(14) Moultonborough at (3) Groveton

 Box Score of first meeting

 This is a big two weeks for the Groveton Eagles…and that may be underselling it.

 This is a group led by Corey Gadwah, Daegan Perras, Austin Lesperance, Dylan Rogers and Isaiah Stone that went to the quarterfinals as freshman & sophomores and to the Final Four a year ago as juniors.

 That’s an impressive run by any group, but it’s a disappointment if it finishes as seniors any time before the championship game.

 Groveton was my pre-season #1 and has only lost to Littleton. Once in a good 7 point game that we covered and the second by 21 points when they were overwhelmed in the second half at home and seemed to be on the receiving end of a message delivered by the defending champs.

 Their path back to Plymouth is not an easy one. Matt Swedberg’s Moultonborough team has been inconsistent but they played Groveton tough for three quarters in the first meeting and nearly beat 15-3 Division III Inter Lakes on the road. They’re a team capable of putting more than just a scare into the #3 seed and they have a very good coach leading them.

 A win likely sends Epping up to Groveton….giving you a match-up of two of the three best teams in the division according to my power index called the eyeball test. We’ll get to that if and when it happens, and if it does we will be in Groveton Friday night.

 The first step is a first round game against Moultonborough. Where it ends will help define the legacy of this group.