Today we wrap up our 14th season of boys basketball coverage with a look back at the 2021-22 season and a look ahead to the contenders for the 2022-23 crown.

 Our coverage is brought to you today by our friends at The Links at Outlook in Berwick, Maine!

 Before we break down each division, I want to thank all the parents, coaches, and athletics directors who made our coverage possible with their help & support.

 We covered 98 basketball games on video this season, a number I could never have imagined only a few years ago.

 Thank you to everyone who made it possible, including our team; Jennifer Chick-Ruth, Lance Legere, Pete Tarrier, Austin Grass, Brandon Bojarsky, Jay Manzi, Nichole Marrero, Shannon Hargreaves, Colin O’Neil, and late-season pick-up Ben Conant.

 Also, a HUGE thank you to our partners: Core Physicians, Great Bay Community College, York County Community College, NHTI, Exeter Hospital, Kevin Shaw at Roche Realty, Adrenaline Fundraising, River Valley Community College, White Mountains Community College, Manchester Community College, and Nashua Community College.

 

 Division I

 Division I Boys Basketball Final Standings & Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: John Fisher of Bishop Guertin, Keith Bike of Trinity, Frank Moreno of Bedford, Rob McLaughlin of Salem, Jeff Holmes of Exeter, Matt Fennessy of Dover, Matt Azzaro of Keene, John Mulvey of Portsmouth, Nate Stanton of Londonderry, Leo Gershgorin of Alvirne, Jeff Baumann of Timberlane & Jay McKenna of Winnacunnet

Where we had them ranked in the pre-season: 1) Goffstown 2) Pinkerton 3) Trinity 4) Portsmouth 5) Exeter 6) Bishop Guertin 7) Londonderry 8) Bedford 9) Windham 10) Manchester Memorial 11) Nashua North 12) Dover 13) Timberlane 14) Nashua South 15) Salem

Where they ended up ranked for the tournament: 1) Trinity 2) Nashua North 3) Goffstown 4) Pinkerton 5) Portsmouth 6) Bishop Guertin 7) Exeter 8) Bedford 9) Dover 10) Nashua South 11) Manchester Central 12) Windham 13) Londonderry 14) Salem 15) Timberlane.

Percentage of teams that made the playoffs: 93%

Notes and Glue-Guys: I walked away from our Coaches for a Cause Jamboree (which included Goffstown, Trinity, and Pinkerton), saying that Trinity was the best team I saw all day, and it played out throughout the season. As it turns out, Andrew Politi was the missing piece, and Keith Bike pushed all the right buttons….the first half of the championship game between Trinity and Goffstown was as good as any half of basketball I’ve seen in my fourteen years doing this…Your All-Glue Guy team members (you can’t win without glue guys): Jack Peters of Nashua North, Jonah Lopez of Goffstown, Adrian Degnan of Portsmouth, George Fortin of Windham & Connor Hermann of Trinity.

Your (way too early) favorites for next season: Pinkerton, Trinity, Nashua North, Bedford, Exeter, Nashua South, Londonderry, and Windham…..with Goffstown & Portsmouth lurking on the outside.

 

Division II Boys Basketball Final Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Marty Edwards of Hollis-Brookline, David Smith of Coe-Brown, Rich Otis of Pembroke Academy, John Langlois of Manchester West, Joe Faragher of Kingswood, Mike Larson of Pelham, 'The Big Smooth' Lewis Atkins of Oyster River, Peter Pierce of Souhegan, Jason Starr of Con Val, Steve McDonough of Laconia, Kieth Matte of Lebanon and Gary Lavoie of Bishop Brady.

Where we had them ranked in the pre-season: 1) Lebanon 2) Pelham 3) Pembroke Academy 4) Con Val 5) Sanborn 6) Merrimack Valley 7) Hanover 8) Laconia 9) Manchester West 10) Bow 11) Bishop Brady 12) Kennett 13) Kingswood 14) Coe-Brown 15) Milford.

Where they ended up ranked for the tournament: 1) Souhegan 2) Pelham 3) Con Val 4) Lebanon 5) Pembroke Academy 6) Sanborn 7) Kennett 8) Laconia 9) Coe-Brown 10) Bishop Brady 11) Bow 12) Milford 13) Oyster River 14) Kingswood.

Percentage of teams that made the playoffs: 78%

Notes and Glue-Guys: I was more off on Division II than any of the four divisions, and I honestly could see that coming as I was putting the preview together. Most of the time, when you're putting together your Top 10's, you get to a number and realize you have hit a zone where any one of eight or nine teams could fill the spot. After I had Sanborn at #5, you can see that I was off having Merrimack Valley (6-12) and Hanover (4-12) listed in the Top 10….Souhegan was not on my radar in early December, and I couldn't be happier for all the players and coaches who proved themselves the best division team throughout the season….Your All-Glue Guy team members (you can't win without glue guys): Malachi Page of Con Val, Charlie Urda of Milford, Jake Cawthron of Pelham, Alex Boisvert of Bow, CJ Childs of Lebanon, and Keegan Burke of Souhegan.

Your (way too early) favorites for next season: Sanborn, Laconia, Bishop Brady, Souhegan, Manchester West, Pembroke Academy & Pelham.

 

Division III final Standings and Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Mike Rathgeber of Inter-Lakes, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Eric Saucier of Conant, Leon Shaw of Somersworth, Mike Curtis of White Mountains, Jim Cilley of Belmont, Rick Acquiilano of Gilford, Kevin Dame of Winnisquam, Jaryd Piecuch of Raymond, Nate Camp of Kearsarge, Ray Curren of Stevens and Kiernan Gordon of Prospect Mountain.

Where we had them ranked in the pre-season: 1) Gilford 2) Kearsarge 3) Hopkinton 4) Campbell 5) Conant 6) Mascoma 7) White Mountains 8) Winnisquam 9) Belmont 10) Monadnock 11) St Thomas 12) Raymond 13) Mascenic Regional 14) Newfound 15) Somersworth.

Where they ended up ranked for the tournament: 1) Gilford 2) Hopkinton 3) Kearsarge 4) Campbell 5) White Mountains 6) Monadnock 7) Mascoma 8) St Thomas 9) Newfound 10) Stevens 11) Winnisquam 12) Conant 13) Belmont 14) Mascenic 15) Somersworth.

Percentage of teams that made the playoffs: 93%

Notes and Glue-Guys: With three starters back and Brendan Baldi ready to step into the starting lineup next season Rick Acquilano's Gilford team will be heavy, heavy favorites to advance to their fourth straight title game next March. Gilford has won back-to-back titles and shared the title with Mascenic when Covid ended the 2020 season. They would be the first team to advance to four straight title games since Conant in 2010…..Your All-Glue Guy team members (you can't win without glue guys): Austin Normandin of Gilford, Adrian McCarthy of Kearsarge, Dylan Chambers of Stevens, Wyatt Duvall of Mascenic, Cole Moulton of Mascoma, and Carson Shanks of Monadnock.

Your (way too early) favorites for next season: Gilford (by a good margin), Conant, Kearsarge, Belmont, Somersworth, Stevens, and Hopkinton.

 

Division IV

Division IV final Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Buddy Trask of Colebrook, Mark Collins of Groveton, Jay Darrah of Pittsfield, Nick Fiset of Epping, Jamie Walker of Woodsville, David Bedard of Franklin, Matt Manning of Lin Wood, and Trevor Howard of Littleton

Where we had them ranked in the pre-season: 1) Woodsville 2) Concord Christian 3) Portsmouth Christian 4) Epping 5) Holy Family 6) Littleton 7) Colebrook 8) Newmarket 9) Groveton 10) Sunapee 11) Farmington 12) Lin Wood 13) Derryfield 14) Hinsdale 15) Profile 16) Gorham

Where they ended up ranked for the tournament: 1) Woodsville 2) Concord Christian 3) Epping 4) Littleton 5) Portsmouth Christian  6) Holy Family 7) Derryfield 8) Groveton 9) Farmington 10) Lin Wood 11) Profile 12) Sunapee 13) Gorham 14) Newmarket 15) Pittsburg-Canaan 16) Hinsdale

Percentage of teams that made the playoffs:  94%

Your All-Glue Guy team members (you can't win without glue guys): Chris Corliss of Groveton, Colby Carlile of Concord Christian, John McDevitt of Derryfield, Ryan Chase of Newmarket, Cam Davidson of Woodsville and Seth Huggard of PCA.

 

 My realigned divisions (all private schools play one division up from their enrollment level like Trinity and Bishop Brady do).

 I'm aware this will never get done but this is the best alignment for all the programs (kids) involved and competitive balance.

 It's based on enrollment, private/public school and the level a program has competed at over the last fifteen years.

 

Division IV

Inter-Lakes

Littleton

Epping

Farmington

Newfound

Concord Christian

Hillsborough-Deering

Newport

Mascenic Regional 

Newmarket

Portsmouth Christian

Derryfield

Woodsville

Franklin

Holy Family

Mount Royal

 

Division V

Groveton

Colebrook

Sunapee

Profile

Moultonborough

Lisbon

Lin Wood

Wilton-Lyndeborough

Pittsfield

Hinsdale

Nute

Pittsburg-Canaan

 

 70% rule in place so ten teams make the Division IV tournament and eight teams make the Division V tournament

Your (way too early) favorites for next season: Concord Christian, Derryfield, Holy Family, Littleton, Groveton, Lin Wood, Profile, Woodsville, and Newmarket.