It did something that hasn’t been done since 1985. It beat a Class L perennial powerhouse to get there. And it gained unwavering confidence in the process.

This year’s Trinity High boys basketball team will indeed be remembered as one of the program’s most impressive after a 2007 campaign worthy of the history books.

After going through two-time defending champion Central, the Pioneers earned their first berth in the title game in more than 20 years. Once there, Trinity put on a show in a game that was decided by a last-second, buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave Salem the championship and sent the Pioneers to the locker room to ponder how they’d come so close to a title.

Taking the court on Saturday, March 17, in front of a near-capacity crowd at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gym, Trinity proved Central wasn’t the only Class L contender among Queen City clubs.

With 29.5 seconds left, and the game knotted, 51-51, Salem’s Stephen Savage, this year’s Class L Player of the Year, received the ball near midcourt. Trinity guard Steve Rice of Auburn waited cautiously as Savage held the ball under his arm before driving to the right wing and releasing a fall-away trey that swished through the net as the final buzzer sounded.

“I knew they would go for the final shot,” said a somber Ryan Bourgeois of Bedford. “We tried to keep up the momentum, but it just came down to the last shot. It both stinks it came down to the last shot, and it also makes us proud it had to come down to that last shot.”

Bourgeois tallied a big hoop with 2:31 left before Salem tied the game, 51-51, on two free throws. With 1:05 remaining, Pioneers senior Dan Hartford set up at the foul line but missed his two shots, allowing the Blue Devils the final possession.

Guarding Salem sophomore Josh Jones at the left corner of the key, Hartford watched the Savage-Rice faceoff and had a clear view of the winning bucket.

“I was pretty close to the shot,” said a teary-eyed Hartford after the game. “I can’t believe it went in. I just know we got down and played hard enough defense as we could have, and it was a good shot.”

The road to the finals wasn’t an easy one, though, as the Pioneers had to dethrone Central in the semifinals two days prior. Against the Little Green, Trinity battled back from a 38-21 half-time deficit for a 52-49 win.

“I told them, ‘There are 16 minutes left of basketball. No matter what happens, you’ve gotta play the defense of your lives. You gotta get after it for 16 minutes,’” said Trinity coach David Keefe after the win over Central.

“It was unbelievable. So that’s a lot of credit to these kids. Some kids would have folded, and I said, there is no way with the season that we had that we’re going to fold.”

Keefe watched as his team won five of its last six regular season games to clinch the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Leading 30-19 at the half against Salem, Trinity couldn’t hold on as the Blue Devils climbed back to take a 43-42 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“It was a great win (over Central), not only for our team but for our school, going to a final game,” said Keefe. “We were a team that barely made the playoffs last year, and now we’re going to the championship game. I told them, ‘It’s great. Be ready to go … and then be ready to finish off the dream season.’”

Game notes
Freshman Jordan Laguerre led the Pioneers with 14 points, 12 rebounds and three steals.

Bourgeois and Rice finished with nine points each, while Hartford added six.

Auburn native Kirk Hennequin scored two points on a buzzer-beating bank shot to end the first half.