Pelham News : boys basketball

Pelham, 15-1, escapes from Bedford, 3-13, with basketball victory

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:23:00 GMT

Three years ago, the Pelham boys basketball team used a one-loss regular season as a springboard to a state title. The town of Bedford had yet to begin construction on its high school.

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, Bedford’s first-year varsity hoops squad proved it’s set a firm foundation. But at the end of four quarters, Pelham showed BHS what it takes to build a Class I powerhouse.

Despite trailing after three quarters, Pelham left a raucous Bedford gymnasium with a 67-64 victory.

“(Pelham) is the best team in Class I, and I think the way they beat us a month ago ... it’s something that really motivated us to come out and play hard, to play with pride and effort, desire and intensity,” said Bedford’s head coach, Joe Kegler. “All I asked them for was an opportunity at the end of the game, and they gave me that.”

“This was supposed to be a walk in the park tonight, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Pelham’s mentor, Todd Kress. “(But) they’ve got a wonderful combination of quick guards that don’t make mistakes and young big kids that already have the skills and just need to get physically stronger.”

The Pythons must focus on playing better – now. The 15-1 record aside, Kress said his team has work to do if it’s to compete for a second championship in four years.

“I told them at the end of the third quarter, ‘We’re going to find out how good we are right now. Are we ready to be a good tournament team? Because a good tournament team comes back and wins this game,” he said. “Everyone has to understand it’s all about the tournament. We’re either going to be a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed … and everyone who has watched Class I the last couple years knows it’s all about matchups.”

Despite earning top-five seeds, Pelham ran into a wall against bigger, stronger Hanover each of the last two seasons. This year, the Pythons’ one loss came in a 66-60 contest at 10-6 Portsmouth on Jan. 6. Though they avenged the setback with a 51-42 home triumph on Feb. 3, Kress admitted the senior-laden Clippers, among others, look scary as potential second-round opponents.

“We drew the one team we didn’t want the last couple years, and I’m not going to say who it is, but there’s definitely a team out there I don’t want to see this time around,” he said.

One thing’s for certain. Kress is happy he doesn’t have to see Bedford again.

“Imagine if (the Bulldogs) snuck in the back door. They’ve got wins against Portsmouth and Milford, two top-eight seeds, and they almost beat us tonight. I wouldn’t want to play them again, I don’t care what gym we play in,” said Kress. “But we’ve got Justin (Hojlo), and with Justin on the floor, I’ll tell you what, we’re going to be a tough out.”

Game notes
Arguably the Class I player of the year front-runner, Hojlo led all scorers with 26 points, but Bedford’s James Schappler forced him to take more shots than he usually does. In fact, Kress said the young guard played the best defense he’s seen on Hojlo this season.

Pelham sophomore Stephen Spirou was a close second in scoring, with 25 markers, while the Bedford trio of Connor Green, Mike Marmelli and Joey Maher managed 22, 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Though Conor McColgan’s name doesn’t often jump out on the Pelham stat sheet, Kress said the junior’s five consecutive third-quarter points were pivotal to his squad’s comeback.

Pelham win over Hollis-Brookline showcases improvements

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:29:00 GMT

By Ryan O’connor

To accurately gauge how much the Pelham boys basketball team has improved since the beginning of the season, review these two results: the Pythons opened the season on Dec. 11 with a 81-60 loss at Hollis-Brookline, but eight weeks and 12 games later, Pelham defeated the same Cavaliers, 47-43, at home.

“That’s a team that blasted us a month and a half ago in their gym, and they played just as good as they did then,” said Pelham head coach Todd Kress. “The difference is, defensively, we showed up tonight. For the first time in four years, we never once trapped the ball the whole night. We just played straight-up, man-to-man, in-your-face defense.”

In addition to the best defense his 11-3 Pythons have shown in some time, Kress said they have found an identity.

“Even down five at the start of the fourth quarter, guys in the huddle were saying, ‘Come on, we can do this. This is our gym.’ A month and a half ago that wouldn’t have been the case. They would have been yelling at each other, and they would have been doubting me,” he said of a squad that began the season 2-3 before embarking on its current nine-game winning streak.

“Right now, they have a lot of confidence in me. I have a lot of confidence in who I’m putting out there. They’re believing in themselves, and it’s showing on the court.”

It was guard Justin Hojlo who propelled the Pythons to victory.

The junior guard, who three nights later eclipsed 1,000 points in his career, took over late against Hollis-Brookline, scoring 11 of his game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter after being shut out in the third.

Though Pelham entered the final frame down five, Hojlo stole the ball at half court in the opening seconds and drove to the basket.

After notching two free throws to bring his team within one point, 36-35, Hojlo knocked down a three from the top of the key and drew another foul in the process.

He completed the four-point play, then stole the ball and scored on a flashy layup to give the Pythons a 41-36 lead, which they never relinquished.

“He’s been under the weather and hasn’t really practiced much this week,” said Kress, who called several timeouts in the fourth quarter just to give his star a breather. “He gave this team everything he had, and he dominated that fourth quarter like you want your best player to do. And it wasn’t just him. He was making his teammates better, and that’s what makes Justin so special.”

Ricky Costa and Jamie Vaiknoras each contributed eight points, and freshman Stephen Spirou added seven.

“We’re on a nice little roll. We just need to keep this going,” said Kress. “The important thing now is for us to realize that we only have five games left. Sure, they’re all against .500 teams or worse, but those are dangerous teams at this time of year, and we can’t afford to lose another game if we want to go in as one of the top four seeds.”

Hojlo, who needed 11 points against Bow on Tuesday, Feb. 5, to become the quickest Python to hit 1,000 points, scored 25 in the 62-59

Speedy host’s late push leaves visiting Pelham dusted

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:46:00 GMT

By Matt Schooley

MILFORD – The Pelham High School girls basketball team used its size to keep pace with Milford High School, but the Spartans eventually sprinted away from the Pythons, winning 72-50 thanks to a huge fourth-quarter run.

Following three quarters of play during the Tuesday, Jan. 22, contest, the now 2-10 Pythons trailed 5-8 Milford, 47-44.

The fast-paced Spartans, however, opened the final quarter with a 22-4 run, leaving the visiting Pythons in the dust.

“They wanted it more, and went after the ball and made plays,” said Pelham head coach Tim Powers, whose starting lineup didn’t include any seniors. “We’re a young team, and we had a hard time getting adjusted to what they could do out of timeouts and breaks, and we just didn’t handle it too well.”

Coming out of the half, Milford took a 30-29 lead and extended it to double digits, scoring the first nine points of the third quarter. Pelham quickly responded with a run of its own, outscoring the Spartans 11-3 to close to 42-40.

Pelham received solid play from its forwards; Briana Szidat and Jacqui Perry tossed in nine points apiece, while Brittany Croteau led all Python scorers with 12 points.

The Spartans used their guard play to turn the game into a track meet, however, thanks to 18 points from junior Melanie Forte and swarming defense leading to fast breaks throughout.

“We could beat the pressure and get some layups, and our defense was good at times,” said Powers. “We did bits and pieces fairly well, but we have to remember that it’s a 32-minute game, not just 24.”

The two teams previously matched up less than a month ago, as Pelham again played the Spartans tight, losing 51-43 on Jan. 8. The Pythons have lost their last two games by at least 20 points, as Pelham lost on the road to Kennett, 60-40, on Jan. 18.

“We have to work on everything,” said Powers. “We need to improve in all aspects of the game, but we’re just going to keep taking a game and practice at a time.”

Kayla Bailey chipped in seven points off the bench for Pelham in the loss to Milford, which head coach Tim Powers said came down to the Spartans’ speed.

“They were quick and tough, and when you don’t have the speed to match that, it puts you at a big disadvantage,” he said.

The Lady Pythons beat Monadnock, 54-46, on Friday, Jan. 25 before losing a 48-47 heartbreaker to Laconia the next day.

Pelham looks forward to season-ending home cookin’

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:28:00 GMT

By Ryan O’connor

Having netted four consecutive road victories, and after losing its first home contest in four years, the Pelham boys basketball team returned to PHS and started a new streak in its house.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Pelham defeated visiting Milford, 68-50. It starts a stretch in which the 7-3 Pythons play seven of their last nine regular-season Class I games at home.

“We dug ourselves a hole at 2-3, but we knew if we could survive that stretch and get to 6-3, we just had to come home and protect our court,” said head coach Todd Kress.

And while Kress said it felt good to be home, he was the first to point out that his team looked sloppy and often out of sync throughout most of the Milford contest.

“I don’t think either team did a great job of executing and didn’t necessarily shoot the ball well. They did a great job in the second half of exploiting us inside, which you would think more and more teams are going to keep doing,” he said. “But we had the benefit of home court tonight and I really think that was the difference.”

Justin Hojlo paced the Pythons with 26 points, while freshman Stephen Spirou added 13 for the victors. Ricky Costa, who was uncharacteristically absent from the scoring line in the first half, rebounded in the third and fourth quarter to contribute eight points. Jamie Vaiknoras and Evan Cove each matched Costa’s point total.

The widespread scoring distribution was exactly what Kress said his squad was lacking when they were struggling early in the season. And opposing coaches are taking notice.

“They’re as good as anybody,” said Milford coach Dan Murray. “Even though they don’t have the size, they have the guards to match up with anyone in the state.”

Hojlo, especially, creates problems for opponents, he said.

“What makes him so good is that he sets the other guys up so well,” Murray continued. “If he was out of the lineup they would drop way down. Their guys can create, but he sets the tone for everything they do.”

Against Kennett, at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord on Friday, Jan. 18, the Pythons dominated from start to finish, crushing their opponents, 90-60.

Hojlo led the team in scoring with 24 points, while contributing eight assists. Costa dropped in 22 points to go along with five helpers and four rebounds. Spirou added 13 points, and Grant Hebert put another 12 on the scoreboard, adding four assists.

Up next, the 7-3 Pythons host 7-2 Monadnock on Friday, Jan. 25. Kress said the matchup presents an interesting dichotomy between the two squads. Monadnock is one of the larger, more physical squads in Class I, while the Pythons are small and fast and like to wear teams out by running up and down the court.

Pelham hosts tourney,wins three titles

Salem Editor — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:36:00 GMT

The Pelham Holiday Tournament, from Dec. 27 to 29, included more than 50 teams playing in separate boys and girls divisions for third- through eighth-graders.

Though welcoming to their many guests before and after play, the hosts were particularly inhospitable on the court, winning three of the nine division championships available.

The fifth-grade girls, as well as the sixth-grade and eighth-grade boys, won crowns, while the third- and fourth-grade girls reached the division finals before falling in overtime.

Third- and fourth-grade girls

After losing their first game to Groton-Dunstable by 13 points, the girls beat Hudson at the buzzer, then edged Windham, which finished without a victory. Both were two-point victories. In a rematch with Groton-Dunstable, the Pelham group of eight third-graders and four fourth-graders took the champions into OT, despite having just two experienced players.

The team, coached by Lisa Brown, included Hillary Faust, Sarah Benjamin, Abigail Conway, Rachel Alexander, Caitlin Ernest, Rachel Marion, Shannon Morin, Baylee Duarte, Abigayle Lachapelle, Morgan Walsh, Sarah Brown and Jessica Lessard.

Third- and fourth-grade boys

The Pelham boys ran into tough opponents in the first two games, losing in overtime to Bedford, 27-25, then falling to the eventual division champions, Lowell.

Tenacious defense from Collin Loring and Trevor Longo kept Pelham in the contest with Bedford. Other standouts included Cameron DeLoreto and Lukas Raza. Kyle Frank, Tim Walkup, Steven Jackson, and Tim Anderson playing well against Lowell.

But the locals earned a hard-fought 17-12 victory against Dracut to wrap up their tourney outing. Standouts on both ends of the floor for coach Craig Loring included Keith Brown, Jack Krzeminski and Tony Mantia.

Fifth-grade girls

Defense led Pelham to a title. The girls allowed 36 points in four lopsided wins. The locals moved through the opening round with a 40-7 drubbing of Dracut, a 20-10 victory over Lowell, and a 32-9 decision over Tyngsboro that featured 14 assists.

Chelmsford finally challenged the champs in the finals. Pelham, coached by Jim Philipson, led 9-6 at the half. But some aggressive man-to-man pressure defense held Chelmsford scoreless for 15 minutes of the second half in a 17-10 win.

Fifth-grade boys

Following a 53-45 win over previously unbeaten Wakefield on Dec. 22, fueled by Bryce Brown’s scoring and Nick Francoeur’s rebounding, Pelham had trouble early in the tourney opener and trailed Dracut by nine points at the break.

But Ryan Cloutier poured in eight second-half points, and Joe Costa sank two late-game free throws in the team’s 26-23 comeback win. Zach Masiello and Nick Wolfrom led a defense that allowed Dracut just four points.

Pelham then edged Hudson, 32-31, as Eric Guinasso want 3-for-4 from the line and Ryan Rondeau chipped in six points from inside the paint. Cloutier’s eight points included the game winner.

Despite strong efforts from Nolan Duffy, who scored nine points and grabbed several rebounds; Dylan Sylvestri, who it two free throws; and Ryan Nystrom, who added six second-half points, Pelham fell to Derry, 28-27.

Sixth-grade girls

Pelham opened the tourney with two convincing wins, 33-20 over Chelmsford and 26-14 over Tyngsboro.

The team’s lone blemish was a loss to the division champions from Hudson.

“How can you summarize heart and determination?” said coach Pattie Parece. “Every player did what was asked of them.”

Each of the girls said the team turned in a sterling defensive effort. The roster included Jordan Parece, Brianna Duarte, Hannah Paitchel, Minta Notini, Elissa Mogauro, Katie Haghdan, Niki DelSignore, Shelby Bedard, Michelle Langlois and Kaelyn Walsh.

Sixth-grade boys

Pelham proved its mettle, winning blowouts and tight games alike in winning the division crown.

James Sullivan, Chris Benjamin and Joe Slattery led a smothering press as the locals jumped to a 29-12 halftime lead, then cruised to a 45-38 win over Dracut in the tourney opener. Mike Coupal and Joe McArthur controlled the boards.

Windham then fell to Pelham, 39-20. Zach Conway led the attack with 10 points and eight rebounds. Derek Sage chipped in six markers.

The boys used a ferocious press to bolt to a 23-11 halftime lead over Hudson, then held off their foes’ comeback with a few key foul shots for a 39-36 victory.

Pelham’s Mike Pelletier helped the team to a 29-26 lead over Litchfield in the division final, but the rough-and-tumble visitors wouldn’t quit. Thanks to Ryan Frank and Jake Vaiknoras, who each took an offensive charge from a larger Litchfield opponent, and a solid team effort on both ends of the floor, the locals won, 60-50. Vaiknoras led the team with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Pelletier finished with nine points and Kevin Sabine chipped in six for head coach Mike Larson.

Windham won once in three contests, crushing Dracut, 37-18.

Seventh-grade girls

Pelham won two of three contests at the holiday tournament, edging Hudson, 37-36, and Merrimack, 28-23. Only a loss to Billerica kept the locals from the division finale.

Seventh-grade boys

Pelham went 2-1, as did Windham, in a strong division.

Pelham lost only to eventual champion Lowell before handling Dracut, 34-30, and Hampstead, 38-26.

Windham’s only setback was to division runner-up Merrimack. The team defeated Groton-Dunstable, 32-24, and Tyngsboro, 39-27.

Eighth-grade boys

Pelham A rolled to the title with double-digit wins over Hampstead, Dracut West and Dracut East. The only potential stumbling block, Hudson, fell to the locals, 48-46.

Pelham B went winless, though the team played well against the division runner-up, Dracut East, falling 48-45.