BY
RYAN O’CONNOR
Despite a disappointing season
for the Concord American
Legion baseball team, Post 21
manager Averill Cate wanted to
conclude the summer on a positive
note.
In fact, he said he wants to
end every Legion season like he’s
done this year.
On Thursday, Aug. 14, Concord
Post 21 and the Forty-and-
Eight Club congratulated four
athletes and one coach on fine
performances and awarded
them a total of $4,750 in college
scholarships.
The players, Daniel Solomon
of Concord, Matt French
of Hooksett, Mitch Philibert and
Nick Comtois each received
$1,000 in education funds, and
Brian Drew, who coached Concord’s
junior American legion
team this season, took $750.
Drew a standout at Concord
High School, currently attends
Keene State College.
French, an outfielder, played
his high school ball at Trinity in
Manchester. Cate said the third-year
Legion player has been a
huge asset for the team.
Nick Comtois, another three-year
player, pitched and played the
outfield. He attended Coe-Brown
High School in Northwood and
now heads to the State University
of New York Cobbleskill this fall.
Longevity is not necessarily a
prerequisite for the award, however.
Solomon, an outfielder who
recently graduated St. Paul’s
School in Concord, plans to attend
the University of New Hampshire,
and Hillsboro-Deering’s Philibert,
a pitcher and third baseman,
completed their first season with
the Concord squad, yet both are
reaping the benefit of a generous
college scholarship.
And that’s the point, said Cate.
“If you play for our program,
and you stick with it through the
summer, and you’re going to college,
we’re going to try and help
you with $1,000,” he said. “If you
go to college and you still have another
year of eligibility and come
back, we’ll try and get you another
$1,000.”