This time of year always brings around the best basketball. Jen and I saw a thriller in Manchester a few nights ago between Memorial and BG.

 Justin got to take in the coveted NHSportspage (basically just Justin and Jen) rivalry of Coe-Brown and Spaulding. The Red Raiders pulled out the 35-23 victory on the road and are 7-0. Who would've thought? They even dabbed with the back-to-back NH Sportscaster of the Year Justin McIsaac (you're welcome for the plug).    

 Friday night Jen and I will be traveling to John Stark where Hanover is in town. This one should be a great D2 showdown. 

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Today I will be diving into five big games coming up this Friday all across the state of New Hampshire. 

 

Division I

Division I Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs 

Concord (6-2) at Merrimack (8-0)  

Concord Team Page 

Merrimack Team Page

 Concord has proven to everyone that they are a year ahead of schedule. The play of new NHSportspage Players Locker Room member Ava Woodman has been the key to their early success. Woodman is averaging a team-high 14 ppg. Did I mention she is just a freshman? 

 When she was hit with an injury a few games back, many feared it would be a lengthy recovery process for the young and upcoming player. I turned out to only be a two-game absence for Woodman, but Concord was a different team with her off the floor, that is how much she means to the Crimson Tide.  

 Sophomore Elizabeth Blinn has been a focal point for this team early on. Concord is a young group. This year is just the beginning of what could be for Concord. 

 Kylar Bucholz has been a spark for this ballclub and Elli Cox has been very valuable at the point guard position during her second year.

 Tim LaTorra has done a terrific job with this group early on and is most definitely a Coach of the Year candidate early on.  

 This will be one of the bigger tests that Concord has faced all season. Merrimack has been a great team through eight games and will look to grab win number nine on the road against a young and talented Concord team.  

 If Concord can pull this one off, where does it place them amongst the elite of Division I? They still have lots of room to grow, but can they stay competitive against the upper echelon of the division?  

 This will be a score to look out for on Friday night. 

 Unfortunately, we do not receive stats or have a roster for Merrimack. If a coach, player, or anyone involved with the program is reading this, please feel free to reach out. We would love to have you guys on the site. 

 

Division II 

Division II Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs  

Hanover (8-0) at John Stark (7-2) 

Hanover Team Page 

John Stark Team Page

 Jen and I are so excited to be at this one tomorrow night. Hanover is the team we all expected them to be after the championship run they made a season ago. John Stark stormed out of the gates 5-0 but have since cooled down just a bit. This should be a tight game on both ends of the floor.  

 Maddie McCorkle is one of the best two-way players in the state and should have her hands all over this one on Friday. John Stark has a variety of weapons in Chelsea Woodsum, Brady Johnson, and Anna Stenger. 

 Who does McCorkle matchup with and who takes the other two? All three have shown the ability to score in bunches and should all have an impact tomorrow night.  

 Hanover beats you with depth. They play a consistent 8-player rotation and head coach Dan O'Rourke has the pleasure of having five players on the floor at all times who can score and play smart defense. 

 Freshman Stella Galanes has proven herself early on in her career. Friday is an opportunity for her to have a coming-out party in a huge road game. She has been a great fit and still has so much room to grow. 

 John Stark suffered tough back-to-back losses to Lebanon and Laconia. This is a game where they can pick up a marquee victory. They can give Hanover troubles by spreading the floor and moving the basketball. 

 Head coach Bruce Johnson should have his squad ready to go and we can't wait to be there to take in all of the action.   

 

Bow (5-3) at Bishop Brady (4-4) 

Bow Team Page  

Bishop Brady Team Page 

 I expect this to be a fun matchup. Bow is a young group that is learning on the spot with four freshmen getting key minutes for this group. Bishop Brady has a bit more experience and pedigree. Both of these teams like to go, so I expect a great game between these two.  

 Ellie Pingree, Alexandra Larrabee, Isabella LaPerle, and Lindsey LaPerle are the future of a Bow program that happily sits at 5-3. This group has had growing pains I am sure, but they have also picked up great victories Merrimack Valley, Pembroke, and Pelham. 

 They even had a close contest with Hollis-Brookline and a somewhat good game with Lebanon. 

 The Falcons have a tough second half with games against Spaulding, Kennett, Sanborn, and another bout with Bishop Brady, but I expect this team to make noise in the playoffs. 

 This is a group I don't believe anyone will want to see in the first round. 

 Bishop Brady battled as hard as they could with Lebanon but came up just short. With a week off of rest and practice, Brady should be ready to go in this one.  

 Ami Rivera has been a consistent all-state level talent all year long. Her ability to take over a game is something head coach Annie Mattarazo is happy to have at her disposal.  

 Halle Laramie has really flourished this season and has been a great second option for this team. Marrisa Payne may have an advantage down-low tomorrow night and Brady should force the issue in the paint.

 Libbey Hicks and Isabella Rivera will be key role players and should look for their shot when possible. 

 Youth vs experience on Friday night. This will be a great one in Division II. 

 

Division III 

Division III Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs 

Berlin (4-5) at Gilford (8-1) 

Berlin Team Page 

Gilford Team Page  

 The Gilford Golden Eagles are red-hot and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Their only loss comes against undefeated Conant and that was only a 56-40 ballgame. 

 Shelbey Cole. That is the name you think of when you hear Gilford. The senior has been on a tear to start the year. She has been a force that not many teams have had an answer for.

 What will Don Picard do defensively to shut Cole down? A box-in-one? Double teams off-screens? It is an interesting question that I'm sure Picard will try and have the answer for on Friday.  

 As for Berlin, the Mounties have had a fair share of bright moments. They played a pair of great games with White Mountains and have won the games they should have up to this point.  

 Kaylee Peare has been a great leader for this team. It is no surprise that she has been successful scoring the basketball this year. Defenses have been keying in on her from the tip, so that is where her sister Makenna has stepped up. 

 The Peare sisters have been a nice one-two punch in the backcourt and Makenna Balderamma has been a great presence in the paint. Her ability to rebound is what will keep Berlin in this contest. 

 This will be a tough road test for Berlin but I expect them to give Gilford everything they've got. 

 

Division IV 

Division IV Standings, Top 20 Scoring Leaders, & Gold Level Coaches/Programs   

Littleton (7-1) at Woodsville (9-0) 

Littleton Team Page 

Woodsville Team Page 

 We have covered both of these teams over the last few weeks and both were impressive. 

 Woodsville picked up a grind it out kind of victory when we saw them in Epping and Littleton picked up a great victory over long-time rival Groveton just last week. 

 Both of these teams are more than familiar with each other by now. Russ Wilcox and Dale Prior are two of the best coaches Division IV has to offer. This will be a star-studded matchup and is one that should not disappoint.  

 The Crusaders enter enemy territory with just one loss on the year. Jasmine Brown leads this group and impacts the game more than just offensively. Brown wowed me with her athleticism and great instincts on the defensive end of the floor. 

 Lauren McKee was lights-out from downtown against Groveton and could be a factor in this one on Friday. Her ability to get open shots comes from the great playmaking ability of Olivia Corrigan.  

 Hannah Brown had trouble staying on the floor due to foul trouble last time we saw her but I expect her to have an impact in this one. She is the secondary scoring option for this group and will be called upon many times on Friday. 

 Jacqueline Maker is a great glue player for this group and rounds out a starting five that will do their best to matchup with the size of Woodsville. 

 The Engineers are yet to lose this season and Friday night should be another test for Woodsville. 

 Emily Prest is a pure playmaker for this group. When she can be aggressive and looks for her shot, Woodsville is a very tough team to beat. Prest handles pressure well and has a great IQ for the game. 

 Olivia Sarkis is one of the most dominant forwards in the division and will be a matchup problem for a somewhat undersized Littleton group. Sarkis took over in the fourth quarter against Epping and sealed the victory for Woodsville on the road. If she can have that mentality all night, she will be very difficult to stop.  

 Graci Kaiser has been a great addition to this team and her ability to shot the ball gives Woodsville multiple threats on the wing. She can hit threes and has a nice pull-up jumpshot from mid-range.  

 Maddie Roy, Morgan Wagstaff, and Mackenzie Kingsbury all play their roles and can all go off at any given moment. 

 Littleton has been dominant in this rivalry the past few years, but the tables have turned this year with Woodsville atop the division this go around. 

 Friday should be a dog fight and could come down to some late-game heroics.