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The White Mountains Community College Division IV Semifinal Scouting Report

By Dave Haley, 03/07/22, 6:15AM EST

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The Woodsville Engineers square off with the Littleton Crusaders

 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 IV 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.

 Today’s semifinal scouting report is brought to you by our longtime friends & partners at White Mountains Community College!

 

  (1) Woodsville vs. (4) Littleton

     Woodsville Team Page

     Littleton Team Page

  The defending champion Engineers are two wins away from being the first team to repeat as Division IV champions since Lisbon in 2007.

 We asked our coaches to break down Jamie Walker's team ahead of their match-up tonight with Littleton.

 "They are a very good basketball team, and they are a deeper team than they were a year ago when they won it," said a head coach we spoke to. "Last year Jamie went with his five guys, and this year they have some good role players off the bench."

 "The key to that (quarterfinal) game against Farmington was when (Elijah) Flocke & (Cam) Davidson went to the bench with foul trouble. Farmington still couldn't make any headway. You could tell Jamie was nervous because he substituted offense/defense in the middle of the second quarter, but Farmington never took advantage."

 Another head coach talked about the Engineers personnel.

 "Cam Tenney-Burt is no question the player of the year in our division. He is so smooth offensively, and against Farmington, they had no one who could slow him down and guard him. When he was a freshman and a sophomore, he was more focused on his own offense, but now, if you send an extra defender at him like a lot of teams do, he will make that extra pass."

 "Flocke is the guy who makes them go even if he isn't their best offensive player. (Michael) Maccini does a solid job at point guard, and Davidson can't be overlooked. He makes big plays for them when they need him."

 Coaches talked about head coach Jamie Walker.

 "Jamie does an excellent job, and he has this group sharing the ball. They pass the ball better than any other team in our division, and when he puts that half-court trap on, it's been very effective. It's almost like he saves it for the right time of the game."

 "They will play man to man defense against Littleton, and it's given Littleton trouble because they have the athletes to match up. They'll also go to that 2-3 trapping zone as well. Jamie does a nice job, and I think they have to pressure Littleton and try to turn them over."

 What about Trevor Howard's Littleton Crusaders?

 "I wasn't surprised they beat PCA because that team (PCA) will turn it over, and that's what Littleton thrives on their home court."

 "Trevor has done another good job with this team; he and Jamie are the best coaches in the tournament this year. Trevor has seen Woodsville twice in the last two weeks, and I'd expect him to make some adjustments."

 "Littleton is not a great ball-handling team. They don't have a point guard who runs the show as they have in the past. Dre Atkins has good speed and can handle the ball a little but he's not a scoring threat."

 "When we faced them, we were surprised by how well Kayden Hoskins shot the ball. He will knock down shots if you leave him open, but he has trouble going by people and handling hard closeouts. I would send a defender at him and overplay the three-point shot and not help defensively. If you do that, you can neutralize him."

 A fellow coach weighed in.

 "Jeff Santos is the key. He was in foul trouble the first time they played, and they didn't recover. Grady Millen and Mike Hampson are very solid, and each can hurt you. My question is can Littleton win a game that gets to the '70s?"

 "I don't think they can. Woodville is just a better team offensively."

 What are the keys for Littleton tonight?

 "The key player for Littleton is Jeff Santos. He's been pretty good around the basket, and in playoff games, Flocke and Davidson always seem to be in foul trouble. If I'm Trevor, I go right at Davidson because he will foul you."

 A fellow coach agreed Littleton has to attack the basket.

 "Flocke is their key guy, on both ends of the floor. You need to try and get him in foul trouble and off the floor. Burt will stay away from the ball on defense. He's not a very good defender and stays away from contact and fouls. Davidson is the guy to attack and try to get off the floor because he does a lot of good things for that team."

 “ If there is a weakness with Woodsville it’s down low and on the glass. Littleton can't settle for jumpers. Their mission has to be to take care of the ball and attack the rim for any chance to pull the upset.”


 

 So who wins tonight?

 "Woodsville by 15."

 "Woodsville, but it will be a closer game than people are expecting."

 "Woodsville by about 9 or 10."

 "It's going to be Woodsville/Concord Christian."

 

  (2) Concord Christian vs. (6) Holy Family

 Concord Christian Team Page

 Holy Family Team Page

 Concord Christian and Holy Family square off for the third time this season, this time with a spot in the championship game on the line.

 Concord Christian won the first two meetings 61-41 and 90-61.

 We asked our coaches to break down both teams, beginning with Eric Heizer's Kingsmen.

 "They are a very good basketball team. They are well balanced as far as their size, ability to handle the ball, and most importantly, their unselfishness. (Eric) Heizer has done a nice job getting each guy to accept their role. They have their two guys they run everything through, but everyone who steps on the floor contributes."

 A fellow coach talked about Concord Christian's personnel.

 "Brode Frink is their best player. He's a terrific scorer, and when we played them, he had a big night. Isaac Jarvis gives them a rim protector, and he can score down low as well, but Frink is the guy I think you have to focus on slowing down."

 "I like Aiden Duffy as a player. He handles the ball well and makes smart decisions. Ethan Young gives them another ball-handler, and Jake Turner can be physical and gives them rebounding."

 "The most underrated guy on that team, to me, is Colby Carlile. He's very solid and can hurt you if you focus all of your attention on slowing down Jarvis in the post."

 "They'll play man defense. They look at their opponents and feel like they can win the physical match-ups at all five positions. Even against a team with athletes like Holy Family."

 We asked our coaches how they would game-plan against Concord Christian?

 "I would play zone and put an extra defender on Frink, almost a straight box in one. Frink is a kid who will compete. Jarvis is someone who you can be physical with and take him out of his game. I think you'll see Holy Family put Karl Yonkeau on him."

 What about Keith Lacasse's Holy Family Griffins?

 "Early in the season, it looked like they had a 'Big two’' in Yonkeau and (Gabe) Lacasse, but it's clearly a Big three now. Yves Mugiraneza has been excellent, especially over the second half of the season, and they don't beat Newmarket in the quarterfinals without him."

 "What makes them such a tough match-up is that, more than any other team in the division, they have three guys who can get to the rim and score. The issue for them is they are going up against the best shot-blocker in the division in Jarvis."

 A fellow coach echoed that sentiment.

 "I think when you play Holy Family, you have to take away their drives to the basket and turn them into a jump-shooting team. When we played them, we did a pretty good job on Lacasse but we lost Sean Sullivan & Jack Vicinanzo defensively and they knocked down some big three-pointers."

 "Still, I think you make Yonkeau shoot in the mid-range because it keeps him off the glass. He's at his best when he's in transition or able to turn his missed drives into converted offensive rebounds."

  Coaches talked about the Griffins personnel.

 "We scouted them on film before we played them, and Mugiraneza didn't really impress me, and then we played them…"

 "He is very good. He's deceptively quick, handles the ball well, and is not afraid to take the big shot. I like him a lot as a player."

 "Gabe Lacasse is an excellent ball-handler, and he's getting better as a shooter. He is most dangerous when he is going to the basket. If I'm Concord Christian, I bottle up the middle and make them hit jumpers."

 A fellow coach agreed.

 "They are at their best in transition, especially Yonkeau; that kid is a freight train."

 "I thought Newmarket (in the quarterfinals) did a good job controlling the pace, and then Holy Family got out in transition, and next thing you knew, they were putting up 40 points in the second half."

 What are you looking for in tonight's match-up?

 "How well can Holy Family defend Concord Christian? Everyone agrees Woodsville has the best offensive team in our division, but Concord Christian is right behind them. Brode Frink is their best player; he's terrific."

 "I want to see how the end of the game plays out because Holy Family can make poor decisions late in games. Does that play a factor in this game? I want to see if it does."

 

 So who wins the game?

 "Concord Christian by 15."

 "I think it's going to be a very good game; I'll go with Holy Family in a close one."

 "Concord Christian by about 10."

 "It's going to be Woodsville and Concord Christian in the final."

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