Posts
Comments

Hey Astros, in the words of John Sebastian: Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back … Longo’s latest Fantastic Four is up … Time to vent on the Granite State again … You wanted NH hoop talk, you’ve got it baby.

Jan 28th, 2009 by Hector Longo

OK, I’m becoming annoying (some would say already been there for a while, that’s fine) and repetitive, but I have to go on the attack about the hoop scene in the Granite State and plead for the NHIAA to do something about it.
That pin drop you can hear in 90 percent of the gyms around Class L is due to a true lack of meaning when it comes to the regular season.
That’s got to change. Can I once again repeat my dream of league play in Class L, say separate it into three geographically-determined leagues, so the regular season can mean something.
I mean I piled on Pinkerton for dropping a game at Winnacunnet earlier, but do you think any of the Astros are losing sleep over it.
Nope, they’ll win their 14 or 15 games and then hope to be at their peak when the playoffs roll around in March.
It’s not a Pinkerton problem. It’s a nature of the New Hampshire Class L beast where there are no true rivalries, save for Pinkerton-Londonderry, because you see teams once a year in a regular season that means nothing.
Now, split Class L into three divisions:
A
Central
Trinity
Memorial
West
Goffstown
Merrimack
Keene

B
Pinkerton
Londonderry
Salem
North
South
Guertin
Alvirne

C-coast

Timberlane
Spaulding
Dover
Concord
Exeter
Winnacunnet

And now you’re talking. Yeah, Concord and keene stick out. Who wants them because of the road trips, but this breakdown allows teams to play home-and-home in the division, cutting down on travel for the most part.
Then you rotate playing the five or six non-division Class l games on a year to year basis.
Rivalries develop, and there are a lot more meaningful Tuesday and Friday nights in January or February.
I’m no engineering genius, but doesn’t this make a lot of sense.
Get the kids playing for league and state titles. It’s one of the few things the MIAA has right.
My boys keep rattling me about the fact that I don’t talk enough about NH hoops.
The reason is because the regular season is most often a snooze fest.
Right now there are 7 teams fighting for the final three playoff spots in Class L. Their combined record is 9-36.
How can anyone take the regular season in NH seriously.
Let’s stick with 6-1 Pinkerton for a second. The Astros can coast or even self-destruct and go 2-11 the rest of the way and still win a state title. I have a problem with that.
Now, if they were fighting for my “Rockingham Division” title say, they’d be all out every night with 5-2 Salem, 4-3 Alvirne and the rest in the chase. Salem already saw the Astros, and because of this inane setup, they don’t meet again, at least not until the playoffs. It’s bogus.
Will some Granite State administrator with a little clout please listen to reason?????!!!!!!!

Enough on that.
As I slide toward my new Fantastic Four, I make the “Welcome back” reference to my beloved Astros, who after a savage beating at the hands of a severely undermanned Hampton Beach High team, have taken care of business and run off a couple nice wins.
Pinkerton, I embrace you again and welcome you back to the No. 2 spot in my Fantastic Four, right behind mighty Central Catholic.
Still, i’d like to see the big guys, Zach Mathieu and Ben Proulx, get a little more involved in the offense. They could be the difference in winning a state title and just having a good year. I truly feel that way.
If Proulx and Mathieu combine for 20 points and 20 boards, it’s proven, Pinkerton wins.
All the other pieces are there. Steady point guard, dead-eye shooter, nasty defensive stopper in Brendan Peguero at the three. Good role-playing types like Scott King and alex Rees, but the big guys might hold the key to success in March. We shall see.

My sources tell me that all is well in Salem, where the two-time defending state champion Blue Devils have rolled off three straight wins to move to 5-2 in Class L play, a pedestrian 6-4 overall.
“We’re back and rolling,” said the best man at my wedding, I mean my anonymous source from the Salem program. “We’ve worked out the kinks and we’re back.”
I say boulder dash, big boy. The five teams Salem has beaten combine for a 13-20 mark … all playoff contenders in the Class L race, mind you, but not exactly the wood.
If my main man Mike Kimball, Super Teamer Josh Jones, junior captain Alex LaRosa are looking for some love in these circles, you’d better get it done in the house that Zorbas built against a 3-3 Lancer team that is finally getting healthy.
Victory at Jimmy’s joint does not come easy.
If anyone’s interested, I’m planning a pre-game “Longo blog session” live from J. Michael’s Sports Pub on Route 28, beginning at 5 p.m.
If you’re in the area, say heading to the Salem-Londonderry or Pinkerton-Exeter games, stop on by to say hello.
I’ll save a Buffalo Wing for you.
If not, feel free to chat online before you head out to the game of your choice.

One other note here on Class I ball in the Granite State.
Can I play matchmaker for one second?
UMass Lowell, and I have already had a good talk with coach Greg Herenda on this, is in need of a point guard.
Pelham’s Justin Hojlo is torching the Class I folks to the tune of 27 points a night.
Hojlo might be the best-kept secret in the state, currently mulling over his Division 3 options like Keene or Plymouth. Both are superb D3 programs on the rise.
But doesn’t Hojlo pique a guy like Herenda’s interest for at least a second or two? Shouldn’t he get a serious look?
His distributing skills are clearly overshadowed by all the points he scores. Maybe I’ll forward Greg directions through Dracut to the Pelham High gym. Of course, he should stop at Scola’s for dinner.
I just have a feeling on this one. I love Justin’s game, and I don’t think he’s getting a fair shake from the scholarship schools. We’ll see.

OK, I’ve babbled and lobbied enough, on to our Fantastic Four for the week:

1. Central Catholic (11-1) … Bring on Lowell will you. These regular bludgeonings are becoming a bit tedious.
2. Pinkerton Academy (8-3) … Does anyone get the “John Sebastien, Welcome back,” reference? Am I the only one who remembers the immortal Freddy “Boom Boom” Washington? Gosh, I’m not only old, but I’m a TV geek, too.

Ouch, I went out on a limb last week, going with Haverhill, Lawrence and G’town in the Fanty Four, only to get burned by all three.
Man, the last two spots are so tough.
Here goes:
3. Pelham (9-3) … OK, all you small school bashers from the football season, let ‘er rip. Pelham steps out and plays the big boys, be it in the Lowell tourney or in summer league. The Pythons have as good a claim to this spot as anyone in the region.
4. Andover (8-5) … I hate to do it. That awful loss to Dracut really sticks in my craw (That is, it would if i had a craw, and what is a craw anyway. But I digress.) Dave Fazio is a Warrior, coaching just a day after an awful, jaw-breaking, face-smashing fall on the ice on his driveway. His toughness and ability to still work the refs with all that swelling gives Andover the No. 4 spot. Seriously, Faz, please take care of yourself.

Waiting their turn
Georgetown 11-2 … Had North Andover on the ropes, let the giant up and paid the price. Great recovery, though, beating Wilmington.
Greater Lawrence 9-4 … The 0-3 showing at the Xmas tourney hurts in these rankings. Still, there are February dates with North Reading and other D3 contenders that could help the reputation in Reggie-land.
Haverhill 7-6 … The Hillies are like a MASH unit right now. Will they get healthy in time to make the tournament?
Lawrence 8-5 … The enigma of all enigmas. The Lancers are closing in on a return to the postseason.
Methuen 8-5 … Love the grittiness at Haverhill Tuesday night. Chris Murach, Matt Richardson and Cal Carroll earn some high school “Hector” points for their unsung work in the win.
North Andover 10-3 … Like the Reggies, the 1-2 Christmas showing burdens the Knights’ when it comes to these rankings. As one sage Valley hoop nut said to me Tuesday, “They’ve won eight straight. They have to be better now than they showed in the Christmas Tourney.” Win the CAL, and I’ll believe, boys.
North Reading 11-2 … You had your chance, and North Andover rapped you guys. Time to regroup back in line and ready to make another push.
Salem 6-4 … “Tippy, tippy, tippy toe, tippy toe.” EJ’s boys are gathering a little momentum folks, one step at a time.

Posted in Basketball, Hector Longo | Comments

  • Fib1106
    Hector you get A plus for delivering detail.
    Pinkerton is big and if they dictate tempo, they can be a handful.
    But I am not jumping on their bandwagon til they win a big one.
    Which as you point out, can't really happen til the second round of the state tourney. New Hampshire Class L qualifying is a joke.
    HOWEVER Hector, you are still bashing a decent Dracut team.
    Did you peek at the Dracut at Central box score from last night?
    Central by 2 at half and by 6 at after three quarters. Dracut gave them fits. I would argue that Dracut takes a best of three against any MVC team except Central or Andover. Dracut had a crummy XMas tourney draw in the Lowell High Xmas tourney which also included Westford and Acton Boxboro.
  • MVCguy
    Hey Hector,

    I agree- Great job on the detail. I also agree w/Fib- That's a good Dracut team you're not sold on. I'd take them in a matchup over Pelham every day of the week, and I think Pelham's pretty good. Speaking of Pelham, I know you love them but I think it's interesting that you give them credit for "stepping up and playing the big boys" and yet Greater Lawrence and NA still get the GL Christmas Tourney held against them. Not that I think NA or GL belongs in the top 4- Far from it(Mine would be CC, Andover, Pink, Salem). But I just looked on the MIAA and NHIAA websites: NA has an enrollment of 1175 and has lost to Methuen (1866), Lawrence (2507), and Pinkerton (3329?!?!?!?). GL (1498) has lost to Salem (2257), Methuen and NA. Pelham's at 693, and has lost to A-B (1683), L-S (1408), and Portsmouth (1084). It looks very comparable and to me like all three have stepped up and taken what few lumps they have against significantly bigger schools. More than anything, I guess it shows just how strong the GL Chistmas tourney is, as NA and GL went 1-5 in the tourney (0-4 if you don't count their game with each other) and are a combined 19-2 outside of it.

    OK, enough statistics. What are your thoughts on coach of the year in the area? I'd have a few in the running, with the end of the season eventually dictating my winner:

    Coach Trovato: Haverhill's come a long way in a couple years. They play HARD and the pride is back. It's a fun group of kids to watch play, and Trovato should get some credit for the change. Even with a tough loss last night, when they get everyone back healthy, they have a chance to sneak into the tourney and be a very scary first round match-up.

    Coach McViegh: NA had no returning starters, no returning experience, not particularly athletic or skilled. I'm astonished at their record and the way they've improved since Christmas, and they've had two convincing wins in the past week. No one guy sticks out, but they all play hard and McViegh is getting the most out of what they have. Like you, I saw them at the tourney and thought they were in for a LONG year. Definitely the area's most surprising team so far.

    Coach Nault: Completely different challenges than the first two coaches. I know the "coach of the year" thing is usually for surprising teams, but coaching a great team can be hard, too. Yes, Central's incredibly talented and would win a ton of games regardless of the coach. But he manages the ego's well, they all put team first, they play hard every night, he gets a lot out of his bench guys, and the one time they were knocked around against the FL team, they never quit and almost pulled off a shocking comeback. So many expectations to live up to and a target on their back every night, but they're still in the drivers seat for a second straight MA title. Nault deserves a lot of credit.

    Others who have done a nice job: Coach Kress (his offenses are always so high powered, and they look to be headed for a Class I championship), Coach Barden (getting a lot out of his shooters w/out having any size) and Coach Faz (I think he gets overlooked b/c they're always so well coached and play so hard that it gets taken for granted). Looking forward to the stretch run of the regular season and even more to the tournaments. Thanks for all the bonus coverage and blogging, HL. We always know where you stand and it generates some great discussion! Oh, and don't forget the all-floorburn team- Looking forward to seeing your choices for that.
  • BleedBlue
    NH regular season games got a whole lot more important now that they dont bring the playoffs to UNH until the semi's. Home court is worth fighting for every Tuesday and Friday. Winning at home is much easier than going to some of these 200 year old gyms that Charlie Samataro probably played on back in the day. You give about as much respect to the Blue Devils as you do to a basket of wings form J Mikes...you punish them. I dont get it? They are returning champs. The least you can say is that they are an enjoyable group of kids to watch and root for. Either you owe Faz money or the fix is in. There's no way you can include a team that is fighting for a playoff spot in your Fabs. Plus they are so unenjoyable to root for. Pinkerton will self destruct. Why not put your faith in Perry and realize he will right the ship in time for the trip to Durham. See at J Mike's. I guarantee I go wing for wing with you and your little boy too!
  • Hector Longo
    Wow,
    Say it ain't so, blue blood. Say it ain't so.
    This corner had no idea the folks up in Concord decided that only the semis and finals should be played in Durham.
    The quarterfinals will be played with a home court advantage, hmmm.
    I love the UNH thing, I think it will take away from the tourney, but I guess we'll see how the new format works.
    As for the B-Devs, we'll see Friday night. I watched the early problems, the Christmas tourney machinations, this Salem group can show me something at Londonderry.
    As for the two-time champ thing, I'll just say this: Steven Savage, Kevin Sledge and Shawn Stoodley aren't walking through that door big fella. Time for this group to prove itself.
    HL
  • Hector Longo
    One other thought:
    Nice work on the Coach of the Year fodder. Right now, if I had to pick one and again it's early, I'd lean to Mike McVeigh.
    Right now, NA has beaten the two monsters in the CAL small, something Wilmington or Masco couldn't accomplish. The Knights are in charge for the league title, basically needing just a split with Wilmington to take it outright.
    That's mighty impressive for a team that returned 0 starters and approximately 7 points a game from last year.
    Others of note: Don't sell Jimmy Zorbas short at Londonderry, holding his club together with mucilage glue the first month as they were ravaged by the injury bug. ... Kress deserves merit for the program he's built, not just this year but for the last decade at Pelham. ... Remember, this is a tiny town, one of the smallest in Class I, that lost either its 1 or at least 1A player in Marsden to CC. Yet they win 15 or more every year. ... Nault will have to wait to earn his accolades. He gets his with trophies in March. Sorry, it's the nature of the beast when coaching a powerhouse like CC. ... Mike Rowinski, at G'town, Dan Habib, with the Reggies, Joe Casey at NR, all deserve some credit. And don't forget the strides that Paul Cardone is making at Timberlane and Bob Ficker has taken at Sanborn.
  • Pinkerton Fan
    In for J. Michaels...but after the game. Good points about The playoff system in NH. They have changed it a little this year as the top four seeds get 2 home games instead of only one and than neutral site. Playoff system still needs a lot of work.
  • Hector,
    Great points on the playoff system and regular season in NH. We have spoke on this topic a few times. Every coach I have spoken with does not like the current format. NH use to do the division format playing rivals home and away, they stopped, don't know why? They use to take the top 12 with the top 4 getting a buy, they stopped, I don't understand the logic of letting a team with 5 wins get into the tourny? These are some aspects that need change for the games to be better. I know most of my arguement pertains to baseball, but you are right about the basketball regular season need to make it interesting.
    DK
  • Granitom
    Good detail, Hector, but come on. Do you think an admittedly scrappy Pelham could beat Andover right now? Lawrence? Pelham has lost to a 4-10 Lincoln-Sudbury team and a very mediocre A-B. So much for the "iron". As for The Academy, the Christmas tourney either matters or it doesn't (Hampton Beach High aside). If it does, The Academy doesn't belong in any top 10 yet (forget top 4) after the no-defense, no-offense, no-effort first-rounder vs. CC that would have frosted Vinnie Barbarino. As always, great job!
  • Fib1106
    Coach Zorbas at Londonderry is, by all accounts, upper echelon with X and O. That program was horrendous before he arrived - they averaged abut 4 wins per year. And they had the WORST reputation in the region for parent meddling. A+ to Coach Zorbas.

    RE Methuen... How about Barden. They have lost twice to Andover and once to Central. But they win the games they should win.

    We will know more about Andover next week after they host Central and Lowell. But I agree with Granitom - if you had to bet the house on Pelham at Andover, who do you take? Rhetorical question.

    Mike McVeigh is the world's classiest human. His teams are classy and well prepared. But the CAC is arguably the worst league in the Northeast United States. It's no knock on Coach McVeigh. In fact they defied logic with the teams of the past few years.
    But the odds are against you if you don't play iron til the Tourney.
  • Badcopier
    Ok, give me this group and I'll give you a game:
    Simpson from Lowell
    Rodriguez from Methuen
    Nieves from Lawrence
    Arnold from Andover
    Barbosa from Dracut
  • Badcopier
    Sorry, meant to add:
    New Hampshire, I left Central out of the mix so you would not have that private/recruiting/whatever to fall back on. Who you got?
  • Fib1106
    Spears?
    Polanco/Bramnti?
    Roache?
    Clarify!
  • Badcopier
    Sorry!
    My MVC team, without Central (Marsden/Derosiers and maybe Zenevitch) can beat any team you can compile from any league or state or whatever in Eagle Tribune land.
    MVC used to be a joke.
    Now, try to beat my team. And my bench wlll be brutal.
    PS Simpson and Arnold are banged up but that is what bench is for.
  • Hector Longo
    Can any of these fictitious all-star teams beat Central Catholic right now?
    I guess that's why I went to the conclusion that Carson is the best player in area history. Who has an answer for him?
    I will say this, no all-mvc type of team can be without Charlie Roche from Haverhill.
    Any coach in that league that leaves him off an all-conference ballot is a fool.
    You talk about alltime all-floorburn team. He fights harder than any kid I've seen this year. Yes, harder than Bramanti and Conor Arnold at Andover.

    Finally, on Pelham:
    Maybe they struggled in the Lowell tourney. Maybe it didn't matter. But unlike Salem or Pinkerton, at the lawrence tourney, Pelham has gone into that tournament, against big teams like Lowell and the Prep, and walked away with that title.
    Don't sell kress' kids short. It's a mistake.
    And if Andover is going to play like it did in Dracut, i'll take Pelham every time, twice on Saturday.
  • Wow
    You've got it boiling, Hector--good for you.

    I don't get the NH BB thing--I sure as hell get EJ--he's fantastic by any measure--but I don't undrstand why NH teams came up so poorly vs MA teams.

    Anyway, I loved the Dracut effort vs CC as the Middies and their terrific young coach Michael Paquette took it right to the Raiders as Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt sat scratching his head, puzzled, as he watched Carson get out-hustled to rebounds and loose balls for 3 periods ("I came 1500 miles into 4 degree weather for this?"). Take Billy and the freshman and Jimmy Z out of the mix and the Raiders were sleep-walking. The Raiders lose to Lowell by 10 on Fri--after beating them by 39 in December!

    Anyway, back to the best player in area history.

    My criterion was to be considered the greatest you have had to have great talent AND your team had to achieve great things. I told you about Central's legitimate All-American, Don Tremblay (Chicago herald) and you countered w an additional criterio, i.e., what was theirn post HS career like--was that also great. Your Exhibit A was Methuen's Gary McClain, a great leader eleader on an NCAA champ (Villanove). No question--under the HL rules, he, right at the top. And now, using those same rules, I've got another candidate.

    Central's Jimmy Lewis was probably the area's first great HS basketball player--his 1950 team were NE Catholic champs and, I believe, finalists in something called the Eastern States Tournamnt where they lost to Tommy Heinson's St Michaels of Uhion City, NJ. (Now , Hector, you and your bloggers have to cut me a little slack on some of these small details--but the big ones are on the money). Anyway, they were heavy favorites to win the Tech Tourney (which was the then name of the Eastern MA tournament--the winner of which played in the New England tournament.) In the semi-finals they were victims of an incredible upset by a strong Quincy team because Central's coach (the legendary Br. Leo Vincent) sat Jimmy for 3 periods because he lost his temper to an official!!!

    Jimmy received a gazillion offers and was headed for Vic Bubas (sp?) and Duke when at the last minute he decided on Holy Cross. So to your point--Jimmy captained the 1954 Holy Cross NIT champs--who featured Jim, Togo Palazi and, yup, Tommy Heinson. They beat Sihugo Green and Duquesne in OT w Jimmy scoring 8 of the 12 HC OT points. As I know you know, Hector, the NIT was superior to the NCAA in those days, viz, see Al McGuire and Marquette turning down the NCAA to win the NIT--help me on the year Hector.

    Much too long--sorry--but, using your criteria, Hector, I put Jimmy alongside Gary McClain as great HS and College hoopsters and whose teams achieved greatness on both the HS and College leveks--I can't think of anyone else from our area who pulled this off.

    You're doing a great job, Hector--I'm even beginning to wonder just what a Pelham/Dracut match up would look like!!!
  • NH Sports Fan
    Are we talking league against league or state against state in the ET Reading Area. If state against state NH looks pretty good:

    My NH Team will consist of:
    Carson (Windham, nh)
    Marsden (pelham, nh)
    Hojlo (pelham, nh)
    Cassidy (derry, nh)
    Kimball (Salem, nh)
    with either of the two big guys from pinkerton (proulx, mathieu) off the bench when I decide to go big and go away from my 4 guard set...
  • Granitom
    Hector, you're right. Take any MVC all-star team you choose and who covers Carson? You want to collapse a zone on him? Fine. It's kick-out time to Marsden, or most recently Alvarez. Methuen chased Billy out to the parking lot and he still had 18. At the same time you can't help but feel that the Raiders are starting to read their press clippings just a bit. NH SportsFan's all-star team contains two Central kids. I'd retain them at Central and readily take on the NH squad with the two subs, especially if they're from The Academy. Finally, Pelham didn't play Lowell or the Prep in the Lowell tourney. They played a lousy L-S team and a mediocre A-B team and lost to both. That's not selling anybody short. I've seen the Pelham kids play hard, but on a neutral court Andover would be a 10-15 point favorite. Drilling ConVal, Bow, and a brand new Bedford just isn't the same thing. And Hector, please acknowledge that this Central team is a full reflection of it's coach; they play with passion and class and reflect positively on the school. Ricky Nault doesn't get nearly enough credit for this.
  • Hector Longo
    Tom,
    No decision fractured the normally rock solid Central community than when Ricky was given the job to follow Dick Licare.
    And no coach in history has done a better job silencing his doubters with such great speed.
    In a year, Ricky not only won a North title, but he brought all those factions back together again.
    Who could doubt his selection?
    He's been nothing short of a lightning rod for a Central program that under Licare was steeped in class and tradition.
    Pete Paladino hit a grand slam with the choice of Nault. And he did it off a nasty slider that was biting, low and away.
    Nault has been unbelievable, off the charts, not only as a coach, but where it matters most, as a person.
    I hope I've come across correctly with the amount of esteem and respect I carry for Rick Nault.

    HL
  • You have, Hector. You always take the time to search for the diamonds in our area and to highlight them No diamond shines brighter than Rick Nault.

    He's lost just 8 or 9 games in his 3 years at Central--he's never lost to his bb coaching hero, Faze, or for that matter , Andover, in either varsity or JV coaching--check me on that.

    He's assisted the herculean efforts of his beautiful wife in raising his two great little guys who suffer from major medical issues along w his beautiful and healthy little girl.

    And that's just the beginning of his story!

    Like Teddy Ballgame's last homer or Lincoln's assasination, the number of people who claim they voted for him as Central's coach numbers in the millions!! Truth is, he was a compromise candidate who eked in--he had no big in house champions or advocates--he just had his wife, his character, the huge recommendation of his college coach (Tom Moore of Worcester State, UConn and Quinipiac) as well as that of Steve Kelley and, oh yeah, a terrific record as a jv coach.

    He feels that Faze is a great coach, that the MVC is the HS version of the old Big East, and that if you ain't bleedin', you ain't tryin'.

    Ass't Dean of Students at Central--he takes the kids who no one else wants because of behavioral or discipline problems and becomes their best friesnds. He's a real backbone of Central Catholic.

    Nope, you've nailed him, Hector--he's the best!!
  • Badcopier
    Last things first:
    Hector, bet you dinner that Dracut and Westford go to the North Division 2 title game. You obviously have not seen Dracut play.
    By all accounts, including from Rougebleu, Dracut had Central panting for three and a half quarters.

    The all star thing went in all sorts of directions but all good!
    My point was that the MVC is so strong that even if you take Central out of the equation, my MVC group would still be good enough against all other leagues to beat win...
    Per Hector, Charlie Roache is on the team too, although let's see how his teams fare vs the big boys in the coming weeks.

    I like the NH team that NH Sports Fan put together!
    AND, Hector you nailed the deal with Coach Nault -
    he is no stiff and has already earned great respect. Yes he has talent but he knows what he is doing with it.
  • Jim Arnold
    Gotta chime in on the coach thing.
    Nault and Faz and Perry earn lots of good ink.
    But I love Paul Neal at Lawrence. Anyone else notice how the MVC started clobbering people, finally, after years of disgrace, about when Paul arrived? Even his down teams are dangerous.
  • dave
    Hector enough with the Central Catholic talk, its real tough to not have to coach because you are an all star team. Why not do a what if there was no Central or no central recruitments. So pelham with marsden or lawrence with well most of centrals roster over the past decade etc. Where is carson from anyway and I have wathced him six times and Im sorry Scott Hazelton is still number one in my book.
  • Hector Longo
    Yet another great point with one of the all-time scrappers from the region, Andover's Jim Arnold chiming in.
    Paul has to deal with problems no other coach in the region has.
    His kids are his family, and he fights for them on a daily/hourly basis.
    And Jim's right. Lawrence's resurgence did something to this league.
    I'm mean, there were good teams in the past, the Rigo Nunez/Elinton Rosario group leaps off the page.
    And Dave Giribaldi squeezed every ounce he could out of the likes of Pedro Perez, Manny Nunez and alex Hernandez' teams.
    But Lawrence is at a whole different level under Neal.
  • Hector Longo
    Hey Dave,
    Thanks for chiming in, you give me a reason to bring up the subject of Carson Desrosiers. We're getting word that UConn is now in the mix with the CCHS junior. That's an addition to the dozens of D1s already inquiring. No offer from Calhoun's Huskies yet, but they're now in the game.
    Carson, by the way, is from Windham, N.H. His family is a Lawrence family, actually that migrated north. Uncle Gil Desrosiers was a darn good player in his day, I'm told.
    And I'm not sure, but I think he might have helped E.J. Perry's Salem squad in the quest for a three-peat.
    Now, this is all second-hand stuff, nothing official here, but you bring up an interesting story.
    Word is that Carson was headed to Salem High, back in his 8th grade days.
    Then, all of a sudden, the new Windham High popped into the horizon. There was talk, before all the construction delays and stuff, that Desrosier's class would not be allowed to stay at Salem without paying. The prospect of playing Class M ball in NH ... love those road trips to places like Mascoma and Hindsdale and New Ipswch ... was not very enticing.
    Enter CCHS.
    Again, that is a story that the Salem folks tell. It's not from Carson or his family. But someday, we'll get the facts. For now, it's a great thought.
    What if Salem had CD to go with the Jones-Kimball-LaRosa led clan? Yikes.
    As for Carson being the best ever, if you saw him out in Springfield against a powerhouse from Florida in American Heritage, you would have been mighty impressed, just like i was.
    Sorry about the CCHS talk. I've tried to branch out. Look at this blog.
    But the people love to talk about the Raiders, love em or hate em.

    Finally, the folks in Dracut have my word. I will go to a game and see them before I cast any more aspersions about the team or the town.
    I promise.
    Hey, where's MKA? Signing day is approaching and I'm still waiting for word on where Grimard is headed.
    Is anything official?
  • Jim Arnold
    Gil Derosiers was a good Lawrence High player.
    If memory serves, Lawrence lost over 50 straight in the mid 70s. Then Coach John Kelleher, Deroisers and Dennis Morin helped them turn it around in 1976 and 77. I think Chet Cousins was on that team too, although I believe he was killed in an industrial accident right after high school.

    Dracut is good. Their point guard Barbosa torched Andover for 29.
    He is a problem and underrated. This past summer Dracut had Lynn English on the ropes in Hoops for Hope and just missed reaching the Final Four. They were 15-6 last year. Coach Paquette is clever. The school has it going right now athletically.
  • david dose
    I just spit out my coffee laughing, Carson at UCONN........hopefully the "hoop junkies at North Lawrence High will guide Carson in the right direction and not the wrong one ala cruz and hazleton. Anyway new to the blog but I am a hoop junkie now living up in NH but love how overated the MVC is
  • Jim Arnold
    Lighten up david dose! Nobody is suggesting any MVC player except Carson is going Division 1. Nate Simpson of Lowell can play D2, maybe Marsden too. That's probably it.

    But don't diss Carson before he finishes growing and filling out.
    The best ever from MA and NH was Pat Ewing. And his skill set was not what Carson's is at the same age. But Carson is equal to or better than the Bonner Brothers. And if you have seen the two guys from Tilton who are headed to UConn, well, you know they are not clearly superior to Carson.
blog comments powered by Disqus