Concord News : schools

Bishop Brady hosts annual holiday craft fair

Bow Editor — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:24:00 GMT

Bishop Brady High School’s Class of 2009 will be having their third annual Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a juried craft fair featuring the finest of crafters and artisans in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Made and New Hampshire League of Craftsmen members will be filling the cafeteria and gymnasium with their products.

There will be New Hampshire maple products, jams, jellies, pickles, wood turnings, gourmet dog biscuits and accessories, hand-crafted jewelry, handmade soaps and body products, quilts, fleece wear, pottery, and much more. Food will also be offered for sale, as will a raffle table. Bring your appetite and shopping lists. There will be something for every budget.

The craft fair will coincide with the Interact Club’s Children’s Fair. Where kids will have the opportunity to shop for their parents assisted by the Bishop Brady “elves.” Cookie decorating and a visit with Santa will make this an unforgettable day for your youngster. While the kids are busy, stroll through our holiday crafters. Many take Visa and Master Card. This is a free event not to miss. For more information, contact Sharon Blais, craft fair chairman, at 435-6741.

Hall call – NHTI’s Hogan earns induction into Plymouth State H of F

Bow Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:20:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

When the house Paul Hogan grew up in became part of the Plymouth State campus, he seemed destined to be a part of the school. On Sept. 30, he becomes a part of the school’s history.

Hogan, now the men’s basketball coach and athletics director at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, awaits induction into the Plymouth State Athletic Hall of Fame following eight successful seasons with the school. He will be enshrined in the 23rd annual induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame Banquet on Sunday, Sept. 30, at Plymouth State University.

After growing up in Plymouth along with eight other brothers and sisters, Hogan attended the school, where his father was a professor.

During his sophomore year, he served as the head coach for Plymouth Junior High School’s baseball, soccer and football programs, something he said helped set him up for a successful career.

“I knew I wanted to coach when I was in eighth or ninth grade,” he said. “The reality is that all the things you do along the way amount and account for something. You try to learn from each step. I was with some great people.”

After a whirlwind five years from 1985-90 that included teaching, assistant coaching and going back to school for his masters, Hogan was named Plymouth State’s head men’s basketball coach in June 1990.

Hogan, known to many for his accomplishments with college students, also hosts numerous camps to teach younger athletes basketball, something that always impressed his former assistant coach James Carey.

“He is able to have success at any level with any type of kid. He used to go from elementary physical education to coaching college kids, and work with those two different extreme levels and really draw the most out of them,” said Carey. “It’s because he treats people with such respect, and he draws the most out of people because of the relationships he develops with them.”

The pair worked together for three years and developed a close friendship. Carey said Hogan had a tremendous impact on his coaching career. Carey is currently at Plymouth Regional High School, where he serves as a physical education teacher and boys basketball coach.

“He’s a great mentor of mine, and he has been the most important person to me and my coaching career and philosophy. He’s really helped me develop through playing and working with him. It was a great learning experience,” he said.

Dave Levesque, who was recruited out of high school by Hogan to play at Plymouth State, said it was the coach’s attitude toward players that has made him so successful.

“He let players play and was honest with them. He took an interest in their lives outside of basketball. He was always asking what he could do to help after graduation,” said Levesque. “As a coach he knows how to work in the whole scheme of the team aspect. He treats all of his players as family, which is a lost art today.”

After moving to NHTI in 1999, Hogan has collected successes as both coach and athletics director. His men’s basketball team won the 2005 USCAA Division-II National Championship.

Hogan said his style of coaching has changed through the years.

“At this point in my career I am probably a lot more relaxed,” he said with a laugh. “If you saw me a few years ago, I was probably a lot more animated.”

Concord students record ad at JYY studios

Bow Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:12:00 GMT

Concord High School’s TV Production Club, with their ad on the dangers of tobacco use, and Prospect Mountain High School’s Controlling Our Own Lives (COOL) group, with their ad on New Hampshire’s Party Host Law, are this year’s winners of the Concord Substance Abuse Coalition’s 2007 Radio Ad Challenge. Both teams won a gift basket of prizes donated from area businesses and had the opportunity to record their winning ads at the 105.5 JYY studios in Hooksett.

The Radio Ad Challenge is an annual initiative of the Concord Substance Abuse Coalition, in partnership with 105.5 JYY and local businesses, that offers young people the chance to have their drug-free message heard by thousands of residents across the state. Each year, middle and high school students from across the state are invited to create and record a radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) concerning alcohol, tobacco or other drug use.

“The Radio Ad Challenge provides a way for our coalition to involve youth as partners in our effort to raise awareness of substance abuse issues in our community. Through this initiative, we also hope to counteract some of the negative messages that appear in the media through alcohol and tobacco advertising, that tend to glamorize substance use,” said Shannon Swett, director of the Concord Substance Abuse Coalition.

“Past studies have shown that youth are 96 times more likely to see an ad promoting alcohol than an industry ad discouraging underage drinking. Clearly we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Tune in to 105.5 JYY during the next few weeks to hear the winning public service announcements or visit the Coalition’s Web site at www.concordprevention.org.

For more information or to join the efforts of the Coalition, call 223-2023 or e-mail info@concordprevention.org.

Local businesses sponsoring the 2007 Radio Ad Challenge include Wal-Mart, Water Country, Manchester Monarchs, Shaw’s Supermarket, Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, Funspot, Museum of New Hampshire History, Santa’s Village, Capitol Center for the Arts, Gondwana and Goodale’s Bike Shop.

Undone by one – Concord, comfy in close games, falls in semis, 2-1

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:57:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Call it a comedy of errors, but there was little humor for the Concord High School softball team in its 2-1 semifinal loss to second-seeded Londonderry on June 7.

Though Concord took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Londonderry error, the Lancers returned the favor twofold in the sixth inning, plating the tying and winning runs on two Crimson Tide errors and one interference call at third base.

Becky Hoidahl, Concord’s ace, was pitching a no-hitter through five innings when Christen Breda reached on a fly ball to right field.

After she moved to second base on a flyout, Breda scored on Molly Rooney’s base hit, the only hit of the game for Londonderry.

After a fielder’s choice, Cristina Bailey reached on a throwing error, and Londonderry scored on an interference call against Concord’s third baseman.

“It was a real good game until the sixth inning,” said Concord skipper Duke Sawyer, who noted his team was no stranger to close contests.

In a 14-5 season that netted the Tide the sixth seed in the Class L tournament, Concord had five one-run victories and three two-run wins. Of its five losses, none were by more than four runs and two defeats were by one run.

It was no surprise, then, that Concord’s two tournament victories – over West and Alvirne – and one defeat all came by one run.

“They played real well in the playoffs because we had a lot of close, one-run games all season long that really prepared them for the postseason,” said Sawyer. “It’s hard (to lose on errors), but I thought we did pretty well because we put the ball in play and challenged them a little after we struggled with our bats all year round.”

Sawyer added the Lancers, unlike most Class L teams, made contact against Hoidahl, forcing the defense to make plays.

Despite the loss, Sawyer said he takes pride in reaching the semifinals for the third consecutive season.

Though all five of the Crimson Tide’s seniors have left their mark, Hoidahl, said Sawyer, will be especially missed.

She leaves Concord with 12 school pitching records, including 44 wins in her career and 17 victories in a season, which came her sophomore year, when the Tide won the state crown.

Hoidahl also holds the school strikeout record with 622 and 24 career shutouts.

Before Londonderry’s two unearned runs, Hoidahl had completed 44 innings without allowing a run. She also had Concord’s only two hits in the playoff loss.

Project Running Start scholarships available

Bow Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:13:00 GMT

Project Running Start is a partnership between the New Hampshire Community Technical Colleges and area high schools enabling students to earn college credits while in high school. The NHCTC Foundation has announced that it is offering full tuition $100 scholarships for students who enroll in a course in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering or technology.

The scholarship awards are made possible through the support of NASA, in coordination with the New Hampshire Space Grant Consortium, www.nhsgc.sr.unh.edu. The mutual goal is to promote programs related to aeronautics, astronautics, Earth science and space science.

Project Running Start is designed so students may gain experience from college-level work. The courses are part of the daily class schedule, taught during the regular school day. Credits earned are reflected on a NHCTC transcript and may be accepted at any of the seven New Hampshire Community Technical Colleges or at many other colleges and universities.

To earn the scholarship, the student must fill out a brief application, which is available on-line at www.nh.gov/nhctc/foundation.

Running Start coordinators on NHCTC campuses also have the application or the student may call the foundation’s office: 271-0709. Students may apply more than once.

Project Running Start began in 1999 in seven New Hampshire high schools. Currently, almost 70 high schools offer NHCTC courses through Project Running Start. A full list of participating area high schools is available online at www.nh.gov/nhctc/prs/rshighschools.htm.

Project Running Start is a member of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships which links colleges and high schools through concurrent enrollment courses. NACEP supports and promotes its constituent partners through quality initiatives, program development, national standards, research and communication.

Salvage operation – Tide look to flip first-half record with second-half surge

Bow Editor — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:54:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

The Concord baseball team envisioned itself as a state tournament-qualifying team at the onset of this season, and 10 games in, it still does.

But as his teammates gathered up their things behind him in the visitors’ dugout following an 11-0 loss to Salem on Monday, May 7, Tide captain Evan Leary spelled out a realistic scenario.

With nine games to play, including a contest against Nashua South on Wednesday, May 9, Concord would have to play .500 baseball or better if it had any hope of salvaging this season. Because it’s not just about making the Class L playoffs; Concord believes it’s capable of that. It’s making them with a chance of advancing.

“We don’t want to go in and have to play these guys first round,” Leary said, gesturing to the Salem players walking across the nearby infield. “That’s not what we’re looking to do.”

But after starting the season 2-0, Concord has dropped seven of its last eight to stand at 3-7 entering the Nashua South match-up, with many reasons for the slide.

When it’s not a lack of hitting, it’s a lack of pitching. When it’s not a late-game collapse, it’s an early inning hole the team can’t escape. The alternating scenarios have been maddening at times for coach Scott Owen and his players, as is the team’s inability to produce the clutch hit.

Monday’s loss to the first-place Blue Devils was more a case of a hot team running into a slumping one, but as Concord enters the second half of the spring, it’ll still have to contend with a busy schedule that has it playing four games a week and a pitching staff still in search of the depth to handle the extra work.

There have been positives. Juniors Bill Swasey, batting at the top of the order, and Taylor Smith, in the middle, were both hovering around .400 entering the Salem game. And on Wednesday, the Tide planned to get a boost from their top pitcher, John Andersch.

Concord’s only experienced hurler, Andersch started the team’s season-opening win over West and has been solid since, but was saddled with the loss in a 1-0 setback to Goffstown on May 1 and took a no decision in a 4-3 loss to Pinkerton Academy at the end of April.

Owen has looked up and down his bench for arms, handing the ball to Jack Mullen and Tommy Mullen, who started against Salem; sophomore Griffin Tewksbury, son of former pro pitcher Bob; Murphy Rainville, also the team’s cleanup hitter; and Leary, who threw 2 1/3 innings of relief on Monday in his third game in the two weeks.

“The only thing is we have a lot of confidence when John is on the mound, but we have to get some confidence when we have other guys up on the mound,” Owen said. “I think we can play with anybody when we’re playing well. But we have to play well, and we haven’t done that so far.”

Concord hosts Nashua North on Thursday, May 10, before traveling to play Trinity on Friday, May 11.

Playoff prep – Concord uses Salem loss as barometer

Bow Editor — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:52:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

It doesn’t really mean anything to Duke Sawyer. He won’t lose any sleep over it since there are still eight games left to make up for it. It’s the approach that Concord High softball head coach took after watching the Crimson Tide drop a 3-0 decision to defending Class L champion Salem.

Hosting the Blue Devils on Monday, May 7, Concord was fresh off a tough loss three days earlier to Alvirne. But that’s what tough-luck losses are about: building character. They prepare teams for the intensity of the playoffs.

And that’s exactly what Sawyer has in his sights.

“All the regular season is for is getting ready for the tournament,” said Sawyer. “Obviously you’d like to go into it as the No. 1 seed, but we can’t. So we’re using the season to find the right combos that will work in the tournament.”

Sending ace Becky Hoidahl, the Crimson Tide’s all-time strikeout leader, to the mound against Salem’s Alex Gallant provided an entertaining battle. Hoidahl baffled the Blue Devils with a rising fastball, while Gallant quieted the Crimson Tide with a sinking pitch that finished near batters’ ankles as it crossed the plate.

Hoidahl ended her complete-game performance with eight strikeouts. She allowed three hits, all in the final two frames.

Before putting up the game’s only runs, Salem stymied what looked like a legitimate Concord scoring threat.

Senior co-captain Hoidahl started the bottom of the fifth inning by drawing a walk before first baseman Sasha Duprey reached on an error. With two on and one out, senior Nicole Gladieux bunted, but Salem catcher Katie Bettencourt threw out Hoidahl at third. Gallant came back to strike out Bry Bradley to end the inning.

“We haven’t scored a run in the last two games,” said Sawyer, referring to the losses against Salem and Alvirne. “That’s quite unusual for us. In all (four) of our losses, we haven’t been hitting.”

Salem tallied two runs in the top half of the sixth when Bettencourt blooped a single to right, Casey Stoodley followed with an RBI triple to center field, and Gallant came up with a run-producing double. The Blue Devils tacked on another run in the seventh when Julia Gray smacked a triple and scored on a throwing error.

Concord third baseman Hilary Kane broke up Gallant’s bid for a no-hitter when she doubled down the left-field line. Kane entered the game batting .400. The loss dropped Concord to 7-4 as of Monday, May 7.

“I knew it would come down to whoever scored first,” said Sawyer. “Both pitchers did such a great job. You knew it would be one team breaking through at some point and that would be it. I thought we might be in their class, but we’re obviously not because we had the runners and couldn’t move them, and they got the hits when they had to.”

The Crimson Tide host Trinity of Manchester on Friday, May 11.

Music school hosts piano competition

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:50:00 GMT

The first annual Concord Community Music School competition for young pianists took place March 31 at the music school.

Eighteen participants, ranging from fourth grade to 11th grade, participated in three divisions; there was also a concerto competition. Additionally, in keeping with this year’s piano department emphasis on the works of Russian composers, prizes were awarded for the best performance of a Russian work in each division.

The goal of the competition was to give students an opportunity to prepare varied programs in the interest of stretching their musical development, along with the opportunity to receive comments from distinguished outside adjudicators. Adjudicators for this competition were George Lopez, pianist and teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy, and Dr. Lisa Cleveland, assistant professor of music at Saint Anselm College.

Prize winners are as follows:

Level I: grades 4 to 6
• First place – Miyabi Saito of Concord (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Second place – Madeleine Stewart of Epsom (student of Peggy Senter)
• Third place – Jerry Galatis of Concord (student of Birgit Matzerath)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Miyabi Saito with “Kabalevsky Sonatina”

Level II: grades 7 to 9
• First place – Kelsey Hochgraf of Bow (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Second place – Neil Orzechowski of Newport (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Third place – Josh Bernardo of Concord (student of Catharine Dornin)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Neil Orzechowski with “Rachmaninoff Prelude”

Level III: grades 10 to 12
• First place – Mary Copeley of Concord (student of Kathryn Southworth)
• Second place – Allison Corriveau of Goffstown (student of Catharine Dornin)
• Third place – Ashley Ardinger of Concord (student of Anita Yu)
• Honorable mention – Sophie Orzechowski of Newport (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Mary Copeley with “Khatchaturian Toccata”

Hochgraf, 14, also won the concerto competition.

She will perform with the String Chamber Orchestra under the director of CCMS faculty member Rodger Ellsworth. Kelsey recently represented New Hampshire in the eastern division of the Music Teacher Association piano competition, junior division, in Pittsburg, Pa.

For more information, call the music school at 228-1196 or visit www.ccmusicschool.org.

On court, on course – Tide seek consistency

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:55:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

For some squads, the year’s first win is the beginning of a championship run. For others, it provides much-needed confidence to erase a prior season’s struggles.

On Friday, April 20, the girls of Concord High tennis breathed a collective sigh of relief when they captured their first victory of the 2007 campaign.

Oh, yeah – it just happened to come over the defending Class L champion.

Hosting West, the Crimson Tide looked good in a 6-3 victory.

Junior Maria Rouvalis led the way, taking a 6-3 win over Samantha Jean in the No. 1 singles match. No. 3 Rosie Laflam played Kirsten Jean to a tie, then easily took the tiebreaker, 7-1.

Laura Reynolds prevailed over Liz Mahler, 8-3, and Becky Kearney added another singles win with an 8-4 showing against Mallika Prabhakar.

Junior Elizabeth Cassidy and Rouvalis took down Kirsten Jean and Sam Jean, 8-6, in the No. 1 doubles match. The Laflam-Reynolds duo beat Kayla Denoncourt and Prabhakar, 8-6, to round out Concord’s wins.

For the Blue Knights, victories went to No. 2 player Denoncourt, who defeated Cassidy, 8-2, and Ali Shakra, who edged Emily Mulligan, 8-6. Mahler and Shakra teamed up for an 8-3 win over Mulligan and Hayley Breton.

“We lost to West in the playoffs, and they went on to win the championship,” said Crimson Tide head coach Joe Proulx. “If we can stay strong against those teams we know are going to give us a run for the money, I’d like a season like that. We lost some seniors but had some players ready to move up, so we should be ready to go anytime.”

Before their first win, the Crimson Tide faced another Class L power, Bishop Guertin of Nashua. The Cardinals came out with a 9-0 win. Against Keene, Concord took control in a 9-0 win for a 2-1 record as of April 23.

During the offseason, Proulx followed the tactic of previous boys head coach Harvey Smith, who spent significant time developing younger players during summer. This past summer, Proulx worked with current boys mentor Dave Page to do the same.

“Mr. Smith found a way to coach younger players, and it really helped Concord boys tennis for a few generations,” said Proulx. “We’d like to get that consistency of being a strong program on the girls side, too. We’re working on it, we’re getting there.”

Now in his fourth year at the helm, Proulx’s crews have improved each year, finishing 6-8 his first season, 8-6 in his second campaign and 10-4 last season. Making postseason appearances the last two years has given Concord’s now upperclassmen the experience needed for another playoff run.

“We don’t have a ringer who’s going to dominate across the board in Class L,” said Proulx. “But that means we have a lot of interchangeable parts, and it’s nice to be able to shift things around if we need to.”

Concord faces another Queen City club on Friday, April 27, when it hosts Manchester Memorial.

Against West, CHS passes first test – barely

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:53:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Leading up to its early season match on Friday, April 20, Shawna Morley needed only three words to get her West’s boys tennis team fired up: Concord vs. West.

A simple mention of the long-standing rivalry and Morley’s motivational job was complete.

“It’s an epic matchup that transcends everything else,” said Morley before the match. “The inspirational speeches don’t come from me, but from the great history these teams have. The Tide always had a strong program, and the emotions run a little bit higher when we meet them.”

Despite drawing from history, despite taking four of six singles matches, the Blue Knights couldn’t defeat the defending Class L champion. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t make Concord work for its 5-4 win.

West freshman Courtney Montifield won his No. 1 match against Concord’s Will Hartigan. The No. 3 singles match pitted Blue Knight Kevin Lee against Ed Lee. The Lees played to an 8-6 tiebreaker in favor of Kevin.

Rob Heestand, a West veteran, defeated Concord’s Austin Scott, 8-3, and Dylan Fischer walked away with an 8-0 shutout over Crimson Tide captain Mason Caccia.

Scott Pince prevailed over West’s Dustin Metayer, 8-6, and Scott Levick posted an 8-5 win against Nate Denoncourt for Concord’s two singles wins.

Entering doubles action down 4-2, the Crimson Tide duos took the final three matches with relative ease.

Ed Lee and Austin Scott teamed up to avenge their singles losses with an 8-4 win over West’s Fischer and newcomer Andrew Weeks. Pince and Hartigan beat the Montifield-Metayer combo, 8-2, and Levick and Caccia took home an 8-4 win over Kevin Lee and Heestand.

“On the road against a strong team, this helped us to get a measuring stick. It never hurts to get tested early,” said Concord head coach Dave Page. “There’s a lot of tradition here, and it’ll help make the seniors more comfortable with being leaders.”

Concord, 3-0 following the matchup with West, travels to face Manchester Memorial on Friday, April 27, before hosting Merrimack on Monday, April 30.

More reign, please – Concord retools in defense of crown

Bow Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:33:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

The consistency as a Class L powerhouse, the multiple state championships, the countless players who’ve gone on to strong college careers – none of it matters.

No, it’s of no concern to Dave Page. But that’s because Page has a different definition of success.

“My philosophy is to get better every day and see where that leads you,” said Page, head coach of Concord High’s boys tennis team. “You can have a successful season without a record that others would think shows it. If there’s improvement there, then that’s success.”

Despite losing four of its top six players to graduation, Concord looks to repeat as champion behind a combination of young players and seniors who are adapting to new leadership demands.

Graduated seniors include Max Berger at No. 1, Andrew Laflam at No. 2, Billy Skarinka at No. 3 and Braydin Clouthier at No. 6.

“Being the defending champs, you know people are shooting for you every time,” said Page. “I don’t think they’ll have much sympathy about us losing four out of our top six guys from last year.”

Senior Will Hartigan will step into the top spot. The nationally ranked squash player brings solid athletic ability to the team. A top-six player last year, Alex Pince will be the Crimson Tide’s No. 2 singles player, while returner Ed Lee will be the third seed.

Austin Scott moves to the No. 4 slot after finishing last season in the 10th spot; senior Mason Caccia is Page’s No. 5 player; and Scott Levick rounds out the squad’s top six.

Page pointed to West as “having the best team in the state.” He also praised Salem and Keene’s strong programs, and mentioned Exeter among the toughest competition.

In their first match, on Wednesday, April 11, the Crimson Tide handed Bishop Guertin of Nashua an 8-1 loss.

“We graduated some strong personalities, and we did feel a void the first couple of days,” said Page. “But the seniors know it’s their last chance, and things could be wide open to a degree when it comes to who could win the state title.”

Stick-to-it-iveness – In title defense, CHS relies on consistency

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 22:26:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

It’s supposed to be a continuous cycle: build a team, make it to the top and rebuild the team after losing key players. It’s a regular occurrence in sports, and most coaches know how to prepare for each phase.

But Terry Anderson isn’t most coaches.

Winning five championships in 10 seasons and making a postseason appearance all but two of those years, Anderson simply won’t cave in to the idea his team can’t win it all despite yearly roster changes. Anderson led the Concord girls lacrosse team to its fifth state title last season, but that doesn’t mean he expects that outcome to affect the 2007 campaign.

“We enjoyed it while it lasted, but it won’t have any bearing on how we play this year,” said Anderson. “We’ve had a strong program that’s withstood graduations and new players, so there’s a consistency we can depend on based on hard work and teamwork.”

Top scorers Sarah Anderson and Ali Daniels and attackers Ally Mullen and Chiara Chapman left holes in the Crimson Tide attack. With eight returning seniors, Anderson said the task of filling those holes is possible, but it will take time. Senior Amanda Bacher returns after missing time in 2006 due to a torn ACL, and newcomer Eileen Carew joins the Crimson Tide after transferring from Bishop Brady.

“We’re carrying a fairly large squad, and we’ll sort out the starters as the year goes on,” said Anderson. “The majority of last year’s starters are back but more mature. Amanda (Bacher) and Eileen should be big this year.”

Carew should see time as a starting attacker, while Bacher patrols midfield. Seniors Emiko Boezeman, Cassie Clark and Amanda Dawson lead the Concord defense. Junior center Hayley Coburn and juniors Julia Viani and Chelsea McLeod anchor the offense. Goalie Amber St. Pierre returns to her netminding duties as a junior, with seniors Tess Myer and Jackie Proulx on defense.

Though the team is prepared to defend its Division I title, recent bouts of bad weather have delayed outdoor practices.

“It’s the same situation with every coach,” said Anderson. “We won’t get a true sense of things until we’re out there. Lacrosse is fast, quick transitions, and you can’t simulate that inside. No one person makes it happen, it’s only when you piece it all together that’ll make things happen.”

Concord is at Nashua North on Friday, April 13.

More of the same – CHS drops in opening round, again

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:50:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Following the Concord boys basketball team’s 7-12 season, if it wasn’t one thing, coach Todd Steffanides said, it was another that so often spelled defeat for the Tide.

A sluggish start, a flat finish, too few rebounds or too many turnovers bit the Crimson Tide at various times this year.

On Thursday, March 8, in the team’s 55-39 loss to Nashua South in the first round of the Class L state tournament, it was an odd mix of nearly all those things, plus an Achilles injury to senior captain Dana Brearley during warm-ups, that led to Concord’s sixth straight first-round exit.

“I think there have been some inconsistencies at times,” Steffanides said following the loss to South, which also defeated Concord, 48-44, during the regular season. “And you can’t play like that in Class L because there are a lot of good teams, and they’re going to capitalize on those lapses during those times in the games.

“It’s something we worked out,” he continued, “but tonight, we weren’t able to limit Nashua South’s runs, and they were certainly able to capitalize on our mistakes.”

Playing a possession-oriented offense similar to 15-6 South’s, Concord began slowly, going down 9-0, then faltered late.

After South’s Matt Feehan hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the third to make it 39-34, the momentum-less Tide went exactly six minutes without a point, notching only five in the fourth frame.

Three turnovers in the final three minutes didn’t help matters, either, but by that time, the Panthers hit 10 of 13 free throws down the stretch to put the game away.

One of the few bright spots in the loss, however, was Tim LaVallee, who notched 17 points and hit 5-of-5 three-pointers. The senior guard continually kept Concord close, especially in the third quarter when he scored eight points, helping the Tide cut an 11-point deficit to two points.

But soon after, Feehan’s game-changing three from deep in the corner next to the South bench spelled the beginning of the end for Concord.

“That was a dagger,” Steffanides said. “We kind of dropped things into a 1-3-1 (zone) to try to mix it up for a possession, and credit Nashua South. They stay poised, and they waited for their opportunity, and they made the most of their opportunities tonight.”

Seniors Ryan Scura and Zach Carey added eight and six points, respectively, in their final game for Concord, and will be joined at graduation this year by David Stickney, who had four points; Andrew Black, who had two; Matt Ouellette; Tyler Massey; LaVallee and Brearley.

If the shoe fits… – Junior Service League to perform ‘The Glass Slipper’

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:48:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Never before has the classical tale of Cinderella meant so much to women and children in crisis.

“The Glass Slipper,” a comedic rendition of Disney’s “Cinderella,” will be performed by members of the Junior Service League of Concord on Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17.

This version of “Cinderella” is a little different,” said junior Service League member Marie Mullen. “It’s more of a comedy, and it’s perfect for children and adults.”

In “The Glass Slipper,” by Vera Morris, Mullen said the stepmother and stepsisters take on a bumbling and stumbling nature, rather than the ill-tempered characters from Disney’s version of “Cinderella.”

All proceeds from the show will go to roughly 20 local charities that benefit women and children in crisis, said Mullen.

The Junior Service League of Concord is made up of all women, including Lori Savoy, of Concord, who plays Prince Charming.

“We have challenges sometimes with our makeup and everything else,” Mullen joked.

Laurie Anderson-Finnegan, a first-year member from Bow, will play Cinderella.

Karen Braz, a 13-year member from Weare, is directing the show.

Braz is a member of the Concord Community Players, said Mullen.

In addition to the two scheduled weekend performances, the group will also be performing for high school students from Bow, Concord and Hopkinton.

“The play is a community service event as well as a fundraiser for our organization,” said Mullen. “All proceeds go to help women and children in crisis, but Thursday and Friday we have reduced prices so students from can come see it too.

Show times are Friday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m.

Tickets are $7 and may be purchased at the door or at Caring Gifts, Cobblestone Design, French’s Toy Shop and You’re Fired, all of Concord.

A learning experience – Concord High takes ninth in difficult Class L field

Bow Editor — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:00:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

In her first year leading Concord High’s spirit squad, Janice Nichols learned one thing: Class L competition is intense.

Competing at this year’s NHIAA Spirit championships, the Crimson Tide took ninth with 149.0 points. Though Nichols wanted to finish in the top five, she said the top-10 placing would serve as a learning experience.

“We would’ve placed fourth, but we lost 15 safety points,” said Nichols. “We thought we fixed something after Kiwanis, but I guess there was a misunderstanding and we didn’t fix it. It’s frustrating because you work so hard and to lose that many points ...”

Nichols admitted safety judges score hardest because teams have ample time to correct any violations in their routines. The Crimson Tide performed the same routine at this year’s annual Kiwanis cheerleading competition a little more than one month earlier.

Since the fall season, Nichols added eight new members to her squad, including six freshmen and one senior who made her first appearance on the varsity squad. Nichols will lose four senior captains who helped the new mentor in her first year.

“We had a huge dinner the night before states,” said Nichols. “The fall season had some bumps, but winter has just been phenomenal. I don’t know how I’m going to replace my seniors. They made this season so smooth.”

Also competing at the state competition, which took place at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center, were the cheer squads from Bow High, Hopkinton High and Bishop Brady.

The Falcons competed in the Class I division, placing 13th with 135.5 points; Bishop Brady finished with 154.5 points, good for fourth place. The Hawks brought their co-ed cheer team and took home sixth place with 98.0 points, while Bishop Brady’s co-ed club finished fifth with 99.0 points.