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Central controlled, beaten in state championship game by Exeter

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:20:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Whenever a Manchester Central girls soccer player looked up, an Exeter foe loomed large on the Southern New Hampshire University turf.

The Blue Hawks smothered the Little Green on Friday, Nov. 6, in the Class L state finale, a 2-0 outcome that doesn’t fully indicate Exeter’s control of the contest, nor do justice to Central’s fine followup to its state championship in ’08.

The physical contest included four yellow cards, two issued to each team, but Little Green head coach Peter Lally said both teams’ aggressive play was just that.

“Oh, come on,” he said. “If this had been a boys game, there are no yellow cards.” Instead, Lally credited Exeter’s size with stifling his crew’s attack.

Central generated just one scoring chance: in the 27th minute, Hooksett’s Sarah Velasquez fired a shot off Exeter keeper Aby Fisher. The rebound went to Jillian Graff, who left-footed the ball toward the net. But Chelsea Owens, who gave her squad a 1-0 lead just five minutes earlier, leaped and headed Graff’s attempt away.

The Little Green did not threaten again.

Exeter added a second tally off freshman Abby Short’s foot just six minutes into the second half, but Central keeper Lindzy Hamel made several fine saves to keep the score close.

Trailing by two, the Little Green’s fine 16-4-0 season ended quietly, its usually productive attack – and boisterous fans – silenced by the Blue Hawks.

Lally said his seven departing seniors – Tanya Robidoux, Christina Denbow, Abigail Wurtele, Krista Lucas and captain Lindsay Johnson, all Hooksett residents, plus Hamel and captain Ainsley Smith – led a team that few expected to return to the state final. He mentioned Johnson, softballer Robidoux and gymnast Smith as athletes who could easily continue their soccer careers in college.

Among his starters, Kaylee Thrasher, Velasquez and fellow Hooksett residents Jayne Kelley, Carly Auger and Deven McKiernen return for a final varsity year.

And because Central’s freshman and junior varsity teams dropped just three games combined in 2009, Lally said he’s confident the program can continue its recent success.

Central boys, with Hooksett help, take fi rst state championship

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:18:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Manchester Central boys made one final run before leaving the soccer field for the last time in 2009.

This time the Little Green didn’t have a ball at their feet, but rather bottles in their hands as they showered their head coach with sparkling cider in celebration of the school’s first-ever boys soccer state championship.

Hooksett’s Chris Beauchesne tallied the gamewinner with 27:25 remaining in the first half, and Central beat previously undefeated Exeter, 1-0, on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Southern New Hampshire University.

Beauchesne recorded three goals in four Class L playoff contests for fourthseeded Central, which had never reached the state finals.

“He’s always been able to get in the right spot. He just has a knack for that,” said Central’s head coach, Chris Laberge, of his senior striker. “When he’s on a roll, we try to ride him because we know he can get us two or three good chances a game.”

Exeter entered with a 16- 0-3 mark and applied pressure during the first half, amassing 10 shots and four corner kicks.

The Little Green only put three shots on goal during the first 40 minutes of play, but they weathered the Exeter attack, then capitalized on one of their few opportunities when Beauchesne gained control of a deflection inside the box and lofted the ball over goaltender Brendan Laverty’s head.

Senior goalkeeper Will McDonough made eight saves, including a feet-first sliding stop that kept the Blue Hawks off the board late in the first half.

With 3:06 remaining, Exeter’s Josh Vlasich sent a dangerous centering pass from the corner that rolled all the way through the box and past the feet of three teammates, and Central escaped with its second consecutive shutout.

“We knew coming in that we had what it took to bring the win home for Central,” said Beauchesne. “Knowing they hadn’t been beaten coming in, we had to get up, and we did in a big way.”

Also representing Hooksett during Manchester Central’s title game were juniors David Scarpetti and Max Yee, along with freshman Romero Osario.

Laberge said it was critical for Central to notch the first goal of the game, especially after watching his team hold the Blue Hawks scoreless during the regular season meeting between the two.

“We knew we just needed to score one,” said Laberge. “You don’t often get a chance in your life to make history. This team will be able to look back at this years from now, and they’ll always have the opportunity to say that they were the first.”

Girls tough, but it’s not enough, in shutout loss to Dover

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:19:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Ciara Doucet’s arm kept her team in the game, but Central couldn’t produce at the plate during a Class L preliminary-round contest.

On June 3, the 14th-seeded Little Green traveled to play fourth-seeded Dover, falling by the slimmest of margins, 1-0. Doucet fired a completegame two-hitter and allowed an unearned run in the fourth inning. The Central offense, meanwhile, was denied all afternoon.

The team’s best threat came in the sixth inning when senior left fielder Liz Belanger of Hooksett smacked a two-out triple, but she remained on the bag as the inning ended.

Sophomore right fielder Deven McKiernan of Hooksett made a diving catch late in the game to save a run, giving Central’s offense one last chance to climb back in the contest, but the Little Green couldn’t rally.

Head coach Trish Ellis said her team, after its early mistakes, delivered some startling plays.

“We made the errors, but we recovered and made some great plays on defense to save ourselves,” said Ellis. “We didn’t let the physical errors effect us mentally, and we gave them a great game for the second time this year.”

In its second contest of the year, Central, which finished the year 7-13, dropped a 6-4 decision at Dover.

Ellis was forced to construct a makeshift lineup throughout the season due to injuries and school-related absences. The injury bug continued to bite in the postseason.

Infielder and cleanup hitter Brie LaRoche, said Ellis, should be a centerpiece for Central next year. She hit .385 with 22 RBI in 2009 as a sophomore.

Tanya Robidoux of Hooksett and fellow juniors Lindzy Hamel and Kyle Fortin of Candia, as well as sophomore Carly Auger of Hooksett, figure to key the attack in 2010.

Doucet was unable to pitch most of the season due to injury, something Ellis said had an impact on the consistency of the team, which suffered three three-game losing streaks during the regular season.

Central girls win states, local athletes make push for Meet of Champions

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:40:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Track and field teams from Central and Goffstown trekked to Concord for the Class L meet on Friday, May 29, while T&F squads from Bow, John Stark and Pembroke Academy traveled to Coe-Brown Academy for the Class I state meet on Saturday, May 30.

Central Edged out during the indoor state championship last winter, the Central girls left no doubt when it came time for the outdoor competition. The Little Green earned 100 points to come away with the state championship, thanks to strong showings by Meggie Donovan and Arianna Vailas.

Donovan won the 200- meter dash and was second in the 100, and Vailas was first in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs. Central’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams also earned firstplace points.

The boys placed 10th with 24 points, and Cory Sinotte races in the Meet of Champions at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday, June 6, after wins in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.

Bow
The Bow boys track team earned a third-place finish at the Class I state meet, qualifying athletes for the Meet of Champions in six individual events.

Senior Ian Verderame won the 100 with a time of 11.47 seconds. He also placed second in the 200.

Joining Verderame at the MOC is Dylan Lucas, third in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the pole vault, as well as Atticus Swett and Ian Wedemeyer.

Swett tossed his way to a third-place finish in the discus throw, and Wedemeyer put the shot 46 feet to grab third place.

The Falcons also earned points in the 4x100 relay, as Alex Foley, Kyle Moore, Aaron Forest and Verderame finished in 45.18 seconds, placed second.

Bow’s girls team came in 10th on the afternoon with 15 points, led by Katherine McManus’ skills on the track and in the field.

The sophomore was third in the 100-meter hurdles and second in the high jump, and she represents the team at the MOC.

John Stark
Ethan Moore’s three second- place finishes led the way for John Stark, which finished with 48 points in fifth place.

Moore was runner-up in the high jump, shot put and discus throw to qualify for the Meet of Champions along with Sean Laman, who was fourth in the high jump.

The Generals’ only individual victory came from Glen Jackman, who won the 300-meter hurdles.

John Stark’s 4x400 relay team was second, with seniors Elliot Doughty, Sean Laman, Kevin LeBlond and Joseph Getts running the event in 3:34.

Doughty also came in fifth in the 200-meter dash. Elizabeth Anderson had the best finish for the JS girls, coming in seventh in the 400- meter dash.

Goffstown
Jana Hieber travels to Durham for the MOC following a first-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles during the Class L meet. Hieber ran the event in 45.09 and also ran a 16.06 time in the 100-meter hurdles, placing fifth.

The boys managed six points as Nick Aubut was fifth in the 400, Steven Edmonds took fifth in the 110-meter hurdles, and Kyle McNamara was fifth in the 300 hurdles.

Pembroke Academy Allison Brehm qualified for the Meet of Champions, coming in second in the 100- meter dash. Kacie Paradie had the next best finish for Pembroke, a sixth-place triple jump.

The PA boys’ lone point came from Dan Kroll, who placed sixth in the shot put.

Central’s 5-3 mark is mediocre

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:57:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Despite a threegame winning streak, the Central boys lacrosse team is not quite living up to its own expectations.

The Little Green knocked off West on Thursday, April 30, to improve to 5-3, but the five wins have come against teams at the bottom of the Division I standings.

“Right now we’re middle of the pack, which is not where we anticipated being at the beginning of the year,” said head coach Bill Lawson following a 14-1 victory over the Blue Knights. “We need to improve a lot.”

Hooksett resident Justin Colvin scored four goals, and Billy Lawson piled up a hat trick and two assists in the win over West, which is 1-4 on the year.

The Little Green have outscored Salem, Memorial, Nashua North, Nashua South and West by a combined 65-9 in its five wins, but those teams have only four wins among them.

Two of Central’s losses have come against undefeated Pinkerton and Bishop Guertin.

“We weren’t seeing the slides on defense (against West) that we’ll normally see,” said the Little Green mentor. “They didn’t have a real sustained offense, so it is kind of hard to gauge where we are at in a game like that. Any win is a confidence boost, but we don’t want to read too much into it.”

Tommy Hobbs was dominating on faceoffs against the Blue Knights, and Marc Perroni continued to pace the offense, scoring two goals and dishing out two assists.

Lawson said his team needs to improve its stick skills and work on becoming more physical if it wants to make a run in the playoffs.

The next three games for the Little Green come against Concord, Hanover and Exeter, all teams above .500 in the early going.

Central wins twice in tourney, then loses to defending champs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:42:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Mike Wenners, the Central girls basketball coach, admitted he’d rather forget the tough conclusion to the Little Green’s otherwise successful season. What will stick in his memory is the effort and determination his young squad utilized to reach the Class L semifinals.

“I’m very proud of them because we only returned three girls that played last year (and finished state runner-up), and we definitely made some significant gains this season,” said Wenners following Central’s 74-35 loss on Tuesday, March 10, to two-time defending champ Winnacunnet.

“We were very young and very inexperienced, and they worked so hard to get us back to the semifinals. It’s a credit to their work ethic and to them as competitors we even got back to this point.”

Central completed a 13-5 regular season, earned the tournament’s fifth seed and defended its home court with a 45-37 firstround victory against No. 12 Nashua North.

That set up a quarterfinalround matchup at fourth-seeded Londonderry, which beat CHS, 63-54, on Feb. 17.

Not only did the Little Green avenge the regular-season setback, they decisively won, 46-34, to set up a rematch of last year’s title game with Winnacunnet.

“To go back there and win a playoff game on (Londonderry’s) court after losing by nine earlier in the year, it was a great team win for sure,” said Wenners. “I’m pleasantly surprised where we finished this year, and my expectation is to build off that next year and get back to here.”

Plenty of talent returns, including leading scorer Christiana Bakolas and junior classmate Sam Walker of Hooksett.

“I don’t have captains, but Sam and Christiana are both going to be four-year varsity players. They were leaders this year, and I’ll definitely be leaning on them next year to help get this team back to Southern New Hampshire (University),” said Wenners. “Defensively, Sam causes so much chaos out on the floor with the way she plays. She’s very tough, and for a kid that’s 5- foot-3, I’ll tell you, she plays a lot bigger and stronger than that out on the floor.”

Candia’s Kaleigh Gibbons, a junior, is also expected to play a key role next year as well.

Central awaits rematch … for state title

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:48:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Central girls gymnastics team hopes its next trip to Salem High School has a different ending.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, Central managed 128.7 points to finish ahead of Keene, but fell to Salem’s score of 132.2 and Pinkerton’s 130.85.

Pinkerton and Salem are the only teams Central has lost to this season, something head coach Meg Norklun wants her team to change on Feb. 21, the date of the state meet hosted by Salem High School.

“They’ve done really well so far this season, but we haven’t really had one meet where everyone has hit at the same time,” said Norklun of the Little Green gymnasts.

On Feb. 5, Ainsley Smith continued her strong campaign, winning the all-around for the fourth time in five meets.

Smith placed first on the vault and beam, as well as second on the bars, earning the top individual score in the all-around with a 35.6, defeating Salem’s Leeann Vadala, who managed 35.2 points.

One of the team’s strengths entering the match was its floor routines, but on Feb. 5 it was the only category in which the team did not place an individual among the top three.

“We’ve been performing consistently well on the floor and on the vault,” said. Norklun. “It has been the bars and the beam where we’ve struggled at times.”

In addition to Smith, Sarah Conley has performed well this season in the all-around, said Norklun, and Conley should play a big role in the state competition as well.

Salem has won the last two titles and 15 overall, but Norklun said her team doesn’t think about its opponents, but rather its own scores.

“When you compare yourselves to someone else, that’s when you tend to shoot yourselves in the foot,” said Norklun. “We try to focus on ourselves. Our goal is to do as well as we can … That is what has worked for us in the past.”

Central girls lead Neighborhood teams at state championships

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:44:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Central fell just short of winning the state track and field title, settling for runner-up to Bishop Guertin at the Class L girls championships on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The Little Green collected 58 points to Bishop Guertin’s 59 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, but that didn’t disappoint Central’s head coach, Kelly Feibel.

“We had some great performances in certain areas and fell a little short in other areas,” said Feibel. “In the last five years since I’ve been coaching here, we haven’t been able to be runner- up, so it was a big accomplishment. (If we’d had) a better day, we could have possibly been the champs.”

Alexandra Conway and Arianna Vailas each earned 18 points for the Little Green. Conway bested her teammate in the 1,000-meter run; Vailas returned the favor in the 1,500-meter run.

The 1,500-meter race was particularly tight, with Vailas defeating Conway by .05 seconds.

Nora Bruckner earned nine total points of her own, coming in second in the long jump and placing sixth in the high jump. Emily Garcia was the other Central athlete to finish in the top six individually. She placed fifth in the shot put with a toss of 32.07 feet.

Feibel, an assistant coach for a Little Green cross-country team that lost by one point at the state meet several years ago, is already looking to use the day as motivation.

“I know too well what it feels like. It’s a little fuel for the fire for spring. We were at least able to go home feeling like we accomplished something in years,” she said. “A lot of the girls who were running – about 99 percent – will also be in the Class L championships in spring. This is something that, come states in spring, we’ll do a lot of talking about it – how important those sixth-place, onepoint finishes are.”

For the Central boys, Kyle Thornton, Zachary Chabot and Cory Sinotte finished in the top six of their events.

Sinotte won the 1,500-meter run in 3 minutes, 59.59 seconds, Thornton was fourth in the 55- meter dash at 6.73 seconds, and Chabot took fifth in the 1,000- meter run in 2:41.26.

Bow
The Bow High School boys and girls each earned top-10 finishes. The boys came in sixth place among 21 teams. Bow’s girls were seventh out of 20 entrants.

Ian Verderame was third and fourth in the 55- and 300- meter dashes, respectively, and he also teamed up with Connor Lokar, Aaron Forrest and Griffin Sandler to place second in the 4x200-meter relay.

Jonathan Vinnenberg ran the 3,000-meter race in 9:35.57, good for third in the event.

Katherine McManus was fourth in the high jump and 55- meter hurdles to earn points for Bow. Sam Gallerani was fourth in the long jump, and Elodie Reed placed third in the 1,000- meter run.

Reed narrowly missed scoring another point when she finished seventh in the 1,500-meter run, just .08 behind the sixth-best time.

John Stark
Ethan Moore scored the Generals’ team points, finishing sixth in the high jump and third in the shot put. Moore’s throw went 45 feet, 9.25 inches, and his high jump was 5-10.

Manchester Memorial Memorial’s boys finished fifth thanks to an especially strong performance by Domingo Cruz, who nabbed three secondplace individual finishes on the day.

Cruz was runner-up in the long jump, 55-meter dash and 300-yard dash, during which he edged third-place finisher and teammate Craig Berube.

Berube was also a part of the 4x400 relay squad that finished fourth with a time of 3:38.11.

Two Memorial girls earned individual points. Rachel Hedge was fifth in the shot put, and Chelsey Serrano took sixth in the 3,000-meter run.

Central wrestlers continue hard work in pursuit of victories

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:54:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Central’s head coach Jim Delani joked that the Timberlane wrestlers his team faced on Saturday, Jan. 24, went straight from the crib to the wrestling mat.

“These Timberlane kids have been wrestling since they could crawl,” said Delani. “For us, it’s so much about little steps.”

With only five veteran wrestlers, Central has struggled in the early going, but Delani has still been impressed by his team’s progress, and the team’s young core has Delani feeling positive about the future of the program.

“I can’t tell you how optimistic I am. This is going to be the nucleus of the team,” said Delani. “They keep impressing me every week with their progress and their work ethic, and now we’re just waiting for the results. They stay enthusiastic, which is really important.”

The most experienced wrestler on the Little Green has been on the mats just three years, and team captain Joe Saliba has been one of the returning grapplers to help lead the way.

“He has really been setting the example throughout the season,” said Delani. “Ever since the preseason, he has been working with the young wrestlers and helping them get better.”

Austin Reddington has been one of the freshmen performing well early on, and Malcolm Sutton earned a pin at the 171- pound weight class against a tough Concord opponent in a recent match.

Delani said his wrestlers have been getting difficult draws at times, and it can be frustrating to watch those match-ups.

“It feels tough for me to watch and see our freshmen going up against seniors who have been doing it for years,” said Delani, who added this group has shown resiliency. “That’s the toughest challenge, is to push them harder and also keep their confidence going. We’re battling, we’re learning, and most importantly we’re continuing to work hard.”

Central skaters on the board following intra-city victory

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:13:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

They say the first win is always the most difficult. They are, of course, wrong. No matter the level, anyone who has coached recognizes it’s the last victory – the one that comes in the final contest of the postseason – that’s toughest to garner.

And that’s why Manchester Central’s first-year head hockey coach, Chris D’Agostino, wasn’t exactly doing cartwheels at center ice following the Little Green’s 7-4 triumph against rival Memorial on Saturday, Jan. 10.

Though he fully recognizes the lengths his team must travel to even be mentioned in the same breath as perennial powers Bishop Guertin, Bishop Brady and Concord, D’Agostino said the win was still meaningful.

“I needed it, but the kids needed it more than anything,” he said. “You know, we were 0-3, now we’re 1-3, so it’s definitely a little confidence booster. I thought we looked great out there.”

After opening the season with three tight setbacks against St. Thomas Aquinas, Pinkerton and Berlin, all top teams in Division I, D’Agostino said it was important to enter another tough stretch – against Concord, Salem and West – with momentum.

“We’ve got a bunch of players that are hard to get focused at times, but they’re good, coachable kids,” said D’Agostino. “And I’ll tell you what, winning is a lot more fun than losing. Now they’ve experienced that feeling, and I hope they want more of it.”

Ideally, Central can make a habit out of the practice, perhaps earn six or more victories and reach the postseason. But those are only this year’s goals.

“I definitely want to build the program to be bigger and better,” said D’Agostino. “Every year we should be making the playoffs. Every year we should be winning games at a school the size of Central.”

The team is young, so those coveted tournament triumphs may not be far off.

D’Agostino has only one senior, Zach Wentworth, on his top line. He had a hand in all seven goals against Memorial. His other top playmakers include juniors Kyle Pratte, who recorded a hat trick, Tyler Lavertu and Cam Geddes, who found the net twice.

Freshman Rene Couture, with no goaltending experience, starts in net for the Little Green this season and has already improved markedly.

Also contributing for the Little Green this season are seniors Nick St. Croix, Karl Ludwig and Tyler Pratte; juniors Alex Murphy, Trevor Paquet, Chris Straw and Greg Hood; sophomores Sean Burke, Mackenzie Myers, Kyle Pettit, Ben Johnson, Jon Bairam and Tyler Clark; and freshmen Joe Libby, Easton Dubois and Derek Clark.

For now, Central leans on trio of experienced players

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:48:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Following a loss to Winnacunnet in the state finals last year, the Central girls basketball team hopes a little experience leads a largely young team back for a second shot at the two-time Class L champs.

This year’s Little Green team has just three returning players who earned significant court time last year, including Hooksett’s Sam Walker, but head coach Mike Wenners said those three players – and the experience they gained in 2007-08 – should prove invaluable as this season progresses.

“They’ve been there before, so they won’t panic in situations like that,” said Wenners, a Hooksett native. “It helps us as a team because they can lead the way if we get into situations like that. When we’re playing in front of big crowds, we’ll really lean on them.”

Walker, Christiana Bakolas and Keily Funk make up the Little Green’s “big three.” Walker is a junior, but it’s her third year at the varsity level. Her success stems from the highspeed level of play she brings to the court.

“The reason she’s been successful is energy and effort, and I think it goes hand in hand. She’s non-stop out there. Sometimes she almost plays too fast,” said Wenners. “There’s no one that outworks her. She’s a person that you hate to play against, because she’s always in your face.”

Wenners said the team could struggle as it learns to play together, but he’ll depend on Funk, a senior who won a state title with the soccer team, Bakolas, a junior who is already one of the state’s finest players, and Walker to keep frustration to a minimum should Central falter early.

The Little Green’s scheduled season-opener vs. Salem was postponed until Monday, Dec. 22, but Central tipped off on Tuesday, Dec. 16, winning 60-31 against Nashua North.

“We’ve talked about being just a work in progress. We expect to be competing with everyone at the end of the year,” said Wenners. “It’s one of those things that you have to understand. We’ll have bumps, particularly the first month. We have to work hard, and if we do that, some of the bumps will be ironed out.” Jen Langton, a senior, earns her first significant varsity playing time this year.

Cheyenne Jenkins could start for Wenners, who said after 6-footer Ciara Doucet, his team is lucky if its next tallest player is 5-foot-7.

“We’ll be (using) a transition offense. We’re a very small team,” said Wenners. “We have to defend very well, rebound as a team very well, and get up the floor. It’s not our game to just pound the ball into the paint. Taking care of the ball is critical. We talk about valuing every possession that we have.”

It’s all gravy for Central in Turkey Bowl win vs. Memorial

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:56:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

His team’s 24-9 semifinal loss to Nashua South two weeks earlier was tough to swallow, but Ryan Ray and the Central Little Green had little trouble feasting on Memorial this Thanksgiving. CHS served up a 47-6 stuffing in the most recent edition of the Manchester Turkey Bowl on Thursday, Nov. 27.

After the contest, Ray said he was thankful for the opportunity to take back the coveted Queen City championship, which his team lost to West in last year’s contest.

“The playoffs were disappointing, but ... it’s great to end the season on a winning note and send the seniors off the way they deserve to be sent off, and send our underclassmen into the weight room for the offseason with some good thoughts,” said Ray.

On the opposite sideline, Memorial’s Peter Colcord found himself equally appreciative of his squad’s final placement. Despite the bad taste left by the basting, the first-year head coach left the Gill Stadium table with a loose belt and a smile.

Sure, his team finished the season 1-10, but Colcord knows reaching the Manchester title game for the first time in six years – by defeating West, 31-12, on Oct. 10 – is step one in a process he soon expects to come to fruition.

“We knew going in we didn’t have a senior-laden team, so we knew the goals were short, but getting into the Turkey Bowl was obtainable, and I absolutely expect to be back here every year, and I expect the score to be different,” said Colcord. “Obviously we’re not where Central is yet. They’re a great program that’s done extremely well over the years, but I think ... I know we’ll get there. I’m not sure if it’ll be next year or the year after, but you can see it in the young kids. You can see it in their eyes. They want it.”

Colcord has good reason for excitement.

After three years of winless football, Memorial’s freshman team went 8-2 and won the state title, and the JV team finished 7-3. While the youngsters eye future varsity success, Colcord credited the current group of veterans for turning the program around.

“These seniors, they’re the building blocks to this program and our future here at Memorial. They exhibited great leadership and really helped some of these younger kids along,” he said. “I told them, when you come back next year from college and come to this game on Thanksgiving, that score’s going to be different, and you’re a big reason for that.” Colcord knows the team remains young, and it’s going to make mistakes. But he said the playoffs, with the right breaks, are possible. And he said he’ll be a fixture.

“I told the kids at our first meeting, you’ve gone through three or four different coaches over the last 10 years, and I told them this is where I want to be,” he said. “I know the record hasn’t been good here, but this is where I want to retire, and that’s not going to be for a long time.”

For his part, Ray is acutely aware Central’s Queen City perch, as stable as it appeared this season, is still very much up for grabs each year.

“You’ve got three programs that are working very hard, and if we can be the best program in the city, well, we’re really excited about that, but you can never get too happy about anything like this because obviously the other teams are working hard to come in here and knock us off our throne,” said Ray. “Right now, our expectations are to reflect on our season and enjoy this win. But starting Tuesday we’re right back in the weight room working toward 2009.”

Excuse the Central seniors if they revel in the accomplishment a little longer.

“To be a part of bringing the Turkey Bowl trophy back to (Central) was huge for us,” said senior quarterback Pat Tatro of Candia. “For me and the rest of the seniors, it was really important to us that we go out the right way. We wanted to go out as winners.”

Game notes
Memorial freshman Steve Dwight, playing in his first varsity contest, notched one of two sacks on the first play from scrimmage, part of a handful of highlights for the Crusaders.

Central’s stable of thoroughbred underclassmen running backs was on full display in the first half. Mike Cavanaugh, Khari Haliburton and Daveon Watley all scored to help build a 20-0 halftime lead.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Central’s Jake Tremblay, a Hooksett standout, intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards to pay dirt, and with 2:13 remaining in the quarter, Tatro found fellow-senior Brett Parenteau for six points on an 11-yard pass-and-catch.

Then, with 7:58 left in the fourth, Tatro hooked up with Graham Conforti, and Kevin Regan followed with the extra-point kick to increase the lead to 40.

Memorial finally found the end zone with 6:36 remaining in the contest. Sophomore quarterback Fred Rogers hooked up with Sebastian Cassanova on a 59-yard touchdown, but the extra point was blocked.

Memorial attempted and recovered an onside kick, but couldn’t advance the ball and handed it back to Central. With 5:05 remaining, Haliburton broke a 43-yard run to cap the scoring.

Central bumped by South in first round of playoffs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:23:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s not likely either coach was doing back flips when the Division I playoff matchups were announced.

Nashua South, which finished the regular season 7-1 and needed a botched late-game punt to beat Manchester Central by a point on Sept. 26, was forced to meet the same foe in the first round of the playoffs.

The Little Green, on the other hand, turned in the same regular-season record but went on the road to beat three-time defending state champ Pinkerton, 24-21, on Nov. 1.

Yet a three-way tie atop the standings between Central, South and Pinkerton resulted in CHS heading back to Nashua to open the postseason.

And for the boys from the Queen City, that turned out to be a very bad draw.

The Little Green looked sloppy and failed to take advantage of several key opportunities during a contest in which the Purple Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 first-half lead before holding on for a 24-9 victory on Friday, Nov. 14.

“It’s extremely hard. You know, you talk about it, and your seniors only get one shot at a championship,” said Central coach Ryan Ray. “I thought we were close, but obviously we weren’t close enough.”

After forcing a three-and-out to open the game, Central turned the ball over on its first drive, then allowed South to convert a fourth-and-1 and score minutes later.

The locals seemed to recover, piecing together a six-minute, 14- play, 75-yard drive that moved the ball inside the South 5-yard line. But South intercepted the ball and again made the Little Green pay for their transgressions, driving down the field and finding pay dirt for the second time.

Central regrouped in the locker room, however, and came out in the second half looking like a different team … sort of. The Little Green marched 66 yards on their first possession and put an exclamation point on the drive when senior Brett Parenteau made a circus catch in the end zone off a well-placed Pat Tatro pass.

After his team failed on the two-point conversion, Parenteau snagged his second interception of the day on the ensuing South drive, but the Purple Panthers turned around and picked up their third INT to take the ball right back.

Once again, the hosts put points on the board after a Central turnover, this time extending their lead to 17-6 with a field goal.

Central proved less opportunistic. Though the squad put points on the board with a Kevin Regan 21-yard field goal following Jake Tremblay’s 60-yard punt return, the Little Green failed to score when they took the ball back on the South 39-yard line with 3:44 remaining.

Tatro, who had been hurt earlier in the quarter, returned for the drive, but was sacked and then forced to make a desperation pass on third-and-17 that was picked off.

South, as it had done all day, scored again off Central’s mishap, this time on a 76-yard run by its star, David Zocco, to cap the scoring.

“If we played a perfect game, we would have been in a dogfight and had a chance to win, but we didn’t play a perfect game,” said Ray. “A lot of our mistakes were because South was playing great football on both sides of the ball.”

Now Central heads to the annual Queen City Turkey Bowl where the team hosts Manchester Memorial on Thanksgiving. “This is going to be a tough pill to swallow,” said Ray. “But we’ll go back to work on Monday and get ready to send our guys out as winners in the Turkey Bowl.”

Central impresses in final four, takes state crown

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:53:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Their state crown isn’t the result of any single play or individual, though there were many remarkable playoff examples of both. Instead, the Central girls soccer team rolled to the Class L championship, 4-1, on Saturday, Nov. 8, through a cumulative effect.

“I had nine leaders this year,” said longtime head coach Peter Lally, referring to his seniors. “They all brought something different to a practice or a game.”

In the state final at Exeter High’s Eustis Field, they certainly brought something that top-seeded Merrimack, 18-0- 1 entering the match, hadn’t seen – an ability to take a foe’s best blows, then deliver a devastating response.

The Tomahawks dominated the first 15 minutes of action, amassing corner kicks and chances to forge a lead. Instead, the Little Green took a 1-0 edge, stunning Merrimack and the few hundred fans in attendance.

Senior Meghan Tobin began her fine day by slipping a pass past a pair of defenders and onto the foot of Hooksett’s Lindsay Johnson, who found the right corner of the net wide open. Roughly 17 minutes into the match, No. 2 seed Central had its fourth straight 1-0 edge in the 2008 postseason tournament.

The locals had crushed Timberlane in round one, 6-0, then survived a physically grueling quarterfinals match with Londonderry, 4-0.

Defending state champion Exeter, playing what was in effect a home game, couldn’t hold on in the state semis and fell to Central early in the second overtime, 3-2.

“We all push each other, and all of our younger teammates look up to us,” said Candia senior Cassie Muse, who scored with less than five minutes left in regulation to force overtime against Exeter. “There’s no drama on the team. It didn’t matter who scored, as long as we put the ball in the back of the net.”

Tobin, as it turned out, netted the next two goals against Merrimack. The first came in the 47th minute, just after MHS had mounted a furious attack that forced Central keeper Lindzy Hamel to make a fine save on Merrimack’s star, Kailey Blain, and included an MHS shot that skimmed the crossbar.

Then, when Blain did connect in the 48th minute to cut Central’s lead to 2-1, Tobin effectively ended the suspense 20 minutes later following a scrum in front of the Merrimack net.

Cassie Muse capped the scoring with about three minutes to play, but the defense, which kept many eyes on the unselfish Blain, certainly played a large role in securing the victory.

“She really has great footwork, with and without the ball,” said Hooksett’s Liz Belanger, a senior captain tasked with marking Blain. “I was trying to play her physically and get in her head. It seemed to work.”

Jordan Muse, another senior captain, said she and her teammates, though they hadn’t faced the Tomahawks in the regular season, had seen film of Merrimack and knew Blain’s tendency to distribute to her dangerous teammates. More importantly, the Little Green had confidence they could control their foes.

“We were having a talk before the game,” said Jordan Muse. “We were telling each other we had a great team, and I think we were so pumped up for this. There was no way we were going to lose.”

Lally insisted the trust and respect the team has for him – and from him – was the key to a championship quest that began in August.

After failing to survive the quarterfinals in recent playoff trips – despite posting stellar regular-season marks – Central responded in ’08 to every challenge with a synergized effort that left no chance for an “I” to overwhelm or undermine the team.

“I’ve said this before: I need them to play (hard) for me, to want to play for me,” said Lally. “The goal isn’t to play (on the field during games), and not everyone did play. But everyone contributed to this. I was very fortunate to pick these 20 girls to represent the school.”

Keily Funk, the team’s fourth captain, as well as Melissa Thibault, Tulia Lacroix, Victoria Lund and Sarah Barnes – seniors all – earned Lally’s unwavering support.

Juniors Hamel and Johnson, along with forward Abby Wurtele, defenseman Ainsley Smith, and midfielders Tanya Robidoux and Kristyn Heuslein, must take over that mantle of leadership in 2009.

Carly Auger, the lone sophomore starting this postseason at midfield, as well as classmates Deven McKiernan, Jayne Kelly, Sarah Velasquez and freshman Jillian Graff, return to help defend the title for Central and its beloved mentor for the past 25 years, Lally.

“If we need him for anything, he’s there for us,” said Cassie Muse, whose views were echoed by many of the seniors. “I can’t imagine not having him as a coach.”

Central keeps Goffstown at bay on field, away in standings

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:07:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Everyone in Class L boys soccer wants to beat Central, but many teams have been unable to do so.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Goffstown High School fell into both categories.

The Grizzlies kept up with a fast Little Green team, but two second- half goals propelled Central to a 2-0 home victory over a fast-improving Goffstown team.

“We wear teams down,” said Central’s head coach, Chris La- Berge. “They’re big, strong and definitely the best Goffstown team I have coached against. They were really taking it to us for a while during the first half.”

Goffstown allowed Central few solid scoring chances until Chris Beauchesne pounded home a rebound from a Zachary Hrynowski shot with 19:54 remaining in the game to break the scoreless tie.

Yannick Kabala found the back of the net after a Kyle Thornton shot was saved by Goffstown keeper John Carbonneau with 3:14 remaining in the contest, capping the scoring.

Randy Lovering, Goffstown’s head coach, said his team’s second- half stumble was an aberration. “We may have gotten a little tired towards the end, so we will take care of that,” he said. “It won’t happen again.”

LaBerge said he spends a great deal of time during practices preaching the importance of second- chance shots.

“We work on shooting across the face of the goal. That’s why you shoot low and hard, because you get those second opportunities,” he said. “We talk about it all the time, I yell about it all the time.”

Ian Downing was given Goffstown’s best chance of the contest, and he blasted a shot from about 35 yards out with 28:41 remaining in the second half, a shot that Central keeper Brendan Covey pushed wide of the net to preserve his shutout.

“It was a playoff-like atmosphere out there,” said LaBerge. They want to knock us off at home and really legitimize their season. Teams want to beat Central.”

Goffstown, now 9-4-0 on the season, came into the game looking to make a statement.

“They’re one of those wins you want,” said Lovering. “I sure would like to see them again (in the playoffs).”

LaBerge said his team was constructed to play well on the field turf at Gill Stadium, and the coach of the 11-2-0 Little Green knows the final two rounds of the postseason are played on a similar surface at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

“To play on turf you have to be very quick to the ball,” he said, then continued with a smile. “Believe me, I know where those games are going to be played.”