In our second of four columns we take a mid-season look at Division III and tell you the top performances so far and the two teams most likely to meet in the finals in March.
 

If forced today to pick the two teams that will meet in the final:

Conant vs. Hopkinton

 Eric Saucier’s Orioles looked like the ’86 Celtics in rolling to early season wins over Lebanon, Bishop Brady, Keene and Smithfield (RI) but a loss at Campbell followed by some mortal performances against Mascenic & Bow have given a glimmer of hope to the rest of the division. Although tell that to the fine people of Stevens high school who just got steamrolled 84-39 Friday night.

 Conant has arguably the two best players in the Division (I said arguably people of Newport..) in Eli Hodgson and Robert O’Brien. Those two set the table for a very good foundation that includes Nate Wheeler (9 ppg), Nick Panagiotes (7 ppg) and team co-captain Kyle Carland, who is not only a leader in the locker room but the teams’ best defender.  Saucier’s team has run into the flu bug and even suffered through a letdown in intensity in mid-January but no team dials it up better than Conant. This is not a great shooting team, save for O’Brien, so you can expect match-up zones and different looks designed to box up the paint to be thrown at them in the postseason. As Carland goes, so goes this team and his defense can wear down opposing guards and shut down opposing scorers. This is still the heavy favorite in Division III.

 Dave Chase’s team did not perform well in heir lone visit to the Jaffrey/Rindge area but this is a team built for a long post-season run. Gabe Nichols (21.5 ppg.) has performed at an all-state level at center while Jake Nelson has provided defense and rebounding beside him. Liam McNicholas gives Chase size (6’3) and experience at the point guard position and leads a talented group that includes Luke Luneau, Sam Winslow and Brian Hauschild. The Hawks can defend for 94 feet but also have the ability to cause a lot of problems in a zone look because of their size. Few teams in the lower divisions can go 6’5, 6’4, 6’4 and 6’3 like Hopkinton can. Those long arms coupled with their athletic ability (four players on this team dunk regularly) can, when used properly, cause a lot of problems for opposing offenses and Chase knows exactly how to use those pieces.

 Berlin was dealt a big blow when their 6’5 center Nick Foder went down with an ankle injury. Don Picard’s team is terrific with their full-court pressure but it was Foder protecting the paint at the other end of the floor that really anchored that defense. His possible return and how they adjust without him in the lineup bears watching. Newport again has to deal with the same questions that plagued them a year ago; who have they beaten? The Tigers have beaten only two teams with winning records and neither Mascoma nor Fall Mountain are top 8 teams in the Division. Still they are a team with two elite players in Andrew Houde and a much improved Spencer Coronis and they are a very good bet to get back to SNHU for a second straight year. Campbell has a final four run in them, they have an elite player and a very good coach who has been there many times before but can the younger supporting cast win them three tournament games in March? Gilford, Winnisquam and Laconia are going to trade punches before we figure who the best team coming out of the Lakes Region is. A top 4 seed is still there for the taking but one of those three teams needs to vault above the rest of that crowded field, of the three I feel like it’s Gilford that still has another gear they haven't hit yet.

 First Team All-State (First half of the season)

 Robert O’Brien of Conant
 Eli Hodgson of Conant
 Andrew Houde of Newport
 Zack Bergeon of Campbell
 Christian Serrano of Winnisquam
 
 With apologies to: Gabe Nichols & Liam McNicholas of Hopkinton, Aiden Dean of Laconia, Josh Joyce & Caleb Orton of Gilford, Logan LaRoche of Prospect Mountain, Nate Wheeler of Conant, Brad Frenette & Levi Arsenault of Berlin, Ryan Tanguay of Stevens, Dillon Dow of Inter-Lakes, Spencer Coronis of Newport, Jared Stauffeneker of Mascenic, Jackson Morton of Sanborn and Ryan Murdock of Fall Mountain.

Coach of the First Half: John Langlios of Campbell

 Four starters lost to graduation in addition to two key reserves and the veteran coach has his guys 7-2 with a win over Conant on the resume. Hard to argue with that.

 Runner-up: Eric Saucier of Conant
 
Player of the First Half: Robert O’Brien of Conant

 Our pre-season pick has been as good as predicted and his 27 point performance against Manchester Central in the Coaches for a Cause Jamboree proved he can compete on the same level with any team in New Hampshire.

Runner-up:  Andrew Houde of Newport