The 900 Degrees Pizzaria Thursday Thoughts for 2/18/2016

  Once a year I choose a Thursday column to preview every single game in the state as opposed to the six to eight I usually highlight.

This decision usually starts to look like a horrible idea by the time I’m previewing Hillsboro-Deering/Monadnock two & a half hours in but tradition is tradition and I’m not about to break it. So today we will look at all of the games to be played Friday night including a pair of games Thursday night as well.

 As always I am my own worst enemy so I’ll try to keep it to one paragraph per game but if you think you’ve been getting the short end of the stick in regards to our coverage, today is your day.

 Before I get to the game a parent wrote me an email this week and asked that I share it with our readers. Her name is Cindy and she is the parent of a high school player in New Hampshire. I shared this with our team and wanted to share it with you as she had asked.

 As a Child and Family Therapist specializing in Child Development I can attest to the intrinsic value of sports’ participation on the self-esteem, socialization, and mental health of our developing youth.  In a day of frightening drug use and terrifying violence on the continuous rise, our kids need all the encouragement they can get to stay on the right path.  The crew at New Hampshire Sports Page dedicates their own personal time and energy, often taking away from their families and friends, to cover sporting events for New Hampshire’s youth. 

 The NHSportspage crew travels all over the state of New Hampshire at times when most of us are at home relaxing with our families.  They do this at their own financial expense, on their own time above and beyond their full-time jobs, and at the expense of their personal lives never really knowing whether there is going to be a paycheck to follow.

  They do this out of the kindness of their hearts and their passion for the game. The amount of time they contribute extends far beyond the time they spend at each game.  There are countless hours every day spent on the phone with coaches gathering stats, reviewing plays, getting to know teams as well as individual players, and entering stats to the website.  With more and more teams demanding the attention and coverage of the NHSportsPage crew, time is becoming more vital.

The dedication of the NHSportsPage crew can be viewed in the endless high quality video coverage of Jen Chick and Jon Kesty both on the court and on the field that most players at this level would never have the chance to view.  What an amazing opportunity for players to review their practice again and again to critique and ultimately improve their game. 

 Players also have amazing footage to view years from now in memory of their high school sport experiences.  NHSportsPages’ dedication is also evidenced through intriguing and often comedic interviews by Dave Haley, Pete Tarrier, and Justin McIsaac with the winning teams. High school sports have never been so alive as they are with the NHSportsPage crew front and center. 

 So to Dave Haley, Pete Tarrier, Justin McIsaac, Jen Chick, Jon Kesty and Eliot Bless… Thank you for doing what you do, and for doing it so well.  My hope is that someday, preferably sooner than later, the kids you cover as well as their families will realize the value of the work you do.  Nobody does it quite like NHSportspage.com. 

The ongoing coverage provided to you and your children is dependent on donations from the very people it is designed to serve.  If you and your children enjoy the coverage, demonstrate your gratitude with a donation today.

 Thank you Cindy and thank you to our friend Gary Ford for his support of our coverage of high school sports.

 We also want to thank the Curtis family of Salem for a very generous donation to our entire team!

 We also received support from a group of Merrimack parents on Tuesday night. Thank you so much for your support and appreciation of our coverage.

 We also would like to thank the family of Nick Fothergill of Hollis-Brookline for their support and the family of Isaac Bacon of Con Val as well for becoming part of our team!

 Remember any amount you donate helps our team continue our coverage.

If your family would like to show their support for the work we do every day simply click the Donate button on our homepage.

 
 Ok here we go………

 Division I

 Exeter (9-3) at Manchester Memorial (9-3)

 I’m not a gambling man but I assure you…take the over in this one, regardless of what it is.

 You could talk me into a 92-88 final score here as both teams love to get out and go and have the scorers to support that philosophy. Memorial is sharing the ball and leads all of Division I in scoring at 78.4 ppg. Exeter on the other hand is shooting foul shots at a staggering 77% clip as a team (it doesn’t hurt when Bryant Holmes and Cody Morissette are taking most of those shots) and that wins you close games.

 Pete Tarrier and The Great Jon Kesty will in Manchester Friday night to bring you all the highlights and post-game interviews.
 
 Nashua North (10-3) at Concord (2-10)

 The development of Alonzo Linton (14.0 ppg.) has been huge for the Titans as has the return of head coach Steve Lane.

 Lane looks like one of those annoying friends we all have that decide to run a 10k the day before the event and then finish in an 8 minute mile while you are gasping for air and swearing at every mile marker. That’s what made his illness all the more surprising but with him back on the sidelines Nashua North is whole again and in line to earn a pair of home playoffs games after they reached Durham the hardest way possible a year ago.

 My spies tell me in Concord that there is some young talent at the middle school level coming. It’s amazing, given the history of this program, that in the eight years I have covered high school basketball Concord has never come within 20 points of the second round.
 
  Bishop Guertin (6-8) at Pinkerton Academy (12-2)

  Mike Rinko (14.3) is starting to play very well at the forward spot for Jim Migneault’s team. Rinko was a BST kid in Brett Sellingham’s program who I heard a lot of good things about when he was an incoming freshman so it’s nice to see him coming into his own.

 The Astros are in line to put the road red uniforms away as the top seed if they can finish strong. Brennan Morris (17.8) is making a strong push for first team all-state honors and with a genuine shot blocker at the rim in Ben Olson the Astros can be more aggressive defensively out front.
 
Spaulding (3-10) at Trinity (5-9)

 The Fighting McIsaac's are in full rebuild mode and trying to secure one of the 16 tournament bids so that their young nucleus gets post-season experience. Hard to see what more Cal Connelly (18.7) could be doing and both freshmen Ari Breakfield & Keagan Calero have had their moments.

 This is senior night for Trinity in what should be an emotional night for Connor Walsh (18.0) after seven years on the varsity roster. The role of this Pioneer team may be the dangerous lower seed. Walsh can go off any night and Justin Trickett, if he is getting to the rim, can score 20 as well.
 
Londonderry (6-7) at Keene (5-7)

 Keene head coach Dave Sontag reacts to game winners at the buzzer the same way my grandfather used to talk about the Korean War. Two times this season the Blackbirds have had victory taken from them with game winning three pointers; earlier in the season against Manchester Central and last week when Chad Olivieri drilled a trey to win the game for BG. Keene really wanted someone making that long bus ride out to see them in round one but they’ll need to win out and get some help to make that happen.

 Don’t look now but the defending champs are starting to get it together. Jake Coleman (16.6) had a big game against Central and when Nate Gaw & Cam MacDonald are shooting with confidence the spacing becomes really effective for this group.  When this team shares the ball they are very difficult to defend.
 
 Winnacunnet (8-5) at Pembroke (0-14)

 Justin McIsaac & I covered #swishgate in a 20 minute podcast we taped on Tuesday afternoon (listen here: Emergency Podcast!   and our website made its second ever appearance on Barstool Sports NHsportspage on Barstool Sports

 In the end I was told Winnacunnet sent a letter to the NHIAA stating that Matt McLaughlin’s buzzer beating three pointer did indeed go in the basket (which explains why the Salem players on the floor immediately pig piled on top of each other..) and that the officials ruling the ball did not go in the basket was a mistake. This was sent by Winnacunnet administrators, the athletics department and the basketball team.

 The NHIAA responded by essentially telling them ‘Thank you but the officials ruling stands and you won the game.’

 The lesson learned is a committee of coaches needs to be in place so a mistake like this does not end a season & a career of players in either girls or boys basketball.

 Where would Pembroke finish this season if they were in Division II? I’d say in the 11 to 14 seed range. They go back down next season.
 
 Alvirne (5-8) at Salem (5-8…………..not 6-7)

 Is it fair to Brian Lynch’s Broncos that we all hold a Salem team, with the same record, in higher regard?

 Alvirne has won 3 of 5 and although I’ve always really enjoyed my interactions with the Alvirne kids (I know you’re out there lurking Twitter Assassin ..) I always gotten the strong sense they have a chip on their shoulder over the coverage being given to Londonderry & the Nashua schools.

Danny Brown has played very well this season and both Max Bonney-Liles (12.4) & Jack Brown (11.9) can fill it up when they get going. This will be a tough test for an improving Salem team.

 I had several coaches in awe of the way Rob McLaughlin handled that situation last week at Winnacunnet, highlighted by one coach who told me “My head would have exploded on the court.’

 Try to imagine seeing your son hit a 28 foot game winning shot over a top 6 team on the road, your kids pig pile on the floor in jubilation followed by two officials telling you they missed the ball going in the basket.

 I’ve seen college roommates break stuff over Madden Football plays so try imagining how you would have handled what was put in front of Rob McLaughlin.

 None of us would have handled it as well as he did…….
 
 Nashua South (8-5) at Manchester Central (10-3)

 Pay close attention to our video highlights from Central’s win over Merrimack Tuesday night (thank you again to the Merrimack parents for your support!).

 This is a different Central team when David Baraka is in the lineup. Baraka gives them rebounding (this team’s Achilles Heel)  and another plus defender (I owe Jay Bilas a quarter). If you take some of the pressure off of the Big 3 (Jaylen Leroy, President Evan MacDonald & Jonathon Makori) this is a team that can really beat you in a couple of different ways. Seth Shea is one of the best on the ball defenders in the state and I love their ability to read & react to defenses they see.

 Nate Mazerolle’s team has road wins at Bedford and Alvirne on the resume but they need to play more consistently away from home with the tournament looming.  DJ Frechette is a kid who can win it for you late if you hang around long enough, in any gym.
 
 I need to tighten these up or I’m going to lose my mind & you’re going to go blind…
 
 Division II

 Lebanon (13-0) at Bishop Brady (10-3)

 That was an emphatic win by Kieth Matte’s crew last Saturday night at Manchester West. People who saw the game live and on our video afterwards were struck by how much faster Lebanon was and where their effort level was at for the long awaited showdown.

 If we were picking teams and you took any point guard in the state you wanted and left me with KJ Matte (16.7) I’d be just fine with that…

 The schedule has gotten more difficult for the defending champs as a game at Portsmouth next Tuesday (I will be there with Jennifer Chick) follows this one. The Giants are better when they have four guys in or around double figures. I’m a huge Joe Bell fan but if he is taking 18 shots to get 20 points that means whatever they are running offensively isn’t working.
 
 Portsmouth (13-0) at Kennett (6-5)

 When I was a little kid my dad brought me to my first Celtics game in 1981. After Larry Legend had done his work for the night the entire Garden started chanting ‘Doooo!! Dooooo!’

 I had no idea what they were calling for, hey I was nine…

 It turned out they were calling for guard Terry Duerod who would come off the bench in blowouts and bomb three’s every time he touched the ball when McHale, Bird & Parish were on the bench watching & laughing.

 The Celtics had Terry Duerod. The Clippers have AJ MacManus.

 MacManus can fill it up from deep and with Shon Parham, Cody Graham & Joey Glynn watching MacManus is not out for a stroll in the fourth quarter. He’s bombing from three…get this kid a nickname.
 
 John Stark (4-9) at Merrimack Valley (2-11)

 Both teams are fighting to get in the 16 team tournament. The Generals were dealt a blow when Drew McQuarrie was injured early in a loss to Plymouth two weeks ago. Getting Tyler Sullivan back from injury had to be a big lift to Mike Smith’s team.

 For Merrimack Valley it has been a rebuilding effort after finishing in the Top 6 a year ago.
 
 Souhegan (7-6) at Goffstown (6-8)

 The Grizzlies have really struggled to score and it’s become a season long issue. At 48.3 points per game they are second to last in the entire division, ahead of only Merrimack Valley. This was a team that for years tried to outscore you every night but thirteen games into the season Mike Gasper’s team is looking for more production and a signature win.

 The Sabers need this win to maintain their position for a home playoff game. This is the kind of game where your best player (Jerrell Webster) takes over late.
 
 Oyster River (4-8) at Kingswood (0-14)

 Keeping Kingswood in Division II year after year feels like when my mom made my little sister sit at the dinner table for hours until she took a bite of her broccoli. Haven’t they been punished enough?

 Couldn’t we set up a system where every two years teams that struggle to win games for a prolonged period of time (it’s been a long time for Kingswood..) can move down for a cycle? This can't be fun those kids.

 The Bobcats had a lot of optimism going into the season but it hasn’t materialized in Lorne Lucas’s second season. Oyster River has lost five in a row and needs wins to solidify their spot in the post-season.
 
 Milford (11-1) at St. Thomas (4-11)

 Has one loss ever changed your perception of a team like the Spartans 74-35 loss to Portsmouth?

 We were there and it was Tyson-Spinks from the get go (google it..I lost $200 on that fight) but Dan Murray’s team has not had a single slip up before or since. Ryan Banuskevich (16.6) has been terrific and Murray can count on 15 points a night from Kirk Palladino.

 The stories coming out of NBA all-star weekend about Reggie are not suitable for this website but let’s say he is lucky they let him back in the country..

 The Saints are still firing away from deep and we will have a column coming soon on the Grinnell College offense being run at St. Thomas.
 
Timberlane (6-6) at Manchester West (12-2)

 Danny Bryson’s team has their senior night before hitting the road for the final three games of their regular season. West now becomes a big Lebanon fan as a Raiders win over Milford to close the season would keep them out of the 4/5 seed side of the bracket where Portsmouth likely will reside.

 Jeff Baumann’s team won three games in a row before visiting Portsmouth last night. This is a team getting balanced scoring from the likes of Jason Hughes (13.5), Chad Ripley (11.2) and Drew Siemering.

 With a home playoff game still a good possibility Timberlane is going to have to take care of business on the road as they finish the season playing four out of five away from home.
 
 Division III

 Mascoma (6-7) at Kearsarge Regional (12-2)

 Fun point guard match-up in this one when Alex Schwarz (18.3) squares off with Trent Noordsij (14.1).

 6’7 center Taylor Mattos (16.2) should be back from a thumb injury (that I incorrectly referred to as a lower body injury in the post-game interview.. thus confusing the entire team..) and you wonder if head coach Nate Camp doesn’t start running everything through these two with a high ball screen and Mattos rolling to the basket. Noordsij is an excellent passer and has the size to see over the defense when he gets to the paint.

 Mascoma will look to attack Kearsarge’s 1-3-1 zone and find looks for one of the best players in the division while trying to push the tempo to Jim Barry’s liking.
 
 Bow (4-10) at Hillsboro-Deering (1-14)

 When Bow, a pre-season Top 10 pick, opened the season against Hillsboro-Deering with an 80-33 win there is no way they could have thought they would be fighting to make the 20 team tournament field in mid-February, but here we are. 

 The pieces are there with Nate Alford and Adam Nelson, the Falcons just need to string together some W’s.

 You got me……………..I know nothing about Hillsboro-Deering other than I used to drive through there on my way back to Keene State back in the day…..I’m pretty sure at least…..I blame this on both of us, we are all accountable here.
 
 Belmont (7-8) at Inter-Lakes (12-3)

 Good one up in the Lakes Region as the Lakers are looking to become that team that makes you stop to say, ‘Wait a second... Inter-Lakes is the 5 seed???’

 Absolutely Inter-Lakes could end up the 5 seed and we are watching Zach Swanson (16.6 ppg. and double digit rebounds a night) develop into an all-state player by the week. Swanson and Mason McGonagle of Gilford are the two most improved players in the Lakes Region (Trevor Hunt was already there) and with Matt Norton playing alongside of him this has become a very good rebounding frontcourt for head coach Mike Rathgeber.

 Belmont goes to the beat of their own all-state forward Trevor Hunt but overlooked is the play of Doug Price (12.8) who has really come on under head coach Jim Cilley (who can hit a golf ball a lot farther than you or I).

Inter-Lakes needs to take care of business here if they want to set themselves up for one or possibly two homes playoff games.
 
 Monadnock (6-7) at Mascenic Regional (10-4)

 I’m telling you some higher seeded team in the division is not going to be happy seeing Monadnock come in for the first round. This is a very physical basketball team with an up & coming player in Joe Minson.

 If you are under the impression that Brett Stauffeneker has improved so much because of his last name & family genes you’re wrong. Yes his brother was terrific and I can attest his dad was a player too but this kid worked really, really hard over the off-season on skill development and that, and not playing 100 AAU games, gets results. Give all the credit to the work Brett put in.
 
 Berlin (7-9) at Somersworth (5-10)

 Two very good programs that I recall playing an unbelievable semifinal game at SNHU in 2011.

 Rob Fauci is doing a really good job of developing a culture in the Hilltoppers program.

 Early in the season it was less about X’s & O’s and more about everyone being on the same page with their first year head coach and former assistant. Fauci has made his players accountable and because of that Somersworth is playing hard and competing for a spot in the dance.

 It’s been a rare down season for Berlin but it is one head coach Dave Morissette saw coming in the pre-season. This is a team built around two sophomores; Evan Arsenault (12.0) and Joey Fodor. Arsenault will be a first or second team all-state player next season, it is about Fodor continuing to get better as he learns by the week.
 
 Sanborn (8-5) at Laconia (7-8)

 The Sachems would like to avoid the Pelham/Conant/Winnisquam/Kearsarge first round vortex, making this game as close to a must win as they can have in the regular season. Steve McDonough’s team needs to take care of business at home behind Andre McNeil and Brendan Mooney.
 
 Division IV

 Portsmouth Christian (13-0) at Derryfield School (8-6)

 There is no bigger disparity between player and coach reactions to my columns than PCA. Every time I mention I have Littleton as the best team in Division IV The Big Smooth Lewis Atkins laughs and gives his usual ‘Ok Haley..’ while his kids act on Twitter like I’ve led them to a seaside cliff and then one by one shoved them off.

 PCA is really good…and Kylani LaFleur getting to the rim in the post-season is their ticket to Plymouth. That’s because they have shooters on the wing that can knock down shots and players like Drew McCormick and Paul Staude who can turn misses into makes.

 Sam Anderson is putting up double/doubles every night for Rob Bradley’s team while point guard Andrew Dubreuil is next in a long line of all-state guards at the school.

Few coaches do a better job of defining roles and what Bradley has is a group that is competing with the best teams in the division after losing four starters from last season’s final four team.
 
 Newmarket (11-5) at Wilton-Lyndeborough (11-4)

 Ever watch a Chris Botti concert while monitoring how many three pointers Newmarket was making against Epping? That was me last Thursday night.

 The defending champs have their signature win over Sunapee (in a game I’ll do a deep dive on next week….) and suddenly seem poised for a climb up the standings. This game will go a very long ways toward determining the Top 8 seeds in two weeks.

3,772 words…we need to wrap this up before I start looking like Tom Hanks when he got off the island in ‘Castaway’…
 
 Hinsdale (7-8) at Pittsfield (4-11)

 Hinsdale is 7-8!!?? When did this happen?

 In going full bracketology resume on the Racers their seven wins have come over four teams with a combined record of 7-54 so………….I don’t feel as guilty.

 Cam Darrah is one of the most improved players in the state and unfortunately he is carrying too much of the load. Put Darrah on a team where he can play shooting guard and run the wing & you could slide him into just about any lineup in New Hampshire.
 
 Sunapee (11-3) at Epping (10-3)

 Jennifer Chick and I will be in the house Friday night  for this one.

 It’s time for my pre-season darling Epping to play like the title contender we all believe they are.

 The Blue Devils have been dealing with a lot of noise off the floor and are realizing just how much Brett Couture did for this team the past two seasons. Right now they haven’t proven they can protect the paint and so their ability to slow Matt Tenney & Issaiah Chappell down will be interesting to see.

Tommy Bullock and Dylan Derosier can apply enough on the ball pressure to the Sunapee all-state backcourt but can Epping stop Sunapee when they get to the rim?

 This is the most intriguing game on the Friday night schedule, which right about now feels 55 games long. The team that wins this one goes a long ways towards hosting two tournament games.
 
 Gorham (7-9) at Lin Wood (8-9)

 Gorham is another team people would rather see head to another gym in the opening round. This team has good size in big man Bryson Raymond and enough rebounding to limit you to one shot per possession.

 Lin Wood has gotten good production out of Olle Dovholuk (13.3) as well as Brandon & Andrew Harrington (13.1). This is a team that has been missing Devon Rivera for most of the season and has improved greatly over the past three seasons.
 
Profile (1-14) at Nute (2-14)

 It has been a very rough season for both of these programs, each of whom were tournament teams a year ago.

 Nute has lost half of their roster over the course of the season while Profile will miss the tournament for the first time in a decade. 

 I’m not allowing either team to talk smack in this one….none.
 
Because I’m a lunatic TWO BONUS GAMES on Thursday night
 
 Lisbon (4-12) at Colebrook (10-6)

 Your Lisbon Panthers are a playoff team! Most likely….

 Sam Natti has done a really good job with this group and has been aided by two very good senior leaders Zach Smith (8.6) and Gaige Pequeno (8.2). Sophomore Josh Woods (16.0)., the cousin of former player of the year Chad Knighton, has the ability to put this team on his shoulders next season if he buys in over the summer.

 Woods has a real ability to find the right angle to the basket and this is a group coming back next season that could make a run for a Top 10 seed.

 Someone is very likely going all the way to Colebrook in round one (if it’s the Derryfield parents please get me a picture of them the first time they see the 20 foot Mohawk Indian on the wall).

 To guarantee that they have to take care of business on Sedrick McKinnon’s senior night.
 
 Groveton (12-3) at Littleton (16-0)

 Mark Collins’ team controlled the first meeting before Littleton came from behind in the final three minutes.

 Sam Natti wasn’t the only person happy when Lisbon became a playoff team….it also gave Groveton two more wins over tournament teams, a tie-breaker that just might come into play after the regular season ends.

 Tonight Groveton needs to win the battle on the boards, take care of the basketball against Littleton’s three quarter court trap and keep Logan Briggs away from the basket and out on the perimeter.

 I’d go into more detail but I’ve hit my 4,500 word limit………….
 
 The New Hampshire High School Hoop Show is on ESPN NH radio (900AM in the Nashua area & 1250AM around Manchester) every Saturday morning from 9 to 11am. Pete Tarrier & I give you the scores of every game in the state from Friday night and breakdown all four divisions.

Our guests Saturday will be Woodsville head coach Jamie Walker and Manchester Memorial head coach Jack Quirk. We will also have our weekly call with Justin McIsaac that usually straddles the line between thought provoking & absurdity.

 If you are outside the ESPN NH "listening area" you can hear the show by simply clicking on one of the NH HS Basketball Show links on our website OR on the  Tune In or ESPN Radio apps, both of which can be downloaded for free.