BY RYAN O’CONNORAmong city schools competing at the Meet of Champions, it was Manchester Memorial finishing highest with 20 points to Central’s 13 and West’s 10. That’s due, in large part, to Jacob Gagnon’s second-place finish in the 215-pound weight class at the meet on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Londonderry High ...

BY JENN McDOWELLResults from the first year of 11th grade New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing show local high school students are performing below statewide averages in math, reading and writing. Acting Superintendent of the Manchester School District, which educates students from Hooksett, Candia and Auburn, Henry Aliberti, ...

BY JERRY LIPTAKThe coaches from Manchester Memorial, West and Central, realizing their respective wrestling squads had little chance to pin down a Division I team title, focused on sending as many wrestlers as possible to the Meet of Champions. And from that perspective, the state meet was a success. Manchester’s public high schools ...

BY SAPNA PATHAKFor Beth Dooley, the best part of being the head coach of Memorial’s girls lacrosse team is never having to be quiet. The first-year mentor leads a Crusaders squad that hasn’t seen a win in more than two years. But not having to hold her tongue has kept the Crusaders smiling and positive despite their winless ...

BY SAPNA PATHAKKelsey Isham really is a good sport. But after driving in the game-winning run and earning her team a victory over a favorite rival, the Auburn native couldn’t resist going over to remind her opponents of the play. It’s not something you’d usually see Isham do, but this opposing lineup was different. “Well, ...

BY SAPNA PATHAKHe thought about it all night. What would he say? What would he want someone to say to him had the tables been turned? Brandon Czaja still doesn’t know. The Central High first baseman said he’d remain quiet after coming up with a loud hit against defending Class L baseball champion – and Queen City rival – ...

BY SAPNA PATHAKWhen Joe Belanger first met his new head coach, the idea of having a basketball mentor lead a tennis team “had to be a joke.” A year later, Belanger is the first you’ll hear explaining why Aaron Abood was the best person for the job. Learning what makes a good coach, Belanger steps into his final season on ...

BY MATT STOUTFor two straight seasons, Cody Kelley, Jack Croasdale and the rest of the Manchester Memorial boys lacrosse team have endured different coaches, different systems and the same heartbreak that comes with consecutive 0-16 campaigns. So this season, Kelley and Croasdale’s junior year, there’s a push for change. With ...

BY NICHOLAS BROWNSeveral Manchester parents told a committee considering the future of West High School – which will see an exodus of Bedford students over the next two years – that a simple solution would be to send all students from Hooksett, Auburn and Candia to the West Side school. “I think the most practical solution is to ...

BY SAPNA PATHAKWhen the girls of Memorial softball kick off their 2007 campaign, head coach Dave Hedge has four solid reasons why he thinks they can make another appearance in the championship game. With the third-year head coach relying on the arms of returning hurlers Kerry Webb, Rachel Hedge, Morgan Ziemba and Auburn’s Sara Murray, the ...