An annual event that once drew big crowds to Plymouth State University heads back over the border to Vermont Saturday evening when the top senior boys & girls teams from New Hampshire take on our rival to the west in the Twin State Basketball Classic.

 WAY over the border…

 When Ryan Cloutier’s parents get in the car Saturday morning in Pelham a six hour round trip awaits them as Vermont will play host for the seventh time in eight years.

 A game that once drew big crowds continues to be played in relative obscurity and to smaller crowds every year. Leading some to speculate if we are on the verge of a CHAD like event wherein the top seniors will choose to square off at a college venue for an in-state East vs. West event for both boys & girls.

 The Vermont girls cruised to an easy win a year ago while the boys broke a 6 game losing streak with a wire to wire 91-75 victory in a game that featured a terrific effort by MVP Jon Martin of Manchester Central and Justin McIsaac hustling fruit to a malnourished New Hampshire squad minutes before tip-off.

 Souhegan head coach Mike Heaney was tabbed to coach a New Hampshire girls’ team that features 11 players who will play college basketball next season.

 That kind of talent will provide options any coach would envy as Heaney has had a lot of fun mixing & matching his 5 person units on the floor in practice. “From the very first time we got together as a group the girls shared the ball and started communicating out on the floor, and that’s always your biggest concern coming in,” said Heaney. “It’s funny, the girls from Division I have really clicked on the floor together while the same is true of the group of players from Division II. I think at some point on Saturday you’ll see five Division II players out on the floor at the same time.”

 New Hampshire will be led by Gatorade Player of the Year Taylor Choate of Nashua North (who will play at Bowdoin next winter), Val Martin of Pinkerton (Keene State!) and Emily Benway of Spaulding (St. Josephs).

 Heaney’s squad is flush with combo guards, meaning any one of several players can get the ball up the floor but it is Choate who is expected to get most of the minutes at the point guard spot. “Those three are head and shoulders above the rest of the group. They have shared the ball and really set the right tone for the team.”

 Three teammates emerged as immediate impact players after a recent scrimmage (the team only is allowed two practices...); Jenny Schlim a 5’10 2-guard from Coe-Brown, JJ Daniels of Hanover and Sarah Thomas of Bishop Brady all played well and step into big roles Saturday. “When you coach against these girls you respect their ability but it’s when you have them for entire practices that you pick up on all the different ways they can help you win. That’s a fun aspect to all of this for me as a coach,” said Heaney.

 Heaney isn’t bringing a stable of guards to Vermont to mix it up in the half court…New Hampshire is going to run. With half a dozen players who can push the ball up the floor Heaney isn’t planning on directing traffic as much as setting the pace. “Vanessa Fleury (of Lebanon) will be one of our bigs Saturday but even she has shown a real ability to put the ball on the floor. I’m encouraging that.”  

 Hannah Nield of Campbell has shown flashes in practice as well, providing yet another weapon to a get out & go attack. “We’ve been really unselfish in transition and if that continues I can’t see how we don’t compete Saturday,” said Heaney. “I told the girl’s on day one, ‘Hey we lost this game last year...we’re not going to Vermont to lose again’. Every girl was immediately on board with coming back with a win and nothing I’ve seen thus far from this group leads to me believe we won’t do it.”

 Bishop Guertin head coach Jim Migneault is known for his tendency to go with two separate five man units as much as he is for his energy on the sideline. Both figure to be on full display Saturday night as the New Hampshire boys go for two straight wins against a Vermont team rumored to feature three Division I players. “When you have this many weapons you don’t try to slow them up with set plays or a half-court offense. We are going to push the ball, run a motion offense to get everyone touches and attack the rim. This is a team of players who can all get to the paint off the dribble.”

 NHsportspage Players of the Year Cody Ball of Londonderry, Jourdain Bell of Bishop Brady and Jordan Litts of Wilton-Lyndeborough are all going to play major roles Saturday night. Ball & Bell have been as good as advertised while Migneault admits he had no idea what he was getting in Litts. “He really surprised me,  Litts is a big time player. He can score (Litts scored 1,000 points in just two seasons at WLC after moving from Texas) but it’s also his passing and ability to defend. He is a lock down defender for us.”

 Jourdain Bell and Litts have spent time in the backcourt together (Cody Ball and Ryan Cloutier missed the team’s first scrimmage) with Marc Corey of Londonderry and Zach Jones of Manchester West filling the wings. “(Marc) Corey played really well in our scrimmage,” said Migneault. “He has a real ability to make difficult shots. (Zach) Jones is a kid who has really impressed early on with his ability at both ends.”

 Pembroke teammates Dominic Timbas and Max Curran will join a talented frontcourt that includes Kyle Gavin of Bishop Guertin and Ryan Cloutier of Division III champion Pelham. Timbas may be the team’s best defender and also gives Migneault another ball handler to push the pace. “I watched the highlights from last year’s game (on NHsportspage) and saw how effective Jay (McKenna the NH coach a year ago) was when the kids got out and ran. We’ll do the same and I don’t know about the Vermont team but I imagine this group is going to be a tough match-up for anyone.”

 Manchester Central’s Joey Martin was unable to participate on the team because he is already in Florida preparing for the season at Eastern Florida. Portsmouth captain Charlie Lehoux had to pull out of the event last minute because of a prior commitment, leaving New Hampshire with a manageable 11 man roster on Saturday.

 In years past the Achilles heel for the Granite State team, especially on the road in Maple Syrup country, has been shooting. That shouldn’t be the issue for Migneualt’s team. Curran is a knock down shooter from the wing at 6’8 and Mascenic’s Jared Stauffeneker has already opened eyes in practice with his ability to pound jumpers from behind the arc. “ Stauffeneker can really shoot it,” said Migneault, “ That just opens up the driving lanes for you when you have kids like that knocking down shots.“

 One of the best players on the team from day one has been Spaulding’s first team all-state shooting guard Darian Berry. The future St. Josephs guard was thought by some to be the best guard in the state a year ago and will play major minutes for New Hampshire on Saturday night. “ BG and Spaulding have always had a pretty intense rivalry so to get to coach him now is a lot of fun,” said Migneault. “He’s a very good player and really nice kid.”

 Migneault has mixed and matched his five man units in both practices and the team’s lone scrimmage. The veteran head coach expects to continue to do so all the way until game time. The five man unit of Darian Berry, Jourdain Bell, Marc Corey, Kyle Gavin and Dominic Timbas was very effective in a scrimmage this week and will see the floor again together this weekend.

“ This has been a really easy group to coach,” said Migneault. “ They really have played well together; from transition basketball to out of bounds plays. It’s an unselfish group with a lot of different abilities that win you games. We’re looking to get a second win in a row Saturday night.”