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| By Dave Haley, Posted 03-31-2010 | ||
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One final round of the ‘Thursday Thoughts' before we move on to our new and improved baseball and softball coverage.
For the first time I was able to be at all four championship games. Let's take a look at all four divisions.
Lingering thoughts from those four tournaments...
There really is just a great feel to a Class S tournament crowd. Unlike big schools like Pinkerton and Salem you really feel like the entire town has made the trek to Plymouth for the Class S tourney. I pictured downtown Groveton (is there even a downtown Groveton?) looking like the scene in ‘Hoosiers' during the championship game when they show an empty main street and the movie theatre with a sign that says ‘Closed for the big game.' Plymouth was sold out for the Friday night championship game and although it was an often times sloppy affair, you couldn't beat the atmosphere.
Plymouth's Foley gymnasium has a small town feel to it which adds to the atmosphere. Groveton featured seven players of equal ability and they had enough talent to guarantee that three of those seven were going to be impact players on any given night. Mark Collins does a very nice job coaching that team. I made a point, in last season's final thoughts column, of pointing out the fact that Collins went into a semifinal game with Newmarket unable to name more than two of the players on the team he was facing in less than 24 hours. It highlights a problem with Class S basketball but more to the point Collins feels like his system, his frenetic style of play is good enough to win on any night if it is executed correctly. No matter whom they are playing.
Littleton on the other hand had one superstar in Justin Whipple and five role players who were well coached and did their job. Word is Whipple might have had too many sports drinks before the title game as he had to leave in the third period with his heart racing. When Whipple came back in the game the same kid who went for 35 points in a semifinal win over Derryfield was noticeably tentative and didn't have an impact on the final minutes of a one-possession game. That's when you are reminded that these are 17 and 18 year old kids. Anything can happen and nothing is assured.
One issue Class S has to correct is the timing of when coaches are notified who their first round opponent will be. Coaches were told Monday morning who they would be playing, and more importantly where they would be traveling to, 36 hours before they were to tip off in the first round. How are you supposed to prepare your team in one practice? Why so little time to prepare for the biggest game of the season?
For the second year in a row Class S lucked out by getting two northern teams (Groveton/Littleton) in the semifinals against two southern teams (Newmarket/Derryfield). This is the equalivalent of when the BCS lucks into a 1 vs. 2 everyone can agree upon. Class S should be split up into a Northern and Southern divisions with 14 games against opponents from your part of the state and 4 games (2 home, 2 away) against four teams from the other side. This means Colebrook makes a trip to Newmarket and Derryfield while Moultonborough and Wilton-Lyndeborough make one trip each to Colebrook) this guarantees competitive balance and assures that coaches are not scrambling at 8 am on a Monday morning trying to find tape on a team that is a four hour drive away with no common opponents to yours. It wouldn't be difficult to arrange and Jamie Hayes of Newmarket shouldn't have to buy Jason Darrah of Pittsfield dinner after the quarterfinal round to find out about Groveton's tendencies. There is an easier and more common sense way to do this.
My lasting memories from the tourney will be of that championship game crowd, Groveton's popcorn row of veteran fans and Whipple's semifinal performance against a Derryfield team filled with athletes who couldn't slow him down. The seating is cramped, the gym seems a little dark, the press area is non-existent (I chose to stand with Buddy Trask of Colebrook and Matt Swedberg of Moultonborough and that was more enjoyable than any seat in the building) and the gym itself seems in the middle of nowhere. All of which makes it the perfect setting for a small town basketball final.
Of the three venues that are home to the class tournaments none are better for watching a game than Southern New Hampshire University. Its 1,500 seats are the perfect size for a Class M final, the press area is first rate (I know you were concerned we weren't being taken care of) and the crowds are electric. Year in and year out Class M has the best student fans of any division. I wonder why that is? It can be strange seeing a school like Pinkerton with over 3,000 students having about 300 student fans at a title game while Conant and Newmarket are equaling their numbers with 1/10 the enrollment. Maybe it's because all the kids know each other and they are more invested in the schools run to the title? Maybe there is more pride when you really feel like a part of the program. How many kids are in Ben Proulx's senior class at Pinkerton? 1,000? How many can he name? I'll bet you Kemph Kim knows the name of every kid in his senior class of 150 or so at Conant. Maybe that is your answer.
Three teams arrived at SNHU trying to slay the giant and none succeeded. Conant has to feel like every eyeball in the joint is on them, Class L coaches come to see them and Class I coaches want to see how good they really are. It's a ton of pressure on those kids but every year the Orioles handle it. Eliot Bless covered the semifinals and was amazed at how poised Conant was when Mascoma made a run, as if the run was inevitable and they knew how to counter it. Conant won with discipline and by doing the little things to win games' getting to loose balls, hitting foul shots and staying in the frame of their offense and not trying to do too much at once.
SNHU has the spotlight on the player introductions and video monitors in the hallway so you can watch the game if you are stuck in line. It's the perfect setting for the Class M Final Four.
This year the NHIAA decided to have the Class I and Class L championship games run back to back. I like the idea and I hope it sticks. This was the first year that they staggered the schedules so it was Class S on Tuesday/Friday and Class M Wednesday/Saturday and did the same with Class I and Class L. They should stick with the scheduling because it allows fans the chance to see other divisions' championship games.
The Class I tourney will be remembered for Milford's run, the Portsmouth/Milford semifinal game and a fire drill. Hopefully in that order. The 20-minute fire alarm delay at the 7:20 mark of the fourth period was an surreal as it gets. Milford and Portsmouth kids were standing out in the cold and I stood inside (I wasn't afraid to burn to death surrounded by concrete with not a whiff of smoke in the air..call me crazy) next to the bleachers talking with Matt Smith (former UNH and Concord star now official) and Jim Keane, who was officiating the game. We laughed about the situation, felt bad for the kids out there freezing and talked about our NCAA brackets (Jim liked Louisville over Duke in the 2nd round), all during a huge semifinal game. The women who waved us out of the gym was motioning like she was trying to land a jet liner on the football field and Kevin Gray of the Union Leader later told me he initially thought there must be a bomb in the building. It was nuts.
After the delay the kids warmed up for about 5 minutes and amazingly they got right back into it with as much intensity as they had before. Great game. Memorable game. Milford made the plays and you have to win a game like that on your way to the title.
As Smilin' Mike Barton and Mike Montville, two Portsmouth seniors, walked out of the gym 20 minutes after it was over with tears still in their eyes I told them "You guys won a title and played in a game they'll talk about for 20 years.'
Small consolation when you are a senior on your way out.
In Class L there were no bigger soap operas in 2009 than Winnacunnet and Pinkerton Academy. To see them both in the finals was a very satisfying turnaround. The first half was ugly basketball, no one could get into a rhythm and turnovers seemed like they were committed by the dozen. In the third it remained the same but in the fourth period the intensity and the execution picked up and for the final 16 minutes that included two overtimes it was a packed house and high drama.
The winning play for Pinkerton was actually a Zach Mathieu converted air ball plus the foul. His foul shot forced Winnacunnet to go for a three and the win on the final possession and for a second straight game Pinkerton clamped down when it had to.
Give the Astros a lot of credit for hanging in there in the first half when they obviously weren't playing very well. The Warriors had run Manchester Memorial and Bishop Guertin out of the building in the first halves of earlier tourney games and Pinkerton got the ball to Mathieu enough times to stay in it. They also hit their foul shots and that was the difference in the end.
Peter Rosinski wasn't certain he was coming back to Pinkerton after last season and I'm sure Jay McKenna wanted to bury his head in the sand a few times after 2009. They both had their teams prepared and had seasons they are going to remember for a very long time.
If I was in charge of sending 12 players to battle Vermont in July....
We cover the New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine game in Burlington every year by previewing the team and each player on it. I thought I'd get a head start this year and give you my 12-man team that would have the best chance to get Salem coach EJ Perry the W in July after two straight losses.
The starting five:
Center: Zach Mathieu of Pinkerton Academy
Mathieu gives New Hampshire a dominant big man for the first time in the last three years. At 6'7 he's a game changer. Mathieu will cause major match-up problems for Vermont and may demand a double team in the post. What can't be forgotten is his impact at the other end. Mathieu is athletic for his size and he'll protect the rim and allow defenders on the perimeter to take more chances knowing full well that Mathieu has their back.
Power Forward: Scott St. Lawrence of Bishop Guertin
I like St. Lawrence here because he can pop out and hit 14 footers as well as pass the ball into the low block to Mathieu. St. Lawrence had to do a lot of ball handling for BG, he won't be asked to here but EJ Parry likes big men who can finish pick and rolls at the rim and St. Lawrence is perfectly suited for that role.
Small Forward: Sean Martin of Conant
I like my small forwards to be able to get in the lane and finish at the rim and that is Martin's strength. Any all-star team like this is going to feature a ton of jump shooters, you need a guy who can draw fouls and make the defense collapse. Martin is as good as any forward in the state at getting to the basket on the bounce and he two very strong features 1) he has good size at 6'2 and 2) he is an excellent foul shooter.
He also never loses basketball games. Score that as a plus as well.
Shooting guard: Alex Burt of Dover
He is your proto-typical shooter and a players lounge member to boot, which never hurts. You can run him off screens and kick back out to him on secondary fast breaks. You need your 2 guard to be able to handle the ball under pressure and Burt is a very good handler. He has range out to 23 feet and is an underrated passer at 4 assists per game.
Point guard: Jake Nelson of Nashua South
Everyone in Salem is yelling at their computer screen. Allow me to explain. First off I doubt EJ Perry is starting anyone over his own guy but I like Nelson as the pass first point guard. He'll get the ball up the floor under pressure and he can make good entry passes into the post from the wing. That is what you want from your point guard on a team with this much talent. You've got four other starters who each averaged over 15 points per game. You want a point guard to steer the ship and Nelson is that guy.
The bench:
With the rules in place for the games players play in shifts so the bench is extremely important and as always; it's not who starts the game that matters, it's who finishes it.
Alex LaRosa of Salem
As mentioned we need instant offense and a guy who can run an offense. LaRosa is that guy and since EJ Perry is the coach you need a guy who can run the high pick and roll. LaRosa can do that and he can score in his sleep.
Cormac Fitzpatrick of Manchester Memorial
The issue for New Hampshire the last two years is they have brought some very accomplished shooters who really struggled up in Burlington so you need a few guys who can shoot it. Fitzpatrick is the best long-range shooter in the state so with him in the game it forces Vermont to spread their man-to-man defense out, this creates space for ball handlers like LaRosa and Martin.
Mike Barton of Portsmouth
He's a coach's dream because he'll pick up the offense fast (Jim Mulvey runs a variation of the old Princeton offense) and he'll do whatever it takes to win. On a team this loaded Barton might not even take a shot and he wouldn't have to be one of the most valuable players on the team. He's got size at 6'3 to rebound and he can also handle the ball very well if Vermont applies full court pressure. He also might be the best passer on this team.
Tommy McDonnell of Oyster River
He's your back-up point guard and someone you can hand the keys to the car over to. McDonnell is not a true point guard but he has size to guard forwards and an ability to shoot the three. His versatility will come in handy on this team. McDonnell is underrated as a passer and he has the ability to get into the paint off the dribble. Oyster River big men at times had problems converting on McDonnell's dishes down low. That will not be an issue on this team.
Ben Proulx of Pinkerton Academy
He's versatile; he can rebound, defend and always looks like he's going to beat someone up. That's a very good combination. He's a smart basketball player and Proulx would be a good addition to this team. I like him slightly over Tom Poitras of Bow to provide some muscle down low. His chemistry on the floor with Mathieu is a big plus.
Jesse Gould of Winnacunnet
We've got size on the block and three guys who can play point guard. For this spot I want a reliable spot up shooter and I'll give Gould nod over Coleton Neely of Pembroke because of his size. Gould is 6'1 and can get after it defensively. He has good range with the jumper and a decent pull-up jumper in the lane. With Burt, LaRosa, Fitzpatrick and Gould you have four guys who can all bury three's.
Justin Whipple of Littleton
You need a Class S representitive but Whipple is hardly a throw in. He can get to the paint and shoot over bigger players with his leaping ability and has the kind of speed for a forward to get down the court and finish fast breaks. Whipple is also a very good offensive rebounder and you can never have too many of those.
My alternates:
Coleton Neely of Pembroke
He can flat out score but we you also don't want too many small guards as Vermont is traditionally a pretty big team.
Jake Woodward of Lebanon
Athletic big man who can guard big men and run the floor.
Jimmy Peard of Conant
A scrapper down low who can rebound and finish in traffic. Peard is a back to the basket low post scorer and that is a rarity in high school basketball these days. This team only has one true power forward so Peard should get strong consideration.
Tom Poitras of Bow
You need a banger off the bench and this is your guy. Poitras could spell Mathieu and has the size to make sure there isn't a significant drop off in length under the glass. Poitras can score but on this team his job would be to rebound and outlet quickly so New Hampshire can start the break.
There is your team. Mathieu, Proulx and St. Lawrence give you pretty good size. You've got four players who can handle the ball, four shooters, two big men and two glue guys who are versatile enough to help you in several different ways. I also considered Kemph Kim of Conant (he would provide on the ball defensive pressure and he can orchestrate a fast break as well as anyone), Shelden Benson of Pembroke, Phil Hayden of Trinity (steady/will handle the ball and distribute) and Anthony Floras of Merrimack (a needed defensive stopper in case someone from Vermont gets hot) and you can make a strong argument for each.
The real question is do all of these players come out for the team? The turnout of key players has been very disappointing the last two seasons. Not to get all patriotic on you but it should be an honor to play for your state against Vermont. You'd like to see all the players in contention for a spot come out for the team.
This and that...
Five seconds left in the game, with the ball, down one and I can have any player in the state taking the last shot? I'll take Alex LaRosa of Salem. He's proven he has the fortitude to hit the shot and he's able to create enough space off the dribble to get a good look. Runner-up would be Caleb Donnelly of Alvirne. I'd feel comfortable with Mike O'Loughlin or Jamie Holder of Milford taking that shot too.
Favorite players to watch in person: Coleton Neely of Pembroke, Kemph Kim of Conant (the kid is everywhere), Mike Barton of Portsmouth, Dimitri Floras of Merrimack (please don't go to prep school..I want to watch this kid play for three more years), David Madol of Trinity, Shawn Henriquez of Campbell and Curtis Arsenault of Berlin.
Favorite glue guys (they do all the little things to help you win): Justin Dube of Dover, Ryan Dunn of Winnacunnet, Anthony Floras of Merrimack, Joe O'Hearn of Alvirne, Gordan Duffley of Trinity, Jacob Steiss of Inter-Lakes, Mike Sheppard of Littleton and Nathan Smith of Groveton.
Most underrated players: Shomari Morgan of Manchester Memorial, Evan Haskins of White Mountains, Sam Aldrich of Berlin, Alex Pratt of Nashua North, Tyler Weber of Bedford and Ethan O'Neil of John Stark.
Pre-season predictions...how did we do?
I knocked them out of the park last year and I want to be clear about that because...well not so much this year. In fairness this was going to be a wide open year in all four classes. Just too many graduation losses and new faces. So let's take a look at my picks.
Class L
Top five Pre-season
1. Bishop Guertin
2. Trinity
3. Exeter
4. Salem
5. Dover
Hits: BG and Trinity were top five all season long. Dover finished 6th so they were right where we thought.
Misses: Yikes. Exeter finished 6-12 but did redeem the pick by knocking off Trinity and nearly beating Dover to get to UNH. I missed on Pinkerton (had them 9th) and Merrimack (10th) on the basis of not being convinced a team gets better by losing three starters or employing a freshman point guard. Winnacunnet was picked 8th. It was a tough year to read in December.
Class I
1. Milford
2. Oyster River
3. Pelham
4. Hanover
5. Lebanon
Hits: It didn't take a genius to pick Milford #1. Oyster River finished third so that was on target as well. I picked Hanover 4th because I thought they had an easy schedule and they did end up finishing 12-4. I did pick Kearsarge as a sleeper (on the advice of Hanover coach Tim Winslow) so that was solid.
Misses: Portsmouth at 8 but that is also why Jim Mulvey got my coach of the year nod, even he didn't think they would be a top four seed. I had Pembroke at 6 so again a tip of the cap to head coach Matt Alosa. Other than that the biggest miss was Bedford. I thought the loss of Connor Green would really hurt them but they had enough to be a top 8 team.
Class M
1. Conant
2. Campbell
3. Winnisquam Regional
4. Berlin
5. Stevens
Hits: I think even President Obama had Conant in his bracket so we'll move on but good calls on Winnisquam, Berlin and Campbell was top 6 all season long. Had Prospect Mountain and Belmont as sleeper picks that worked out as well.
Misses: Mascoma was a sleeper pick and they were a lot better than that. They lost their two leading scorers and got better. I was too high on Stevens (that team never jelled and Kevin O'Connor is off to prep school and the window has closed on them) and too low on Somersworth who had heavy graduation losses but also an 18-0 JV team the year before.
Class S
1. Woodsville
2. Lisbon
3. Groveton
4. Pittsfield
5. Wilton-Lyndeborough
Misses: I underrated Buddy Trask and Colebrook because..well because he told me too. He convinced me they didn't have enough depth. I didn't expect Newmarket to get so much scoring out of Adrian Edgerly and that is why I had them at 9th. Lisbon was never in it and I'm not sure why. You can usually count on Les Poore's team to be right in the mix.
So overall...decent. I'll have a better hold in 2011 with a ton of returning starters around the state.
We move on to our improved coverage of high school baseball and the debut of Steve Jusseaume as our lead baseball writer. Before we do I want to thank the coaches, players and parents who make the level of coverage we provide possible. Coaches like Buddy Trask, Jamie Hayes, Jason Darrah, Mike Fitzpatrick, David Keefe, David Wheeler, Jim Mulvey, Mike Heaney, Todd Kress, Trevor Howard, Paul Greenlaw, Eric Saucier, Dan Murray, Dan Chick, Lorne Lucas, Kevin Rines, Tim Winslow and Tim LaTorra. These coaches go above and beyond for the players in their programs and their contributions are greatly appreciated.
Finally a special thanks to Eliot Bless for his continued coverage and insights on high school basketball. I'm excited to have Eliot on board for a long time to come as we continue to cover high school basketball across the state of New Hampshire.
There's my Oscar speech...I can hear the orchestra playing me off the stage.
On to baseball season!!
Hits: Had the champs at 3 and that is where they finished. Woodsville was top 6 all season but with five starters back I thought they would be better than that.