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The 2019 Coaches for a Cause Jamboree is Saturday

By Dave Haley, 12/09/19, 6:30AM EST

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10 of the Top teams in the state meet at Great Bay CC on Saturday

 On Saturday, December 14th NHsportspage will be hosting our 7th Annual Coaches for a Cause Jamboree on the campus of Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth.

 We started the Jamboree in 2012 with the idea of not only being the unofficial kick-off to the high school basketball season but to have the best Division I teams in the state square off with the best teams from the lower divisions.

 In 2012 eventual Division II champion Pembroke, led by Patrick Welch and Kafani Williams, squared off with the Final Four bound Trinity Pioneers. A team which included Carmen Giampetruzzi, Brad Rhoades and a skinny junior named Wenyen Gabriel.

 Earlier that afternoon the eventual undefeated Division I champion Manchester Central Little Green, led by Brett Hanson, Dawson Dickson and the Martin brothers, Jon & Joey, battled eventual Division III champion Conant, led by Rob O’Brien & Eli Hodgson in one of the best games of the tournament.

 Since that first year, we have seen future champions from different divisions squaring off almost every year; Division III champion Kearsarge beating eventual Division I runner-up Bedford in 2017 while last season Division I champion Exeter beat Division II champion Pembroke, in two recent examples.

 Justin McIsaac will serve as the PA announcer all afternoon while ‘The Franchise’ Jennifer Chick-Ruth will produce our Jamboree highlight video.

 Our friends and partners at Great Bay Community College will be our co-hosts as basketball coaches Alex Burt & Brian Scott will have their players assisting in the event.

 This is one of the best days of the year, and the crowd looks like a coaching summit, with coaches from all four divisions in attendance.

 This year we are giving away a team party at Buffalo Wild Wings to the team with the best fan support.

 We hope everyone will join us on Saturday for the kickoff of the 2019-20 season.

 Admission is just $5 to watch all 5 games.

 

 Coaches for a Cause Jamboree Schedule

 11 am:  Portsmouth vs. Pelham

 A battle of two schools that have been involved in all seven jamborees kicks off the day.

 The Portsmouth Clippers, who last missed out on the Final Four in 2013, return four starters and an experienced nucleus led by all-state guard Cal Hewitt, Coleman Brewster, Tommy Degnan, Jacob Boutin, and Zach Paradis.

 John Mulvey’s team will again be a pre-season favorite to return to Durham in March.

 Mike Larson’s Pelham Pythons were already loaded, with the return of all-state guard Derek Crowley and Zach Jones, and have gotten even better with the return of all-state shooting guard Drew Brown.

 The Pythons will be a favorite to get to Durham in March.

 

12:30 pm: Manchester Central vs. Merrimack Valley

 Sudi Lett’s Manchester Central Little Green makes their 4th appearance while Tim Mucher and the Merrimack Valley Pride make their jamboree debut.

 Central battled Portsmouth in the first round a year ago and will feature Michael Dupree, Andrew Houghton, and an up-tempo attack.

 Merrimack Valley will be without player of the year candidate and NHsportspage underclassman select team member Kyle Dube, who suffered an injury during the off-season.

 The Pride, who has advanced to two consecutive Final Fours, will feature guard Griffin Wheeler, Caleb Heath, and Justin Whaley.

 

 2:00 pm: Exeter vs. Con Val

  If there is a game that is getting into the ’80s this one is it. Both teams like to get out & go and have the ability to score in bunches.

 Jeff Holmes’ Exeter Blue Hawks, the defending Division I champions, makes their 3rd Jamboree appearance while Leo Gershgorin and the Con Val Cougars make their jamboree debut.

 Exeter, which lost the all-state duo of Kevin Henry (playing for Plymouth State) and Josh Morissette (playing for Phillips Exeter). is re-loading for their title defense.

 All-state forward Ryan Grijalva is a player of the year candidate while Jaedon Cliche, Jake Gibbons, and, Mike Leonard all return from last year’s undefeated team.

 The Cougars were a Final Four team last season and absolutely have the returning nucleus to get back to UNH.

 Mather Kipka is a player of the year candidate at forward for Con Val while Connor Buffum returns as one of the best scorers in Division II.

 

 3:30 pm: Nashua North vs. Lebanon

 A match-up of possible pre-season #1’s might be the game of the day.

 Nashua North makes its 2nd Jamboree appearance while Lebanon makes its 6th appearance (with an all-time record of 4-1).

 Steve Lane’s Titans return four big-time players in Brendan Choate, Curtis Harris, Nate Kane and Connor Dunning. The Titans were a quarterfinal team a year ago and can score as easily as they can shut you down.

 Kieth Matte returns to the sidelines for the Lebanon Raiders and will lead a team with 7 of their top 8 scorers returning from last season.

 Jon Willeman, a 2nd team all-state selection by NHsportspage last season, will be joined by Wade Rainey and Caleb Smith.

 Lebanon has the ability & experience to battle any team in the state. They get their shot at one of the best in our fourth game of the day.

 

 5:00 pm:  Londonderry vs. Hollis-Brookline

 Two head coaches with a combined three championships between them battle in the last game of the day. Nate Stanton’s Lancers make their 4th appearance in the jamboree while Cole Etten’s Cavaliers make their 3rd appearance.

 The Lancers were a Final Four team a year ago and look poised to return behind a very good nucleus. Point guard Jackson Cox has had a terrific off-season while Cole Keegan, Alex Tsetsilas, Will Reyes and Zach Faucett all return for Londonderry.

 The Cavaliers were a game away from the Final Four last season after winning the Division II title in 2018.

 Grant Snyder is an all-state forward and player of the year candidate who will be joined by returnees Brian Holroyd, Max Stapelfeld and big-man brothers Quinten & Sander Wimmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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