OK,
I’m probably going to free-wheel here on a bunch of different topics, but I will try to cover as much as I possibly can before fatigue sends me to the pillow.
First, I’ve been wanting to talk about the student section controversy that all of you, Ms. Doherty of Andover, the Central folks, everybody has made too much of.
First and foremost, you’re all overreacting.
Kids are kids. Let them be.
Tonight we saw two great student bodies, having fun at a basketball game. It was positive, it was refreshing, and it was awesome. The best part of the night was when the Lawrence kids had started a rhythmic chant and the Central kids joined in.
We all have to step back, assess the situation and let the kids have fun. I’ve never seen the waving of dollar bills. I’ve seen both Central and Andover students carrying about baby dolls.
And I don’t care if they chanted 1.7 to Luis Puello. It’s competitive, it’s fun.
I will tell you a story.
One of the worst moments, I’ve ever been a witness to at a high school game was when a Whittier Tech administrator, at a girls tourney game a couple years ago, went over to the Shawsheen stands and admonished the students for screaming as one of the Whittier girls was on the free throw line.
“We don’t allow that here,” she told the Shawsheen kids, who literally just yelled, no words, just a loud AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
When one of the Shawsheen faculty members there spoke up and asked that it be allowed, she had security come and remove the man.
Good thing the faculty member was smart, realized he was a role model to the kids and just left, without a struggle. He’s a better man than me, I would have gone kicking and screaming.
My point is, enough with all the PC garbage, let the kids be kids. Would you rather these students be at a game blowing off steam or being off somewhere else finding whatever mischief kids tend to find these days?
Make it fun for them.
I flat out love the CC-Lawrence rivalry. I walked in midway through the fourth of the JV game and I’ll tell you the crowd was amped up and into that.
The spirit is phenomenal, just phenomenal.
Truly fun. Nice packed house, I loved it.
I saw Andover-Dracut Tuesday and Lawrence-CC Friday. How did Dracut ever beat Lawrence? Judging by the talent on the two teams, that has to go down as a colossal upset.
I agree with one of you blogophiles out there, I’m not counting Methuen out in the MVC small just yet. I thought Dracut was going to be much better than they showed.
As for the 5 in, 5 out? Why not? You keep your kids fresh. And with a team like that, is there a substantial drop between players 5 and 10, I don’t think so.
Thoroughly impressed by Luis Puello.
I would be more impressed though, if the kid was playing defensive back in the fall. I thought Andover’s Joe Bramanti was the best football player not to play in this area right now. Puello is right there.
He was immense when Central needed it, with a couple huge rebounds and one very notable stickback in the third quarter.
He wasn’t the only one, though. Cam Wroblewski, Evan Sheehan and Andrew Ouellette all were big off the bench.
Give it up to Ouellette for a minute here. He came into the game and immediately missed a semi-breakaway lefty layup. Kid never lost his confidence, though. He finished the rest of the way, a huge lift from the Raiders’ starting QB.
As for Lawrence, it’s great to see Jesse Hiraldo back in the fold. Big and strong, he’s only going to get better. Great move by Paul Neal when he moved Hiraldo on to Jimmy Zenevitch early. Hiraldo’s length bothered him some, for the first time all year.
Atypically, Carson got in some foul trouble with two midway through the second, a third midway through the third and a fourth midway through the fourth.
Typically, two of the calls were legit. The other two were blown calls. Memo to Valley officials: When you blow the whistle, and you’re obviously wrong, find someone else to pin the foul call on. Don’t penalize the superstar for your mistake.
Desrosiers wasn’t shooting it well early (9 for 18 overall), he wasn’t a factor statistically because he was needed to break the press. And then you look up and see 20 points, 12 boards, four blocks. Kid is amazing sometimes.
Not all roses for the big fella, though. The two dunks are not enough CD. You had a chance for two more. Enough with the finger-rolls please!!! (This is all in fun, folks, a point Carson understands with me by now).
Injury to watch with CC’s Michael Alvarez, who turned his ankle early. The senior’s toughness and stability were missed as his minutes were limited in a three-point night.
Word emanating out of the Raider camp is that there might be yet another scholarship athlete in town.
Sources say that Gabie Polce has been offered by Division 2 St. Rose of the Northeast-10 Conference. Congrats, Gabie. Just being offered is a giant accomplishment.
Now this is just a hunch, I have no inside information whatsoever, but if you are in a gambling mood tomorrow, you might want to look at Race 6 from Aqueduct Race Track in New York.
The No. 2 horse is “Central Red Raider” and the morning line odds have the first-time starter at 20-to-1. He is owned by CC alum John McCarthy Jr. of Lawrence.
Good luck to his connections, including my neighbor, Steve McCarthy (an ex-Raider football standout) who has chosen not to let me know about this, I have to hear it on the streets. And good luck to you if you choose to get involved.
Finally, I’ll close with this.
I have been and I’m still a proponent that Central – for its own good and to the detriment to the rest of the MVC – should move to the Catholic Conference.
The Central crowd doesn’t like my stance. I just think it would do wonders for the school and its athletics. Fine.
But a game like Lawrence-Central especially makes me re-think my stand. With all due respect to Andover-Central or Methuen-Central, I think Lawrence-CC is just so dynamic. A game like Friday night’s does so much for both schools. I can understand why the CC people are so adamant about staying in the MVC. I still don’t agree, I think you’re better than that, but taking in an event like this does prove your point, not mine.
I love Luis Puello, who is from Lawrence, talking about the dynamic of the relationship between the players on these two teams:
“They are our biggest rivals. When you step on the court, you feel the intensity. They’re all my boys, but on the court, they’re all my enemies. After the game we chill, but it’s war on the court.”
