The news that two- time defending champion Pelham was moving back up to Division II this season was met with the same mumbled reaction we all had when the 5th grader who crashed our 3rd grade kick ball games finally moved into middle school.

 Thanks for playing but please…don’t come back again.

 Two years of almost unparalled dominance and the owner of 43-1 record had more to do with Pelham than Division III.

 The 2015 championship team with Keith Brown, Ryan Cloutier & Dylan Silvestri could have won Division II that season. Pelham’s two year reign had everything to do with Matt Regan & Keith Brown and little to do with the quality of the division (never forget Campbell had a jumper to beat them at the buzzer at SNHU) or enrollment (the Pelham baseball team went 2-16 in Division III).

 What remains in the aftermath is four or five teams who should believe they can win it all and at least ten more capable of crashing the party in Manchester this March.

 Today in our second of four high school basketball previews we take a look at Division III

  

Division III Predicted Order

1.Kearsarge Regional

2.Hopkinton

3.Mascenic Regional

4.Stevens

5.Inter-Lakes

6.Campbell

7.Conant

8.St Thomas

9.Belmont

10.Berlin

Lurking outside the Top 10: Laconia, Mascoma, Gilford, Monadnock, Newport, Winnisquam & Somersworth

 

 Thank you to our 2016-17 Division III Gold Level Members: Jim Cilley of Belmont and Stephen Carrier of Gilford.

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 Kearsarge Regional head coach Nate Camp read the pass like a free safety as the basketball came headed right in front of the Cougars bench at Southern NH University. Only Camp was on the sidelines and unless he wanted to pull a Mike Tomlin, he was going have to stay there.

 Pelham’s Keith Brown picked off the pass that represented the last chance to win the Division III title as the Pelham side of the gym celebrated and exhaled all in one moment.

 A year later the Cougars, who will square off against Division I power Bedford Saturday night at 7:30 in our Coaches for a Cause Jamboree, return three starters and enough firepower to not only get back to the final four but finish the job this time. “The purpose and the focus this season has been crystal clear,“ said Camp, “you see it day to day in practice. This team wants to win a championship and they understand how tough that will be in a division I think has a lot of parity.”

 6’7 Tayler Mattos returns after an all-state season a year ago. Mattos is a match-up nightmare in Division III and spent the summer working to become the focus of the Kearsarge offense. “I can’t say enough good things about Tayler, from the kind of kid he is to how hard he has worked,” said Camp. “With the guards we have, and their ability to knockdown shots, we should be a difficult team for opponents to defend.”

 Tommy Johnson made a name for himself in the final four last season. While some kids tend to shrink from the moment Johnson seemed to absolutely thrive in it and after a busy off-season he is ready to take over the role as Kearsarge’s lead guard. “When the ball is in his hands good things tend to happen.” said Camp. “With Trent (Noordsij) no longer here to be our floor leader Tommy has really become more of a facilitator.”

 Joe Storozuk returns as well after starting the championship game and hitting key shots down the stretch a year ago. “Joe will also handle the ball more than he did a year ago, where he was really used as a spot up shooter. He’s more than capable of taking on that responsibility.”

 6’3 Sam Kulacz will look to make an immediate impact, as will guard Noah Trembley and forward Jordan Bryk. Camp calls senior Ray Critch one of the hardest workers on the team. Giving Camp enough of a rotation to mix & match his lineup depending on the flow of the game. “It’s a great group and they want to accomplish something special,” said Camp. “They got a taste of the bright lights last year and now it is about fighting to earn your way back.”

 The day Dave Chase was officially hired as the new basketball coach at Concord high school meant some lucky coach was going to inherent a pretty good basketball team. Enter new Hopkinton head coach Steve Signore, who early on looks like a very good fit for a final four team capable of a return trip in March. “The team is buying in and so that’s a great place to start as a new coach,” said Signor whose son Zach is a key member of the team. “ We have a lot of very good athletes on this team so we are going to take advantage of that and push the pace of the game on both ends of the floor.”

 Henry Yianakoplos, Jacob Rockwood and Cam Cyr all return to the starting lineup for the Hawks along with center Liam Flanagan and small forward Kevin McGrath. Yianakopolos went down with an injury during the post-season, as the Hawks were able to beat Winnisquam on the road in the quarterfinals without one of their leaders. Rockwood returns as the team’s point guard and has impressed his new coach early on. “I like his decision making, which is essential for a point guard, and he also has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble,” said Signor.

 Cyr broke the school record for three pointers in a season and will be the focus of opposing defenses on most nights. His ability to knock down shots on the wing will open up driving lanes for the likes of Rockwood, Zach Signor and McGrath. “We want to get out and push the ball to take advantage of odd man rushes,” said Signor who formerly served as the girls’ basketball coach at Milford. “We are going to play at a faster pace than we did a year ago and the kids have really embraced that early on.”

 In keeping with the theme of pushing the pace, Mascenic Regional isn’t going to have a ton of size but the Vikings will have the best guard play in the division, in a season that could take them to the final four in March. “This group loves to get out and create,” said head coach Jay Starr. “That’s exactly what we want them to do. We are going to play to our strengths as a group and bring a lot of speed & pressure at the teams we face.”

 It begins with the all-state backcourt of Daimon Gibson and Brett Stauffeneker. It’s hard to talk about one without mentioning the other even though each has their own unique set of skills. All Starr knows is there isn’t a backcourt in the state he would trade them for. “They have both been in the program since they were freshman so they know exactly what we are trying to do. They both have grown not only physically but as team leaders now and they set the pace for this group every day.”

 Starr will mix in a pair of very good freshman with Gibson and Stauffeneker as Trey Shaw and Sam Stauffeneker will join the rotation. Yes another one…and two years ago I watched a fourth grade Stauffeneker bombing jumpers in Con Val’s gym…the Stauffeneker's will be haunting Eric Saucier’s dreams for the next decade. “The freshman have gained my trust and we are going to get them right into the rotation,” said Starr of a possible future all-state duo. “They will make mistakes like any freshman would but that’s part of the process of getting better.”

 Travis Rautiola and Micah Howard will lead the Mascenic frontcourt for a team with an eye on Southern NH University in March. “We will need to rebound as a team but we have the offense and the ability to apply pressure night to night. It’s a fun group to coach.”

 Another quarterfinal team from a year ago ready to make the leap will be the Stevens Cardinals, who were last seen on the field at UNH after winning the Division III football title.

 Head coach Matt Baird-Torney returns enough talent to be the last team standing in Division III. “This team has all the potential in the world,” said Baird-Torney. “We will score, scoring is never the issue with this group, but can we defend at an elite level and keep our focus there? That’s what I want to see.”

 Noah Spaulding will again run the Stevens offense after starting as a sophomore a year ago. “I brought him up to the varsity as a freshman two years ago because I wanted him to face the best competition possible on a daily basis. He’s really accepted that challenge from day one and what I think you’ll see this season is that he has developed into one of the best guards in all of Division III. He’s gone from a score first point guard to a facilitator who can set up his teammates for good looks.”

 Parker Smith returns to the starting lineup capable of a first team all-state season. Smith will be joined in the frontcourt by the O’Brien brothers, Nick & Zach, last seen hammering out a wresting contract with Justin McIsaac. Both brothers bring something to the table, “Zach has very good rebounding instincts and a lot of toughness while Nick is our best outside shooter,” said Baird-Torney. “They can be a handful for me“ joked their head coach, “but certainly for the other team as well.”

 Henri Bourque, fresh off a title as quarterback, can score inside or out and will help give Stevens five players on the floor who need to be guarded at all times. “It was a good experience for us to play Conant on the road last year (in the quarterfinals) to get a taste of what that kind of game takes to win. This season it’s about taking the next step like the players did in football.”

 When you put a team with big athletes together on a small court and a veteran coach, good things usually happen. In 2016 Inter-Lakes earned a top 8 seed in the division while having to listen to some writer claim it was a product of their schedule, ok fine that was me…, but in 2017 three starters return and the Lakers have the look of a team capable of a final four run. “ I’ll put our starting five up against anyone,” said head coach Mike Rathgeber. “ The kids have worked hard and played a lot of games together. Our concern is depth, because right now we can’t afford an injury. The key for us is staying healthy while also developing our guys off the bench.”

 Power forward Zach Swanson returns after an all-state season a year ago and has evolved into one of best big men in the division. “ Zach is a terrific athlete and a great kid, he gets most of his points and rebounds by outworking the other guy. He has that mentality every night,” said Rathgeber.

 Davis Jollimore will take over the point guard role from the graduated Erik Boquist (the only senior on last season’s roster). Rathegeber feels like his new point guard will build off a strong performance against Stevens in the playoffs. “ We got down in the second half and had to fight our way back, he was a big part of that. He scored 14 points in 8 minutes and this season I’m really excited to see him continue to grow as a player,” said Rathgeber. “ I think by the end of the season coaches are going to know about him.”

 Ryan Kelly, coming off an all-state season at quarterback, returns to the backcourt at shooting guard and is poised for a big senior season. “ I’m really excited about Ryan’s ability to get to the rim. That’s something I thought we lacked a year ago and he has the ability to be a huge factor for us.”

 Logan Taylor also figures to be a very big part of the Lakers run. “ He’s really come on over the off-season and he’s a player that does all the little things you need to win games,” said his head coach.

 Eli Swanson will also join the rotation for a team that gives opponents fits on their home floor. “ We lost a very good rebounder when Matt Norton moved back to Moultonborough but this is a team capable of competing with anyone in the division.”

 A year ago Campbell head coach Sudi Lett was trying to learn his players’ names while dealing with the fact that his all-state center was out for the season. In 2017 Campbell knows exactly what system their coach wants to run and Lett knows where his weapons are on the roster. “ It’s a big difference from last season where we just weren’t able to play at the pace I wanted,” said Lett who begins his second season after taking over for John Langlois. “ Now we have the playmakers to do it, the kids know my system and..having our big guy back makes a huge difference.”

 That big guy is 2015 second team all-state pick and Pete Tarrier favorite Harrison Vedrani, who joins his younger brother Carter in the rotation. Sophomore Justin Furlong and Joakim Heller will lead the Cougars from the guard spot while senior Matt Wood will work alongside Vedrani upfront. “ We’re just a better team this year and Harrison is a big reason why. We still have a ways to go early on but I feel like we could have a very good season if we continue to come together week to week.”

 The easiest part of any of my basketball previews was penciling in Conant at #1 or #2 and moving on from there, and this is my ninth year writing Division III previews. The Orioles have advanced to the final four in seven of the eight seasons NHsportspage has existed. Under head coach Eric Saucier, one of the best basketball coaches in the state, fifteen wins was always a fair expectation.

 But with four starters graduated from a team that was upset by Kearsarge in the final four a year ago and seven of the top eight players from Conant’s rotation moved on it is a rebuilding year in Jaffrey. The first person to tell you that would be Saucier himself, “ We’re back to square one, the varsity inexperience of this group makes that pretty clear,” says Saucier. “ But that’s ok. We are going to get better every day and compete in every game we have. The expectations remain the same, we are competing for a final four spot. I just understand that it is going to be more of a season long process than it has been in the past.”

 Shooting guard JP Record is the only returning starter and his role in 2017 becomes that of both go to guy and team leader. “ He’s doing a very good job of being the leader we need him to be,” said Saucier.
“ Part of that is being patient with the younger guys.”

 Don’t let my golf partner sell you a bill of goods (for the record Eric, myself, Matt Regan of BG and Jamie Walker of Woodsville shot 5 under at the annual Coaches Summit…I think McIsaac’s foursome was escorted off the course after 12 holes..) Conant has talent and they’ll play as intelligently & hard as any team in Division III, they are just inexperienced for the time being. “ We’ll have to win by causing chaos and that begins at the defensive end of the floor. We need to focus on shutting teams down with our defense.”

 Peyton Springfield (of the Conant Springfield’s..), Jake Drew (“He was very good for our JV team last year and will be effective right away”), and Ryan Smith (“ Probably the toughest player we have..really understands his role.”) will all lead the new look Orioles. Sophomore Drew Marro has had a very good pre-season and has his head coach excited about his potential. “ It’s going to be about getting better as the season goes along and if we struggle early, dealing with that. We have freshman in our seven man rotation and I can’t remember that being the case too often lately. As the season moves long I see this team getting better.”

 Count on it.

 When Farmington squared off with St Thomas last week it pitted two programs very happy to be going to new divisions. A year after being Portsmouth’s sacrificial lamb in the first round of the playoffs Saints head coach Sean Murphy feels like Division III is a very good fit. “ St Thomas has a lot of history in Division III (the Saints won back to back Class M titles in 1991 & 1992) and what it does is increases our ceiling of where we can take ourselves as a group. Last year it was about trying to make the tournament in Division II, this year it is about trying to compete for the final four.”

 After not playing a year ago Tim Bouchard, coming off an all-state football season, will lead a group that includes Jake Proulx, Zac Carberry and Lance Thibodeau. The Saints, known for their Grinnell College philosophy of lots of pressure and three pointers, will tone it down a bit in 2017. Only a bit though.. “We are still running the Grinnell system but we are focused on a better balance between three point shots and two’s,” said Murphy. “ Last season we averaged about forty three pointers taken per game (yes 40..) and about twenty two point shots. We want to be 50/50 this season to take advantage of our size and athleticism down low.”

 For St Thomas the strengths will come in their depth as Murphy is comfortable with a ten man rotation and even putting two five man groups out there back to back. “ On a lot of nights there will be teams in this division that might have the two best players on the court, but we feel like we will have an advantage with the next half dozen players. That’s the kind of depth I think we’ll have this season.”

 In the 2014 season Belmont was unique for starting three freshman. For a program with very little boys’ basketball history it marked the chance to build around a talented group of underclassman.

 They took their lumps as freshman, and again as sophomores. A year ago the Red Raiders finished as the 16 seed before losing a lopsided first round game to eventual champion Pelham, but under head coach Jim Cilley and with a now veteran crew returning, Belmont has their eyes on a special season in the Lakes Region. “ This is a group that has played a lot of basketball together and it’s a group with a lot of talent as well,” said Cilley, a Belmont alum. “ They feel like they can make a run this season and now as seniors, it’s about getting it done and making it a reality.”

 6’3 all-state forward Trevor Hunt is back to lead the way and as a fourth year starter understands what it takes to get to the next level in the division. “ Trevor has worked hard. He has first team potential and is very good on the glass for us. He’s as good a rebounder as we saw last season,” said Cilley. “ He tends to struggle with his back to the basket but that’s where we need him. We are going to create sets where Trevor gets the ball going downhill..to the basket.”

 Cilley calls sophomore Derek Stevens the X-factor, as he will be joined in the backcourt by Matt Pluskis. “ Pluskis has had breakout games where he was the best player on the floor, that’s how good he has been at times,” said his head coach. “ To beat the elite teams in this division we are going to need him to produce. He’s a huge part of what we do.”

 Doug Price is one of the seniors who has seen time in the starting lineup since he was a freshman. Cilley calls Price one of the teams most consistent players and hopes he can work alongside 6’4 Tom Pare (“He’s really shown a willingness to be aggressive in the paint and that is great to see,” said Cilley) & forward Dylan Gansert to give Belmont a true inside/outside attack. “ We feel like we are going to compete every night and the goal is to be there in March with a shot at the final four.”

 If anyone could relate to taking their lumps a year ago it was a Berlin program (pronounced Berlin not Burr-Lynn…man they hate it when you say it like that) used to making an annual trek to the final four in March. Dave Morrisette’s team was led by two sophomores and a group of underclassman that weren’t quite ready for prime time.

 In 2017 nine of the top ten players from a year ago are back and the latest in a great tradition of Arsenault brothers, point guard Evan, may be ready for his breakout year. “ He’s worked extremely hard to get better and develop his game over the off-season. He’s improved his ball handling and he has also gotten bigger physically, “ said Morrissette of his team captain. “ He looks like an Arsenault.”

 By the way that’s bad news for everyone outside of Berlin.

 “If anything I want Evan to be more unselfish,” says Morrissette. “ There are nights we want him to be the point guard he is but there are also games we might need him to score 25 points for us to win the game and he is more than capable of doing that.”

 At his side once again is 6’4 center Joey Fodor, a fellow junior who was pushed into the starting lineup a year earlier than he might have been ready for, but better for the experience. “ He’s improved a lot and I expect to see that this season,” said his head coach. “ He’s a huge piece of what we’re trying to do.”

 Michael Moore will serve as the Mountaineers shooting guard and will be joined in the rotation by Seth Balderrama (“I’m really excited to see him develop as a player.”) brother Isaac Balderrama and sophomore Sinciere Davis. “ It has been a good pre-season so far and we are hoping to make a jump up the standings from last season. This is a group I’m looking forward to seeing develop,” said Morrissette.

 A lot of the buzz in the pre-season surrounds Steve McDonough’s Laconia Sachems. Few teams have more athletes, for Laconia it will come down to scoring and McDonough feels like he has the pieces to put it all together. “ This is as excited as I’ve been about any team I’ve coached,” said McDonough, fresh off a victory over Vermont in the Twin State game in July. “ We will defend and we will rebound, who will score for us?” asks McDonough. “That’s to be determined but we have the players to get it done.”

 Christian Garpa and Jacob Steele, a 6’2 sophomore, will head the Sachem backcourt while Jacob Filgate, back after sitting out a year, and Drew Muzzey (“ He is an unbelievable athlete and his attitude has been great for us,” said McDonough) are two newcomers to form a very strong nine man rotation.

 Ryan McCrea returns at the forward spot alongside Nick Drouin, who is back after an injury a year ago. As for the scoring role, that may end falling to talented sophomore Ryan Paiva. “ He had a couple of breakout games over the summer so you see that it is all there for him to make a big impact for us this season,” said McDonough.

 Freshman Ryan Chandler will get minutes as well as the Sachems look to build on a 10-8 season a year ago. “ We open with Winnisquam and Gilford so it is going to be a tough game every night but this is a hard working group and we are really excited to get going.”

 When it comes to members of the Alex Schwarz bandwagon yours truly was on there early. After watching the Mascoma guard for about twenty minutes of a practice two years I saw what Division III opponents have learned the hard way ever since. The kid is legit.

 In 2017 as a senior Schwarz has a team around him ready to pressure you up & down floor and dictate a pace most teams won’t be able to sustain. The plan for the Royals; keep it close until their first team all-state guard takes over in crunch time. “ He’s the hardest worker I’ve had here in a long time,” said head coach Jim Barry. “ He’s a player that leads more by example than by being vocal but he has really set the tone for this team. He never gets down or frustrated when things don’t go right, he just gets back up and keeps working.”

 Schwarz, who will likely play point guard at the college level, will play shooting guard while Killian Dowd handles the point guard duties.     Devin Duhaime will keep teams honest with his ability to knock down three pointers but the mantra in West Canaan is pace & pressure. Mascoma will bring both in large supply this season, “ Our Achilles heel is rebounding so we’re going to need to get easy baskets off of our defense,” said Barry. “ With Alex and a group that’s working hard we may surprise some people.”

 The alma mater has three starters to replace but with 6’4 forward Ethan Carrier poised for a breakout year and a team of players who led Gilford to one of the best JV records in Division III the past three years your Golden Eagles will be in the mix again for a Top 10 seed. “ This is a pretty smart group and the effort has been really good in the pre-season,” said head coach Chip Veazey. “ I like how everyone is sharing the basketball and talking on defense early on.”

 Carrier is capable of being one of the best big men in the division and has improved both in his ability to knock down jumpers and finish at the rim. “ He’s really improved taking the ball to the basket,” said Veazey. “ We’re going get him the basketball in a good position to score and he’s more than capable of being a go to guy for us.”

 Brandon Lemay will run the Gilford offense from the point guard spot after a year away from the team while Mason McGonagle was all-angry email team selection after averaging 15 ppg .last season.

 McGonagle gives the Golden Eagles two players who can score consistently getting to the rim, the question will be spreading out the offense with a deep threat. Guard David Hart and sophomore Greg Madore will both be in the rotation from day one. “ We lost a lot of size to graduation so that will mean we’re going to have to be a better team defensively on the perimeter.”

 When Winnisquam head coach Kevin Dame looks at the 2017 edition of his team he sees a lot of good players who need to get used to the fact that their all-state point guard and player of the year runner-up is not walking through that door. “ Trust me I’d love to have Christian Serrano back too but you only get four years,” joked Dame. “ We ran everything through Christian and Timmy (Harmon) so although we have the pieces to be successful, guys need to understand that they need to make plays after being complimentary players a year ago.”

 Point guard Mike Lowery had a very good season a year ago that was interrupted only by injuries. Starting alongside him will be shooting guard Thomas Marchese (apparently not pronounced Mar-Cheezie as I did for 90 solid minutes during the Gilford game last season..) who stepped up in Lowery’s place a year ago. “ He’s a player who with more touches is really going to make an impact this season,” said Dame. “He’s a player we’re excited about.”

 6’2 Logan Morrison will man the paint while Isaiah Singleton & sophomore Kyle Mann will be in the rotation again from day one. “ It’s going to be a process for us,” admits Dame. “ We have a key player ineligible right now plus some injuries but I think we could be a very tough team as the season goes along. Right now it is about realizing that it takes doing all the little things right to become a great player and early on we have to understand it’s back to the basics to be a team that wins consistently in this division.”

 Head coach Rob Fauci did a very good coaching job in year one at Somersworth and with three key starters back the Hilltoppers might be your sleeper pick to crash the Top 10. Senior Vincent Loho is a four year varsity player and two year starter who Fauci has come to rely on as a team leader on the floor & off it.

 Chance Ennis has been inconsistent at times for the Hilltoppers but has produced in the past while junior Bryton Early is poised for a breakout year after working as hard as any player in the program over the summer. “.  He's a gym rat and completely engulfed in developing his game.  He's improved tremendously over the summer and he's going to be a critical piece to our success,” praised Fauci.

 

Pre-Season First Team All-State (* Pre-season players of the year)

Tayler Mattos of Kearsarge Regional *

Alex Schwarz of Mascoma *

Daimon Gibson of Mascenic Regional

Evan Arsenault of Berlin

Parker Smith of Stevens

 

Second Team

Harrison Vedrani of Campbell

Brett Stauffeneker of Mascenic Regional

Henry Yianakoplos of Hopkinton

Tommy Johnson of Kearsarge Regional

Trevor Hunt of Belmont

 

With apologies to: Zach Swanson & Ryan Kelly of Inter-Lakes, JP Record of Conant, Joe Minson of Monadnock, Noah Spaulding of Stevens, Cam Cyr of Hopkinton, Tim Bouchard & Jake Proulx of St Thomas, Ethan Carrier & Mason McGonagle of Gilford, Doug Price of Belmont, Matt Hennessy of Franklin, Joe Storozuk of Kearsarge Regional, Bryton Early & Chance Ennis of Somersworth, Hudson Ingoldsby of Prospect Mountain, Ryan Paiva of Laconia and Mike Lowery of Winnisquam

 

 

The New Hampshire High School Hoop Show RETURNS!!

Saturday morning from 9 to 11 am Pete Tarrier & I will be live from NHTI in Concord, the site of our 4th Annual Coaches for a Cause Basketball Jamboree which tips off at noon.

 Our guests Saturday will be Epping head coach Nick Fiset and Kearsarge head coach Nate Camp, whose team will be taking on Bedford in the jamboree.

 You can hear the show by clicking the listen live button right on our homepage, or by tuning into ESPN NH on your Tune in Radio app or locally on 900AM (Nashua area) or 1250AM (Manchester area).