David Flurey doesn’t like admitting it, but in the back of his mind he had to set the bar a little lower.

After all, his Sweeney Post 2 American Legion baseball team lost 10 players, including seven starters, after winning the state title in 2007 and earning a second trip to regionals in four years, its third in the last six.

Yet at the end of a grueling 18- game run, through rain and hot weather, Sweeney was, well, still Sweeney.

The Manchester squad scrapped to an 11-7 regular season and earned one of four District A playoff berths.

“I think we overachieved a little, especially coming off last year’s team, which may not have been the best, talent-wise, but believed they were the best,” said Flurey. “This was definitely a rebuilding year, and these kids exceeded the expectations of most.”

So even though Post 2 was bumped from the tourney following a 9-1 opening-round setback to Derry and a 12-10 loss to Hudson on day two, Flurey said the basic characteristics necessary to play for Sweeney were still clear in each of his players.

“We had a lot of physical and mental mistakes throughout the year, but the team definitely fought hard,” he said. “There was no quit in these players, regardless of the score, and that’s the type of kid that’s fortunate to play for Sweeney.”

In the final contest, Post 2 fell behind, 10-5, but came back to tie the contest in the eighth, before ultimately succumbing to Hudson’s relentless bats.

Still, minus the veteran leadership of 2007, Flurey said this year’s team demonstrated it could compete with any squad in the state. That’s no surprise considering Sweeney has 29 titles since the tournament was established in 1928 – a total far exceeding any foe’s.

Sweeney hosts the 2009 regional tournament in Manchester. Though that responsibility earns the host an automatic spot, Flurey said the expectation remains no less than state title No. 30. “The mentality of any kid that plays for Sweeney … they put the uniform on and they expect to win right up until the season’s over. They believe that, and that’s something that can’t be taught, it’s just a mindset and a tradition that’s been carried on through the years,” said Flurey.

The lone starters returning from last year were Manchester Memorial standout Kyle Morrill of Auburn, who plays baseball for Keene State College next spring, and his high school teammate Tyler Poltak.

While Poltak’s eligibility is gone, along with Victor Noel, Matt Keddie, John Goeman and Candia’s Zach Lemire, Morrill is expected to return.

Others likely to sport Sweeney navy blue and red again next season include Auburn’s Timothy Gregoire and John Kalliel, Hooksett’s Zac Harisiades and Manchester’s Shane Beauchemin, William Dubois, Matt Flynn, Zachary Hartshorn, Kyle Levesque, Shane Murphy, Matt Rosa and Michael Walters.