Playoffs? Playoffs!? 

 Yes! The playoffs are right around the corner for Division I and Division II, making today the last Thursday Thoughts column for those two divisions. 

 We will have power rankings and notes for Divisions I, II, and III, and a mid-season snapshot for Division IV with Final Four picks, dark horse teams, Player and Coach of the Year picks, and mid-season all-state selections. 

 Today's column is brought to you by our friends at partners at White Mountains Community College! 

 Jen and I plan to be back with another podcast this Friday (we promise to limit the number of tangents we go on). 

 

Division I

Division I Standings & Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches: Greg Cotreau of Manchester Memorial, Andrew Marden of Winnacunnet, Kevin Gibbs of Bedford, Scott Blake of Spaulding, Tim LaTorra of Concord, Ernie Clark of Dover, and Steve Largy of Goffstown

Power Rankings

1. Pinkerton

2. Bedford

3. Bishop Guertin

4. Portsmouth

5. Concord

6. Goffstown 

7. Alvirne

8. Windham

9. Dover

10. Manchester Memorial

Where we are today: HUGE win for Dover over Goffstown. The Grizzlies haven't had much time to take a breath with the number of games they have had to cram in, but this was the win of the season for the Green Wave behind a 25 point outburst from Lilly Nossiff (who has had a very underrated season). This is yet another win to add to an impressive .500 resume. They're going to cause trouble to whoever they match up within round one... Bishop Guertin could end up as low as a five seed after a heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Dracut on Monday. This could ultimately benefit them in the first two rounds, but being on the same side of the bracket as Pinkerton may be something they want to avoid They showed who they were in an impressive 53-21 win over Portsmouth. Brooke Muller had the breakout game we were all waiting for with a game-high 14 points. If she can continue to come along that adds another element to an already deep BG team... Spaulding got their best win of the season 50-30 over Merrimack. It has been tough treading at times for the Red Raiders, but Scott Blake's team continues to fight and even made the path for Merrimack to get a top-eight seed a bit more difficult... We have already had two overtime games on NHSportspage this week, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw one on Friday when we go to see Manchester Memorial at Alvirne... Olivia Chau was dominant in Londonderry's OT win over Salem. Like she said in the post-game interview, the Lancers are the underdog, and that's exactly what they like to be. With their track record, they are bound to pull off an upset if they get the right matchup... I was impressed with both Windham and Exeter on Wednesday night. Bree Amari is the key to the Jaguars' offense in the high post. She does a lot more than the stat sheet reads. Emma Smith has made a real jump this year. When she puts her head down there aren't many who can stop her from getting to her spots. Both are teams that like to get out and run, something they will need to use to their advantage in the playoffs.

 

Division II

Division II Standings and Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches: Dan O'Rourke of Hanover, Larry Meader of Kennett, and Bob Murphy of Hollis-Brookline

Power Rankings

1. Hanover 

2. Pembroke

3. Bow 

4. Merrimack Valley

5. Laconia 

6. Hollis-Brookline 

7. Lebanon

8. Kennett

9. Pelham 

10. John Stark

Where we are today: No shake-up in the power rankings from this week to last. We have seen Merrimack Valley have to squeak out their last few wins over John Stark and Pelham. John Stark is a team that was cruising early on, but as the schedule bulked up, they weren't able to find the same success they had to start the season. Eleanor Giradet has played at an all-state level all season, and if that continues into the postseason John Stark can be competitive. The same can be said for Pelham Jasmine Becotte is one of the best players Division II has to offer. It will be about getting the right matchup and the right side of the bracket for both of these teams... Pembroke responded to their loss to MV with two straight dominant wins over Souhegan and Kingswood. Annelise Dexter and Ashley Stephens are as good a duo as any team in Division II has to offer. Their supporting cast of Cierra and Brittney Hill, Taylor Renna, and Kaitlin Arenella is really solid. This team has good chemistry and are bought in on both ends of the floor. While they don't have much playoff experience, this could be a special year for the Spartans.

 

 

Division III

Division III Standings & Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches: Matt Baird-Torney of Fall Mountain, Scott Currier of Gilford, and Pat Roye of Hopkinton 

Power Rankings

1. Conant 

2. Fall Mountain 

3. Stevens 

4. Kearsarge

5. Hopkinton

6. Monadnock

7. Newfound

8. Prospect Mountain

9. Gilford

10. St Thomas Aquinas

Where we are today: Gilford at 10-5 is going to give teams in the middle of the pack a run for their money in the playoffs. Scott Currier has done a good job of getting his young Golden Eagles squad to buy in and play as one unit. Vannessa Flanders has put together an all-state level season and has helped propel Gilford to key wins over St Thomas Aquinas (x2), White Mountains, Prospect Mountain, and Winnisquam. They have a chance at a home game in round one if things fall their way... It is good to see Newfound back on the floor and shaking the rust off. This is a group that has Final Four talent with Paulina Huckins and Malina Bohlmann, it will be about putting together the wins and the resume to get two-home games potentially. They lost a nail-biter to Kearsarge last night 44-42, but that is a sign that they are right in line with the top four teams in this division.

 

 

Division IV

Division IV Standings & Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches: Derek Tremblay of Mount Royal, Courtney Cheetham, and Mark Gouveia of Derryfield, and Duane Call of Colebrook

 

If forced to pick the Final Four teams today: Concord Christian, Derryfield, Pittsburg-Cannan, Littleton 

Analysis: It seems to be lining up where it will be two southern teams and two North Country teams that meet in the Final Four. 

 Concord Christian has been dominant in every contest they have played. They have gotten the best of Derryfield in two well-played games, but other than that have rolled through their schedule up to now. 

 They get contributions from a number of players on a nightly basis. Jordan Rioux has run the offense well from the point guard spot and has several scorers in Sarah Muir, Emma Smith, and Lilliana Carlile to distribute the basketball too. 

 Derryfield is the only team that has had any sort of answer for the Kingsmen, and it doesn't seem like that will change any time soon. 

 With those two losses to CCA, Derryfield may end up as the three seed when it is all said and done in a few weeks. They will avoid being on the Kingsmen's side of the bracket which is the ultimate goal for the first three rounds. 

 Elyse Ngenda has stepped in right away and been the best player on the floor on most nights. She has the best first step of anyone in the Division and has proven to be a scorer at all three levels on the floor. 

 The Cougars like to shoot and they like to shoot a lot. Ava Plage, Tia Ferdinando, and Chloe Bremberg are confident shooters and get a lot of room to do so with the attention Ngenda garners. 

 Some of this group has playoff experience from last year's quarterfinal run, but they are still fairly new and young. They have the talent to make it far, and can certainly be standing alone when the season is all said and done. 

 Pittsburg-Cannan has put all the pieces together this season. It has been a long process for Matt Jordan's group. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but with the experience, they have gained over the past few years, the Yellowjackets are a legitimate title contender. 

 Katie Loranger came into this season a bit of a mystery but has quickly emerged as the go-to option for the Yellowjackets. Her size and scoring ability compliment the likes of Sophie Grondin and Hannah Cote, who are two do-it-all type players. 

 They had one of the hardest schedules to start the season and walked away with just one loss and currently 12 wins.  

 While a lot of games have been down to the wire, their ability to win those games has been eye-opening. 

 Another game with Colebrook and a late-season trip to Gorham will be big tests for this team, but if they can take care of business they can finish as high as the two seed.

 Playoff inexperience could get the best of this team if they are faced with a tough test, but this group has built from the ground up. They are on a mission to make a deep run, and they have the pieces to do just that. If they can get two home games and force teams to make the long bus ride up to them they should be in good shape. 

 Littleton looks like a different team than they were in their opening night loss to Gorham. They are the hottest team in Division IV, winners of their last eight, but have arguably the toughest remaining schedule with Woodsville, and White Mountains at home and trips to Colebrook and Groveton. 

  If the Crusaders can win at least three of those contests, especially White Mountains to get the extra points, they should be in line for a top-four seed. 

 Dale Prior always says the Crusaders never rebuild, they retool, and they have done just that this season. 

 Lauren McKee has taken that next step as a senior and has flourished as the true first option, with the ability to take over certain stretches of a game. 

 Teams will gameplan for that come playoff time, and they will need continued contributions out of Ella Horsch, Lauryn Corrigan, Kaylee Manzella, and Addison Hadlock. 

 The Crusaders have always been a winning program, and they have a chance to add another chapter to the storied success they have had over the last few years. 

 

The dark horse teams: Woodsville and Newmarket

 When Woodsville is at full strength they are a tough out with the amount of shooting they have from the outside and the defense they play every single night. 

 A bounce-back win with their full roster on Friday night at Littleton certainly propels them into that top four.

 Mackenzie Kingsbury has been on a scoring tear as of late, and that will be huge down the stretch if the Engineers want a chance at two home playoff games. 

 Having Emily Farr in the middle makes a world of difference for this team. Add that along with a defensive-stopper on the perimeter in Maddie Roy who also gets you nearly 10 points a night and that is a dangerous team. 

 Still a lot of season left for the Engineers. 

 For Newmarket, it is going to be about getting the right matchup. They get it after it defensively, but they haven't had enough to slow down teams like Concord Christian and Derryfield this season. 

 If they can get a North Country team in the quarterfinals, they have a real shot to advance. Lena Nicholson has started to figure things out as of late, and Cassie Mosher has been consistent all year for the Mules. 

 Meghan Averill is one of the best coaches the division has to offer, and giving her a few days of practice time to gameplan could be huge. 

 Like always, watch out for the Mules.

 

Mid-season Player of the Year: Elyse Ngenda of Derryfield

 Comment: Even as a freshman Ngenda has been the most dominant player in the division and has been crucial to the success Derryfield has had this season.

 Runners-up: Lauren McKee of Littleton and Elizabeth Tschudin of Sunapee

 

Mid-season Coach of the Year: Matt Jordan of Pittsburg-Cannan

 Comment: The Yellowjackets have had a historic turnaround this year, and Jordan has had a huge part in building this program from the ground up.

 Runners-up: Courtney Cheetham of Derryfield and Rebecca Carlile of Concord Christian

 

First Team All-State (mid-season)

Elyse Ngenda of Derryfield 

Lauren McKee of Littleton 

Elizabeth Tschudin of Sunapee

Katie Loranger of Pittsburg-Cannan

Sarah Muir of Concord Christian

 

Second Team All-State (mid-season)

Sara Brown of Lisbon

Ariana Lord of Colebrook 

Mackenzie Kingsbury of Woodsville

Marissa Kenison of Groveton

Cassie Mosher of Newmarket