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 We will be announcing details of our first ever NHsportspage year-end party for players & parents where we will hand out player of the year and coach of the year in each division and debut our 2014-2015 Season Highlights. Details to come…
 
 As we do in both basketball and football we hand over our semifinal previews to the people that know the four teams better than anyone; the coaches who have competed against them all year. The following are scouting reports from four coaches on the Division III semifinal match-ups using blind quotes.

 Pete Tarrier, Jennifer Chick & The Great Jon Kesty and I will have full coverage of both games tonight as part of our 20 games in 21 days coverage.
 
(5) Campbell vs. (1) Pelham

 The Pythons come into this game 20-0 with two of those wins coming over Campbell. We asked our coaches if Campbell could pull the major upset and what the two teams might do in their third meeting.

 First Campbell. “ They have size, athletes & experience. I’m sure john (Langlois) has something planned defensively against Pelham but how much can he really do? Pelham is great against zone looks and when Campbell went man to man in their last meeting they lost by over 20 points.” Another coach talked about the zone looks you might see, “ They’ll play a 2-3 zone and they don’t just sit in it, they are active. They’ll go for steals and try and trap you in it. The short corner will be open and it’s about moving the ball and having your players in the right spots.”

 Other keys for Campbell? “ They need to get out quick, if they find themselves playing from behind early they’re in trouble. Pelham can afford to fall behind early, Campbell cannot. One factor in their favor is they have played on this floor and they are used to the gym and the noise. As a coach you can’t even communicate with your kids sometimes because of the noise and Langlois & his kids are used to that. They need to use the facilities to their advantage.”

 What about the Campbell offense? “ John (Langlois) knows the only way he’ll beat Pelham is to slow it down. My question is how will they handle Pelham’s pressure defense?” Another coach talked about the key players for the Cougars. “ Harrison Vedrani has carried them all season, he needs to play well again, as he’s been their best player all year. The guy they need to have step up is Zach Bergeon. He really has never looked comfortable this season for some reason and hasn’t been the factor he was a year ago. He was the man for them last year, he carried them, but in two games against Pelham they have bottled him up. He is a key Wednesday night.” A fellow coach agreed, “ They’ll run the flex and try to get shots out of their drive & kick offense but they won’t run plays. They don’t run any to get Bergeon going. They need a lot of movement because if they are stagnant against Pelham they’re going to lose.”

 What about the #1 seed Pelham? “ You have to control tempo. It’s crucial. Make Ryan Cloutier’s catches on the perimeter harder and get right up on him, don’t give him any breathing room. Keith Brown is so good, you really just have to force him into a half-court game, not let them get to the paint and hope they are off. (Dylan) Silvestri is a guy to key on. Put Vedrani on him and try and keep him off the glass. Vedrani will need to control the boards.”

 A fellow coach talked about how Pelham attacks on both sides of the court. “ Go watch a typical Division III or Division IV game. 90% of the plays are initiated on the right side of the floor because that is everyone’s strong hand. Pelham attacks both sides of the floor with equal effectiveness.”

 Any weaknesses? “You might be able to pressure them, we did during the season and sometimes Brown will get careless with the ball. The biggest thing you need to stop is their baseball passes in transition. They are smart to know where the rebound is going and how & when to release down the floor.”

 Another coach talked about head coach Matt Regan, “ I didn’t really know him well before he came to the division but in meeting him and talking to him about teams this year I’m really impressed. He has them really well prepared and they are very fundamentally sound in the way they play. He also seems to have a very good relationship with those kids, he’s a very good coach.”

 Yet another coach raved about Pelham’s defense, “ They have another gear defensively. We had them tight in the fourth quarter and all of the sudden they locked us down in the last four minutes. David Rogers, Ryan Rondeau and Dylan Silvestri are all elite defenders.”
 
(3) Conant vs. (2) Berlin

 The build up to this seemingly annual meeting at SNHU is about who will be playing and who won’t. Conant leading scorer Josh Degrenier is suspended for the game after getting ejected from the quarterfinal win over Mascenic Regional for getting tangled up with Jared Stauffeneker. Berlin has its own personnel issues as Nick Foder is questionable after an elbow injury suffered late in a quarterfinal win over Winnisquam. Fodor was having the elbow examined Tuesday afternoon. Point guard Tommy Gallagher suffered an ankle sprain in the same game but head coach Dave Morrisette told me he will give it a go tonight.

 We asked the coaches to break down two time defending champion Conant. “ When you talk about Conant you start with their defense. They are a team that does a very good job staying in front of you whether it is by switching or not getting caught up in screens. They’re not very big but they are strong.” Another coach talked about head coach Eric Saucier, “ Eric is a really good coach. I think with a new group they stumbled a bit early and Eric had a hard time reaching them but that changed after the second Pelham game. He told them, ‘Here is what you are going to see and if you do it my way you can beat these guys’. They played Pelham closer than any other team has and I think after that his kids bought in. Kyle Dupuis and Brandon Ford are their two best defenders.”

 Another coach talked about Saucier as well. “ Those kids are so well prepared. Eric knows exactly what you are running and he communicates that to his players. They’re never slow to adjust and they never look confused out on the floor.”

 What can you expect from the Orioles offensively against Berlin? “ With Degrenier out Berlin is going to close the paint off and make them hit jumpers. I would expect Berlin dials back some of their pressure and drops back to prevent anyone getting to the lane or getting a second shot. Conant will run a motion offense and they’ll be extremely patient, that’s what we always saw when Eric and Don (Picard) matched up. Won’t be any different with Dave (Morrisette).”

 What will you see out of the Conant defense? “ A lot depends on the condition of (Tommy) Gallagher, if he is hurt they have to pressure Berlin because Gallagher bails them out of so many issues with his ball handling. If Foder is out they can attack with Brandon Ford, a kid who I love as a player, and get their production down low. Levi (Arsenault) is a beast for Berlin, just a tough kid, but he is really susceptible to getting into foul trouble and if that happens..now you’re down you’re two best big men assuming Foder is hurt.”

 What about the #2 seed Berlin? “ With that team it always starts with their work ethic. They will not be outworked, ever. They get every 50/50 ball and they will push you around in the post.” Another coach talked about their style of play under first year head coach Dave Morrisette, “ They still run a lot of the same sets, still play hard and they have that same style. The only difference I’ve really seen is Don would press you full court no matter who your point guard was. No matter how good. Dave will pressure back on the other side of half court and do their damage there.” Another coach pointed out Berlin’s versatility, “ They can go big or small. They have enough depth to be effective playing both ways.”

 What is the weakness of this Berlin team? “ They’re not very good offensively at all. They really can struggle to score in the half court and they depend a ton on Tommy Gallagher. If he is slowed then you are putting the ball in the hands of a freshman (Evan Arsenault). He is very good, and dangerous if you ignore him, but that is a tough place to be against a team that defends like Conant does.”
 What can you expect tonight when they two rivals square off? “ First team to 30 wins? “ joked one coach. “ This is going to be a grind it out affair with Degrenier out and possibly Foder as well.” Another coach talked strategy, “ If I’m Berlin I’m not worried about denying that pass to the wing with Degrenier out. Pack the paint and force their inexperienced guys to shoot it from the perimeter.”