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Central overcomes inexperience to reach state semifinals

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:34:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Among his 32 years coaching the Central boys tennis team, Mark Telge had to admit this season was one of the most gratifying.

After all, the mentor said three of his six starters never picked up a racket prior to this season. Another had never played competitively.

Yet there the Little Green were, in the state semifinals after a 6-3 upset at perennial superpower and defending Class L champ Concord.

Though his squad fell, 8- 1, to undefeated Salem on Saturday, May 24, Telge said the season-ending loss takes nothing away from his players’ fine accomplishments.

“They had some talent. They had no experience. They lacked focus early on, but we put it together at the end of the year, and I think the results were evident,” he said of the 10-4 team. “I think we played well today too, but Salem was just a little tougher on all the courts.”

While pleased with back-toback tournament appearances, Telge conceded his job isn’t getting any easier.

“It’s tough getting kids to play tennis for four years now,” he said. “There are so many diversions. I mean, I’ve got to steal kids to be honest with you. “With lacrosse and everything else nowadays, I’m taking kids off the basketball court, the hockey rink … My No. 4, Rob Lucas, was captain of the soccer team,” he continued.

“That’s what you’ve got to do, I guess, and you get as far as you can with them. But the experience really comes out in tournament situations. The experienced kids will win almost every time.”

However, against fourthseeded Concord on Thursday, May 22, the No. 5 Little Green disproved their coach by avenging a 5-4 loss earlier in the month.

Senior captain, Buddy Mc- Quade, Central’s No. 1, replicated an earlier 8-3 loss to Concord’s Alex Pince, but Ben Sink, the Little Green’s other experienced player, won his match, 8-4.

No. 3 Keating Tufts overturned a previous 8-5 loss to Concord’s Teddy Pince with an 8-3 win, as did Lucas of Hooksett, who reversed an 8-5 score against Austin Scott.

No. 5 Andrew Berry did the same in winning his match, 8-3, though Kurtis Singleton was unable to duplicate his earlier win. He lost, 8-4.

The No. 1 doubles team of McQuade and Sink won, 8-1, against Alex Pince and John Hancock. The locals lost their previous match against the Concord duo, 8-5.

Lucas and Singleton won their doubles match, 8-5, and Tufts and Berry lost, 9-8, in a 9- 7 tiebreaker.

Central’s strong title defense ends in state semifinals

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:23:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Bill Cannon thought – his heart racing – the defending state champs might just pull off the comeback.

Down 4-2, needing three wins in doubles action, the Central girls tennis team fought handand- raquet with Concord.

Central singles No. 1 Margaret Teague and No. 3 Justine Beaudoin faced match point, trailing 7-5 in No. 1 doubles.

But when Concord’s Maria Rouvalis touched the net going for the kill shot, Teague and Beaudoin took advantage, sweeping to a 9-7 triumph.

“There was a moment there, right when our No. 1 doubles won, where I thought we had a chance,” said Cannon. “We were up in our other two matches, but I knew it was going to be a tough battle because a team like Concord wasn’t just going to roll over. I mean, it doesn’t matter who your opponent is, it’s not like … you can run the clock out. You have to play each point out.”

But several minutes after the Little Green celebrated that come-from-behind victory, they watched Concord overcome a 5- 4 deficit to win No. 2 doubles, 8-5, and secure the semifinal contest. Central fell, 6-3, ending its title defense.

Cannon said he was thankful for a largely successful season that included a 5-4 win May 9 against Concord, a 13-1 regular season and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

“We had a lot of depth and a lot of good tennis players on this team, and that really helps,” said Cannon, in his sixth year as Central coach after two years at Memorial. “It’s a great bunch of kids that definitely have a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to coming back and doing it again next year.”

Central returns six of its top seven, including five starters. While losing Beaudoin, a Hooksett native, the Little Green welcome back Teague and fellow sophomore Chelsea Thibeault, their No. 5.

Junior Romina Borbotsina and Phoebe Lyman, the current No. 2 and No. 4, also return, as do freshmen Keenan Bryant and Sonia Losim, the No. 6 and No. 7.

“I think it’s going to be a good team next year, that’s for sure,” said Cannon. “Sonia will fit right in. She came in and played some matches this year and helped us with a pretty big win for a freshman against Bishop Guertin.”

Central still a scary foe – even for league’s top tennis teams

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:40:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Entering the season with three starters who never played tennis before, even Mark Telge had to question his team’s chances to be competitive in Class L.

Yet 13 contests into the season, the Little Green have compiled an 9-4 record and almost assuredly locked up a postseason berth.

This, after the they dropped a tight 6-3 duel with undefeated Salem on Monday, May 12. Central lost two 9-7 matches which proved the difference in the contest.

But captain Buddy Mc- Quade beat Salem’s No. 1, Michael Cohen; Central No. 5 Andrew Berry won, 8-2; and the pair of McQuade and Ben Sink notched an 8-4 doubles victory.

Salem also had added motivation after losing to Central late in 2007, said Telge.

“They were very, very keyed up to return the favor this year,” he said.

Still, Salem coach Michael Jolicoeur said he likes Central’s chances.

“All of their guys are very athletic, and they just don’t quit,” he said. “I’d love to coach this team. It’s just a bunch of guys that put forth all their effort all the time.”

And despite the team’s relative inexperience, Telge said the expectation remains nothing less than a championship.

“We’re right on the cusp,” he said. “ We’ve lost four matches, but we lost all four in close fashion to very good teams.”

Indeed, Central fell to Salem, West, Concord and Exeter, the top four teams in Class L. Though Telge said he thinks his squad can beat any of those top teams in the playoffs, he admits it’s all conjecture until the Little Green prove they can win against a quality team in a tight contest.

“It’s all mental at this point. We’ve covered every phase of the game,” said Telge. “Now we just need to get over the hump.”

McQuade and Sink lead the current squad.

“Buddy and Ben have been with me for four years, and they’re the backbone of my team,” said the Central coach. “The other four guys, it’s their first year, so that probably answers why they’re not used to winning the tight matches."

Hooksett’s Rob Lucas, Central’s No. 4, is an important part of that group.

“He’s been phenomenal,” said Telge. “He’s been a very special player for us in both singles and doubles.

“But it’s just like being a rookie in the NBA,” he continued. “By the end of the season, you’re not a rookie anymore, and that’s what we’re hoping for here.”

Historic firsts and championships top 2007 Hooksett-area sports

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:16:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

For Hooksett-area teams and individual athletes, 2007 was a year in which the surprising became the norm, particularly at the high school level.

Though squads such as the Central girls tennis team finished tops in Class L and Cawley Middle School collected multiple titles, other perennial contenders bowed out of the postseason early, or missed the playoffs altogether.

The Central boys hoopsters didn’t reach the finals a year after winning the state title, and the gridiron was strangely absent a Little Green team.

Still, Pembroke Academy football was in the playoff hunt for the first time in school history, and Memorial’s track and field team collected a rare but disappointing mark during the state championships.

Let’s take a look back at the year in Hooksett-area sports.

Winter

Gymnastics
Manchester Central’s Nicole Simoneau repeated as the individual state all-around champ with 36.600 points in the NHIAA girls tournament.

Spirit
In January, the Pembroke Academy cheerleading squad finished tops among Class I participants at Kiwanis.

“A state championship brings a banner to your gym, but this is just as important,” said Pembroke coach Donna Ong.

“We’ve been here lots of years, but to have so many supporters out there is just awesome. It’s what these girls deserve.”

Weeks later, Central finished first in the co-ed competition at the state championships in February.

Pembroke placed third in Class I, and after finishing second at the Kiwanis event, the West cheerleading team finished eighth at states, in the process bidding farewell to eight-year coach Sherri Reinfurt.

“This year was more special because we knew it was our last for us and coach,” said senior co-captain Hayley McDonough.

“We’ve had some great finishes too (two second-place finishes and one third-place award). Hopefully, whoever takes over next year can step in and fill coach’s shoes, but it’ll be hard.”

Wrestling
West’s Mark Watts took home third place in the 145- pound weight class at the Division I wrestling championship on Feb. 17, earning him a trip to the Meet of Champions, where he finished sixth.

Memorial 171-pounder Nick Berube finished second at the D-I meet, and Central 130-pounder Ben Champagne placed third.

Others reaching the Meet of Champions from West by finishing in the top six at the division meet included Jared Crain, David Lamarche and Caleb Earnshaw.

Crain, a 130-pound sophomore, surprised competitors when he finished fourth at the M of C, just missing a bid for New Englands.

Basketball
Defending Class L champ Central hooked up with cross-town rival Trinity in the post-season semifinals. There, No. 3 Trinity avenged a regular-season loss to second-seeded Central, 52-49, before being bedazzled by a last-second buzzerbeater in a 54-51 heartbreaker to Salem in the final.

The No. 16 West girls lost, 53-36, in the first round of the Class L playoffs to top-seed Timberlane, a team that was upset in the quarterfinals by No. 8 Central, 56-51.

The Little Green’s surprising run came to an end in the semifinals when the girls lost to Bishop Guertin, 42-37.

Auburn Village School’s girls basketball team defeated Merrimack, 52-39, to win the Class M Tri-County championship.

Indoor track and field Memorial took second place at the Class L indoor track championship behind strong performances from Wes Cotnoir, fellow Auburn resident Thomas Piccioli and Bobby Johnsen, who placed second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 55-meter dash. Chris Lemieux took third in the high jump.

David Irving won the shot put with a throw of 52 feet, 5 inches.

The Central 4 X 800 relay team of Matt Paulson, Corey Sinotte, Craig Brown and Dante Vitagliano emerged victorious, and the 4 X 200 team of Mitch Albro, Chris Mitchell, Muzafer Aku and Paulson finished third in 1 minute, 36.25 seconds.

Paulson also won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:05.26.

And thanks to Julianne Quinn and Kristin Johnson, the West High School girls finished fifth at the meet.

Quinn, broke two of her own school records by finishing the 1,000-meter run in 3:01.72 and the 1,500 in 4:53.32. She finished second in both. Johnson, like her teammate, finished runner-up in her best event, the 3,000-meter run, with a time of 11:00.37.

Spring

Tennis
Central High School won its third girls tennis title in school history and its first since 1995, defeating Bishop Guertin, 8-2, in the Class L championship.

The Manchester West boys failed to dethrone perennial tennis superpower Concord, losing 5-2 and settling for the consolation plaque.

The Blue Knights girls fell in the Class L semifinals, 7-2, to Central. But Derryfield School won its fifth straight boys state championship, crushing top-ranked Berlin, 8-1.

“The more you do something, the more comfortable you are doing it,” said Cougars coach Bruce Berk. “So they’ve been there, they’ve played in the finals before and have confidence because of that. When kids compete, because they’re kids, all you can do is ask them to play close to their potential. If they can play better in the tournament, that’s what I hope for.”

In the Class M-S girls title match, Derryfield was edged by Gilford, 5-4.

Baseball
While other local teams failed to reach their respective class finals, a Derryfield squad with local talent reached the championship game as the No. 10 seed in Class S. Though the Cougars fell to Lisbon, 7-2, coach Jeff Hastings took pride in the improbable run.

“The team definitely thrives in the underdog mentality,” he said. “I talked it up a little bit because I wanted the guys to be loose, to realize all the pressure was on Lisbon … No one, except us, expected anything out of the 10 seed.”

Thirteenth-seeded Trinity had similar success with local athletes, reaching the Class L final before losing to Merrimack, 7-2.

“No one thought we’d even be here,” said sophomore starting pitcher Sean Lyons. “We knew we had the potential to win this. We knew we were capable of proving everyone wrong.”

Softball
Cawley Middle School, on June 1, celebrated its second straight Tri-County Class M softball title. It wasn’t the Hooksett school’s only championship in 2007.

Track and field
Pembroke sophomore Allison Brehm tied a 45-year-old record, crossing the 200-meter dash finish line in 25.84 seconds at the Class I championship. She then finished second in the 100- meter dash and third in the long jump.

Manchester Memorial became the first team in state history to eclipse 100 points and fail to win a state championship. The Crusaders lost to the perennial thorn in their side, Merrimack, 114-105. Minus its best sprinter, Cotnoir, Memorial still earned nine first- and second-place finishes at the event. Central finished fifth overall.

Among the victors, Memorial’s Lemieux finished first with a 6-foot-4 high jump, David Irving won shot put and discus, William Wrobel took the javelin, the 4 X 100 team won, and Sean Beauvais topped all competition in the triple jump.

Thomas Piccioli finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.79 seconds.

Matt Paulson took individual titles in the 400- and 800-meter runs and combined with Central teammates Sinotte, Brown and Vitagliano to retain the 4 X 800 crown.

Though West’s Russell Johnson finished eighth in the Class L championship, his personalbest time of 4:32.29 in the 1,600- meter run still qualified him for the Meet of Champions; his effort was one of the next four best times among the four New Hampshire classes – L, I, M and S.

Elias Grijalva also advanced to the state meet, recording West’s lone team point by placing sixth in the 400-meter dash.

For the West girls track and field team, which placed 12th in Class L, Kristin Johnson came in third and Kelsey Hunt finished fifth in the 3,200 meter run, Julianne Quinn took fifth place in the 1,600, and the foursome of Quinn, Brittany Frazier, Kay Penny and Haley Lydstone finished fourth in the 4 X 400-meter relay.

Summer
American Legion baseball Sweeney Post baseball reached the American Legion regionals by defeating Keene in the New Hampshire final, 9-6. Shortstop Matt Skeffington of Auburn led Sweeney throughout the tournament.

“He’s a leader, and the kids look to him for the big hit. Between him and Bryan Poltak, I don’t think there is a better shortstop-second base combo in the state,” said Sweeney manager Dave Flurey.

Little League/Babe Ruth baseball and softball Auburn’s 11- and 12-year-old softball team repeated as state champs by defeating Lamprey River in the title game, 13-11.

The Hooksett 10- and 11- year-old Little League baseball all-stars reached the District 1 final, but lost to Goffstown, 6-1, on July 21.

“Winning is nice, but it’s really about constantly improving and coming together as a team, and they did that,” said coach Jim White.

The 14U Bedford Hornets softball team, with players from Hooksett, Windham and Bow, won the state American Softball Association tournament and New Englands and advanced to the Eastern national tournament and PONY national tournament.

“It sounds so cool to say you’re going to be pitching in a national tournament,” said Rachael Morgan. “And we know there are going to be teams that bring some crazy skills. But I know I’ll have a good time because I’ve got a bunch of girls who’ve been together for awhile now, and that’ll make a difference.”

The Bedford Hornets 12U softball team – featuring local players from Auburn, Bedford and Salem, among other towns – placed third in the ASA tournament and second in the New England competition, earning a trip to Ohio to compete for the national championship.

Granite State Senior Games West High School coach and New Boston resident Lee Hess recovered from a 25-foot ladder fall to win the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter dashes in the 55- to 59-year-old division.

Candia’s Dave Baldessari won the 65- to 69-year-old pistol shoot.

Punt, Pass and Kick Auburn 11-year-old Joey Dudek won the 10- and 11-yearold division of the local NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester on Aug. 7.

He followed that performance by winning the sectional competition in Bristol, R.I., on Oct. 14, and the regional competition on the Gillette Stadium practice field prior to the New England Patriots Oct. 28 contest against the Washington Redskins.

Fall

Soccer
The Cawley Middle School boys soccer team won the Tri- County championship with a 5-4 win over Hampstead, while the girls team fell in the final, 2-1, to St. Joseph of Manchester.

“It was one of the best-played games in both championships we’ve seen in a long time,” said Cawley’s athletics director, John Frazier.

After finishing the regular season undefeated, the Little Green girls were knocked off in the quarterfinals of the Class L tournament.

The West boys team, which came back from a two-goal second- half deficit to beat Goffstown in double overtime in Class L’s first round, lost to defending champ Exeter in the quarterfinals, 3-1.

Fifth-seeded Memorial suffered a tough 1-0 overtime loss at No. 4 Londonderry.

The seventh-seeded Lady Blue Knights were upset, 1-0, by No. 10 Alvirne in the first round, ending the season 8-7-1 The season included wins against the playoffs’ No. 4 and 5 seeds, Merrimack and Memorial.

Football After going to Salem – the team that knocked Central out of playoff contention the week before – and pulling off a comefrom- behind 17-14 upset against the Blue Devils in the regularseason finale, West bowed out in the Division I first round against three-time defending state champ Pinkerton Academy, 34- 7.

Two weeks later, however, West once again came back to win a big game, this time against rival Central in the Manchester Turkey Bowl. West scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the Queen City championship, 19-13, and avenge a 28-16 midseason setback to the Little Green.

“We made the playoffs, and we obviously hoped for a state championship, but if we didn’t get that, the city championship is the next best thing,” said West coach Travis Cote.

Cross country
Central’s Craig Brown and Cory Sinotte finished second and third, respectively, at the Meet of Champions on Nov. 4. West’s Kelsey Hunt finished fifth at the event.

Cheerleading
The Hooksett Hurricanes Jr. Pee Wee spirit squad was crowned Pop Warner state champs.

It marked the fourth straight year – and fifth in six years – that a Hurricanes cheer team won a state title.

Golf
West High School, which finished No. 1 in the regular season, came in fourth in Class L. For the Blue Knights, Kyle Badger fired an 18-hole round of 68, while Jake Nutter led the Bedford High Bulldogs with a 77.

In the individual tournament, Badger fell one shot short of the Class L title, carding a twoday 141.

Crew
Derryfield School won five medals in eight races at the 2007 Amoskeag Rowing Club New Hampshire State Championship Regatta. The men’s junior-novice- four won gold and the men’s junior-four teams A and B finished tied for second at 16:09. The women’s junior-novice-four placed second, and the women’s junior-four finished third.

Field hockey
Derryfield School, featuring players from Hooksett, Bedford, Hopkinton and Windham, finished the season undefeated and won the Class M-S state title on Oct. 28. The crown was Derryfield’s first in the sport in more than 20 years.

“It’s tough for us because we’re a Class S school, so … we’re always playing teams that are twice our size,” said coach Lenny McCaigue. “To win it is just a dream come true for us.”

Top cap – Green complete great campaign wearing crown

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:19:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Phoebe Lyman had an idea that the Manchester Central girls tennis team’s hopes against Bishop Guertin in the Class L championship hinged largely on her match. But she wasn’t about to let it get to her.

“Even if she did ask (what the score was),” said Central coach Bill Cannon, “I wouldn’t have told her.”

A few minutes later, he didn’t have to.

With an 8-4 win at No. 6 singles, Lyman ensured the Little Green a 4-2 lead entering doubles on Tuesday, May 29, at the University of New Hampshire, where the No. 1 team of Catherine and Margaret Teague finished off Central’s 5-3 victory for the team’s first state title since 1995.

The crown, Central’s third overall, capped a dominant season-long performance in which the Little Green posted a 16-1 record and rolled through rival West, 7-2, three days earlier in the semifinals.

Besides Lyman, Catherine Teague posted an 8-4 win at No. 1 singles, Margaret Teague cruised, 8-1, at No. 2, and Romina Borbotsina prevailed 8-3 at No. 3 to give Central the necessary edge entering doubles play. The Teagues, both undefeated in singles play, also remained unbeaten as a pair.

“That was huge,” Catherine Teague said of Lyman’s win. “I knew we could win in doubles, I knew that Margaret and I could do it. So just to get that win, we could play like we did to finish it up.”

It certainly helped after Guertin salvaged wins at No. 4 over Justine Beaudoin, at No. 5 over Hooksett’s Abby Zorawowicz and later, at No. 3 doubles.

But Central’s confidence never wavered, especially knowing it had hurdled its biggest obstacle a round earlier in West, the only team to beat it during the regular season.

“When we finished the match on Saturday, we were all just so excited to get here,” Lyman said. “On Tuesday we all had our outfits planned out for the school day so we would all wear our uniforms to school. The excitement, it was heightened (from that win over West).”

Now, after Central made good on its first finals appearance since 1996, that feeling has reached its peak.

“Our team just wanted it so bad,” Cannon said. “That’s what it was.”

Central’s practices are often as intense as matches

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:31:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

The head coach of the Central High girls tennis team isn’t like most coaches when it comes to jumping ahead of foes. Indeed, the Little Green mentor wouldn’t mind the opposite.

“Tennis is the type of sport where you can be ahead, and if you drop your guard for one second, you’re not,” said Bill Cannon after a 9-0 squelching of Salem on Monday, May 14. “Sometimes being ahead is harder than being behind, so I try to get the girls to realize that and be smart and alert when they do take a lead.”

Though Cannon may get nervous when his squad gets to work early, the Little Green haven’t had many chances to come from behind, dominating most foes from the get-go. Central, in fact, has emerged as one of Class L’s strongest contenders come playoff time.

Against the Blue Devils, four-year No. 1 player Catherine Teague defeated Salem’s Courtney Viehl, 8-0. Catherine’s sister, Margaret, finished off her opponent, 8-0, in the No. 2 singles set.

Sophomore Romina Borbotsina won, 8-3, while teammate Justine Beaudoin won the No.4 singles set by the same score. Hooksett native Abby Zorawowicz, a senior, shut out Julianna Blaisdell, 8-0, and Phoebe Lyman won, 8-6.

In doubles, the Teague sisters combined for an 8-0 showing in the top-seeded match; Borbotsina and Beaudoin won, 8- 1; and Zorawowicz and Lyman defeated their opponents, 8-4.

“For us to finish as the top-seed would be big,” said Cannon. “But either way, we’ve still gotta get out and play.

We’ve been pretty consistent with where I thought we’d be at this point. I’ve had tremendous efforts from everyone, one through six. We’ve gotta keep it going.”

In a clash against one of this season’s top clubs in Concord, the Little Green beat the Crimson Tide, 6-3. As for playoff preparations, Cannon said simulating a match-like atmosphere during practices keeps his players sharp.

“A lot of the time you don’t practice like you play,” said Cannon. “You can go out and hammer a ball all day, and it won’t get you anywhere. To have that sort of pressure like a match keeps us playing the way we should play during a match.”

Rising MHS eyeing playoffs

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:38:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

When Joe Belanger first met his new head coach, the idea of having a basketball mentor lead a tennis team “had to be a joke.”

A year later, Belanger is the first you’ll hear explaining why Aaron Abood was the best person for the job.

Learning what makes a good coach, Belanger steps into his final season on Memorial’s boys tennis team with confidence, poise and one very important goal.

“Make the playoffs,” said Belanger.

“Memorial hasn’t done that in forever, and now it’s only the top eight teams make it, and they’re pretty respected. When coach first came on, I thought it wouldn’t work but he and coach (Keith) Bike really surprised us because they knew how to lead.”

And it was the leadership Abood brought that outweighed the tennis knowledge he lacked.

Transforming a 1-14 team in 2005 into a 7-7 squad last season, the Crusaders junior varsity boys basketball coach brought an air of intensity and competition to a struggling tennis program.

Belanger, Abood’s No. 1 seed, said the team took a positive turn thanks to Abood and Bike’s fitness regimen. Regular conditioning combined with more drills to enhance physical endurance whipped the Crusaders into shape.

“I tried to bring some new things,” said Abood. “Obviously basketball is more physical, so I tried to mix things up. In the past things were a little light-hearted, but the past couple years, I think the team’s really taking things more seriously.”

Belanger agreed, saying Abood’s approach provided the structure the team needed. Off to a 5-2 start as of May 1, the Crusaders are on pace to far surpass last year’s win total. Its losses were in tiebreakers to Salem and Nashua South.

“We’re one point or one game away from being (7-0),” said Abood. “Having only a couple players that have played tennis before high school also gives us another challenge. We’re doing all right so far, but to make the playoffs would be pretty big.”

Joining Belanger in the top six are freshman Isiah Prosper in the No. 2 spot, senior co-captain Shane Johnston, A.J. Bouthiette, Jeff Lemay and Andrew Provencher. The Crusaders doubles teams pair Belanger and Prosper, Johnston and Cody Bolan and Lemay and Joe Hogan.

“You can tell they know how to coach, and they definitely gave us the push we needed,” said Belanger. “It’s important we make the tournament, especially now most of us are seniors, but also because we want to show we deserve some respect, too.”

The Crusaders face rival Central on Friday, May 4.

Developing action

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:50:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Mark Telge should be calling this a “rebuilding” year. He should be worried about how Central High’s boys tennis team is going to look after losing four of its top six players. The idea that two players who’ve never played the sport are now starting for the Little Green should be worrisome.

With more factors working against the team than for it, Telge definitely shouldn’t be brimming with optimism about this year’s team.

But he is.

Gone are top-six players Sean Kennedy and Chris O’ Connell. In are newcomers Billy Statires of Hooksett and Will Brooks, who account for most of Telge’s confidence when he peaks at his current roster.

“Imagine my surprise when a couple of the basketball players came out for the team,” said Telge of Statires and Brooks. “It was a pleasant surprise getting some competitors. They know how to win, they know what it takes to get there, and they’ll combine well with some of the returners who were a part of last year’s success.”

Joining the new duo, known mostly for its contributions to back-to-back Class L boys basketball championships, are juniors Buddy McQuade and Ben Sink, who enter as three-year starters and will play in the No. 1 and No. 2 slots, respectively.

In the third spot is Hooksett senior Mike Ouellette, while Brooks will play in the No. 4 hole.

Senior Devon Aiken earned a way into the starting six, playing as the No. 5 seed. Statires rounds out the Little Green’s singles rotation.

Already Telge’s confidence in the new squad is growing thanks to a 3-1 start as of Wednesday, April 25. Opening last season with three losses, Central rattled off nine straight wins for a playoff berth, but having earned one-third of last year’s wins in the season’s first two weeks has Telge smiling.

“They’re working their fannies off trying to make up for the time we couldn’t get (on the courts) with the bad weather,” said Telge. “The question is, will I have time to develop them?

I don’t know because the bad news is we have the most hellacious schedule I’ve had in 31 years coaching. It’s the who’s who of Class L, it’s Concord, West, Keene...”

Tough schedule aside, the Little Green have maintained consistency. The doubles combinations of McQuade and Sink, Ouellette and Aiken and Statires and Brooks have performed well together despite a weather-dampened preseason.

“We’re good as long as we can sneak into the tournament,” said Telge. “If we do that, I think we can do some damage. We can really do some damage.”