Since 2008 we have turned our semifinal previews over to the people who know these teams better than anyone; the coaches that faced them during the season.

 We asked four Division III head coaches to break down the four teams and two games using blind quotes.

 We’ll have full coverage of both final four games, all the highlights as well as the post-game interview/celebration with the winning teams.

 

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    (1) Gilford vs. (5) White Mountains

      Gilford Team Page

      White Mountains Team Page

      Box Score of the regular season meeting
 

 The defending champion Gilford Golden Eagles take on a White Mountains Spartans team coming off their biggest win of the season; a 73-57 domination of Campbell in the quarterfinals.

 We asked four head coaches to break down the two teams, beginning with Rick Acquilano's Golden Eagles.

 "The first thing that stands out about them is they force teams to play their style. They dominate tempo," said a tournament coach we spoke to. "Their defense and rebounding is the key, and it starts with Riley Marsh at the top of that zone pressure."

 "They have as much length and athleticism as any team I've seen, and they use it to deflect passes, turn you over and create transition opportunities."

 A fellow coach agreed.

 "Jalen Reese is terrific. He seems to have grown into a leadership role, and he makes it look effortless at times. When he is out in transition, you are either fouling him or he's scoring. He covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time with his long strides."

 "Riley Marsh has been every bit as good this season. He is so good at the top of that press, and I have seen him keep his composure during some difficult situations."

 Another tournament coach echoed that sentiment.

 "It's Marsh at the top of that press, Jalen covering the middle and Sam Cheek protecting the rim. I mean, it's as good a zone as you're going to see, and Rick (Acquilano) teaches it very well."

 Another coach spoke about the Gilford supporting cast.

 "Sam Cheek is very underrated. I was talking to another coach about him, and we agreed that if he was on another team, he might be their best player."

 "They are deeper than they were a year ago. I like the (Austin) Normandin kid, he is a glue guy who does the little things, and Mitchell Pratt gives them a shooter when you pack everyone in the paint."

 "Isaiah Reese is tremendous in transition, and they try to leak him out. He has a sense of when to go and has the speed to beat your guys down the floor."

 Another coach talked about Gilford’s head coach.

"Rick has done a phenomenal job. His teams get better as the season goes along, and those kids are very well prepared."

 "How will they react to a close game? They haven't had many, and their schedule is not as tough as a year ago through no fault of their own.”

 “Belmont and Winnisquam were down this year, and they blew out Laconia. They don't have the reps in close games that they had a year ago, and that has to be a concern for Rick."

 How do you beat Gilford?

 "You have to slow the game down, and you cannot turn it over. One strength White Mountains has going for them is they can rebound with Gilford. They have the size with Avery Hazelton and Avery Woodburn to do it."

 "You have to turn them into a jump-shooting team. You also have to attack the trap by ensuring your point guard gets it back and around the foul line. I imagine Mike (Curtis) is going to use Tyler Hicks to attack the middle of the zone and find shooters like Brody Labounty or dump it down to one of the bigs."

 What are the strengths of White Mountains?

 "Mike will have them very prepared, and they have a lot of confidence as a team. Tyler Hicks and Brody Labounty are competitors, and Hazleton has the size to score against Cheek or Reese down low."

 "They'll mix up man and zone defenses just like they did in the first meeting. When they went to Gilford, it looked like they were going to get blown out, but they hung in there and played even for the last three-quarters of that game."

 "I'm interested to see if Mike packs in that defense and lets them shoot it from the outside with the strategy or slowing the game down and not allowing offensive rebounds."

 A fellow coach talked about the Spartans win over Campbell.

 "That didn't surprise me. Campbell doesn't defend. It is almost like an AAU mentality that they'll outscore you and that rarely happens in the tournament."

 “White Mountains has players that have played in big games and they rarely look overwhelmed.”

 “ I think Gilford needs to extend man pressure and really make Hicks labor to get the ball up the floor. They don’t handle the ball very well and that’s why Conant gavce them so much trouble in the first round. After Conant the quarterfinal game against Campbell had to seem like a walk in the park.”

 “Gilford will defend and they should apply constant pressure.”

 Another coach talked about the battle on the offensive boards.

 "A lot of teams concede the offensive glass to Gilford and just focus on getting back on defense, but White Mountains can go toe to toe with them in the paint."

 "They will need a big game from Tyler Hicks or Labounty to win, but I think they have a good shot. Gilford is going to try to run Hazelton on that big floor at Bedford, so it's going to be a battle to see who controls the pace."

 "If White Mountains is there in the end, I like their chances. If they get down by twelve or fourteen, I don 't see them coming back."
 

 So who wins the game?

 "Gilford."

 "Gilford by about fourteen."

 "Gilford, but it will be close..maybe five points."

 "I think White Mountains matches up very well, but I'm not picking against Gilford yet."

 

(3) Kearsarge vs (7) Mascoma

 Kearsarge Team Page

 Mascoma Team Page

 Box score of the last meeting

 

 We asked the coaches to break down both teams, beginning with Nate Camp's Kearsarge Cougars.

 "They have a group that has played a lot of games together, and they have played them under the same coaching staff. That comes out when you watch them play."

 "They have their big two in Chris Stanchfield & Sam Carl, and everybody else fills a valuable role."

 A fellow tournament coach agreed.

 "They are deeper than I thought. We saw them at the beginning of the season, and towards the end, you see players like Bobby Needham filling bigger roles.”

“ Needham hitting all those three's against Monadnock was a backbreaker for them, and he has had a few games like that this season."

 "Sam Carl is every bit as good as Zach Thompson and Ben Seiler, especially with the way he is shooting the ball with confidence. Don’t overlook the role he will play in the semifinals.”

 Another coach talked about what makes Kearsarge a strong contender to win it all.

 "They have all the pieces. They have a good, veteran coaching staff, two all-state players who can score 25 in a playoff game. Size down low to rebound. A good point guard who can handle pressure and a lot of seniors who know this is their last shot at it."

 "Also..they won't be afraid of Gilford. They could have won that semifinal game last year, and they want a rematch."

 Coaches talked about the Kearsarge defense.

 "They applied a lot of pressure when we faced them. They will come at you with a 1-2–1-1 and drop back into a 1-2-2 in the halfcourt. Against Monadnock, they just went man and tried to pressure Kevin Putnam every time he had the ball."

 “That won’t work against Zach Thompson.”

 Another coach weighed in.

 "At times during the season, they looked like they were coasting a little, especially on defense. Could have been the competition or the condensed schedule."

 "They have dialed it back up now, and they are playing great defense. Adrian McCarthy, George Jallah, and Connor Pillsbury can all rebound & defend, and they wear you down with screens. They kept running our guys through screens when we faced them, and it took a toll. I think you'll see them do that to Mascoma."

 What about Silas Ayers’ Mascoma Royals?

 "(Zach) Thompson and (Ben) Seiler are the best backcourt in our division. They are very good in transition, and they both make good decisions with the ball. The other players fill their roles well, and Silas does a good job coaching them."

 "They want to push the tempo, so they will come at you with run & jump pressure. Mascoma can certainly turn you over, but it's more about rushing you and getting the game at the pace they want."

 "Cole Moulton is the key because the inbound passer defender is the one who traps. Usually right around midcourt."

 Another coach talked about the Royals all-state point guard.

 "He's their best player, and he might be the best point guard in our division. He creates shots for Seiler and those bigs that run the baseline. He's also a very active defender who can turn you over. We told our guards to stay away from him."

 "How Kearsarge defends Seiler will be interesting to watch. In the last meeting, they tried to make him shoot over size with players like Jallah, and he torched them. McCarthy might be the guy the second time around. He (Seiler) has to score 20 for them to win the game, so you focus on making the other players beat you."

 Another coach talked about the resilience of the Royals.

 "They have taken on this attitude that no one thinks they can win, which isn't true, but teams find ways to motivate themselves all the time. They are a very good team, and when you have two all-state guards, you can beat anyone."

 "They will play halfcourt man and rebound as a team because Jallah & McCarthy can kill them on the boards. "

 "I think they have a very good chance to beat Kearsarge again. Thompson and Seiler are fearless. They will go into this game knowing everyone expects a Gilford/Kearsarge final, and I think that fuels them."

 

 So who wins the game?

 "Kearsarge by about 15."

 "I am going with Mascoma. Those guards will be the difference."

 "Mascoma."

 "I think Kearsarge pulls away late and wins."