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

After mulling over both football and baseball options, North Andover’s Brandon Walsh has committed to play baseball at UMass Amherst. We’ll have more on the Walsh decision in Friday’s Eagle-Tribune.

By the way, took in some of the Reebok fall ball in North Andover.
Saw Lawrence taken out by an impressive looking Andover team, which you have to figure looks like the team to beat in the MVC this winter.
James Costello looked like he’s picked up where he left off last year, and Sam Dowden and Craig Luschenat each looked stronger and more confident as the Warriors beat a scrappy Lawrence team by 20.
No sight of the two promising freshmen, Merinder and Giribaldi, either. Giribaldi is still going through practices with the Warrior football team. Andover was very impressive.

In the nightcap, North Andover, with three starters back from last year, beat the daylights out of defending Division 1 champ St. John’s Prep.
The Knights had Mike Moroney, Zach Karalis and Colby Smith but were without Derek Collins, the subject of the worst-kept secret in town — that is he’s done for the years — and Jimmy Warden.
Still, they dominated the Prep, who has just about everyone back except for Pat Connaughton.
It’s only fall ball, but remember, the Knights will add sweet-shooting big man Isaiah Nelsen to the mix after Turkey Day, and look out.

Looks like the freshman, Ben Judson, who comes out of the Timberlane Travel program, is set to play a major role at SJP. The folks at Rivals love this kid. Clearly, the Rivals influence is there as the 6-foot-3 frosh saw time on the point and two-guard, where most players his size just play back to the basket.
Kid looks like he could be very good.

Quickly, instead of a picks video, we traveled all over NH to preview the playoff weekend. Please watch.
Here are the rest of my weekend picks.
Friday
North Andover over Lynn English … With or without Bambi
Lawrence over Methuen … Lancers aren’t a happy bunch
Pentucket over Amesbury … Sachems looking for winning mark
North Reading over Ipswich … Tigers won’t stop Captain Carl
Central over Billerica … All that matters from this one is that Nick LaSpada finds his health. Great kid. Deserves a lot better than he’s gotten health-wise. Best wishes and get well soon, Nick.
Haverhill over Dracut … Coach, give Brady 40 Chances, please
Andover over Lowell … Just because it’s the crazy year of MVC football

Saturday

Whittier over Lynn Tech … You think the MVC is nuts, try the wacky CAC large
Ham-Wenham over Georgetown … Tough times will make Royals better
St. Pauls over Brooks … Tough year for Brooks.
Andover over Exeter … Yep, one of the greatest upsets ever in the history of this rivalry.

In NH playoffs, I’ll take Pinkerton and B.G. taking care of biz from the top spot and I like Windham to upset St. Thomas in the D5 title game.

Note: David Willis and I forgot to pick the CC-Methuen game on video. We both like the Raiders in this one. He says big. I say somehow Eric Lacroix keeps the Rangers in the game.
I’d like to take a minute to ask all the football players out there one question.
What’s worse? August or November?
I just know for some kids the season gets mighty long right about now, makes me think about how ridiculous the idea of Thanksgiving football really is.
I love the way the other 98 percent of the country does, that is playoffs that have started or will be under way in the next week.

Not much out there what with all the action on the other side of the Valley as it pertains to football.
It will be interesting to see if two good but not great teams … Billerica and Chelmsford … can stay perfect to set up the epic Turkey Day collision for the MVC large title.

This is the pivotal week in the MVC small.
Now, I’m not saying that either of these is going to happen — for the record I pick Dracut over Lawrence and barely give Haverhill the nod in a tossup with Tewksbury — but if the Lancers and Hillies win, Lawrence will be in line for the biggest game in program history since at least the 1980s and quite possibly back to the 50s.
But, as I said, there is plenty of work to be done. Dracut, as Andover found out last week, is very dangerous.
Lawrence showed resilience like it hasn’t shown all year last week. Who knows? Maybe it was inspiration from Coach Fielding. If he could somehow squeeze his body into his LHS lettermen’s jacket for the game, then the Lancers could rally from down 26-6 in the third.

But even with a win, Lawrence needs the Hillies to win.
And I’m going to say this now, 18 carries for Chance Brady is not enough.
I have a friend, who screeches to me on a weekly basis that Chris Bettano of Tewks is the best back in the MVC.
I haven’t seen Andy Coke all year, so I have to leave him out of this. But Chance Brady is the best MVC back I’ve seen all year long.
He needs the football 35-40 times, not 18 like he had against Lawrence.

Not much else out there. I think we’re all counting down to Thanksgiving already.

Hope the embedded Youtube code works. I struggled with it a bit this morning, if not, go to youtube and search “high school football picks oct 21 22″ … It should get you there.

Here goes with some thoughts on the weekend.

I can’t get myself out of the city of Lawrence.
I keep thinking about tonight’s game. Never has a battle of 24 teams meant so much.
First, at LHS. You have to be thinking the Lancers are at least a little bit enthused by their performance in the mud at Billerica last week. If the game was a minute longer, who knows what happens?
I think top priority for Lawrence has to be space. Getting Nate Baez, Kelvin Severino and remember this name folks, Mario Encarnacion, in space is the key.
Encarnacion showed a couple flashes last week. The Lancers have to get a couple more touches for him.
Lawrence’s psyche should be a nothing to lose attitude. Play fast and free. Common sense tells me they’re in the MVC small race, regardless of what happens today, thanks to the earlier win over Tewks.
And then there is Central, which before the season marks three must-wins on the schedule — Andover, Methuen and, of course, this game. A loss tonight, and now you’re talking about some grumblings in the Raider camp.
As always, these kids know each other well. And you have to figure with decent weather a good crowd will show up tonight, a spirited, young crowd.
I’m kind of excited.

The other story in the city right now is the Greater Lawrence Tech Reggies. Greater Lawrence had few expectations. Yet here they are, 1-0 in the league after a stunning pummeling of previously unbeaten Lynn Tech.
We all know about the tragedy surrounding this program, the chaos that had to have reigned over there back in September. But for these kids to overcome and perserve might be our story of the year.

Will be interesting to see how Methuen bounces back this week from the shutout loss to Haverhjill. My sources have Savastano leaving the Ranger camp for good. That’s a big loss for Methuen.
Love to hear some other thoughts from around the region as we head into a busy football weekend

Folks,
If you are sitting on the edge of your chair today, wondering about the MVC Golf Open at Vesper, you can follow Tewksbury co-coach Jimmy Sullivan on Twitter: @Coach10_

Coach Sullivan vows to keep the updates coming as the titles are decided. First tee time at Vesper is around 10 a.m. today, so you might want to pay attention, if MVC Golf is your thing.