The Salem boys basketball team reclaimed the Class L title Saturday, March 15, by flat-out steamrolling Trinity in the second and third quarters, turning a 16-8 first-quarter deficit into a double-digit lead.

The 66-45 final score, posted inside the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium, answered anyone questioning the Blue Devils’ steady, season-long dominance en route to a second straight state crown and perfect 22-0 record.

Salem, of course, suits up some talented individuals, but their head coach, E.J. Perry, brushed off talk of any one player’s impact, focusing instead on the group’s singular effort.

“An old coach once told me the sport (of basketball) is a dichotomy,” said Perry. “It’s an unselfish sport played by selfish people. But to every player, taking home that trophy was more important than getting headlines or scoring 20 points a game. (We needed) to get 14 players to buy into this idea, and they did.”

Sure, a spectator could claim certain Salem cagers enjoyed their share of individual achievement: Joshua Frederico turning in a fourth straight intelligent, efficient post-season job at point guard; Dan Kinney and/or Shawn Stoodley grabbing a rebound, combining for a low-post pass-and-shoot bucket, or blocking a shot; Kevin Sledge hitting a jumper on one end of the floor, then stifling an opponent on the other; Josh Jones taking over the championship game for a stretch; or Michael Kimball’s brilliance in the final two playoff contests.

Perry preferred to discuss the two-time champ’s other key cogs.

In the final, Sean Bergeron became, outside of sixth-man Sledge, the one bench player who tangibly showed up in the box score. His last-minute free throw capped Salem’s output and represented public proof of all the successful struggles fought away from prying eyes during rough-and-tumble practices, battles that forged the Blue Devils into a flexible yet indestructible crew.

David McEneaney, Alex LaRosa, Brian Thornhill, Bergeron, Sam Shields, Mark Adamson, Kyle Henrick and Mark Frounjian all return next year, joining Jones and Kimball in search of a third straight Class L title.

In the meantime, they’ve helped ensure seniors Frederico, who recently won the Jack Ford Basketball Scholar award for his on-court, in-class and community work; Sledge, Kinney and Stoodley earned a special place in Salem High sports; each was a part of the first Blue Devil basketball team to win two straight titles.

“Before the game, I said adversity can break men, but if we overcome it, we can break records. And we did,” said Kimball, who’s played hoops with Jones since both were in elementary school. “We didn’t want to let the seniors down.”

It was the third time in five years Salem reached the state final. Kimball said next season would add to the recent run. “We’re not done yet.”

Game notes

Jones led the team with 19 points. He scored 11 straight points late in the first and early in the second quarter to turn that 16-8 hole into a 19-16 edge. Kimball netted 17, and it’s likely Salem wouldn’t have reached the final without his 23 points during a 46-42 win against a determined Central bunch in the semifinal on March 12.

Stoodley scored 13, including 11 in the second half as Salem pulled away. Kinney added eight markers. Both grabbed a slew of rebounds.

Frederico and Sledge split eight more points, but each contributed in other ways.

For the short time Frederico wasn’t on the floor in the second quarter, Salem looked like a rudderless ship trying to navigate its half-court offense. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing for SHS. Sledge helped check Trinity’s star, Ryan Bourgeois, while adding a handful of assists on offense.