In the Thoughts column this week, we will rank the contenders in Divisions I & II and project the seedings and match-ups for the upcoming Division III and IV tournaments.

 Pete Tarrier and Patrick Cogan will be at Pelham tonight when the defending champs take on Manchester West.

 Pete Tarrier, Patrick Cogan, and I will be in Derry tomorrow night for the regular season game of the year when the Pinkerton Astros host Bedford in a championship game rematch.

 We’ll have all the highlights and the post-game interview/celebration with the winning team.

 Our column today is brought to you by our longtime partners at Nashua Community College!

 We will announce the four rosters for our 2024 NHsportspage Senior Boys and Girls Underclassman team next Wednesday.

 Those teams will square off against each other on Wednesday, March 13th at Bedford High School.

 Thank you to Ben Cronin of Plymouth and Nate Haskell of Fall Mountain for becoming Gold Level Coaches!

 

 Division I

 Division I Standings. Scoring Leaders and Gold Level coaches

 Gold Level Supporters/Coaches: Jaryd Piecuch of Londonderry, Matt Fennessy of Dover, Ryan Cowette of Goffstown, Mike Dunham of Pinkerton, Rob McLaughlin of Salem, Jeff Holmes of Exeter, Jeff Baumann of Timberlane, Leo Gershgorin of Alvirne, Ray Boulay of Keene and Jay McKenna of Winnacunnet

1. Bedford- I’ve begun to get the ‘ Bedford is the best team we’ve seen’ texts from coaches, but winning at Pinkerton in front of a packed house (I’m assuming they will be pulling out both bleachers) will not be easy. Frank Moreno’s team is going to try to get a team that averages 83 points a game into a shootout, and the crazy part is he is right to do it. It’s going to be a show…

2. Pinkerton Academy- This will be a good game for Cristian Brander, the Astros knockdown shooter who has been getting a lot of attention from opposing defenses since his eleven three-pointer effort against Portsmouth. The pace will get him open looks and will also benefit his brother Drew, who is excellent in transition. If I were Mike Dunham, I wouldn't change a thing and leave the big adjustments for a possible rematch at UNH.

3. Nashua North- The dust has cleared, and here is Steve Lane’s team at #3, just where we slotted them in the pre-season preview (humble brag: I also had Bedford/Pinkerton one/two). Robinson Rodriguez has come on strong, averaging 12 ppg. in his last five games. Meanwhile, Jaden Pena has become a problem for teams. The Titans all-interview team member is up to 14.0 ppg, which ranks 19th in Division I.

4. Nashua South- The Panthers had to play without all-state point guard Zac Castonguay in a 67-61 loss to Dover, as Josh Caruso led the way with a game-high 33 points. Next up, a surging Keene Blackbirds team fighting for a Top 8-seed.

5. Exeter- Jeff Holmes may be doing the most underrated coaching job in the division. We all assume the Blue Hawks are just an assembly line of athletic shooters, and this team has them, but this is not one of his most talented teams, and yet here they are again right in the mix for a home playoff game.

6. Trinity- I asked four different coaches who was the player you had to key on defensively when you face Trinity, and I got four different answers. That’s a good thing for head coach Ray Farmer. The steadying influence has been senior guard Devohn Ellis, who is averaging a team-high 13.2 points a game and doing a little bit of everything for the Pioneers. 

7. Windham- A pair of close losses for the Jaguars to Pinkerton (70-60) and Keene (66-63), with a dangerous Dover Green Wave team coming in on Friday night.

8. Keene- The Blackbirds have won three in a row over three (likely) tournament teams, (Alvirne, Manchester Memorial, and Windham) as Javon Massiah led the way in the home win over the Jaguars with 20 points while Fitch Hennessy and Evan Spindler scored 15 apiece. Two big road games are coming up at Nashua South and Salem. 

9. Goffstown- Ryan Cowette is reminding people that he is one of the best coaches in the state (he’s my senior team coach; I didn't need the reminder). The Grizzlies earned a very good road win at Dover on Friday night before turning around and beating Portsmouth 62-60 in front of Pete Tarrier on Tuesday night. Talented sophomore Xander McBournie combined for 31 points in the wins. 

10. Dover- With or without Castonguay in the South lineup, that was a very good win in Nashua Tuesday night for Matt Fennessy’s team. Dylan Jabre led the way with 24 points, while knockdown shooter David Cady added 20.

 

 Division II

 Division II Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

 Gold Level Coaches: Peter Pierce of Souhegan, David Smith of Coe-Brown, Joe Morin of Pelham, Mike Donnell of Pembroke, Ryan Kelley of Hollis-Brookline, Rich Otis of Manchester West, Ben Davis of Hanover, Joe Faragher of Kingswood, Steve McDonough of Laconia, Don Gutterson of Milford and Ben Cronin of Plymouth

1. Hanover- Ben Davis’s team rolled to a 58-36 win over Milford on Tuesday night, improving their record to 14-1 behind 21 points from sophomore Ryan McLaughlin and 18 from Christian Blix. How good has the Bears defense been this season? Milford’s 36 points were the second-most they have allowed in a game all season.

2. Pelham- There is a big-time match-up tonight against a Manchester West team they will have to face again next Friday night. Two great match-ups to watch: Max Shosa vs. Zach James and Tevin Edmunds vs. Dom Herrling. 

3. Pembroke Academy- Good bounce-back win at Oyster River Tuesday night as Joe Fitzgerald led the way with 26 points while Evan Berkley added 18.

4. Coe Brown- Hall of Fame head coach David Smith saw his team win their eighth consecutive game against John Stark on Tuesday night. The downside is that he had to beat his own son in overtime to do so (Mike Smith has done a terrific job with the Generals this season). Ryan Kouchoukus and Jack Matson might be the Bears' most improved players. They’ve been very good in expanded roles this season. 

5. Bow- Remember when we asked if the winning streak, now up to seven games, was a sign of improvement or a product of the schedule? A 61-54 win over Pembroke answered that question pretty emphatically.  Guard Brendan O’Keefe has played a huge role in the Falcons' success, averaging 17.4 points over his last five games.

6. Manchester West- Rich Otis’s team has won three in a row after dropping three of four. They will face Pelham twice and Bow on the road in the next eight days. It’s a pivotal stretch for the Blue Knights.

7. Laconia- The Sachems are in good shape to finish in the top eight and earn another home playoff game under Steve McDonough. Reigning Player of the Year Keaton Beck is closing in on 1,000 career rebounds after scoring his 1,000th career point. The names of all the players in school history who will have done that are, in alphabetical order: Keaton Beck.

8. Oyster River- The Bobcats have lost to Hanover by three, at West by six, and to Pembroke (without leading scorer Matt Jernigan) Tuesday night by six. If you’re searching for the team, no higher seed wants to play in the tournament….stop looking; they’re right here.

9. Plymouth- Big Boy win at Merrimack Valley on Monday night. Luke Legacy and Turner Oldenberg protect the paint and rebound. Chance Twomey and Johnny Flaherty give you scoring in the backcourt, Dylan Webster has applied to the all-glue guy team and is being strongly considered, and Ben Cronin is coaching his butt off with this team. This was a really fun team to cover, and a playoff appearance would be their first in ten seasons.

10. Souhegan- Five in a row for Peter Pierce’s Sabers! Weston Hickman, Nolan Colby, and Max Hayes combined for 34 points in a Tuesday night win over Hollis Brookline. Next up is a measuring stick game against Bow.

 

Division III

Division III Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Nate Camp of Kearsarge, Justin Dibenedetto of Campbell, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Tony Martinez of Belmont, Rick Acquilano of Gilford, Eric Saucier of Conant, David Morissette of St Thomas, Jim Gallagher of Raymond, Matt Dancosee of Stevens, Matt Miller of Hopkinton, Silas Ayres of Mascoma and Nate Haskell of Fall Mountain.

 Bracketology Edition (projecting the fourteen seeds in next week’s tournament... The top two seeds get a first-round bye)

  1) Conant 2) St Thomas 3) Mascoma 4) Kearsarge 5) Hopkinton 6) Gilford 7) Campbell 8) White Mountains 9) Belmont 10) Fall Mountain 11) Raymond 12) Inter-Lakes 13) Newport 14) Monadnock  (first team out: Prospect Mountain)

 Correction: Stevens can finish as high as 13

 

 Projected First Round Match-ups

 Conant and St Thomas, bye

 (9) Belmont at (8) White Mountains

 (12) Inter-Lakes at (5) Hopkinton

 (13) Newport at (4) Kearsarge

 (11) Raymond at (6) Gilford

 (14) Stevens at (3) Mascoma

 (10) Fall Mountain at (7) Campbell

 Notes: Under these projections, you’d see a possible Gilford/Mascoma championship game rematch in the quarterfinals…Kearsarge has won eleven games in a row heading into a season finale against a Conant team missing two starters; there is still a chance for St Thomas to finish as the top seed…..Hopkinton’s all-state center Abram Standefer injured his elbow in Tuesday's loss to Mascoma…Nice win by Fall Mountain, 55-46, over Stevens on Tuesday night as Luke St. Pierre and Pat Connors combined for 22 points... Newport has seven overall wins, but their only wins over a Division III opponent came against Fall Mountain and two wins against 1-15 Hillsboro Deering. They have four wins against Division IV teams….Raymond has only one win (Belmont) against a team with a plus .500 record…under these projections, Conant and Kearsarge would have played fifteen of its eighteen games against tournament teams, St Thomas nine, Mascoma would have played ten. 

 

 Division IV

 Division IV Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

 Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Jamie Walker of Woodsville, Jay Darrah of Pittsfield, David Bedard of Franklin, Mark Collins of Groveton, Nick Tzannos of Mascenic, Greg Farland of Concord Christian, Mitchell Roy of Profile, Matt Manning of Lin Wood, Josiah Riley of Pittsburg Canaan and Trevor Howard of Littleton.

 Bracketology Edition (projecting the sixteen seeds in next week’s tournament)

 (1) Profile 2) Derryfield 3) Littleton 4) Farmington 5) Holy Family 6) Woodsville 7) Gorham 8) Portsmouth Christian 9) Franklin 10) Groveton 11) Hinsdale 12) Concord Christian 13) Colebrook 14) Pittsburg-Canaan 15) Moultonborough 16) Newmarket   First team out: Mascenic

Projected First Round Match-ups

(16) Newmarket at (1) Profile

(9) Franklin at (8) Portsmouth Christian

(12) Concord Christian at (5) Holy Family

(13) Colebrook at (4) Farmington

(11) Hinsdale at (6) Woodsville

(14) Pittsburg Canaan at (3) Littleton

(15) Moultonborough at (2) Derryfield

(10) Groveton at (7) Gorham

 

Notes: Gorham/Groveton in the first round would be A LOT of fun. Can you imagine being the Huskies, sweeping Groveton for the first time since the Jimmy Carter administration, and then learning you have to beat them a third time?....Woodsville/Littleton in the quarterfinals would be insane……Holy Family at Farmington would be a fun sequel to a terrific quarterfinal from a season ago…Isaac Langlois of Gorham dropped 30 points in a Tuesday night win over Woodsville…in these projections, Colebrook would play fifteen of its eighteen games against tournament teams and Groveton would play fourteen…... Mascenic can still give themselves a chance to play their way in with a win over Concord Christian.