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

Pretty good time, well as good as any, to check in with an updated Fantastic Four.
I will start with this. I had a reader chime in as to whether the prep schools in the region, Brooks and Phillips, were included in the Fanty Four.
I’ve pondered it back and forth. There are a ton of great athletes participating, handfuls of local kids.
But one problem, I just don’t get to see them or their competition enough, so I really can’t gauge them.
That’s why I leave them out. Maybe I shouldn’t, I don’t know.
But I can’t speak on something that I don’t really follow close at all.
So without further ado, here goes:
1. Salem … Unbeaten and unscathed in what is proving to be a decent NH Division 1.
2. Central Catholic … No MVC losses yet. Playing extremely well right now, but they have to win up in Chelmsford.
3. Methuen … That was a tremendous showing in beating Andover. Well-deserved right.
4. Pink …. Nope, sorry. Beat Brockton and this slot here was reserved for you.
4. Whit … Nope, sorry. I know you are unbeaten, Kevin. I know you’ve outscored the opposition 251-82. But you haven’t played anyone. Whittier’s foes are 16-31 on the year so far. KB, now that you have hired a boys hoop coach, your top priority is upgrade the non-league slate in 2010.
4. Andover … For now, the Warriors hang on, albeit by a thread. We give you the “we were banged up,” pass. But that changes with a loss to Dracut this week.

Had a chance for a quick phone discussion with Ken Maglio over at Andover.
Mags sounded upbeat and determined why some political whirlwind has grown around him and decided to besmirch him as a coach.
“I’m not going to stop. I’m going to keep fighting and fighting. My goal is to clear my good name.”
My views on Maglio as a coach and a person have been well-documented here.
I’ll skip all that.
Can I just address the apparent school department’s buyout offer of $5,200 for a minute?
As if insulting a longtime veteran of the department by firing him six weeks before the season wasn’t enough of an insult, the Andover folks took it one step further and tried to buy Maglio off.
If this happened, and I have no reason to doubt Maglio or The Eagle-Tribune’s story on the hearing Monday, This is an absolute disgrace. And somebody’s head should roll for this. How can any taxpayer in Andover allow somebody to pull a stunt like this.
Hey, what we’ll do is try to bribe somebody to walk off into the sunset with your tax dollars.
What’s that $5,200 do for the kids of Andover?
Does it buy the marching band new uniforms?
Does it add a couple stipends to run a middle school after-school science program?
You tell me.
What it doesn’t do is silence a man of character.
“They did the wrong thing there,” said Maglio. “That goes against everything I stand for. Obviously, I’m in this for the kids. I always have been. I run camps in the summer with 80 kids and have about 30 coaches working them (95 percent current student-athletes). Does that sound like a guy who is in it for the money?”
It’s time Maglio got a few answers instead of cheap shots and knives in the back from people he thought he could trust.
“It’s all political, and I can’t understand why,” said Maglio.

Had a great talk with Lawrence High’s Michael Calzetta at football practice this week.
The kid is a little out there, but man he’s talented and driven.
He reconfirmed that he is strictly courting baseball offers despite plenty of interest from football programs out there.

All right, I will close with some weekly picks.
Friday
Central at Chelmsford … Back and riding the Raider bus. Central 23-7.
Spaulding at Timberlane … Owls may only be playing for pride but that’s enough here. Timberlane bounces Spaulding, 24-0.
Nashua South vs. Pinkerton … The winner enrolls in the booster programs at Pinkerton this week and Salem next. I’ve got Farkas Fever. South 21, Londonderry 20
Triton at North Andover … Elimination time for one of these would-be CAL contenders. Knights, Knights, Knights … win, win, win … NA 16, Triton 6
Lawrence at Haverhill … Any legitimate reason this game isn’t at Veterans Stadium. Hillies, weakened by suspensions, can’t survive this one. Lawrence 35, Haverhill 14
Pinkerton at Manchester Central … Jekyll/Hyde Astros really peave me. Who’s showing up here, the team that couldn’t stop Salem or the one that flustered Brockton for all but the last two minutes? Central in a mini-upset, 14-13.
Epping-Newmarket at Pelham and Plymouth at Sanborn Saturday … I implore Tom Babaian and Chuck Lenahan to be sensible in potential ugly wins.
Andover at Dracut … Warriors rebound, despite all the injury woes. Andover stings Dracut, 12-10.
Salem at West … Another cash-register game in which Salem can call its own score.
Chelsea at Whittier … Battle of the unbeatens, but this one will become another Whittier laugher. When is the Manchester game anyways? Cats be-Devil Chelsea, 32-6.
Pentucket at North Reading … Saturday morning special. Steve Hayden’s greatest coaching trait in my eyes is his ability to have his team ready every week, no matter who the opposition. The Sachems don’t always lose, but Hayden’s kids are always ready to play, even with the Sandman still in their eyes. Sachems 14-0.
Reggies at West Roxbury … Toughest part of this one is the trip. Make it safely and the Reggies dominate, 31-3.
Methuen at Tewksbury … A huge meeting for the Rangers in the MVC small. The muddy track worries me. Having Cal Carroll around to run the show eases my apprehensions. Methuen in a closer game than you think, 22-20.
Georgetown at Ham-Wenham … Royals ready to make it two straight, 21-14.
Governors at Brooks … I will not pick against JJ this fall. Brooks 12-6
Phillips at Deerfield … the oft-idle Big Blue is back in action, but I think the day belongs to Deerfield, 17-14.

If this doesn’t work, just copy and paste this as a link or go straight to youtube.com and search Hector Longo football friday.
This week, I chat with Reggie rusher Joey Pizzuto.

All right, sorry for no picks this week. Seriously, i’m getting a tad tired of it. And there’s no way I could ever have picked Methuen over Andover or Newburyport over North Andover.
That said, there’s plenty of news.
Have to start with hoop, where sensational freshman Derek Collins has transferred out of Central Catholic to North Andover High.
“It was too bad because he would have truly helped us,” said Central coach Rick Nault. “You’re talking about a potential four-year starter for us, somebody who can really help spread the floor with his shooting and get the ball to our big guys.”
According to Nault, Collins, who Nault had running in the top 7 this summer in Hoops for Hope with the varsity, just never got comfortable at Central, wanting to be with his friends at NAHS.
“Whatever is best for him,” said Nault. “He’s a good kid, and I wish him well.”
Collins’ departure reopens the door at point guard for the Raiders where upperclassmen Cam Wroblewski and starting QB Andrew Ouellette, among others, might again be thrust into the mix.
There’ll be few tears shed for the Raiders on this one, obviously when you return Carson Desrosiers and Jimmy Zenevitch up front with slasher Michael Alvarez and defensive maven Luis Puello at the swing positions.
Not sure of the MIAA implications, but I’m pretty sure Collins will have little or no problem getting the approval to play immediately for the Knights, since no season has started yet.

All right, switching gears back to the gridiron a minute here.
Tremendous atmosphere for Lawrence-Central. There were students everywhere, and that was the greatest part of it all. It wasn’t just old curmudgeons like myself watching a game,
The kids on both sides were electric and involved. Good stuff.
The fans got to see history, too, as Michael Calzetta finally dropped a pass. It’s something you never, ever see. Of course, he made up for it by punishing Central the rest of the night with an array of catches, including one diving toe-dragger on the sideline that Ben Watson could go to school on.
By the time he’s done this year, Calzetta’s highlight film might end up being one of the all-time greats on youtube.

You’ll find no bigger fan of Lancer Harvey Blanco as an athlete. Friday night’s effort might have been one of the diminutive running back/linebacker’s alltime best.
All of 5-6 and 160 pounds, Blanco was all over the field last night as the Lancers somewhat controlled the CCHS ground game.

On the other side, we bring you the hit machine known as Central’s Zack Latrell, who ended Devin Montanez’ night with a steamrolling hit over the middle. Central PA announcer Bob Rooseboom had to call Lattrell on at least 15 tackles last night.
Inside word has Lattrell close to making an Ivy League decision. As recently as a couple weeks ago, Harvard and Brown were high on his wish list.

As for thoughts on the game, I have to say, coming in, I was a tad down on Lawrence. Honestly, i guess I still wonder if year in and year out whether the Lancers will be able to compete. Will they continue to have a run of athletes like the last two years, Blanco, Blanco, Heredia, Brown, Cruz, Calzetta, Elwell, Nova, Montanez, even good role players like Stephen Mannion and lance Thigpen and the like.
That said, I think about the win over Chelmsford and last night’s effort here against Central, if they could find a way to bottle that intensity, maybe they can belong.
They were so well beaten by Billerica a week ago, never in it. I just wondered if they could bounce back, an they did.
Now, they have a chance to run the table and get in the playoff mix.

Speaking of playoffs, Central has that look, confident, sharp, opportunistic.
“I like this group of kids, they just find a way to make plays,” said Raider coach Chuck Adamopoulos. “You saw that here against Lawrence. Those two early fumbles were huge. And when they came at us, Andrew Ouellette had the two big picks.”
Of course, the Raiders have a tough road with Chelmsford, Methuen, Billerica and Andover to close it out. Things will be pretty interesting.

Some thoughts on the local sports scene as I watch the snow fall down here at Gillette Stadium.
Could it happen? Could it really happen?
A full 21 years after Glenn Lacroix’s clearly good (that comment is clearly directed to Sondra (Barch) Longo, AHS ’89) field goal sent Central Catholic to the Super Bowl, could the MVC again come down to those two on Thanksgiving?
Sure, there is a ton of football to be played, but Andover put a huge nemesis in its rear-view mirror by knocking off Chelmsford.
If I had to size up the MVC large – and I’ve seen all the combatants – I would handicap the race this way.
1 And 1a – Central-andover, Andover-Central, you pick them. Two incredibly different teams, but each effective. Neither has a league blemish. I like the fight in both defenses. Solid stuff.
3. Billerica – Can we halt the Nick LaSpada is better than Mike Mastrullo talk over in Indian country? LaSpada is good, darn good. But in my eyes, and I’ve been glued to this conference for the better part of 25 years, Mastrullo is one of the top three skill athletes to play in this league. For you young folks, new to the scene, he was better than Dracut’s Matt Grimard. That’s how good Mastrullo was. That said the Indians probably need not just to win but to sweep through Central and Andover. I’m not sure they can do that. In the end, the upset loss to Tewksbury could prove the difference.
4. Chelmsford – Again, losses to Andover and Lawrence have the Lions on the backpedal.
5. Lowell – Rebuilding year.

All right, time to rant a bit.
We’ll start at Billerica-Lawrence first. A friend of mine called and asked for a score, so I told them. He asked what the Lawrence stands looked like.
He asked If Lawrence brought 80 fans with them. I told him they didn’t bring 30.
That’s a shame. I watch kids, good kids like Harvey Blanco, Francis Nova and Nick Elwell among many others, putting their bodies on the line for their school, and there are 23 fans in the stands, not including cheerleaders.
That’s so weak. Where are the alums, the teachers, the students themselves?
You go to these games and you see the same 30-40 faces at home, half of them on the road. Teachers have a ton of responsibility that doesn’t end at 3:10 every day.
If the kids need rides, the city can afford it. Get fan buses.
I know a couple of the younger teachers do home tailgates and that’s a start. The kids were there at Homecoming. But something has to be done about a tremendous apathy on the part of the staff there for these kids.
It’s truly sad when three different players ask me “Where’s Ms. Longo?” at the game. My wife is one of the few that attends, say 8 of 10 games, and the kids are disappointed because there are teachers who never show unless there’s a stipend attached. Billerica exactly is 16.33 miles from LHS.
All these academies are trying to promote unity and community. It’s time the people who matter most to these kids started to live up to their responsibilities.
And one more rant out of the game in ‘Rica.
The field at Calabrese Stadium is an absolute embarrassment, to the point that when Mike Yameen and his team got off the bus, they should have turned right around.
It was a mud bog, thick and slow, just deplorable, and this was before all the rain and the snow this weekend.
Mike wasn’t looking for an excuse, but I brought it up to him. He talked about how it’s the same for both teams.
And he’s right, the two teams deserve better.
“It’s just sad that a program that is as good as Billerica’s is, one of the premier programs in the state, has to play on something like this,” said Yameen. “It just makes me appreciate what we have all the more, I can tell you that.”
How is that mud bog after all this precip this weekend, going to be playable again this year?
Ok, enough on all that, I bring you to my Saturday game in the Granite State.
You want to talk abysmal shows of support, I give you 6-0 North vs. 6-0 Salem, before a hearty throng of 300.
When the Salem band left after halftime, I presume for a competition somewhere, it sliced 60 percent off of Salem’s fan support.
Again, this team is the unbeaten Division 1 leader.
My man, Alex LaRosa, led the spirited student section, all 11 of them.
What do you have to do to get people to a game?
Oh well.
I will say this. I don’t know if he’s big enough or fast enough, but Jerickson Fedrick has the look of a bigtime halfback.
Not since Matt Jordan lugged the rock at Pinkerton have I seen a running back make people miss like Fedrick does. And then he adds that next gear and accelerates away.
No slight to Max Jacques, who is the lead man and a spectacular high school running back, it’s just that Fedrick is bigger and translates better to the big college game. Watching this guy progress over the next 2.5 seasons should be a lot of fun.
Kudos to Salem, which has taken care of business against Londonderry, Pinkerton, North and South, and would need a major miracle not to hone in on the No. 1 playoff seed.
I’ll turn the venom to the officials for a minute now in that Salem-North game.
First, there are the ridiculous federation rules to deal with. Then you have officials with incredibly awful interpretations of those rules.
First, there is the offensive encroachment flag, for a receiver setting up in the neutral zone.
I was on the sideline for Pinkerton-Salem game weeks ago. When it was still close, Pinkerton had a drive killed by a ref throwing the flag when a receiver lined up in the neutral zone. It was a “zero tolerance” type of call. The Astros got flagged at least twice more for it. By all means, don’t tell the kid to move back that inch, throw the flag, it’s the rule. And you are Mr. referee with your little yellow hanky.
Fine, it’s the rule.
So Saturday, same thing happens and the guy on the sideline is doing the opposite, telling the kid to back up after he was set, to avoid the flag.
It’s the right thing, the smart thing, but how about some consistency.
Big effort by Pinkerton against Brockton only to come up short. That’s too bad. Combined with the 52-13 BG shellacking of CM, the Granite State made a nice little statement.
Finally, accept this as my final concession to Dave Dyer in the high school grid picks. I will never, ever beat him. After this post, his name will never, ever be mentioned by the Creature. I will pick games and that’s it.
The good news is, I’m killing him in our fantasy football league (Well, I’m really not, it’s close but all his guys have played and I have my kicker and QB going tonight).
Give me your thoughts on the MVC or the football season so far, we’re at the midway point.
And yes, Name, I know the MVC is God – not good, God – and all worlds revolve around it.

Before I get to my weekend high school football thoughts and post, I wanted to mention a couple quick notes:
Remember, this is the weekend for Garrison Golf Center’s Gazette Santa Fund Hole-in-one contest. It’s a great charity event at the range for a great cause. Go hit a bucket and try to make “hole-in-one” on the hole that’s set up on the range.
The Murphys do a great job with this. If you have some time and the weather is clear enough Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, get over there.

More good stuff in the Shoe City where Haverhill High boys basketball coach Mike Trovato is attempting to rekindle a youth basketball program in the city.
Trovato is inviting any and all 5th-8th graders from the city of Haverhill to an open house/clinic on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Mansfield Gym at Haverhill High.
Trovato has big plans for youth travel teams and the potential for a Sunday in-house program. First step is generating interest.
Make sure you check out the new Website here:
http://www.eteamz.com/haverhillboysbasketball

Down the road in Andover, there is a much more solid feeder system in place. That hasn’t caused head coach Dave Fazio to rest on his laurels.
Fazio has introduced his Hooptown Fall Clinic at Andover High
The clinic for boys and girls runs five Sundays,, beginning this Sunday, October 18 at Andover High. Boys sessions are from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Girls sessions are from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call the Hooptown office at 978-682-9676 or go to the Website www.hooptowncamps.com.