Pembroke News : students

Pembroke students help local veteran

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:07:00 GMT

Several area World War II veterans in the past few months have taken advantage of an opportunity that several others may never get.

Honor Flight New England, based in Hooksett, was created in the spring as a branch of the national Honor Flight Network, which gives World War II veterans a chance to see the World War II National Memorial in Washington, D.C. cost free. The memorial first opened in 2004.

Fundraising for the program has been done all over the New Hampshire, including at the Village and Hill elementary schools in Pembroke, which raised enough money to send a veteran to Washington in early October.

The class raising the most money was rewarded with an ice cream party.

“I took all the money from my jar – $20,” said Owen Culberson, 7, a student of the Hill School. “I really want to help the veterans and I want to help them go to Washington, D.C.”

Ryan Quinn, principal of both the Hill and Village schools, said students collected more than $600 to send two veterans to see the memorial.

“It’s nice to be able to do something for the vets. We’re thrilled,” Quinn said.

With nearly 1,000 World War II veterans dying every day, Honor Flight’s mission is to send as many veterans to visit the memorial as possible. Veterans fly down to Washington, D.C., and back in one day, all expenses paid. Most chaperones pay their own way.

Joe Poggi, 81, of Pembroke, who worked as a nurse’s assistant at a military hospital in Washington from 1944 to 1946, said he greatly enjoyed just stepping off the plane.

“There were these columns, on both sides, of civilians clapping for us,” Poggi said. “It was really thrilling. I really enjoyed that.”

Quinn said the children were asked to raise the money before two World War II veterans spoke at school assemblies. While some children are too young to truly appreciate the sacrifices the veterans made, Quinn said the fundraiser got the kids interested.

“It was the adrenaline shot that got the kids excited,” Quinn said. “They were respectful and obviously engaged.”

Poggi said police escorted their bus tour to several other monuments, including those for soldiers of Iwo Jima and the Air Force. It’s something that might not have been possible without the kids’ help.

“I probably never would’ve gone down there,” he said. “It was something I think everybody should see.”

Pembroke Academy mourns death of freshman in car crash

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:45:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

After a one-day Election Day vacation, Pembroke Academy students returned to classes and were struck with the grim reality that one of their fellow classmates was gone.

Fourteen-year-old Marissa Gray of Chichester, a freshman at the school, suffered fatal injuries in a car accident in Hooksett on Nov. 3.

Marissa was the sole passenger in a gold Chevrolet Malibu, driven by her mother, Denise Gray, 55. The mid-size car collided nearly head-on with an oncoming Ford pickup truck when Denise Gray lost control trying to avoid a stopped car at a traffic light near the Hooksett- Allenstown line by the Mega-X convenience store on Route 3.

The pickup was driven by Timothy Field, 52, of Pembroke.

The two drivers were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. State police said Marissa was killed during the crash.

Pembroke Academy Headmaster Mike Reardon said the school is dealing with the loss of Marissa as best it can. “When we received the news, we got our crisis team together,” Reardon said. Counselors, psychologists and clergy were on hand at the school Wednesday, Nov. 5, to help students cope with the news, he said. “We’ve got counselors in freshman classes all day today. If the kids need to talk about stuff, the counselors there to facilitate that process,” he said.

To compound the harsh reality that the teens have been confronted with, Reardon said Marissa was one of the school’s brightest students. She was a member of the field hockey team, the lacrosse team and the Key Club. Her records indicate she planned to attend college. She excelled in math.

On Nov. 5, many of Marissa’s friends wore ribbon bracelets tied at their wrists to remember her. Members of the field hockey team penciled the number 74 – Marissa’s field hockey jersey number – in black eyeliner on their cheeks. Other students made posters. Some made Tshirts to commemorate her life.

“She was genuinely liked by everybody – adults and kids,” he said. “(The students) are supporting themselves. They’re stunned, they’re shocked, but their doing what human beings needs to do during these times, which is to help each other.”

Andrea Hammond, the staff psychologist at Pembroke Academy, said students are expressing their grief in different ways and parents should be aware that even if their children were not friends with Marissa, they are still likely affected by the loss.

“First of all, parents should probably recognize kids might be grieving in different ways. They may come home and not want to talk about it,” Hammond said. “You see a lot of physical problems, stomach aches, problems with eating and sleeping.

They also go back to a younger maturity level. They regress in many ways.”

Angry, hostility, denial and depression are all common symptoms of adolescent grief, she said.

“Spend extra time with the children,” Hammond said. “Don’t be afraid of it, otherwise it will be the elephant in the room. Make yourself available to the kids a lot. They will probably need extra parental attention. They might get clingier. They might want to cuddle up with their parents. Keep things as normal as possible, but don’t be completely inflexible.”

Playmakers – ‘Tackling and blocking’ lead PA to another win

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:10:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Two big plays were enough to extend Pembroke Academy football’s improbable run toward the Division III postseason.

Taking advantage of the hosts’ many mistakes, PA won its first road game, 14-10, at John Stark Regional High School on Saturday, Oct. 13.

PA improved to 4-3, good for fifth place in D-III. The top four teams in the division vie for the championship.

“We knew pretty much we would have to win out to have a (playoff) chance, so this was a big win for us today,” said head coach Dave Tremblay.

The Spartans set the tone on defense early, stalling an 80-yard Stark drive with four consecutive stops inside the PA 10-yard line, including twice at the goal.

One play later, however, Pembroke was down 2-0; the Generals stuffed a pitch to tailback Justin Muniz in the end zone.

“That’s what we do. We pitch the ball,” said Tremblay. “We’re running east and west as much as we’re running north and south. We try to get teams moving to the side. We want to get those linebackers moving because then we can counter them.”

That’s what they did one quarter later.

With just under six minutes remaining in the half, the locals recovered a Stark fumble at the Pembroke 7.

The next play, Muniz received another pitch, sliced sharply left, broke free and took off, jetting 92 yards. That touchdown, plus Patrick McCormack’s extra point, gave PA a 7-2 halftime edge.

Though John Stark produced a lengthy nine-play, 92-yard third-quarter drive resulting in a go-ahead touchdown, the Spartans were undeterred.

The ensuing drive, quarterback John Natalizio mishandled the snap but recovered, sidestepping left, slipping two defenders and rumbling 49 yards into the end zone.

Natalizio put the Spartans ahead for good.

The PA defense was stout throughout the contest, taking over twice on downs, pulling down an interception, and forcing three fumbles – one recovered.

Making tackles and blocking well, said Tremblay, have fueled Pembroke’s success.

“That’s it. It’s pretty basic stuff,” he said. “Every week it’s pretty much the same for us. You know, it seems we’re always outsized. Everyone’s got more speed than us. We’re too small, too slow to compete. But we’ve got a lot of heart on this team.”

The Spartans next host perennial D-III power Souhegan High School of Amherst on Saturday, Oct. 20.

“We haven’t lost at home yet, and I don’t expect to lose,” said Tremblay. “And neither do the kids.”

Playoff push – Pembroke reaches .500 with victory, faces John Stark next

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:13:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

The Spartans shoved. The Eagles pushed back. But when the hosts shoved harder still, the visitors teetered and were ultimately toppled in a 34-18 Pembroke Academy victory over Kennett on Saturday, Oct. 6.

A pair of first-half touchdowns – a short run from Douglas Merrill and a 42-yard trek by Christopher Allen, who followed a lead block from quarterback John Natalizio – gave PA a 12-0 edge.

Kennett responded in the second quarter, cutting the locals’ lead to 12-6 at halftime.

“I told them (at halftime) it was pretty important that we take control right away with a sustained drive of four or five minutes,” said Pembroke head coach Dave Tremblay. “And that’s pretty much what happened.”

Indeed, Justin Muniz capped the second-half’s opening drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, and PA’s lead swelled to 20-6 when Natalizio hit Merrill in the right corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion.

Roughly four minutes later, Natalizio’s 10-yard scamper and the point-after-touchdown off the foot of Patrick McCormack made the lead three TDs.

The team, specifically the defense, is built on individual responsibility, said Tremblay.

“If they don’t do the job, we lose as a defense. That’s what’s built confidence,” said the first-year coach.
“They know they’ve got to make the play.”

For the most part, the Spartans did. Facing two exceptional Kennett athletes, running back Alain Lanciaux and 6-foot-4 tight end Ian White, Pembroke contained most of the damage with good tackling and two forced fumbles.

Jon-Michael Gattuso and Dakota Arsenault each made seven stops, while Gattuso and Nathan Huntley caused fumbles that Brian Juranty and Muniz recovered.

Benjamin Mitchell and Allen added four tackles apiece, helping the Spartans improve to 3-3.

The three wins represent the biggest total in the history of the program, though Tremblay grinned at mention of the achievement.

“I’m hoping for more than that,” he said.

Three games remain, including a road trip to Weare for a match-up with 3-3 John Stark on Saturday, Oct.. 13, at 1:30 p.m.

The teams bring similar hard-hitting, aggressive styles to the game. The winner continues its fight for a postseason berth; the loser drops below .500.

The Spartans and their coach expect a rough contest, complete with lots of pushing and shoving at the line of scrimmage, though the Generals are nowhere near a pushover.

“Whoever is willing to accept four yards (a play) should do pretty well,” said Tremblay.

• • •

After Kennett cut the lead to 27-12, Mitchell’s 2-yard burst on fourth down ended the Eagles’ final hope to pull off a comeback.

Meeting a challenge – Inexperience, injuries pose obstacles to PA

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:34:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Renee Paquette does not demand perfection. Her Pembroke Academy players do.

But with the final quarter of the regular season remaining and a playoff spot on the line, Paquette is teaching the field hockey team to play through some unexpected ups and downs.

“We lost that game to Portsmouth, and it just kind of spiraled into a bunch of losses we couldn’t come back from,” said Paquette. “The girls play really well together. They’re very close, and as much as you try to prepare for times when things won’t be perfect, they’re having a hard time adjusting.”

After opening the season with wins over Stevens and John Stark, the Spartans have lost seven games, interrupted only by a 3-2 win over visiting Bow on Sept. 18.

Against Class I club Portsmouth on Sept. 21, senior captain Katie Scofield was sidelined 10 minutes into the match with an injury.

Long before losing Scofield, right wing and senior captain Danielle Upham suffered a broken wrist during the preseason.

Despite returning a core of 10 players, now seniors, the team struggled with inexperience at times. Senior Rose Palmer, who stepped in for Upham, joined a group of upperclassman seeing their first varsity action.

“We graduated six seniors but still had a huge chunk coming back,” said Paquette. “The problem was a lot of them hadn’t been starters or were on the junior varsity team last year, so they were really getting used to playing on a varsity level each day.”

On Friday, Sept. 28, the Spartans lost to visiting Plymouth Regional, 2-0. Sophomore keeper Angelina Harwood, midfielder Jill Boucher and center Faye Lesniewski, a senior captain, each played well in the losing effort.

“After three straight losses, we sat down and asked ourselves if we wanted to just call it a year or come back and fight for the playoffs,” said Paquette. “That was really a low point for the team, but then we came out and really put up a fight against (now 7-2) Plymouth. I’m sure they thought they would just come here and walk over us, but hopefully we’re in the mindset … to hit the postseason.”

Make no mistake… If PA eliminates errors, playoffs are probable

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:46:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Though Pembroke entered the week at 3-2-1 and in prime position to advance to the postseason, consecutive losses to Bow and Portsmouth have put the Spartans’ playoff aspirations in peril.

Coach Pete Bisson said the team has the ability to bounce back.

“Now that we’ve built a very talented team, my expectation is to not repeat mistakes we’ve made already and, good or bad, use everything we do to further ourselves and hopefully put this team on the same page headed into the postseason,” said the first-year head coach. “To get there, we need to start winning and set ourselves up for that.”

Still, he said his squad was outplayed and outhustled in a 2-0 loss at Bow on Sept. 18.

“I think we allowed them to do the things they wanted to do and allowed them a lot of space and time to knock the ball around, while they closed our space and time,” said Bisson. “We weren’t able to get into any rhythm, and that’s what I’m trying to get them to understand – that we need to force teams to adapt to us rather than the other way around.”

Following the game, Bow coach George Pinkham recognized the superb play of sophomore Sam Hardy in net, saying his team easily could have put several other goals on the scoreboard.

Bisson agreed.

“Sam played very well. I think he had eight or nine saves and four or five of them, including a penalty kick, he came out of almost nowhere to stop the ball,” the Spartans’ coach said.

On Friday, Sept. 21, Pembroke lost at home, 2-1, to Portsmouth, despite controlling play for all but the last part of the game.

Junior Brandon Ricker tallied the Spartans’ lone score, continuing his strong offensive play. But Portsmouth netted both its goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

“We’re doing all the right things for part of the game, but not the entire game,” said Bisson. “I keep stressing they need to play 80 minutes and nothing less.”

Nearly every player on the 2007 Spartans, said Bisson, can plant the ball in the back of the net.

Fore-gone conclusions – Current season is bleak for PA; near future looks bright

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:57:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Six years ago Pembroke won the Class I golf title. By last season, the Spartans slipped to the point they forfeited several matches because they lacked a full team.

This year, coach Mike Desilets has a dozen players, and though his squad is young, with two seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen, he is enjoying watching the group develop on the course.

“At the very least, we are inexperienced, so my expectations are improvement more than anything else,” said Desilets. “And, for the most part, they’re doing it.

“The kids that aren’t experienced are getting it now,” he continued. “Maybe it’s not always at the right time, because sometimes I have to throw them into a match when they may not be ready, but I suppose it’s a good way for them to get to learn.”

Pembroke is 2-13 on the season and likely won’t make the Class I tournament.

But a unique blend of experience and youthful talent is what makes this season most interesting to watch, said Desilets.

While senior Josh Murray has been the team’s emotional leader and mentor, freshman Lucas Connor has been Pembroke’s top scorer.

Along with Murray and Connor, junior Tyler Clark and sophomore Jamison Syphers are the most consistent Spartans in 2007, providing the squad with a top golfer from every class.

After the top four, however, Desilets said the talent, and the scores, vary dramatically from match to match.

Completing this year’s Pembroke dozen are senior Alex Poggi, juniors John Andrews, Sean Gallant, and Neil Innarelli, sophomores Katelyn Labbay and Billy Bouchard, and freshmen Cam Beaton and Ethan Keeler.

Late heroics earn PA a win

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:49:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Pembroke Academy stunned its fans and, more importantly, visiting Portsmouth with a late-game defensive stop and subsequent touchdown, beating the Clippers, 14-10, on Saturday, Sept. 8.

Portsmouth led the Spartans, 10-7, when it reached the PA 5-yard line in the fourth quarter. But four straight stops by the locals – three by Justin Muniz and the last by Ben Mitchell – turned the ball over to Pembroke.

Two plays later, with less than two minutes remaining on the clock, Muniz ran past the cornerback and behind the safety, hauling in a strike from scrambling quarterback John Natalizio near midfield and running for the 83-yard touchdown.

Pat McCormack kicked the second of his two extra points to account for the final score.

However, the game wasn’t secured until captain Doug Merrill intercepted a fourth-down pass to stop the visitors’ last-gasp drive.

Natalizio hooked up with Mitchell in the first quarter for a 73-yard touchdown, with Mitchell catching the ball 15 yards downfield and racing into the end zone.

Merrill rushed for 45 yards on eight carries, and Natalizio added 25 yards on the ground and 171 through the air.

Mitchell’s fourth-quarter, fourth-down stop, said PA head coach Dave Tremblay, was the direct result of outside linebacker Vince Verrechia’s stuffing Portsmouth’s lead blocker.

Muniz returned a kick 27 yards and recovered a fumble caused by Jon-Michael Gattuso on the 5-yard line.

Tremblay also credited Dakota Arsenault, Nathan Huntley, captain Brian Juranty, Nathan Langone, Mike Berthiume and Jose Alicia with solid defensive efforts.

The win moves the Spartans to 1-1 as they prepare for homecoming against 0-2 Kingswood on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 1:30 p.m.

“Everyone keeps saying how small we are, how young we are and how slow we are. Our kids don’t see it that way,” said Tremblay. “This is our homecoming week. The support from the students and faculty has been outstanding this season. Our boys will be ready for Saturday, I have no doubt.”

Seniority – PA girls stopped, but season’s outlook remains bright

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 20:18:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

With New England in general, and Pembroke Academy’s field hockey team in particular, even the sunniest forecast contains the chance for a passing shower.

Such was the case for the Spartans, who were doused, 4-0, by the Lebanon Red Raiders on a drizzly Friday, Aug. 31.

But Pembroke’s head coach, Rene Paquette-Paige said the lopsided loss was an aberration, and the immediate future looks bright indeed.

“Historically, when we’ve played teams like Lebanon, it’s hard for us,” she said. “The last two, three years, we’ve tried to turn that around. (The girls) have worked hard.”

Her team of 16, with 10 seniors, is good, just not good enough to handle a squad as strong as 2-0 Lebanon, a perennial Class I playoff team with a middle-school feeder system, something Pembroke lacks.

Paquette-Paige said setbacks like this – the Lady Spartans trailed, 3-0, at the break – have become the exception, even following a deceptively lowly two-win season in 2006. Last year, the team was competitive in most of its defeats, Paquette-Paige said. This year should be better.

If that prediction proves true, the team’s captains – Faye Lesniewski, Kaitie Schofield and Danielle Upham – deserve a large portion of the credit.

Lesniewski and Schofield, whom Paquette-Paige good-naturedly called “goofballs,” set the upbeat tone.

The team waits for Upham to return from an arm injury; the cast comes off in two weeks, and she could return in three weeks. In the meantime, you’ll find Upham crowding the sideline, itching to compete.

And though the hosts were thoroughly outplayed by their guests, PA provided some action. Two shots – one by Schofield in the first half and another by senior Hannah Poirier in the second – beat Lebanon’s goalie, though neither counted because no other Pembroke player touched the ball inside the scoring circle.

Still, Pembroke finds itself at 1-1 early in ’07 thanks to a 2-1 season-opening win vs. Stevens on Aug. 28. In that game, senior attacker Jill Boucher and midfielder Schofield tallied. Sophomore goalkeeper Angelica Harwood earned the victory.

Against Lebanon, Harwood arrived minutes before the game commenced. She watched from the sidelines as fellow sophomore Brianna Hughes took over in goal, was bombarded in the first half, then settled in and played well after the break.

Jen Darby and Meaghan Nunnally represent the junior class on the team, while Haley Raymond is PA’s other sophomore.

But the seniors – Holly Brasley, Katie Cotnoir, Heather Hill, Rose Palmer, Erin Parnell, Boucher, Poirier, Lesniewski, Schofield and Upham – are something else, said their coach.

“I’ve heard this from other coaches, other teachers: this is just an amazing group of kids athletically, academically and with their contributions to the community,” said Paquette-Paige. “To have a group of 10 seniors like this … There’s a bond there. And it’s infectious.”

Program able – Pieces are in place for on-field improvement

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:03:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Last year’s Pembroke Academy football team won once. The 2007 Spartans return nearly all of last year players and first-year head coach Dave Tremblay said that’s a good thing.

“We graduated only three kids from last year, so the entire team is back … from a team that was made up almost entirely of sophomores and juniors,” said Tremblay.

But if his team stays healthy, the coach said he can envision a scenario resulting in Pembroke’s first playoff appearance.

“I’m pretty excited about the possibility, but we haven’t really set that goal yet,” Tremblay said. “The attitude of the program is much better this year than last year. The kids kind of felt like they weren’t going to do anything (in 2006), and that’s exactly what happened. This year, they feel like they are going to do good things, and they’re buying into it, and you can see it in practice, and you can see it at the scrimmages.”

The Spartans feature 12 seniors, 11 who start, and 12 juniors, including at least six in the starting lineup.

Junior John Natalizio returns with a year of quarterbacking experience to lead the offense.

Senior captains this year include Brian Juranty a guard and inside linebacker; Doug Merrill, who starts at fullback and inside linebacker; Ben Mitchell, a running back and outside linebacker; and Justin Muniz, Pembroke’s starting strong safety and running back, who Tremblay said is one of his best players on both sides of the ball.

Tremblay and company also welcome two transfers who are expected to contribute immediately.

Dakota Arsenault is literally a huge presence on this year’s defense. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Oklahoma transfer, who started at inside linebacker, steps into the Pembroke defense as the biggest player on the team.

The other significant addition, junior Vincent Verrachia, transferred from Canada and is expected to start at outside linebacker and contribute at tight end as well.

“We’ve gotten some new kids into the program that are really going to be contributors in spots we were lacking,” said Tremblay.

Moreover, last year’s successful freshmen team is feeding several additional players into the varsity roster, a trend Tremblay hopes to see continue. This year’s ninth-grade squad currently has 24 players, many of whom won the state Pop Warner title as Midgets.

Program able – Successful head coach and his staff imprint new attitude at PA

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:57:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

The Pembroke Academy football team has never had a winning football season, but Dave Tremblay has immediate plans to change the success and the mentality of the program and all those involved.

Tremblay, who this year takes over as varsity head coach, has been part of developmental football in the greater Hooksett area for almost a decade.

For seven years, Tremblay built successful Pop Warner teams with the Hooksett Hurricanes, which draw many of the same players – roughly 70 percent – from Allenstown, Pembroke and Epsom that Pembroke Academy does.

His final two years, Tremblay’s Junior Midget and Pee Wee squads finished second in the state in Division 1.

Then Richard Doell, his predecessor at Pembroke Academy, asked him to start a feeder program at the middle school.

The Junior Spartans went on to finish second in the state both years, making Tremblay’s team runners-up four straight seasons.

Now Tremblay, taking on his most difficult task yet, tries to win his first title, at any level, with a program that hasn’t exceeded four wins in its 11-year history.

But things are being done a little differently in 2007.

“When I came over and started the Junior Spartans, coach Doell told me to go ahead and run what I had been for the last several years, which helped bring in extra players, but didn’t get them accustomed to what they were doing at the high school,” said Tremblay, who also coached the academy’s junior varsity team last season. “The first thing I did was get a hold of the middle school coaches and taught them the offense and defense, so now they run exactly what we’re running at the high school, and the players are learning the same plays and terminology from sixth grade on.”

Though Suzanne Klink is also stepping into a new role, as athletics director at Pembroke Academy, she said Tremblay’s attitude and demeanor is exactly what the program needs to become respectable.

“The first thing I can tell you about him is he’s a stand-up guy,” said Klink. “We’ve had very good communication thus far, and I expect our football team is going to go out there and give 100 percent and be gentlemen at the same time.”

And since Tremblay was announced as head coach, the roster has increased from 39 players at the end of 2006 to 61 participants to begin 2007.

“I’m pretty excited about (heading the team), but I was hesitant at first because I had mixed feelings about the history here … The team hasn’t been real strong in terms of participation,” said Tremblay. “To have only 39 kids finishing the season last year is not acceptable in my opinion. So going in I knew we definitely had to do something with the numbers.

“Once I was appointed head coach, the kids started coming out of the woodwork, so that’s obviously a pretty good sign.”

Tremblay has also brought in several coaches familiar with his system, including Mike Tatro, who has been his first mate for nine years and is taking over as Pembroke’s varsity defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

Marty Auger, who has been with Trembley the last four years, serves as assistant defensive coordinator, and Keith Allen, in his third stint as a coach with the school, takes on the JV head coaching duties.

Jake Cheney, who recently graduated from Plymouth State College, where he was a wide receiver, coaches his position at the varsity level, and Mike Natalizio takes over as offensive coordinator for the freshmen and JV squads.

For the middle school team, Lenny Poole is the new eighth-grade head coach, and Frank Rhoades, one of the original coaches with the high school, is the offensive coordinator.

Athlete of the Month: Meeting – and beating – expectations

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:25:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Wili Brehm knew it was bound to happen. One day he’d have to step down as leader of Pembroke Academy’s track team; someday someone would come along and shine brighter than he did.

After spending four seasons as a Spartan, two as team captain, Wili left this year’s Class I club in younger sister Allison’s hands.

The sophomore responded with her most successful season to date.

“I was still the big dog and she was just a little freshman,” said Wili with a laugh. “She knew I was the big brother and I was the captain and a jokester, so I’d make little comments to get under her skin a bit at practices. To see her be so good so fast, I’m not surprised. I saw she had the talent from our first day together.”

At this year’s track and field Meet of Champions, on June 2, Allison competed in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. She placed third in the 100, finishing in 12.91 seconds, and fourth in the 200 with a time of 26.26.

For her accomplishments, Allison has been named this month’s “Super Shoes Athlete of the Month.”

While Wili takes a more lighthearted attitude when reminiscing about the siblings’ lone season on the same team, a more serious Allison said it was training together that set the foundation for the young sprinter’s career.

“I liked having Wili there last year. I was the only person (from Pembroke Academy) at states and Meet of Champions this year, and I wished he’d have been there,” she said. “He was always there at practices, so I couldn’t slack. He really sort of helped guide me in that first year.”

At last year’s M of C, Allison took second in the 100, while Wili finished his senior season running the 200 and 400, placing third in the 400.

Spartans head coach Greg Steelman was all smiles when speaking of the two Brehms, especially the younger one.

“She’s a wonderful competitor,” said Steelman at this season’s M of C. “To see her have this success so early in her high school career, it’s just been great. Her brother took a little more time to develop, but she’s gotten there faster than he did.”

So while Steelman and Wili optimistically look ahead to the next two seasons, Allison, also a member of PA’s varsity girls soccer team, said her recent successes only make her nervous.

“The hardest thing is knowing I want to do better,” said Allison. “But because I started off so well I’m scared I won’t be able to live up to that and do any better. I really want to run in college, but I’m really nervous I won’t be able to get any better.”

She might have her doubts, but that’s where Wili comes in.

“She came in ready and physically mature,” he said. “She’s so much stronger than the others out there, so she’ll have that to build off of. We’re not on the team together anymore, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be pushing her.

She’s going to be so good. I know it.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Super Shoes.)

Grads urged to do good

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:35:00 GMT

BY SUSAN WARE

Pembroke Academy graduated 186 seniors during a ceremony on the school grounds on Saturday, June 16.

Senior class advisor Barbara Michaud gave a moving speech where she encouraged graduates to “get a life” by shunning material wealth and doing for others.

“If you don’t do good, doing well is not enough,” said Michaud.

Headmaster Michael Reardon promised the class that he would be brief and skip all of the graduation clichés. He encouraged them to look at Vietnam and the lessons we as a society learned there.

When he enlisted and was sent to Vietnam, he assumed that the administration that sent him there had done its homework.

“But who among us cannot be appalled that a mere 35 years after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, we are asking this sacrifice of another generation in a conflict about which our leaders – those, again, who, by definition, should know better – have not done the homework of answering the same questions that were not understood in Vietnam,” said Reardon.

He also told graduates the purpose of school was to cultivate their minds so they could compete in today’s global society. Quoting from author Thomas Friedman’s book, “The World Is Flat,” Reardon said every year, India and China graduate millions more from college than the United States.

“In other words, there are a lot more people in the world prepared to steal your lunch money than there are planning to blow us up, and if you think the correct response to that is to despise them or bomb them, then you’re not doing your homework,” he said. “We – all of us – need to use our minds and remain diligent and alert about our world and our place in it.”

Pembroke is No. 1! – State names Pembroke Academy Secondary School of Excellence

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:17:00 GMT

BY SUSAN WARE

When a last-minute student assembly was called in May, the rumor mill started to churn.

“It was funny – so many rumors where going around regarding the assembly, everything from that it was a pep rally to who knows what,” said Michael Reardon, headmaster of Pembroke Academy.

Reardon had kept quiet about the reason, except for a few students he had asked to speak at the assembly.

The reason for the assembly was that Pembroke Academy had just learned that it was given a Secondary School of Excellence award from the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award Program Organization – or EDies – through their primary sponsor, McDonald’s Restaurants of New Hampshire. The school recieved the award at a banquet on Saturday, June 9.

“When the kids learned that we won the award, they went berzerk. They were so excited and so proud,” said Reardon.

Pembroke Academy was a finalist last year for this award that recognizes and celebrates schools that achieve high standards and exemplary practices of excellence within the state.

The winners are chosen by a selection committee of elementary, middle and secondary level representatives. A member from the EDies board heads each committee and members are selected from the educational and business communities throughout the state.

The award is based on a rigorous rubric, which highlights six areas of educational criteria which includes curriculum and instruction, teaching and learning process, student achievement, community and parent involvement, leadership and decision making, and school climate.

“It is very meaningful when your peers validate your work. Being in school is like being in a cave. You think you are doing good work, then this group of 15 judges come through and applauds you, it is good stuff,” said
Reardon.

Pembroke Academy gets a $1,000 prize, which Reardon says will go into the general account and be used for something educational.

As for the reason this school of 1,000 students got the nod, Reardon said the EDies committee focused on the school’s record of improvement.

“We have created a culture of constant improvement here. We are always trying to do everything better,” he said.

According to Reardon, Pembroke Academy has created initiatives that time and time again increase state test scores, cut tardiness, absences and the dropout rate, as well as increasing the number and quality of college acceptances and the number of students taking advanced placement courses.

No quit, but not quite – PA’s effort never wavered as team was bumped from playoffs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:00:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

In a season of setbacks and hurdles, it was only fitting their final game was an uphill battle.

And like they’d done all year, the girls of Pembroke Academy softball never questioned the challenge.

“At one point we were down, 6-1,” said Spartans head coach Deb Smith. “We had some nice hits, some nice bunts but we ran out of time. The kids really didn’t give up, and, had we had another inning, we could’ve pulled it off.”

Facing No. 5 Coe-Brown on May 30, the Spartans fell 6-4, ending their season at 8-8. Despite the .500 finish, Smith’s squad did not allow itself to fall victim to inconsistencies troubling an injured lineup.

Starting the year with senior Kaitlin Martinelli out with a torn ACL, losing senior outfielder Emily Parker in midseason to mononucleosis and resting starter Heather Farley during the Coe-Brown game after a collision didn’t distract a determined Spartans roster.

In a 6-1 hole entering the sixth, PA attacked with timely hits from Farley, Parker, Jenni Poulin and sophomore Molly Griggs, helping the Spartans chip away at the deficit.

“We had a runner on third in the sixth and the Coe-Brown first baseman took the ball over out of bounds,” said Smith. “It should’ve moved our runner, but the umpires didn’t see it. One call the other way and it could’ve been a different game.”

The Pembroke defense sparkled at times and hustled regularly; Parker ran down a hard-hit ball to hold a Coe-Brown hitter to a triple and Devin Cleary notched two run-saving catches at second base.

“Five or six games ago we could’ve packed it in,” said Smith. “They just didn’t let it get to them and got to the postseason.”