight handle and good hesitation dribble which allow him to get wherever he wants to with the ball. And he can also knock down shots from anywhere on the floor, off the catch or the dribble. Floras is not rattled by playing on the big stage - he dropped 25 points as a freshman in the state tournament 2 years ago. He has a killer pull-up jumper and is also an underrated passer and defender.

Kimball Union was planning on having Floras play a key role for them this season, but their loss is Merrimack's gain. Up until now there was no real clear cut favorite to win D-I this winter, with Manchester Central, Trinity, Bishop Guertin, Nashua North, Nashua South and Merrimack all being contenders. But this transfer makes the Tomahawks the favorite. They now have the NHIAA's best player in Floras, as well as the Gendron brothers (6'4" senior forward Tyler and 6'2" sophomore guard Eric). They also return their other 2 starters from last season in 6'4" forward Jared Peabody and 6'4" forward Kyle Richardson. Then off the bench you have a pair of guards who are capable of scoring in bunches in senior Bryan Courtemanche and junior Brandon Malloch. I don't think these will go undefeated but I wouldn't be surprised to see Merrimack go 17-1 this season.