As we do for each of our four semifinal previews we hand the preview over to the people who know these teams better than anyone; the coaches that faced them during the season.

 Using blind quotes we asked three coaches to break down the two semifinal games being played tonight at Plymouth State University.

(5) Newmarket vs (1) Derryfield School

Derryfield Team Page

Newmarket Team Page

 We asked three tournament coaches to break down the third meeting between Jamie Hayes & Rob Bradley’s teams.

 “I think it’s going to be a really good one,” said one coach. “ Derryfield doesn’t have that explosive scorer that the other three teams have (Anthony Senesombath for Newmarket, Danny Kubkowski for Littleton and Cam Darrah for Pittsfield) they just have a lot of different guys who can go for 15 on any night. That’s a really good recipe for a good regular season but I’m not sure it couldn’t cost them at Plymouth, where often times the best player wins.”

 A fellow coach agreed, “These games often come down to the best player on the floor and if it does Senesombath might win it for Newmarket with a big scoring performance.(Derryfield point guard)  Andrew Dubreuil is terrific but he is a player who will run the show for Derryfield and get them into their offense. Derryfield just doesn’t have that player who you look up and he has 25 points. But again, they score as a unit and so far it has worked every game along  the way.”

 “Derryfield is one of the few teams that down the line have the size that Newmarket has. You look at Newmarket in lay-ups and every guy looks to be between 6’1 and 6’3…you just don’t see that very often in our division. Both teams are difficult to score on in the paint and  it is because they have different guys who can block shots or change it.”

 All three coaches talked about pace. “ I think Newmarket could be deadly if they got out and ran more, used their size and athletes,” said one head coach, “ but Jamie (Hayes) really manages the game and they will walk the ball up most of the time. That pace favors Derryfield.”

 “A 55 point game at Plymouth for a team is like a 75 point game in the regular season,” said one coach we spoke to. “ It’s a lot harder to score up on the big floor because when you go from playing in front of 250 to 300 people to 1,500 at Plymouth it is a huge difference.”

 “Derryfield will back off and keep most of their defenders in the paint, and I’m not sure if Newmarket has the shooters to make them pay.”

 Another coach talked about Newmarket’s depth. “Their bench killed us when they played us. Jared Woodman was a huge problem for us, you focus on Senesombath, and we really held him in check. But it was their role players that killed us. Travis Moseley is their energy guy and Craig Hounam will bang down low. They have good balance across their starting five.”

  So who wins tonight?

 “The team that controls pace…if you force me to make a pick I’ll say Derryfield.”

 “On paper it’s Newmarket but they don’t seem to play up to their capabilities. I’ll go with Derryfield.”

 “I think it’s going to be extremely close, maybe even overtime, but I think Newmarket beats them.”

(3) Littleton vs (2) Pittsfield

Littleton Team Page

Pittsfield Team Page

 After watching each other from across the state Trevor Howard’s team, who has been to back to back Division IV championship games, squares off with Jay Darrah’s Panthers.

 Our coaches broke the game down..

“ What I like about Pittsfield is that starting five, and I mean all five of them. They have very defined roles and everyone knows where they need to be on the floor. You can clearly see that Josh Whittier likes his role as the rebounder and Dylan Bocash enjoys being the defensive stopper. Everyone understands their part to play and Cam Darrah, in my opinion, is the best player in the division.”

 “ Littleton is going to have to try and turn them over but at the same time they may have to do it in the half-court…I’m not sure Trevor will press them.”

 Another coach talked about how the teams might play each other. “ I expect Pittsfield to go man to man and I think they put Dylan Bocash on Danny Kubkowski. That’s the key match-up because Danny is too quick for Whittier and too big for Casey Clark.”

 “ Go watch film of the Groveton games, Kubkowski just killed them on the glass.. He took over those games and he has played two big games on this floor already.”

 Another coach talked about how Littleton should defend Pittsfield. “ You go zone but you have to communicate where Darrah is at all times because he gets his shot off very quickly. To me, this game comes down to seniors (Pittsfield) vs. sophomores (Littleton) and I wonder if in the back of their minds the Littleton kids don’t feel like they’re a year away?”

 Another tournament coach talked about making Pittsfield hits shots, especially early. “ When you have a first time team at Plymouth State you can’t allow them to get their first shots near the basket, you need to make them hit jumpers on that big floor in front of that big crowd.”

“Cam (Darrah) is going to hit his shots & get his points, but you need to make Casey Clark and Josh Whitter take and make jumpers. I allow Guerrero-Hadley to shoot anywhere from the free throw line/ out and make the other players hit shots as well.”

 “I don't think Littleton will press Pittsfield and I wouldn't either, I think they’ll play half-court zone.”

 So who wins the game?

 “ Pittsfield, but it will be closer than people expect.”

 “Pittsfield, they were clearly the best team we played all season.”

 “ Pittsfield, and it won’t be close.”