Salem Observer : Salem, basketball

Blue Devils’ run toward third straight title stopped in semifinals

Salem Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:49:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The last two years, tears routinely fell in the locker rooms of Salem opponents.

Not this year.

After consecutive Class L state championships, the Blue Devil boys basketball team fell just short of a third straight finals appearance, losing to third-seeded Manchester Memorial, 49-41, on Wednesday, March 18.

“We always talk about blood, sweat and tears, and tonight it was tears,” said Salem head coach EJ Perry. “I had to hold them back myself.”

After trailing throughout the contest, the Blue Devils showed the mettle that won them backto- back titles, cutting the deficit to three.

With 3:21 remaining, Josh Jones cut the deficit to 42-38 with a long-distance shot, and with 1:31 left, Alex LaRosa drilled a stepback trey to pull his team within 44-41.

LaRosa narrowly missed a last-minute shot before Jones’ attempt to tie the game with 47 seconds was three-quarters of the way down before it rimmed out, and Memorial sank its free throws down the stretch to seal its spot in the finals with top-seeded Trinity.

“I thought both of those shots were heading in the basket,” said Perry. “I’d take those shots every time, but they went back rim and front rim. I was happy with the way our kids came back.”

Jones fittingly led the Blue Devils in scoring with 16, while Michael Kimball, another important part of Salem’s Class L dominance, chipped in six points.

“It’s a sad day when I have to go in and not see them on the court,” said Perry, whose team finished the year at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium again this season. “For Jones and Kimball, this has been their second home. It’s definitely a different feeling this year.”

LaRosa, hoping to lead his team deep into the tournament as a senior, remains an integral part of the Blue Devils. The junior managed nine points against Memorial’s defense.

Memorial outrebounded Salem, 28-16, led by 27 points and nine boards from Jason Cheverfils. “We were trying to figure out a way to slow them down, whether to go in a zone and stretch them out or play man-to-man,” said Perry. “You want to be able to control your own destiny and be up by 10 instead of having to worry about coming back.”

Salem dominates Bishop Guertin, needs two wins for third crown

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:18:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

EJ Perry had a question for those who predicted his Salem boys hoops squad would fall, at home, to Bishop Guertin in the quarterfinals of the Class L tournament.

“Do they know anything about basketball?” Salem took an 11-point first-quarter lead and easily won, 81- 61, on Saturday, March 14.

Indeed, it seemed unwise to pick BG against the two-time defending state champs, especially in their own gymnasium with Josh Jones on the court. And it didn’t take long for the standout senior to show those pundits just how wrong they were.

Jones opened the game by draining four straight three-point shots on his way to a 20-point night.

“The way Josh played tonight, especially in the first half to open it up – when he’s playing like that I have full confidence in what he can do and how he can do it,” said Perry. “He’s been starting games for four years. He’s won two championships, and he wants to leave his senior year with the opportunity to win a third.”

Jones’ quarterfinal performance allowed Alex LaRosa and Mike Kimball room to work, and they capitalized.

The latter notched 18 markers, and Kimball offered a gamehigh 23 points.

Though the Blue Devils were treated to the additional home playoff contest following a recent change in the tournament structure, Perry said his squad would have maintained a similar advantage at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium, where the quarterfinals have taken place in the past.

“I sort of like when you can go to UNH and play on the big floor and get the kids that experience,” he said. “We love that court. That’s our second home. They have our colors painted all over that gymnasium, probably because they know we play there so often, so we’re obviously excited about that.”

Perry and his boys won’t have to wait long.

The experienced Blue Devils were scheduled to face Manchester Memorial at UNH on Wednesday, March 18. The winner tips off against Trinity or Alvirne, at the same location, on Saturday, March 21, at 3 p.m.

Salem, ousted in first round of playoffs, sets success in motion for ’10

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:41:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The young Salem girls basketball team fell to Dover, 55-44, in the first round of the Class L girls basketball tournament on March 4.

“It was a back-and-forth game until the fourth, when Dover stepped up and scored a bunch under tough pressure,” said Salem head coach Elizabeth Briggs. “They switched to a zone in the second quarter and second half, which stymied our offense a bit.”

Caitlin Peters led the offense, dropping in 15 points.

After losing Amanda Saab to a preseason knee injury, Briggs was forced to turn to her more youthful charges, who struggled at times but absorbed valuable experience as well.

“Younger players got significant time. Olivia Conners had to step into a leadership role one year earlier than required. Nora Galvin did as well,” said Briggs. “We will have some veteran players returning.”

Dover advanced to the quarterfinals, losing to topseeded Winnacunnet, 58-48, on Saturday, March 7.

Briggs emphasized the unwelcome loss of Saab did help lead the Blue Devils toward the postseason.

“Our team was redefined in November with Amanda’s injury,” said Briggs. “If the timing were different or later, sure, we would have been exposed as relying on her too heavily. That being said, it was our journey to figure out our identity.”

Victorious Salem stifles Guertin with second-half charge

Salem Editor — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:30:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

After three minutes in the locker room with her team at halftime of Salem’s home match-up with Bishop Guertin, head coach Elizabeth Briggs left and sat on the bench for some alone time.

“I didn’t have anything positive to say, and that’s not my style,” Briggs said with a laugh following the game on Tuesday, Jan. 27. “They had to own up to it, so they met by themselves and discussed what they wanted to do.”

Whatever that discussion involved, it worked.

The Blue Devils erased a nine-point halftime deficit and held the Cardinals to 14 second- half points, storming past Bishop Guertin, 50-43.

Salem improved to 4-5 without Amanda Saab, who has missed the entire season and was scheduled to have knee surgery on Wednesday, Jan. 28, officially ending any thoughts of a comeback.

But against Guertin, the Blue Devils’ comeback was a team effort. Nora Galvin, the only Salem player in double figures with 10 points, led a balanced attack.

Saab is one of just five seniors on the Salem roster, and a large number of minutes this season have gone to young players. Of the six top scorers vs. the Cardinals, one was a senior.

“The only positive thing about Amanda’s injury was that it came the second day of practice,” said Briggs. “The team was still forming, so we’ve had the chance to get some young players prepared for some big varsity minutes.”

Salem High School coach uses setbacks as learning tools for defending champs

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:31:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

This season, the Salem boys basketball team has faced an unfamiliar opponent – adversity.

Following back-to-back state championships, the Blue Devils find themselves in the middle of the Class L pack with a 3-2 record.

“This year’s start is definitely something different than the last two years,” said head coach EJ Perry. “I have told the team on many occasions that we are just off on our timing.”

It doesn’t help that Salem’s foes sometimes have their timing down pat. One of the two losses for the Blue Devils was to 4-1 Pinkerton, which hit a game-winning shot with four seconds remaining.

During that game on Jan. 6, point guard Alex La Rosa – averaging 11 points and seven assists – played 31 minutes. During his one minute on the bench, Pinkerton went on a 9-0 run.

Following the game, Perry made the decision to convert Marcus Baldwin to a point guard and shooting guard to add depth to the team.

“You can learn a lot from losses, as long as you look at the film and correct your mistakes,” said Perry. “The young kids, like La Rosa and (sophomore center) Joe Gallant, can especially learn a great deal, and they have.”

Salem has been spreading the scoring, with Mike Kimball leading the team with close to 19 points per game, while Josh Jones is second on the Blue Devils at 16 points per contest. Jones has carried the team at times. During a 71-60 victory over Spaulding, he single- handedly pulled the Blue Devils out of a 39-30 halftime deficit, going on an individual 15-0 run by hitting five straight three-pointers.

Kimball has also carried the load during Salem victories, scoring 29 points against Greater Lawrence and 31 vs. Dover. Inconsistency has hurt the Blue Devils, who have alternated a win with a loss during the first five games of the year.

“Our expectations never change … A trip to Durham and a third consecutive title are always a goal,” said Perry. “We have two players in Jones and Kimball who have won two championships, so I feel if we can weather this bump in the road, then we can make a playoff run.”

Star's absence means Salem must distribute the ball liberally

Salem Editor — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:04:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Two days into tryouts, things changed for the Blue Devils.

During the second day of auditions, the Salem High School girls basketball team lost Amanda Saab, its potent scoring threat, to an ACL injury that will keep her sidelined until January at the earliest.

Saab is going to attempt to put a brace on her knee and return to the floor to play in her senior season, an effort head coach Liz Briggs admires.

“I don’t know if she’ll be back at 100 percent, but what she can give us is a bonus. I applaud her courage to try to play,” said Briggs. “I’ve never had anyone try to brace and play. She won’t be the Amanda Saab that she’s comfortable with or could be, but that’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there.”

Briggs said the team now looks to its guards to guide a fastpaced offense.

Caitie Peters runs the show from the point guard position, while Sarah Raye fills the other guard spot.

“(Peters) is a tough defender, looks to score when she has the chance, but really can create a lot out of the defense,” said Briggs. “(Raye) is a scrappy player, and is a little more aggressive offensively. If she doesn’t make that first shot, she’ll follow up for the rebound and make the second.”

Although the guards have different styles of play, Briggs said the two are similar in one way.

“I don’t know that they balance each other out,” said Briggs. “They’ve never been required to score points for us. If we can get offense out of them, then they’ll be doing a great job, but the majority of their offense comes from their defense.”

Olivia Connors and Kelsi Record are important low-post presences for the Blue Devils, while Briggs also said freshman Kerri White is expected to contribute in the post soon.

Gina Righini and Amanda Smigliani add depth to the guard position, while Jen Bujowski and Melissa Oullet look to add varsity experience at the forward position as the year progresses. Briggs also expects Amanda Vaudrieul to contribute as a shooter, bringing yet another option to the team.

That’s important while Saab is missing.

“I think a deep bench is certainly valuable in the long run. At some point coaches will face injuries,” said Briggs. “(Without Saab) we can’t create offense instantly. She could do that. We’ll have to work harder as a team to create offense by sharing the ball more.”

Salem boys basketball seeks third-straight crown with mix of new, returning talent

Salem Editor — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:49:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

If you need proof EJ Perry isn’t satisfied with two straight Class L basketball titles, just ask the athletes on his five-time defending state champion volleyball team.

Entering the 2009 high school hoops season, it should come as no surprise that Perry is licking his chops at the prospects of an eighth crown in five years. Who could blame him?

Yes, the Blue Devils graduated a handful of standouts from a unit that completed a 22-0 campaign last year – 32 straight overall. But fourth-year starter and first-team all-stater Josh Jones is back and arguably the leading candidate for Class L Player of the Year. Jones has already garnered more than 900 points and is a virtual lock to eclipse 1,000 sometime in January.

Co-captaining the team with Jones is junior Alex LaRosa, who takes over at point guard after backing up standout floor general Josh Frederico last season. A quartet of 6-foot-4 forwards vie to start under the basket. Senior Mark Adamson has the experience, but he and Sean Bergeron must hold off varsity newcomers Joe Gallant and Jason Kinney.

Others returning for another sweet taste of the Class L trophy include Mark Frounjian, Mike Kimball and Sam Shields, while Marcus Baldwin, Meme Okeke, Tyler Hutchinson, Kyle Henrick, Dan Tiner, Analdo Vasquez and Matt Cannone are determined to quench their collective palate as well.

Baldwin has the inside edge to start at shooting guard.

“We are definitely one of the favorites,” said Perry, who added Trinity, which the Blue Devils defeated the last two seasons in title tilts, stands in their way, along with Manchester Central, Nashua South and Winnacunnet, among others.

“The biggest obstacle we face is having only seven home games and 11 league road games, plus three more (out of class) road games.”

Salem High School basketball two wins away from perfect season

Salem Editor — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:27:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s tough enough as defending state basketball champs and the lone undefeated squad in the Class L, but to face a rival in the quarterfinals – where the top seed generally earns a cakewalk against a .500 team – is almost unfair.

Pinkerton Academy of Derry, a team the Blue Devils beat at the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tournament and again on the road, 69-48, on Feb. 8, had the advantage of familiarity according to Salem’s coach, E.J. Perry.

Unlike the previous meetings, the underdogs matched Salem point for point throughout most of the first half. But the Blue Devils extended their lead to seven by the end of the third quarter and held off a late Astros’ push to secure a 56-47 victory on Sunday, March 9, at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gymnasium.

The win, following a first-round dismantling of Manchester Memorial on Thursday, March 6, moved Salem’s record to 20-0.

“It was like two boxers just fooling around in those first two quarters … (A) 20-18 (halftime lead) is not where we want to be. I love the 18, I don’t mind that, but we don’t want to be at 20,” said the coach of his sluggish first-half offense.

While junior Josh Jones put forth a typically fine effort, scoring 16 points, it was Kevin Sledge who provided the spark Perry sought.

Both in the second quarter and the third, Sledge came off the bench and ignited the offense with timely steals that created easy baskets and some flashy moves near the basket. He finished with nine points and seven assists.

“Sledge brought what he brings every game – energy, enthusiasm … Of course we can do without the no-look passes, but when they’re completed, they look pretty good,” said Perry. “I felt like we could have controlled the tempo a little better, but that’s when you get Sledge in there … There’s the energy.”

In spite of his squad’s uneven performance, Perry said the experience was good for the players.

“They were a little tentative. You get up here, and you know, what people said at the beginning of the year is true now – that everything is new. We had five different guys, other than Jones, who were on that floor,” said Perry. “For a lot of guys it’s their first time really playing here with the bright lights, the bigger crowds, everything like that.”

Still, Lundholm Gymnasium is not unfamiliar to the Blue Devils, who currently maintain a 30- game winning streak, including three straight victories in Durham last postseason.

“I call UNH a second home,” said Perry. “Even though it’s a different environment, I love coming up here, and the kids love it, too.”

On Wednesday, March 12, Salem was scheduled to face 2006 state champ Manchester Central, which the Blue Devils beat, on Feb. 22, 63-47. A trip to the finals, set for Saturday, March 15, awaited the winner. Tipoff is 3 p.m. at UNH.

Game notes

Against Pinkerton, Michael Kimball scored 12 points, Dan Kinney contributed eight and Shawn Stoodley and Josh Frederico added six and five, respectively. Stoodley led the team with 12 rebounds and Frederico pulled in seven.

In the team’s 61-42 preliminary- round win against Memorial, Jones paced the scorers with 20 points. However, Perry pointed to the key contributions of Alex LaRosa and Mark Adamson. LaRosa, whom Perry called a zone-buster, scored six points by hitting both three-point attempts, dished two assists and grabbed three rebounds. Perry said the 5- foot-8 spark plug forced Memorial to abandon its zone defense by hitting those two long-range shots.

Adamson, like LaRosa, hit a big three-pointer that gave the hosts their biggest lead of the game. He finished with five points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Second-half push sends powerful Salem past winless Concord

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:42:00 GMT

By Matt Schooley

The Concord High School girls basketball team was hungry for its first win of the season, but Salem High School wasn’t letting that get in the way of its fast start to the year, cruising to a 63-47 road victory.

Concord kept the contest on Friday, Jan. 25, within shouting distance into the halftime break, but the Blue Devils pulled away to improve to 9-1 on the season.

Amanda Saab turned in a solid game for the visiting Blue Devils, playing especially well in the final quarter to push the Salem lead to as many as 23.

Despite playing a winless opponent, Salem head coach Elizabeth Briggs said her team faced a tough task.

“It was a battle tonight. They’re hungry, and I was impressed by how they played that third quarter,” she said. “In the second quarter we sat back and our defensive effort was lacking, and we let them back into it. In the third quarter we were on a mission to come out with intensity and work harder.”

Saab scored six points in the fourth, including a breakaway layup that pushed the Blue Devil lead to its peak.

“(Amanda Saab) really took over the fourth and made a difference,” said Concord head coach *** Pratt. “She’s a nice player. She’s a difference maker, and she really was one in this game.”

Concord’s closest margin of loss this season has been 11 points, leading to the Crimson Tide’s current 0-10 record.

“They were 0-9 coming in, but they were scary as heck,” said Briggs. “We were certainly not overlooking Concord. We maintained the lead with some key subs, and were able to come out with a win.”

Kelsi Record and Sarah Raye came off the bench to play well on both ends of the floor for Salem.

Salem reached double figures in victories following a 57-55 win against visiting Bishop Guertin on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The Lady Blue Devils entertain 8-3 Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 1.

State champs need even bigger contributions from returners

Salem Editor — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:17:00 GMT

By Ryan O’connor

Now coach E.J. Perry has the unenviable task of finding not only someone to replace Savage’s clutch play, but also filling the holes created by the departure of three all-state cagers.

“We try to reload rather than rebuild, and that’s what we’ve done fairly well,” said Perry of his 10-year tenure. “The difference is not having a Stephen Savage, who was able to create for himself and was able to get big rebounds. If we ever had to go to a guy, he was there. We need someone like him to emerge and be that player for us this year.”

It’s not that Salem doesn’t return plenty of talent, said Perry, who added the pieces are in place for consecutive titles. It’s just a matter of his team’s ability to consistently meet its short-term goals and provide itself another opportunity.

“One of our main goals is to make it to Durham (for the Class L tournament quarterfinals), which we have done six consecutive years going,” said Perry. “Our motto in the locker room is, ‘The road to Durham goes through Salem,’ and we want to make sure we’re there every year, good or bad.”

It all starts with Josh Jones, who has already scored 550 points entering his third year. Perry said the junior will almost surely eclipse 1,000 points in his career.

Aside from the prolific scoring threat, Salem also returns Dan Kinney, the 6-foot-4 player of the year in Division I volleyball, who now has five state titles on his resume - four straight in volleyball – and takes over as the Blue Devils starting center.

“That’s why he’s our captain,” said Perry. “He has five championship rings, and that just speaks volumes about the type of kid and type of player he is.”

Another captain, junior Mike Kimball, has made huge strides as he enters his third year at the varsity level.

“He was really our seventh man last year, and now this is his opportunity to start from the beginning of the season,” said Perry. “He, by far, had the best summer of any of the kids. He’s just ready for the season.”

Sean Stoodley, known for his physical play on the gridiron, started for the eventual state champs early last season before breaking his hand.

Though the 6-foot-2 forward returned for the title contest, Perry said he looks forward to seeing Stoodley play an entire season in the starting lineup.

Taking over at point guard is Josh Frederico, who received spot starts last season.

Returning as the team’s sixth man is Kevin Sledge, also known for his football prowess.

“He was one of main reason we won the championship game last year,” said Perry. “Sledge really thrives in that role. When he comes in, he makes an instant impact on both offense and defense.”

Mark Addison, Salem’s 6-foot-4 sniper at shooting forward, keys the Blue Devils’ outside attack.

Youth movement – Families’ focus shifts to children in multiple athletic endeavors

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:20:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

It’s a Sunday afternoon in late January, and Colleen and Bob Nagri plan to eventually settle in for the night to catch the New England Patriots’ playoff showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.

Their Dodge Durango – its back windshield plastered with eight metallic silhouettes of different athletes, representing the sports their children, 10-year-old Alex and 9-year-old Kyle, play – sits idle for the moment. Soon, they’ll drive Alex to her soccer practice, and hopefully make it back in time for kickoff.

Tomorrow, she’ll have a lacrosse clinic to attend, while Colleen plays in her Monday night women’s soccer league. In the days to follow, Kyle will run from a travel hockey practice to one for basketball – recreation or travel, take your pick. Alex will also train with her basketball team, and if Bob hadn’t blown out the same knee twice years earlier, he’d have a men’s league basketball game to look forward to. Then it’s games the following weekend.

But it’s not too bad. It’s winter – “kind of that offseason,” Colleen said – and the typically busy week comes after what Bob called a “light weekend” of four practices and three games.

Of course, it didn’t compare to a weekend earlier in the season when Kyle and Alex, between two jamboree soccer tournaments, two basketball games and two hockey games, combined for 10 contests – on a Saturday.

“Half our friends think we’re nuts,” Bob said, referring to the Salem family’s demanding sports schedule, mapped out event-by-event in an oversized day planner. “And the other half is doing the same things.”

With the growth of options and demand in youth sports, the Nagris’ story isn’t uncommon.

At a national and local level, single-sport youth athletes have become more uncommon; neighborhood and regional organizations, better organized than ever before, are accommodating more and more kids; the attraction of higher levels of play, such as those offered by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), has intensified.

From the popularity of events such as the Little League World Series to the growing sums of money families pay to play, there’s no denying youth sports have become a different beast than 15, 10 or even five years ago.

How some of these families juggle it all can be an art in itself. Why they do it can be as abstract.

Youth sports, parents and coaches assert, keep kids active, teach them life lessons of succeeding and failing, and, for a select few, provide an avenue to bigger and better opportunities. For some, it’s fueled by competitive drive; for others, it’s a way to meet and be with friends.

“But other than that, I don’t know why,” said John Riehl, president of Goffstown Junior Baseball and father of 14-year-old Matt and 10-year-old Timmy, who play sports year-round. “I think we’re all crazy.”

‘The Life’

For Marianne and Todd Philbrick, the introduction to youth sports – or “The Life” as Marianne called it – started when now 13-year-old daughter Ellie signed up for cheerleading at 7. It began with five practices a week in August, three to four during the fall season, before her schedule ballooned with intensive lessons at the Bedford Dance Center.

Then Ben, now 12, started playing sports. He tried baseball and currently plays for the AAU’s Black Flies. He also enjoyed hockey and competes for a travel team out of the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association. Along the way, he picked up football, lacrosse and basketball.

Next, 9-year-old Rachel found soccer and gets her kicks playing for the Bedford-based New Hampshire Classics, in addition to taking dance lessons.

“It was more like it kind of crept in our day-to-day living,” said Marianne, a Bedford resident. “In the beginning you stay through every practice. You just stay and watch. And then you can’t because child No. 2 has their own stuff, and you have to bring them there. And then two years later, child No. 3 comes along. And before you know it, they’re all in elementary school with a hugely busy schedule.”

The Philbricks are not alone. Desiree Casey, also of Bedford, said between her three children – 12-year-old Ryan, 10-year-old Andrew and 6-year-old Carly – the family covers six sports in football, hockey, lacrosse, softball, swimming and tennis. She didn’t include skiing and snowboarding.

Scott Sprague of Hooksett has two boys – Austin, 11, and Devon, 9. Each plays travel soccer, travel hockey and baseball.

“I think Easter Sunday was the first day in over a year that neither of my kids got out of their PJs,” Sprague said. “It hasn’t happened much, but they got up and Devon goes, ‘What do I have for sports today, Dad?’ I go, ‘You have nothing.’ And he says, ‘What? I don’t have any games or anything? Oh man.’”

As a result, families like the Philbricks, Caseys and Spragues have helped spark some interesting phenomena.

One has been pure growth at the local level. Organizations such as the Hopkinton Youth Sports Association feature roughly 300 kids in baseball, 200 in soccer and 200 more in basketball, all kindergartners to eighth-graders, said president Darren Winslow.

Though there aren’t exact numbers on how many of those kids play multiple sports, that’s 700 registered athletes from a town of 1,544 households, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Salem girls softball is another example. Based in what’s always been considered a “softball town,” said president Ann Gubellini, the organization shifted from Little League to Babe Ruth last summer, added several travel teams and saw registration swell from 360 to 440 girls.

The attraction of playing for those travel teams in Amateur Softball Association (ASA) tournaments was a huge draw, Gubellini said, as the opportunities in the sport, from facilities to available leagues, have grown.

“In this area,” she said, “it’s just spun out of control.”

That’s at the local level. Mix in travel teams, and schedules become more hectic.

The juggle

When sports overlap, which parents agree happens most often in October between fall and winter sports and March or April between winter and spring, conflicts arise and the multi-sport athletes are left with decisions.

The general rule is, Marianne Philbrick said, when two events conflict on the schedule, her family and others she knows tend to stay loyal to the sport concluding at the time. When an early April hockey playoff series interferes with a baseball tournament, hockey comes first.

Some coaches are more flexible than others.

“In lacrosse, they (the coaches) said, ‘If you’re trying out, we expect that lacrosse is your primary sport,’” said Desiree Casey of Bedford. “Andrew made the decision that he wanted to try out and that he didn’t want to play baseball. And that’s OK with him. At least the expectations were up front.”

As children get older and the competition become more serious, different choices have to be made – which sports stay and which go.

Marianne Philbrick said her son, Ben, has experienced that, giving up lacrosse and basketball when his AAU baseball commitments became too much at age 10.

Bob and Colleen Nagri of Salem said the same thing about their daughter, Alex, who stopped participating in gymnastics when that clogged her growing schedule.

These decisions are nothing new. Children needing to choose at an earlier age, however, is a recent trend.

“And I’m kind of torn on that, and I think a lot of other coaches are, too,” said Bill Gahara, president of the Hooksett Youth Athletic Association. “But it seems once they become 12 or 13 years old, kids are starting to specialize and are starting to play that one sport year-round.”

That, in turn, has led to even more changes.

The next step

At 12, Jay Yennaco, a Red Sox third-round draft pick in 1995, played 15 games of Little League baseball and a handful more for his town’s all-star team in 1988. He had at his disposal private instructors – perhaps a parent who used to pitch or a high school coach who worked with talented youngsters.

Baseball was the Windham native’s primary sport, and these were his options less than 20 years ago.

“Today, if I was 12 years old, I can play a 70-game AAU schedule. Today, private instruction is run by college coaches, past professional players or at minimum, college players. It’s really an expertise,” said Yennaco, who offers private lessons mainly to high school and college-age players but has had parents of youth players approach him.

“I’ve worked with 7-, 8-year-olds,” he continued. “But I think there are parents out there who would have a 4-year-old come, although I necessarily wouldn’t encourage it.”

Yet, that is the reality for families whose children have chosen to take their athletic abilities to the next level.

With individualized lessons on the rise and more chances to play on a regional or national stage, many families willingly devote the extra time and money, and do so far more than they used to.

Ed Skovron, president of the New England AAU office, said the organization was home to 15,000 regional members when he took over roughly six years ago.

Now, with the addition of more sports like lacrosse and diving, New England AAU features roughly 25,000 members, Skovron said.

The biggest growth among the more established sports has come in baseball, up to 4,000 from 2,500 four years ago, he said.

“That’s what’s happened – kids that have that type of ability, the parents want to see the maximum ability that they have,” said Skovron, who’s been involved with AAU since 1990.

Today, Skovron agreed, families are more concerned with realizing their young athlete’s potential.

“Absolutely,” he said. “All you need to do (to understand why) is go down to Disney World when
they run the (AAU national championships) down there, and you’ll see 375 Division I coaches watching kids there play basketball.”

The draw of earning a college scholarship is strong for many talented athletes, but not every AAU athlete is after that.

“I think you have to play AAU basketball if you want to make the school team or to continue to play,” said Chrissy Sylvain, a Weare native who started the Weare Lady Generals 14-and-under AAU girls basketball team this year. “Even if you want to play (junior varsity), you have to play AAU. If you don’t play, you’re really behind everyone else.”

That’s where many coaches and parents feel youth sports have moved. And it’s not cheap.

Marianne Philbrick, for example, said her family pays $1,500 for Ben to play AAU baseball with the Black Flies.Yennaco, who also serves as the Nashua Pride’s pitching coach, said private instruction for baseball players, depending on the instructor, can run from $30 to $45 for a 30-minute lesson and $55 to $75 for an hour.

Rob Day, goalie coach for the Hooksett-based New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and co-founder of Puckstoppers goaltending, said private instruction in his field can range from $80 to $100 per hour and, in some cases, up to $300 per hour.

He also estimates there are eight to 10 legitimate goaltending instructors in New Hampshire alone.

“The day of the three-sport guy is pretty much gone,” said Day, who has 139 athletes in his database and added 65 in the last two years. He said he’s worked with some as young as 8. “The bar has been raised quite a bit. There are more opportunities for kids, but everybody’s always looking for that little edge.”

The sacrifice

When Bob Nagri drives through his neighborhood, he sees driveway basketball hoops and hockey nets. Much like in his home, he knows there are buckets of balls and sticks in neighboring garages and basements.

Rarely does he see kids playing with them.

“When I was a kid, we’d rush home, get our homework done and get out there playing as a group until the lights went out,” Nagri said. “Now, they do their homework, and they have a half an hour before they have to be at practice.”

It’s just another subtle change in the landscape of youth sports. The costs, which several families estimated were $5,000 to $15,000 annually, stand out.

The miles do, too. Scott Sprague and his wife, Lisa, whose two sons play travel hockey, bought a sedan a year and a half ago for better gas mileage on tournament trips to Canada. The car, new then, now has 36,000 miles on it.

Steve and Kelly Kirkpatrick, Bedford residents with four boys who play year-round sports, have two minivans to make the travel easier.

But maybe it’s the small changes – fewer family dinners, lazy Saturday afternoons that are no more, extinction of family vacations taken on a whim – that stand out most.

“Family life in general has changed,” said Steve Kirkpatrick. “It’s more accepted that parents take their kids one direction or another a lot of different nights, and they give up family dinners and stuff like that.”

In the end, these are changes they embrace.

“My life is around my kids,” said Colleen Nagri. “So if they want to do it, I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.”

It’s good! – Last-second jumper nets Salem a state title

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:59:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

With 29.5 seconds left in this year’s Class L boys basketball title game, E.J. Perry huddled his players around him to detail what would be the final play of Salem High’s season.

And the play was exactly what Stephen Savage dreamed it would be.

The Blue Devils senior got the ball with 11 seconds left, held it under one arm, wiped his brow and took a peek at the scoreboard: 51-51. With five seconds left, Savage dribbled around the right wing, taking on Trinity’s Steve Rice one-on-one, and sank an arching, fadeaway three-pointer to clinch the championship at the buzzer.

“This is unbelievable, you can’t even imagine it happening a better way,” said Savage, this year’s Class L Player of the Year. “The play was to get me the ball, and I was to dribble down for a layup, but then I heard the coaches on the sidelines yelling to hold the ball instead. I knew right when the ball left my hands it was in.”

So sure was Savage that, the moment the ball was released, he began drifting back toward his team to celebrate.

Standing with arms interlocked, Salem’s bench players – and hundreds of fans – swarmed Savage after a 54-51 win over Trinity at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gym on Saturday, March 17.

It was the second time the Blue Devils played for the title in Savage’s four-year career and the team’s first championship since 1995.

The Pioneers earned a berth in the finals after a comeback win over 2006 champion Central.

Salem, though, stayed true to its nickname, the Cardiac Kids, coming from behind to win 10 regular-season games. Trailing Trinity at halftime, 30-19, the Blue Devils, behind Kevin Sledge and Brian White, powered to a 43-42 advantage after three quarters.

“(My teammates) played some great defense,” said Sledge, a running back for the Blue Devils football team.

“They got me some good looks, and I got into a groove, I guess. I knew we had to stay in it because we’ve been behind many times and come back.”

Sledge and White combined for 12 of Salem’s 24 third-quarter points. The final frame found the squads in a back-and-forth battle; neither led by more than three points. White, the Blue Devils’ 6-foot-4 center, sank two pressure-packed free throws to knot the score, 51-51 with 1:27 left.

“I told my seniors to suck it up and play the way they’ve been playing all year,” said Perry of his halftime pep talk. “I asked them how they wanted to leave and reminded them they’d been down this road before.”

On the possession following White’s free throws, Trinity’s Dan Hartford missed his two fouls shots to give Salem the ball and set up Savage’s memorable play.

Savage finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists, while Sledge added 10 points and three steals. White scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds in his final game as a Blue Devil. Also graduating this year are point guard Chris Voukides, Nick Loomis and Tajh Stokes.

“We were surprised they didn’t come out on Steve and play defense like they had the whole game,” said Perry of the final play. “All of a sudden they were gonna let us go for the last shot, so we were going to take it. I’ll put Steve Savage on the last shot every time.”

Two down, two to go – Salem High easily reaches semi finals

Salem Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:57:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

They watched as one of their own scored his 1,000th point. They spun and twirled through double- and triple-teams, finding the hoop for highlight-worthy scores. They flew around the court like madmen, stealing balls and wreaking havoc on defense.

Basically, it was just another night for the boys of Salem High basketball.

The Blue Devils kept their stellar season alive with a 74-56 win over Spaulding, the only team to hand Salem a loss this year, on Monday, March 12. The squads faced off at the University of New Hampshire’s Lundholm Gym
for a Class L quarterfinal-round matchup.

The Blue Devils jumped out early on treys from Nick Loomis, Stephen Savage and Josh Jones. Spaulding never led against the team it beat 77-69 during the regular season.

“Now we’ve beaten every team in Class L,” said a smiling Blue Devils head coach E.J. Perry. “They really zoned us the first time, so we knew what was coming. We got them out of the zone by shooting from outside, we were 6-for-11 in the first quarter, and that really set the tone.”

Perry’s pack led 37-31 at intermission. The third quarter was an offensive battle between Salem’s Savage, who’s bolstered his case for Player of the Year, and Spaulding star Lucas Croteau, who compiled all of the Red Raiders’ 11 points in the frame.

Spaulding cut the lead to four points midway through the third, but a Savage 3-pointer and two foul shots from Jones gave the Blue Devils a 49-42 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

With 7:01 remaining, fans began the countdown to the senior point guard’s 1,000th point. A little less than two minutes later, Savage solidified his spot in the Salem High record books with a 12-foot jumper from the edge of the key.

“I didn’t know I got it,” said Savage, who entered the night 23 points away from 1000. “I didn’t realize until the bench jumped up, and I looked in the stands, and everyone was holding up signs.”

Savage finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Chris Voukides netted 16 points, while 6-foot-4 center
Brian White, averaging a double-double at 10.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, fouled out in the game’s final minutes.

Sophomore Mike Kimball and Shawn Stoodley provided solid performances off the bench.

“A kid off the bench who stood out who didn’t play against Spaulding (the first time) and can be an X-factor is Stoodley,” said Perry of his backup center. “Stoodley had six points in the second quarter and six for the game (against Dover), but they were a big six points.”

Sophomore starter Jones, playing with “ice in his veins,” according to Perry, finished with 12 points.

The Blue Devils are locked in for a semifinal game versus Nashua South, against which Salem erased an 18-point deficit for a win in the regular season. The game is scheduled for Thursday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m.

“South plays 99 percent man-to-man (defense), so we’ll prepare for that,” said Perry. “That first game was too close, we were at home and had to come back from a lot. These guys are great under pressure because of the five seniors and their great leadership.”

• • •

In hosting and beating No. 16 Dover in the tourney’s first round, 69-41, Savage scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Jones had 12 points and five rebounds. White added 10 points and 10 boards. Loomis scored nine points, Voukides had eight, and Stoodley finished with six.

Beating the best – SHS knocks off two-time champs, claims top seed

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:43:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

It began the night as Salem High’s Davis Gym. It finished as official headquarters of “Savage Nation.”

And it’s now home to the No.1 seed in this year’s playoffs.

The road to the top spot was marked with an impressive overtime win against two-time defending champion Central.

In front of a near-capacity crowd of around 1,100 fans clad in blue and white or green and white, Salem beat Central, 67-58, on Friday, Feb. 23.

“We went nuts (in the locker room),” said a smiling Salem head coach E.J. Perry after the game. “We knew (Central head coach) Doc (Wheeler)’s team was going to make us work for it. These guys have really grown up this year.”

As usual, leading the way for Salem was senior Stephen Savage, whose face was proudly displayed on a poster reading “Savage Nation” by Blue Devils fans. Though Savage took time off before the game trying to get over the flu, the guard finished with 21 points.

The Blue Devils erupted for 15 points in the extra session, opening the frame with a Josh Jones 3-pointer, a Savage steal and a Mike Kimball layup. Savage’s 21st point, a foul shot, gave Salem a 58-52 lead with 2:28 remaining.

“They played defense the whole night,” said Savage. “I knew it would be a tough night, but we were as ready as we could be. Coach would take me out the last two minutes of every quarter, but I was itching to get out there.”

Kimball scored nine points off Perry’s bench, posting his final points on a layup good for a 60-54 Salem lead. The Blue Devils outscored Wheeler’s squad, 8-4, from the free-throw line in overtime.

In a game defined by physical intensity, Central’s William Brooks fouled out in overtime, while Salem’s 6-foot-4 center Brian White was benched in the fourth quarter; Savage also flirted with four-foul danger the final eight minutes of the game.

“Whitey (Brian White) was really going, but he isn’t good at avoiding fouls,” said Perry.

“There was no question, though, I wasn’t going to take him or Savage out because it was such a close game.”

With one loss apiece before the matchup, Central fought the Blue Devils to a 16-15 lead after one quarter. The second frame featured the Little Green’s well-known defense; they led Salem by seven points – the biggest lead of regulation – at halftime.

Jones and White ignited the Blue Devil offense to pull even after three periods, 37-37, before senior Chris Voukides sank one of the most important shots of the night with 3:31 left in the fourth quarter.

Voukides converted a four-point play to tie the game before the powerhouses battled back-and-forth into overtime. He finished with 14 points, including six free throws in overtime.

Leading Central was 6-foot-2 junior Mike Stys of Hooksett, who finished with a game-high 25 points. Sophomore Will Bayliss, who played a tough man-to-man battle with Voukides all night, combined with Hooksett’s Josh Last for 23 points.

With starter Nick Loomis and Kevin Sledge hurt, Perry got some much-needed support from Jones, who scored 11 points, and White, who pulled down 13 rebounds.

“This was a great game of high school basketball,” said Perry. “Doc’s team has such great man-to-man (defense), we knew we had to just play the game of our lives.”

Attention! – Salem still perfect after whipping Guertin

Salem Editor — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:01:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

It’s not the first team you think of when you’re talking about Class L boys basketball powerhouses. It’s not the two-time defending state champion. It hasn’t had any players receive a Division I college scholarship in
the last two years.

It’s the other undefeated team.

And it has no problem going unnoticed while Central gets the headlines.

The boys of Salem basketball joined Central as the only team to beat Bishop Guertin of Nashua, with a 79-62 win on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The win pushed the Blue Devils’ record to 10-0, Salem’s best Class L start in around 20 years.

“We’ll come in under the radar, over it, through the radar,” said Salem head coach E.J. Perry with a laugh.

“As long as we’re winning games and doing what we’ve been doing, we don’t care who gets the spotlight.
Tonight was a big win. We built the lead and kept adding.That’s the only way we knew we’d take it.”

Perry had plenty of reasons to smile as he exited the previously packed gymnasium at BG. His star point guard, Stephen Savage, scored a career-high 36 points, while 6-foot-4 center Brian White had a stellar night under the boards.

Savage, who averaged 18 points as a junior last year, added six rebounds and five steals. White scored 13 points and pulled down a team-high 11 boards, although Perry jokingly had a hard time believing his carom-specialist didn’t have more.

Junior Josh Jones finished with 15 points, including two treys, and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
The 17-point win was a testament to Salem’s defense, which constantly pressured the usually calm Cardinals. Blocked shots, traveling violations and miscues in the passing game plagued BG after the first quarter, when the Blue Devils led, 19-14.

“We spend a lot of time on defense in practice,” said Savage after the game. “Defense is No. 1; we’re like Central in that way. We don’t really feel we’re being overshadowed because I think we’re just as good.”

Perry sticks with a nine-man rotation. Starters White, Savage, Jones, Nick Loomis and Chris Voukides played most of the game, until relief came from juniors Kevin Sledge and Dan Kinney in the third and fourth quarter, respectively.

“With Stephen and Josh going like they’re going, they get in around 30 minutes a game,” said Perry. “We get it from different guys though. Tonight we got good depth from Sledge. One night we had it from [Josh] Frederico. It just depends.”

So while Central may be the team associated with the best 2007 campaign, the Blue Devils are quietly getting the job done.

Ask Savage about the untarnished record and he modestly waves it off as just another statistic, saying the only wins that count come when the regular season’s over.

Maybe he gets it from a coach who, early this year, recorded his 100th career win as Blue Devils mentor, but simply smiles and tries to change the subject for fear of being the center of attention.