RallyNorth.net: High School Sports – Merrimack Valley and Southern NH

Now we will see what CCHS is really made of. Losing one of the best player in the state ( Jimmy Zenevitch ). I think this team is more than just about one super star. This will prove that this team is the best CCHS team of all time. Bring it on.

How many times on this blog this season have you said “its all about Carson”? go back and read your comments after the Christmas tourney.
This has never been about one player–always been TEAM-always been defense first.

I think Big Z plays-kid is a warrior and a hoop stud.

BH will be tough-long bus ride/early Sunday start.

Still pre-mature on the “Best CCHS team of all time” talk.

I'd rest Jimmy over the weekend. A few other guys will need to pick up the offense. Lawrence will be tough but manageable. CC and their perimeter defense+Carson will beat Hendricken (who is not undefeated btw) by 10 without Jimmy. David, I'm beggin' you yet again, please put the “best ever” thing to bed for now. It's still very, very early. My guess is you'll see a fired up Raider bunch tonight at LHS.

I would say, if he is not %100, sit him. And I don't agree with the sentiment that without him, they'll make the two hour bus ride, and beat Bishop Hen by 10…not happening.
With Carson getting the most defensive attention every game, their offense is set up a very specific way…a way in which Jimmy does most of the scoring. And, they have gotten into a real nice grove. To think they can instantly change their offense, and not miss a beat, is a bit too optimistic.
The most important thing, above all else, is getting his ankle ready for the tourney. Tonight, it's Lawrence…Tuesday, it's Haverhill. They only need one of those games. And Haverhill, and home, will be a W, without Jimmy, no problem. Bottom line…Sunday's game just does not matter…at all. They have plenty of non-league stuff coming up to get battle ready for the State's. St John's, and then the Comcast tourney is more than enough non- league action to mentally prepare for the road ahead. There is zero upside to Jimmy playing on Sunday.
And, unfortunately, I think we all may be in for a big surprise tonight, vs Lawrence. These are 16,17,18 yr old kids, remember.
Tonight, one tram will be playing it's Super Bowl, the other will be coming off one of the more emotional games of their lives…huge let down. Recipe for disaster…but, again, it does not matter.
Get the ankle back to %100.

This team is all about winning. They don't know how to lose and this is a good thing. With or without Jimmy Zenevitch they will win the next three games. John Stark you are right I am getting ahead of my self. raider4life I will say this about you, you are never right about anything. I said this team is all about Carson not Jimmy Zenevitch. Jimmy Zenevitch is a big part ( a really big part ) of this team but, it's Carson's team. It all about him. Lose or win, it's about Carson.

Lawrence might very well smell blood in the water tonight but I think Coach Nault has Central ready to play. There is no two hour bus ride on Sunday as the Raiders will go down Saturday. Carson could have a 30-25-15 afternoon against an under-sized BH lineup. The Raiders will need to hit some perimeter shots, but look for Luis, Jaycob, et al to put the clamps on Hendricken's guards. Still say CC by 10+. Let Jimmy rest the ankle, maybe until the Prep.

I'm going to bold here…and go out on a limb.
With a 50/50 Jim…2-1 next three games.
Without him..same…maybe 1-2.
He returns in the next couple of weeks healthy, and I now believe they will win the whole state. See you in Worcester.

sp0rtsfan, The limb just broke. CCHS with or without JZ go 3-0 the next three games. This team don't know how to lose. I hope JZ is given a rest for the next three games. I want to see who the next super star going to be coming off the bench. We all know there one on that bench.

If it was an easy prediction, it wouldn't be “going out on a limb”, would it? I hope I am wrong.
When you have that undefeated target on your chest, and you get every team's best, night in, night out, it can wear on a team a bit. This is certainly a time tested formula.
I think…and maybe it's just me…that subtracting any teams high scorer from their offense, requires an adjustment period. Suppose Central goes into a game, without Jimmy, and Carson picks up two very early fouls? They could find themselves in a hole very quickly. A position that would be quite foriegn to them.

Just in from the CC-LHS game. CC turned a 5-pt. game at halftime into a rout. If you thought the third quarter vs. Andover was good you should have seen the third quarter in this one. Easily Central's best TEAM win of the season. Lawrence packed it in on Carson and dared the Raiders to shoot 15 foot jumpers. I observed in a previous post that some other guys would need to pick up the offense. Result: Multiple Raiders hit j's from all over the court while answering Lawrence's press. And, yes, Carson was a beast on the glass.

Has anyone else noticed that, aside from the wins, this is a highly likable team? Terrific, well-coached, hard working kids who represent the school well. A very solid win against a scrappy Lawrence team.

Sloppy first half-not totally unexpected. Whatever Rick said or did at halftime worked. I was impressed with Carson's composure-he was getting checked with two hands trying to get position most of the first half- could have been a foul almost everytime. They tried to rattle him early. He gets banged a lot and I know he is big enough to handle it but his composure night after night is impressive. Nice night for Alverez-good night to step up. Although the MVC title was merely a formality it is the first step.
Watching BigZ walk-I say hold him out until the Comcast-if by chance they lose to St. Johns (without him) it might not be bad thing–going into the sate tourney undefeated makes me a “little” nervous.

Much like the Andover game (how the hell did they lose another game last night, by the way) Central took care of things in the third quarter, assuring a stress free fourth.
I found the first half troublesome, as with JZ out, Puello picking up his third foul with 6 minutes to go in the second quarter, and Sheehan unavailable due to suspention, the Raiders play was quite “choppy”. For a team that has had concerns about it's guard play, to have one out, an another with 3 very early fouls, things were a touch shaky.
It all played out just fine, as Puello came back in the third, and played terrific. Along with Alverez who deserves a shout out on a very inspired second half. I happened to be sitting with two college coaches from a college out near Worcester who where there to scout him (Alverez) and he got quite a reaction from them on his coast to coast drive that ended with him getting tangled up underneath, but as he fell, he buried a circus shot.
Nice shooting in the second half in this game.
Couple of quick observations…
Great turn-out by Lawrence fans (Central, not so much). One loud mouth girl had plenty to say, but it was tough to make out what she was saying from where I sat. Anyway, the chant of “O-ver-ra-ted” when Carson missed a free throw was a bit donkey ish. But they were trying.
An aside to, I think #12 on Lawrence…nice shot block in the first half…but running away from the play pointing at the kid you blocked, and then running to the stands to point with both hands up at the fans was a bit much. I'm pretty sure the ball is going to in-bounded again, and my guess is that you probably have a defensive assignment to be concered about…just sayin'… Act like you've been there before.
JZ ankle injury…I asked around a bit last night, and got the same answer from several people….not thought to be all that bad…at least two game (not playing in Bish Hen game) maybe more if needed. He seemed to walking OK, but certainly with a small hitch to his step. Get that thing healed kid!
I continue to say (and maybe it is the pre 2004 Red Sox, glass half empty, fan in me) that this team will need all hands on deck, particularly in the back court, when they go deep in the States and face lightening quick guards. The memory of Central trying to bring the ball up the floor against Lynn English in Lowell on the Sunday night last year, is still quite clear.

Was Zenevitch noticeably limping? Badly?

Do any of the CCHS guards have the ball-handling skills to get past Woumen and Lynn English?

Starting to think about the post season. LE is clearly talented, as we saw last year, but has played a real cupcake schedule thus far. Tomorrow vs. undefeated Brockton should be one to keep our eye on. Prep goes down to CM earlier in the week, and the CathConf in hoops is not the CathConf in hockey. East Boston? A 23-point win over CM early, but also a curious loss to a solid but not great Franklin team. So I guess LE sticks out but we'll know more after tomorrow. Was Andover still hung over last night after Tuesday's beatdown?

Had a bit of of a limp-not too bad but made me think he needs a week.

really…you needed to post this? Ok.

After the MVC clinching win last night for CC, Coach Nault should be sitting the Zen master until they meet last year's state champs St.Johns. They have their leader Carson and a fully capable staff to take on Lawrence and Haverhill. I know the Lancers have been a surprise this season, but even the #2 team in the MVC has no chance of beating this PowerHouse Squad. They are not the best CC team of All-Time right now, but if they can get through the tourney as State Champs and beat Lynn English they have to be near the top. This is Carson's team this year and last year it was Marsden's team. Next season it will be Zenevich's team.