Once a year I preview every single game on the Friday schedule…even throwing in a Thursday night game or two.

 This is an idea I am excited about at the beginning, having second thoughts about halfway through and at the complete self-loathing stage by the time I am previewing Fall Mountain/Winnisquam four hours in…

 Tradition is what we are all about as we begin to hit the stretch drive of our 10th season of coverage so…here we go.

 But before we do…

 We will be out at two games Friday night; The Great Jon Kesty and I will be out at NHTI to watch Joe Simpson & The Lynx begin their post-season in the conference quarterfinals.

 Justin McIsaac & Jennifer Chick-Ruth will be in Winnacunnet when we get our first look at Salem in ‘Swishgate III’.

 A quick note before we do, our NHsportspage Facebook page is under David M Haley, only because Zuckerberg made us change it (it is not my personal Facebook.. it’s all NHsportspage content).

It’s a great page for us because we see our videos being shared up to 40 or 50 times, plus with over 3,300 ‘friends’ we reach our audience on another social media platform.

 We are in the process of moving everything from that David M Haley (it stands for Michael since you asked and only my mother gets away with calling me by it...) to the existing NHsportspage Facebook off of it.

 Do us a favor and link to that page so you will continue to get our articles, videos, and content there. Thank you!

 Now on to slowly losing my mind over 38 previews…….

 Division I

 Portsmouth (12-2) at Nashua South (5-8)

 Jim Mulvey can save himself the ‘ I’m telling you this team is better than their record indicates’ speech after Nate Mazerolle’s team jumped up and bit Winnacunnet on Tuesday night.

 The speech would be correct, even if it’s no longer necessary.

 South has lost a pair of games when Richie Mercado (18.9 ppg.) was out, including one to Concord that may hurt them come the tie-breaker time at the end of the season. They’re athletic, well coached and Mercado is a legit scorer. The Clippers will be happy to get out of Nashua with a win, by any score necessary.

 I thought Cody Graham (14.2 ppg) looked good on Tuesday night in an easy win over Merrimack.

 He’s shooting less, and in Jim Mulvey’s offense, that is the role of the point guard. Going back to Mike Fransoso, Nate Jones and the seemingly 7 years Shon Parham ran the point. Graham has yet to break out as a scorer but that’s coming soon, and he might have had 10 assists against Merrimack.

 In other words, don’t judge him on his scoring totals.

 

 Salem (8-5) at Winnacunnet (11-3)

 Swishgate III.

 Two years ago Salem guard Matt McLaughlin hit a shot from 40 feet at the buzzer to beat Winnacunnet…only he didn’t.

 The officials, blocked by a Salem player who jumped towards the rim, never saw the ball go through the basket (it did and video evidence proved it) and no administrators were willing to do the right thing after the fact and award Salem the win.

 What followed was a 50-minute podcast with Justin McIsaac & I breaking it down at ‘Deflategate’ level fervor and a spot in Barstool Sports (our second at NHsportspage) by El Pres Dave Portnoy himself.

 It also brought a dramatic change in how games like this are handled; with video evidence allowing teams now to be able to avoid accepting a loss for a game they won and everyone in a decision making role pulling a  ‘Can we just pretend that didn’t happen and move on? Thanks..’ approach. The controversy led to video replay being allowed when it is available and we are all better for it in 2018.

 The last two sentences, of course, were a complete fabrication. Absolutely nothing has changed and if someone wins a game at the buzzer (Salem) or doesn’t (Merrimack in the 2016 Division I title game) we will leave it up to one official's split-second call,,,, when not one D1 college or NBA referee has such a burden on him or her.

 

 Bedford (11-3) at Pinkerton Academy (2-11)

 I’ll repeat what I said on our radio show…..Pinkerton should never be 2-11 in anything unless they have been relocated to the NFC South and even then Brian O’Reilly would have them competitive, you’re telling me he couldn’t beat the Buccaneers??

 By the way, if I had one game to win and had a two-way draft I would make sure Max Chartier was on my team…and if it was against McIsaac I would take Arie Breakfield first just to watch him melt down like some 6-year-old getting dragged out of Toys R Us.

 

 Trinity (1-13) at Nashua North (2-10)

 Both of these teams play hard and they are competing night tonight. I like to tease Steve Lane because Nashua North is the only Division I team determined to stay off the NHsportspage grid (no roster, no stats, and no call back for the preview) but he is a terrific guy and just as good of a coach.

 North has some young talent and they will back in the mix possibly as soon as next season.

 Jim Migneault returned to Trinity a little wiser after his run at Bishop Guertin and from everything I see and hear the kids like playing for him and they are getting better.

 Watching Migneault and Dave Keefe barking orders from the sidelines (in Keefe’s case, just outside the three-point line) was one of my favorite experiences when NHsportspage first began many years ago…it was a good hire for Trinity.

 I’m just interested to see if they remain in Division I in the  future…they’ve dropped down everywhere else.

 

 Exeter (10-3) at Dover (6-7)

 Exeter might be the first team to ever be pre-season #1, win the title, and still be able to say ‘No one believed in us but the guys in this room!’

 This game could be a preview of the #4 vs #13 first round game in the tournament (the top 3 seeds in Division I get a first-round bye).

 Would Dover over Exeter surprise you? Yes, it should.

 Would it shock you?

 It shouldn’t…I think you will see more #13 over #4 seed level upsets this season than we have in 10 years…Division II is going to be Banana land…I could see a 15 over a 2 there.

 

 Manchester Central (9-4) at Londonderry (8-5)

 Two very well coached basketball teams. Dave Keefe really invested in this team over the off-season; spending time with them, taking them out to eat, and getting to know them..and it has paid off.

 There is a real chemistry with this team. Last year felt like a lost year, Keefe came in late because Doc Wheeler was never sure if he wanted to come back or not and then Dave blew out his ACL in practice and it never came together. By the time they peaked it was late February and they were the 14th seed in a 13 seed bracket.

 I had a parent of a Division I player tell me ‘ We want no part of Londonderry in the tournament’ and I think he is speaking for a lot of coaches. Nate Stanton is a terrific basketball coach, to the point where he could coach at the next level someday if he wanted to.

 

 Manchester Memorial (10-3) at Bishop Guertin (1-12)

 It’s been a very rough go for Matt Regan this season. This is a very young team and they are set up to be a monster program again in a year or two.

 They have the right coach to take them there but when seniors are sitting behind underclassman and you’re not winning the grumblings get louder. If they leave him alone and allow him to develop this group then BG will be back on top in the very near future.

 

 Division II

 Merrimack Valley (10-4) at Plymouth (6-7)

 If you pay even a little bit of attention to this website you pick up on the fact that Jim Mulvey is someone who from day one I identified as a next level talent as far as coaching.

 In our hours of conversations about players, coaches & programs I always pick his brain on the coaches he enjoys going up against and one name you might not expect (only because they only faced each other once) was Mike Sullivan at Plymouth. “ That guy is a terrific coach” he told me after the Bobcats lost to Portsmouth in an entertaining quarterfinal game five years ago,

 Sullivan has pushed the right buttons with his Plymouth team and I still believe, as I stated in the mid-season column, that they will be a very tough out in March.

 If the season ended today it is very hard to argue against Tim Mucher as the Division II coach of the year.

 Bishop Brady (2-10) at Con Val (4-7)

 Two once storied programs (my man Brett LeFlem averaged 31 points per game for Con Val) headed in very different directions under first-year head coaches.

 Leo Gershgorin has proven to be a home run hire for Con Val. The perfect mix of ability and energy for a program that badly needed the latter. Those kids are playing to their potential and Gershgorin has the opportunity to be the face of that program for a long time to come.

 It has not been the same story for Bishop Brady under Tim Lee.

 Even with one of the best players in the division Bryce Johnson scoring 21 points per game the Giants are mired in a 2-11 season, with their talent keeping them in games like a tough loss to Oyster River Tuesday night.

 Lebanon (11-3) at Souhegan (8-7)

 Two teams that it would not surprise me to see in Durham for the final four or bounced in the first round.

 Again Division II is going to follow no set order when the one & done games begin…

 

 Timberlane (8-5) at Kennett (6-7)

 The social media giants are one of our favorite post-game interviews..and for our team of Jon, Jen, Justin, Pete & I , who remember the losing streak, it’s great to see Jeff Baumann and his team as a legitimate final four contender.

 Kennett is flying under the radar but has been very tough on teams since the new year. They’ll have to match wits Friday night with the best passing big man in New Hampshire Bob Horgan.

 Yes, I just keep repeating that week to week, only because I know the Timberlane players love it…hey, I’m giving you 5,000 words on a Thursday morning, cut me some slack.

 We like Timberlane…let the world beware…

 

 Hanover (5-8) at John Stark (6-7)

 I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Hanover only scored 21 points against Lebanon…and they run a motion offense (Tim Winslow is a terrific coach), how did they only scorer 5 points a quarter??

 I may need the Zapruder film on that one..

 

 Kingswood (2-11) at Coe-Brown (9-3)

 We are making our triumphant return to the Dave Smith Dome on Wednesday night when Coe-Brown faces Kearsarge and if Benny the Bear does not have a Jen Chick-Ruth sign in his paws by tip-off I’m turning right around and walking out…

Bonus points if anyone at Coe-Brown produces a Jen Chick (Class I point guard) action photo...

 

 Oyster River (10-3) at Hollis-Brookline (11-2)

 Man, you’re making jokes about mascots (spoiler alert: Benny is not a real bear)and all of the sudden a big-time Division II match-up sneaks up on you.  I am interested to see if Hollis-Brookline’s all-state frontcourt of Matt Dowling & Matt Simco are too much for Oyster River to handle?

 The Bobcats aren’t a big team, they’re athletic and interchangeable, where the Cavaliers crush you on the glass and force you to settle for jumpers.

 Interested to see how this one plays out….by the way, it’s been three years since I mentioned Cole Etten’s age so,,,, we’ve all moved on.

 …………………….I think he’s 27……….

 

 Milford (8-6) at Pelham (7-5)

 Pelham is that kid in elementary school who shares his lunch with you and could talk your ear off about why it is troubling that everyone ignores the fact that the Ewoks were ready to cook Han Solo & Luke Skywalker…..and then in gym class he turns right around and fires a ball at your head the moment the dodgeball game starts…

I can’t figure Pelham out....

 

 Division III

 Berlin (12-3) at St Thomas (7-7)

 If I’m Sean Murphy of St Thomas I’m excited about this one because you are going to know exactly where you stand after Friday night.

 Berlin has the size and physicality (that still doesn’t seem like it should be a word) to guard Drew Cavanaugh (18.0) so Shawn Dekorne is going to need to step up (he usually does).

 This is your measuring stick game if you are St Thomas.

 For Berlin…I have seen them in person three times and I have found their (let’s hope not fatal) flaw,,,, they can only play six guys minutes against elite teams. If that Somersworth game (and what a gritty gutty win that was..Evan Arsenault would not let them lose and Seth Balderrama was absolutely terrific) goes to overtime they lose. They were physically spent because they had to play their starters 28 plus minutes.

 I saw this against Memorial in the jamboree (that game was one of the two or three best games I’ve seen all year) and I saw it at Somersworth. So big floor at SNHU…do they get worn down to the point where they can’t close?

 

 Gilford (11-4) at Belmont (10-5)

 The alma mater owes Belmont a few shots…they lost to them on opening night and in their own holiday tournament last year. Gilford needs to take care of business here and against White Mountains on the road in the season finale (that drive is brutal but Gilford matches up particularly well with White Mountains) to get a Top 4 seed.

 Belmont plays to the level of their competition; if you are a good team they will challenge you,,,if you aren’t don’t worry, they’ll let you hang around. Jim Cilley really does a nice job and right now he is pushing buttons all over the place to try to get this team to be more consistent.

 By the way name 10 players in the division who have been better than Greg Madore has this season?

 I’m not sure you can…

 

 Inter-Lakes (10-5) at Winnisquam (4-11)

 I think if Inter-Lakes has any chance to get out of the first round, as they did a year ago, they need to get a Top 8 seed. The loss to Laconia hurt their chances.

 After Thomas March-Cheesy Gate and Christian Serrano (I’m hiring that kid someday,,, Serrano would be a home run as a play by play guy) it’s been a quiet year from Winnisquam. Kevin Dame always does a good job, they just haven’t been able to piece together the wins this season.

 

 Somersworth (12-2) at Newfound (0-15)

 Tom Boudreau is really doing a nice job at Newfound, a program that has struggled since….well for as long as I can remember, and I played them 8 times in high school. (their old gym was so old I once hit a corner three and it was waved off because I was out of bunds…I asked the official what I was supposed to do ..I loved the corner three… and he said ‘ I’d figure something else out or shrink your feet’).

 Mason Dalphonse (16.6) has been good and they have enough shooters to give good teams a scare. Bourdeau, who took Prospect Mountain to the Division III title game, has to be patient, and he has been. The participation numbers are good and if the kids come out this summer he will have Newfound back in the conversation.

 

 Campbell (11-3) at Monadnock (10-5)

 Are we sleeping on Campbell?

 They have a pretty strong resume and the size & athletes to match up with anybody. Watch out for Brendan Rice (9.9), his dad Jimmy Rice was an all-time player at Pinkerton for Tony Carnovale.

 Monadnock is a great place to see a game, by the way, old school feel and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

 

 White Mountains (9-6) at Franklin (3-12)

 Trust me when I tell you no Division III coach wants to go to Lancaster in the first round. Mike Curtis’ s team has two all-state players (Griffin Crane and Zeke Pribbernow) and is a much better team now that point guard Jack Curtis is back.

 Franklin has an all-state guard of their own in Jayden Torres (27.9) if they allow him to find a rhythm Franklin can give the Spartans trouble at home.

 

 Hillsboro-Deering (0-15) at Hopkinton (12-2)

 I went to high school with a girl named Kirsten who I never spoke to in four years of high school.

 To someone at Pinkerton, Central or Salem that doesn’t seem very far-fetched but Gilford only had 500 students and the ‘everyone knows everyone else’ feel.

 I had a wide circle of friends from the fellow athletes to the jean swimmers (the kids who did everything in their jeans…from gym class to swimming) but Kirsten and I never connected, even to say hello.

 Not once in four years.

 Why am I telling you this?

 Hillsboro-Deering is my Kirsten…in 10 years I have not received one statistic, could name one coach or a single player..in 10 years.

 I’ll take 50% of the blame for this…but I think I have a better chance of hearing from Kirsten today than I do Hillsboro-Deering..

 

 Mascenic Regional (12-3) at Sanborn (5-9)

 The Vikings close with Con Val (on the road) and Hopkinton, after this one. If they want to earn a Top 4 seed and a pair of home playoff games in New Ipswich, they may need to sweep the last three games.

 They got very upset with me back in January for saying they hadn’t beaten anyone yet (Conant doesn’t come out of their cocoon until January) but Mascenic has faced a very good second half schedule. If they get a Top 4 seed they will have absolutely earned it.

 

 Division IV

 Nute (0-13) Wilton-Lyndeborough (5-11)

 I’m not saying the fact that Wilton-Lyndeborough fired their coach after the holidays and at one point were being coached by several parents deserves a full ’30 for 30’ level breakdown…but it probably deserves a 4,000-word column…

 You know who is starting to win games, to the tune of four in a row? The Nute JV team...

 Coached by MY MAN COLBY WILSON!!!!!

 

 Hinsdale (9-7) at Concord Christian (1-14)

 I love that we have gotten Hinsdale the attention they deserve, getting their stats and head coach Carl Anderson as a Gold Level member….Hillsboro-Deering could learn a lot from Hinsdale…Nashua North too…ok, I’ll drop it...

 

 Colebrook (4-12) at Lisbon (7-9)

 I am by no means a man of great wealth & means…we are a high school website that depends on financial support from the (Gold Level) parents and coaches we cover (only about 8% of you)….but I could come up with $500….and would…if I could sit at half court and were given VIP access to both Buddy Trask and Sam Natti’s huddles for this one…just give me a lawn chair, some refreshments..and let me sit at midcourt and enjoy the show.

 $500.

 Gorham (3-13) at Lin-Wood (4-12)

 A quick look at the scoring leaders tells you Gorham needs to worry about Brandon Harrington and his impressive 25.4 ppg. scoring average, and you would be correct.

 The bigger concern though should be how Lin-Wood is going to stop Lance ‘Caged Heat’ Legere…do you remember Indiana Jones running frantically away from that bowling ball rock in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’?

 That will be the Lin-Wood big men tomorrow night.

 

 Mount Royal (12-5) at Farmington (8-8)

 The weekly Players Locker Room Roll Call has kept you up to date on how good the Normandin brothers Alex (18.9) and Andrew (16.9) have been all season for Mount Royal and a win here makes them a top 7 seed in the Division IV tournament. Not too bad for a second-year program.

 Farmington still feels like they can put more than a scare into someone in the tournament and Adam Thurston does a really nice job coaching the Tigers. A win here would guarantee a spot in the tournament.

 

 Sunapee (10-6) at Pittsfield (15-1)

 In the days of Ed Tenney, Isaiah Chappell and Matt Tenney (my player of the year in 2016) it felt like we had to cut away to other teams just to be fair.

 Two years removed and we don’t hear much out of the Lakers. They have flown very far under the radar this season. Wins over Division III Newport (3-10) give them enough points to contend for a home playoff game and that would be a good result for a program rebuilding under the capable hands of Tim Putchtler.

 My instincts and the eyeball test tell me, Divisions, I, II & III are going to feature a ton of upsets but Division IV feels to me like it will come down to the Top 5 teams; Derryfield (so solid…and the combination of Rob Bradley and Andrew Dubreuil is good enough to win it), Littleton (are we sleeping on Trevor Howard’s team because they are sophomore dominated?....I’m starting to think so), Woodsville ( I have doubts they beat a southern team in the quarters on the road but if they get two home games they have a very good shot to get to their third straight final four…I’m a big believer in Garret Olsen) and Newmarket (they don’t want to go to Woodsville but….they actually match up really well with the Engineers.)

 And Pittsfield….the first round loss to Portsmouth Christian is a scar….we were there …they need to get to Plymouth and then breathe it all out and relax because this team is good enough to win it all…I think this is a team that would be more nervous before their quarterfinal game at home than they would be taking the floor for either round at Plymouth State.

 If Cam Darrah & Co. get there they are the as good a bet as any to win the Division IV title….the key is getting there….